New iPad Sales Top 3 Million in Under 4 Days

[Cubytus]

I don't know where you live, but grabbing anything out of your hands on the subway and then trying to run away is a very foolish way to try and steal something. Does that ever happen? I've never heard of such a thing. Pick pocketing, mugging, stick-up, all of those I've heard of. But grab and run? No. So basically I disagree that "It's more difficult and risky to snatch a bag from someone than an iPhone or iPad." Where are you?

That's a very common way to steal stuff from people. Girls in particular are very easy targets since they don't seem to acknowledge that a cell phone can be put in a handbag, and not constantly held in hand. When they have it in hand, playing with it or chatting with friends, they're not aware of their surroundings, and when someone exits the subway or the bus, it's so easy to snatch it, they don't even have the time to raise their heads and get a glimpse of the thief's face. It's actually so prevalent that, even given a description, police will only take the recording, thank the citizen for its time, and wish him good luck for next time. In the meantime, one could relatively easily spot the guy who's selling stolen iPhones for $50 apiece.

Police just tells us to keep every belonging out of sight while in a public place.

Hmmm... you might be right about cell phones. A few years ago (the last time I cared) there were various special edition phones that cost into the seven or eight hundred dollar range. And in Japan it was pretty common to pay that much for a phone. But I might be out-of-date for recent trends.

But my basic point holds. iPads just aren't expensive enough to be considered status items. iPads are mass consumer items. Luxury items are far more expensive. That doesn't make iPads cheap, but they're simply not expensive enough to demonstrate to anyone that you're wealthy--which is what a status item does.

Here, an iPad is worth a month's rent, sometimes a bit more. So, for many people, it's a status item, as is the 15" MacBook Pro, since they don't exist in a subsidized form. Admittedly, I don't really go in the wealthy neighborhoods too often.

How have you replaced your cell phone?

 

[nastebu]

That's a very common way to steal stuff from people.

As I asked before, where are you? Because, as I said before, this just doesn't happen in New York. On the subway snatching and running would be very risky for the thief. As I also said before, I've never heard of this happening.

Here, an iPad is worth a month's rent, sometimes a bit more. So, for many people, it's a status item, as is the 15" MacBook Pro, since they don't exist in a subsidized form. Admittedly, I don't really go in the wealthy neighborhoods too often.

I think we're dealing in different definitions of "status item." I would say a "status item" would be something that shows a person is rich, upper class, etc. Consumer electronics are often expensive, but they don't rise to that level because even in poor neighborhoods they are widely bought and used.

I don't know where you are, but in New York, no matter what neighborhood you go into there are plenty of people with huge TVs, expensive laptops, and iPads. It isn't that these things are not expensive and difficult to afford, but it simply isn't the same thing as, for example, a Marni dress, or a Prada bag. And even in the poorest neighborhood, people know the difference. A Marni dress or Prada bag communicate more than simply having a few hundred dollars to spend. They communicate the ability to spend *thousands* of dollars on an item that has the same functionality as a much cheaper alternative. If there were iPads made of platinum, that would represent the kind of luxury item I would say represented a "status item."

But it is likely we are using different definitions.

How have you replaced your cell phone?

I have a iPhone 3G (not S) that still works reasonably well. It's a bit slow, and once in a while I think about buying the new one (I'm out of contract), but it's a low priority so it hasn't been done.

It's possible you are trying to guess my social status. You can't tell it by my cell phone. But then, really really rich people often have crappy cell phones. They usually have really really expensive shoes though. (I usually wear Dr. Martens that look like a rat chewed on them.)

 

[Lara F]

I don't know where you live, but grabbing anything out of your hands on the subway and then trying to run away is a very foolish way to try and steal something. Does that ever happen? I've never heard of such a thing. Pick pocketing, mugging, stick-up, all of those I've heard of. But grab and run? No. So basically I disagree that "It's more difficult and risky to snatch a bag from someone than an iPhone or iPad." Where are you?

It happened to me in a Brooklyn subway with the iPhone 3G. I was going down the steps to the platform, the thief snuck up from behind, grabbed it from my hand and ran back up. He timed it well as there was no one around to stop him, and this wasn't the main subway entrance with an MTA employee at the booth.

I'd only stopped there to pick up a piece of cheesecake from Juniors. Ended up being a very expensive desert. Suffice it to say lesson learned. The only good thing was that the 3GS was just released so I replaced it with that.

 

[Cubytus]

Even if people see him, they're usually too surprised to attempt anything. There's really not much risk for such a thief here in QC, except being caught by a police guy in the metro. Officers aren't very numerous inside the metro, so still, when there are many people in the stations, it's easy to hide among them, even more so when the station has multiple exits. So, except the thief-to-be gut, there is not much to lose, especially if he has a "common" face and clothes.

Agreed that an iPad doesn't have much competition as far as tablet go, and the price difference, for the same functionality, is usually minimal.

As for the social status, you're half-right. Since a month' rent for an item that's not even as good-looking or enjoyable as a family in a living room as a big-screen TV doesn't convey some "status" to you, I'm just wondering, though. But you're right that poor neighborhoods at least sacrifice much to get a big-screen TV. There are many TV cartons on the curb, and not necessarily cheap models. For the really poor, there's a burgeoning market for stolen items, really easy to come by, in plain view when night sets.