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For a product that is "the most personal apple product ever", it seems buying it strictly online is not very personal....
 
I understand the frustration of those who can't get a watch until May or June.

With that out of the way, does anyone agree that the preorder method allows more watches to get into the hands of fanatics and early adopters?

We knew the watch would sell out at some point, and removing the uncertainty of waiting overnight in line sounds like a good thing.
Why arbitrarily hold some back just to disappoint customers who wait at stores, to find the model they want it sold out?
So they sold out during the preorder, they are certainly making the watches as fast as possible.

Anyway, there seems to be a lot of complaints about how this launch was handled. Who else thinks this was logistically the best option?

TL;DR:
Who thinks everything's is going to be ok?
Mine is slatted for a June shipment.
Sure I would like to have it sooner but oh well.
I think this rollout takes a huge burden off the stores. The try on program is a great idea.
Stores can't handle the personal service needed for a new product.
 
I understand the frustration of those who can't get a watch until May or June.

With that out of the way, does anyone agree that the preorder method allows more watches to get into the hands of fanatics and early adopters?

We knew the watch would sell out at some point, and removing the uncertainty of waiting overnight in line sounds like a good thing.
Why arbitrarily hold some back just to disappoint customers who wait at stores, to find the model they want it sold out?
So they sold out during the preorder, they are certainly making the watches as fast as possible.

Anyway, there seems to be a lot of complaints about how this launch was handled. Who else thinks this was logistically the best option?

TL;DR:
Who thinks everything's is going to be ok?

I am actually really getting tired with Apple's constantly changing rules for product launch days.

This time around it was impossible to get any information on how the ordering process would work in advance, I walked into an Apple Store at 7PM on the 9th and they could not tell me if I would be able to order for in store pickup.

I know they like to play things close to the vest but there is no reason why they could not of released ordering information between the 9th of March to the 10th of April.
 
Most customers don't buy products the minute it's released just obsessed Apple fans do that. Smart consumers wait and see if it's worth it. If the Apple watch proves itself the masses will come and that's when Apple really starts raking in the cash.
 
Most customers don't buy products the minute it's released just obsessed Apple fans do that. Smart consumers wait and see if it's worth it. If the Apple watch proves itself the masses will come and that's when Apple really starts raking in the cash.

This. This is absolutely correct.

Also...

I keep reading about people who ordered at 12:02 or whatever that got May shipping dates. I ordered at 12:06 and 12:07 and got first wave.

It's not just how fast you ordered. It's the availability of the style(s) you chose.

Everyone who preordered is going to get the style(s) they preordered as fast as possible, given order time plus availability of style(s) ordered.

What more do people expect???

Apple is a company known for an extreme dislike of stock sitting around in warehouses. Stock sitting around costs money.

People will get their watches as quickly as possible.
 
Based on, apparent, stock constraints, selling online only right now is only decision. I doubt this was the initial plan, however, and that's a bit puzzling. The website clearly listed April 24th as the launch date, now it just says Apple Watch is coming. That's a big shift backwards, and it seems a rather odd thing for them to do unless Apple was caught off guard by either an unexpected supply or manufacturing problem or didn't anticipate the amount of orders they ended up getting. It's like they they somehow overlooked the probability of multiple orders due to indecision and scalping. I think both probabilities most new business school graduates could have anticipated. The indecision issue could have been addressed by having the Try On appointments start 2 weeks before the preorder and 3 to 4 weeks before the official launch.

I really don't get it, but it does feel like something didn't go to plan with the Watch. Apple is way to successful for what feels like the inexperienced planning of a startup.
 
its interesting that people were complaining about the fact they can't try on before ordering.

as an aussie i was able to. it still didn't make a difference to me.

the main thing with this is that it is an entirely new category. the last time apple entered a new category they sold 300,000 ipads in 2 days.

when planning inventory it is a delicate balancing act. do apple make 4 million and stockpile them and risk not selling them - having to take a writedown and potently a stock price hit? or do they go conservative, not deliver some until june and know they can sell the inventory they have?

as a businessperson who has a no 1 responsibility to shareholders i know which i would pick...
 
Most customers don't buy products the minute it's released just obsessed Apple fans do that. Smart consumers wait and see if it's worth it.

Apple fans do fallow and know almost everything about the product before it is even released and know exactly what they want, while the rest of the people (the ones you call smart) know jack ass about it and of course it makes sense for them to wait and see what this new thing is, before they decide if it is for them or not. So really.... they are just behind and that's all.
 
People don't like to be inconvenienced and have become masters of feigning outrage when those minor inconveniences happen.

Just my opinion as always.

I don't think they're feigning it al all.

I think people genuinely are totally outraged that they didn't get their new toy confirmed for release day delivery, personally delivered by 8.30am by Tim &/or Angela. :D
 
its interesting that people were complaining about the fact they can't try on before ordering.

as an aussie i was able to. it still didn't make a difference to me.

...

I, too, tried on the Watch before orders opened...twice I fact! I went first thing in the morning here in Australia and went back a few hours later because I couldn't make up my mind...I still ordered two watches, just in case! I have since gone in again and finally forced myself to make a decision and have now cancelled one.

The fact is, even though I agree that they should of allowed try ons before pre-order in all stores worldwide, I'm not sure, in the adrenaline of the moment, those of us struggling to decide could of managed a definitive choice anyway.
 
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I think that only having online pre-orders was the correct decision.

What I think was wrong were the mixed messages and indecisive information coming from Apple prior to the 10th. They should also have had the demo watches in store weeks before pre-orders went live so people could see and try them before they had to commit their choice to order.

As someone who knew they wanted an apple watch from the get go, I am glad they were not in stores first. I think a lot more people wanted to order the watch after seeing it in person. It was less competition :)
 
If Apple could get a do-over

With so much excitement and frustration about the :apple:Watch launch I'm wondering if Apple wishes they could have done it differently. In my opinion Tim Cook would have been better off saying "We will begin taking online orders for :apple:Watch on April 10 and begin shipping April 24." Calling it a "pre-order" process was probably the first misstep as there was nothing "pre" about it. Another thing I think they should have done differently is the try-on appointments. It would have been a much better customer experience to see the watch in person before making a purchase decision. They could have had a week or two before April 10 for people to make an appointment to view the watch in person. This also would have been an accurate gauge for consumer interest.
It does seem that Apple didn't handle this launch perfectly but the biggest "problem" with it is that there are so many of us who want the watch and want it now. I have a feeling Apple doesn't view that as a problem in the same way that we do.
 
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