I'm pretty irritated by the whole thing. I didn't even bother trying to get one today. I think they had so few that they figured they couldn't really do a pre-order and why give up the chance to have the publicity of all those people waiting in line. I had the first iPad delivered on day one. Now that I have a Macbook Air I don't feel the urgent need for an iPad 2 I otherwise might. So I'll pick one up when I get around to it. Or maybe not.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How Apple blew the launch
- Thread starter corriewf
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
The air is very nice. I have the 13 and love it.
At the end of the day, my heart isn't broken or anything, but I won't be calling everyday for the next month hoping I catch them right after a shipment. One day when the competition is bringing the heat, I will keep in mind that to apple, I'm just another buck.
What? People were standing in line at every Target and Best Buy withing five miles of my house.
Best Buy launch seemed to go well, but Target was a mess. None of the stores around here got more than a handful, most of only one model, and many did not know how many they would have or when they would get there - at mine, the fedex truck didn't show up until just after 5pm! When the 20 of us in line found out they were receiving five of a single model, far less than employees had led us to believe.
Next time, they need to at least let stores know how many they'll be getting in so that they don't wind up with dozens of disgruntled customers who waited in line for nothing, and now don't have time to get in line at another store that will be getting more stock.
No offense, but you didn't realize that already?
My take is that they had a hard time making as many as they wanted and sending them to 3rd party stores thinned out there stock even more.
Word of mouth is much more powerful. I know I have personally referred many people to macs. If they keep up with these tactics, they will alienate their core customers. We are the ones that have made them the large company they are today.
People will forget in a few weeks that any lines existed...but the ones that had to wait in one, and not get anything, will remember a long time.
I think this is the sanest choice for these launch days. I'd love an iPad2 today, but not enough to stand in line all day. You are just setting yourself up for tremendous disappointment if you stand in line for hours and get nothing. Just walk down to your local Apple store and observe. It's really fascinating.
Um, you don't have to. Just log onto to Apple.com and order online, and they will deliver it to your door.
Hot items sell out. It's okay. You'll survive. Your iPad won't be any different in 2 weeks when Apple ships it to you.
Good luck! The only way your going to get one is if you spent the next few days calling apple 3- times a day. Then you better hope someone else isn't doing the same thing. Or you can order online and start waiting at the door sometime in April.
If you have to wait three weeks for something you paid for, apple blew it.
I'm going to probably wait a couple months and see what comes out. The webos and g slate have me curious to at least take a look.
Honeycomb sucks but it's still interesting. I have always been interested in webos. If they both suck or never come out than iPad 2 I come. Then maybe next year see what others bring to the table.The point isn't that I'm heart broken, it's that IMO, they blew the launch.
The cops at my local store had to almost break up a mini riot when they announced they were out of stock. I just left.
I think they should have limited sales to 1 per customer. People walk out with 2, while hundreds walk out with zip.
As much as I loved the pre-order system I think Apple did away with because of the lack of lines. Stores were reporting stock on-hand because people bought online or reserved and took there time picking them up.
This time in order to get one today you had to go to the store today.
This time in order to get one today you had to go to the store today.
its the disrespect towards their customers, and complete lack of value for our time.
The original Ipad launch was perfect. You placed your order online 4 weeks in advance, and when you stood in line you know you were going to pick up a product that day. Not stand in line for 2 hours, just to be told sorry were sold out. No we have no voucher for you, no we don't have any idea when were getting stock.
Apple can make advance tech, but can't do simple logistics? There is no other reason for the set up they had today other then to get some PR. Apple is getting arrogant, the bubble is going to pop soon. They've built up a company on excellent customer service and now will kill it with this short sighted greed.
The original Ipad launch was perfect. You placed your order online 4 weeks in advance, and when you stood in line you know you were going to pick up a product that day. Not stand in line for 2 hours, just to be told sorry were sold out. No we have no voucher for you, no we don't have any idea when were getting stock.
Apple can make advance tech, but can't do simple logistics? There is no other reason for the set up they had today other then to get some PR. Apple is getting arrogant, the bubble is going to pop soon. They've built up a company on excellent customer service and now will kill it with this short sighted greed.
No. Three weeks is nothing. Stuff sells out. It's a fact of life. Part of launching a product is Marketing/PR, and Apple is generating massive amounts of it. Just because you didn't get your iPad on day one, doesn't mean Apple blew anything.
I think this is the sanest choice for these launch days. I'd love an iPad2 today, but not enough to stand in line all day. You are just setting yourself up for tremendous disappointment if you stand in line for hours and get nothing. Just walk down to your local Apple store and observe. It's really fascinating.
Guilty here. I was one of those Apple Store suckers
But then again home is literally just down the street from the mall so no biggie. But seeing how this works for Apple launch lines is....yes, fascinating.Yes yes yes!!! We aren't all teens with nothing but time. I have kids and a wife I can't tell them sorry I need to go get in line.
My Apple Store took care of 90+ people in less than a half hour. That line was moving so fast. I was out the Mall by 5:45 
Agree
I completely agree with your post. I waited 3.5 hours at Target to find out that they had no idea they were not getting the shipment of 10 ipads they were promised by Apple. Apple screwed Target and me with poor planning and poor communication. Apple's arrogance is just offensive.
At the end of the day, you may think that the publicity is good for Apple. I don't believe it for a minute. Sales and cash is good for Apple. A good reputation for respecting the consumer and treating them with respect is good for Apple. A reputation of increasing arrogance on an already stuffy culture is just bad marketing and I suspect will be the study of business cases in the future.
When transparency in business communications is the trend, Apple is going against the wind.
This goes hand in hand with their stubborn refusal to consider flash in their hardware.
Yes, I'm still going to get an ipad when I can get my hands on one. But, for now, I only have an UN-pad.
I completely agree with your post. I waited 3.5 hours at Target to find out that they had no idea they were not getting the shipment of 10 ipads they were promised by Apple. Apple screwed Target and me with poor planning and poor communication. Apple's arrogance is just offensive.
At the end of the day, you may think that the publicity is good for Apple. I don't believe it for a minute. Sales and cash is good for Apple. A good reputation for respecting the consumer and treating them with respect is good for Apple. A reputation of increasing arrogance on an already stuffy culture is just bad marketing and I suspect will be the study of business cases in the future.
When transparency in business communications is the trend, Apple is going against the wind.
This goes hand in hand with their stubborn refusal to consider flash in their hardware.
Yes, I'm still going to get an ipad when I can get my hands on one. But, for now, I only have an UN-pad.
Too bad the events in Japan are dominating the news cycle. Only us nerds on the forums even are aware of what is going on. The average person has little idea that iPad 2 is out let along the lines and shipping delays.
So while Apple could not have predicted this, their typical BS tactics did nothing but enrage another set of loyalists.
Sent from my iPad 2
So while Apple could not have predicted this, their typical BS tactics did nothing but enrage another set of loyalists.
Sent from my iPad 2
Your not a sucker for waiting in line. There will always be lines for apple products and their products are great. With that said, there should have been pre-orders, and reservations. During the iPhone 4 launch, I waited in line for 6 hours but so did a lot of people in my line, which was the reserve line. We all had a phone with our name on it.Guilty here. I was one of those Apple Store suckers
Apple decided not to do that with the iPad launch and made suckers out of everyone that wanted one, waited in line, and never got one. After one hour of going on sale three walmarts, two best buys, three targets, and the one apple store in my are were sold out. One hour..one hour....sorry but if your not going to have a preorder, don't ship such limited stock.
- Status