Tablet Manufacturers Reevaluating Pricing Options in Light of iPad Announcement?

[kernkraft]

What a great thing!

I'm usually very anti - microsoft and pc, I am usually a drunk when it comed to apple and always drinking the koolaid. But seeing some leaked photo's of courier, has me wanting one...I think this would be a priceless addition as far as my consulting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIgNfp-MdI

My only question is when, this could be the 1st item I've seen in years that may sell better to creatives than a mac item...

I want that, although, I think it must cost around $7-800.

So on one side, we have tons of people crying out that the iPad is just a big iPod. On the other hand we have this poster saying that Apple has copied HP's look.

Hmmmmmm.

That's not what I said. Why did you quote, if you cannot read?

 

[gwangung]

Most people these days own a cell phone and a computer and an iPod...getting them to plunk down another $500 for a device that mainly merges 3-5 technologies is going to be a hard sell...especially in a recession.

I think that's not quite it.

iPhone + laptop + ipod = not a good fit for an iPad.
Basic cell phone + desktop machine = perfect place to add an iPad.

I don't think the latter is particularly small.

 

[ericinboston]

I think that's not quite it.

iPhone + laptop + ipod = not a good fit for an iPad.
Basic cell phone + desktop machine = perfect place to add an iPad.

I don't think the latter is particularly small.

True...I just am not going to sit here and come up with a 172-cell matrix of who is going to buy the iPad.

 

[doctor-don]

prices should be

wi-fi $199, $299, $399

3G $330, $430, $530


wooooo

Should be ?

 

[hugodrax]

why do you people who make comments about you not needing the iPad continue to roll in these topics? go into the iMac/Mac Pro/MacBook/iPod/iPhone topics.

Tablets have existed for at least 10 years. They all were expensive, tried to run everything a laptop could run, ran windows XP with start menu and all.

But the problem is it was neither a good laptop or a good small scale system.

The iPad has the right interface and experience and it is not trying to be a full fledged laptop squeezed into a tablet.

If you need a full computer get a laptop.

 

[gwangung]

True...I just am not going to sit here and come up with a 172-cell matrix of who is going to buy the iPad.

Hey, that's marketing's job...

 

[CoreWeb]

People buy iPods for a reason...ditto for the iPhone...ditto for netbooks/laptops...ditto for a printer. This iPad thingy is trying to please too many people. It's attractive for people who own nothing mentioned above because it's their all-in-1-device-and-I-don't-own-anything-else. That's fine. But that's what, 20% of the US population if that? Does anyone on this board know a legal US resident between the ages of 14 and 55 that does NOT own a cell phone AND does NOT own a laptop/netbook AND does not own an iPod?! More people own desktops than laptops...I'll give you that...but laptops are quickly becoming the preferred computer.

Let's all wait till June or July and see how the public responds to it.

Something that could make the iPad a success (despite its awful name).

See, I can imagine using one. I know many times when I might use one (on the couch, around campus—really, just about anywhere I don't want to lug a full laptop.

For my laptop, I have to use my heavy laptop bag and everything, or carry it completely unprotected; when I want to turn it on, I have to wait a few seconds for it to wake up, a bit longer for it to connect to any WiFi network... although it doesn't take so long, it feels clunky and awkward, not just for me, but for those around me.

So instead, right now I use my iPhone. Only problem is, its screen is tiny. Very inconvenient. My dad keeps exclaiming: "How can you keep looking at that tiny screen!" He does have a point, but it is still more convenient than using my laptop.

So, I think I may use the iPad (though shudder at the name).

That's really the test. If I use it, that means there are use cases for it—at least, that there are for me. Chances are, that means there would be use cases for others.

So, what happens when people see me using it? They may see those use cases which I see. And, the tablet is flashy—like the iPhone, it can create desire, with or without cause. So, some of these people who see me using it will go buy it. And then people will see them use it, and they'll go buy it, and so on. To some extent, this word-of-mouth process is what happened with the original iPhone.

It has potential—lots, in my opinion, even in version 1.0, but especially in future versions. This is why I personally give the tablet a moderate chance of success (70%).


Oh, and one more thing: the tablet is apparently running OS 3.2. OS 4.0 will probably come out in June. More features? Or, at least, a redesigned home screen and lock screen? I can hope.

 

[chris975d]

And I totally agree with you...in a few months we will see how the public likes the iPad.

I'm not saying it's going to be a flop or refer to it is epic fail. My bet is it will be another Apple TV unless Apple comes out with a slamming iPad 2.0.

Most people these days own a cell phone and a computer and an iPod...getting them to plunk down another $500 for a device that mainly merges 3-5 technologies is going to be a hard sell...especially in a recession.

People buy iPods for a reason...ditto for the iPhone...ditto for netbooks/laptops...ditto for a printer. This iPad thingy is trying to please too many people. It's attractive for people who own nothing mentioned above because it's their all-in-1-device-and-I-don't-own-anything-else. That's fine. But that's what, 20% of the US population if that? Does anyone on this board know a legal US resident between the ages of 14 and 55 that does NOT own a cell phone AND does NOT own a laptop/netbook AND does not own an iPod?! More people own desktops than laptops...I'll give you that...but laptops are quickly becoming the preferred computer.

Let's all wait till June or July and see how the public responds to it.

If Apple's recent past history with products is any indicator, this thing will fly off the shelves like anything else they've done recently. It's a shiny, new, Apple device that does something that no other product does on the market right now...it is an EASY TO USE (the masses love "easy"), LARGE, CHEAP, touchscreen, handheld computing device that does 99% of what people use a computer for. Just the "wow" factor of an easy to use touchscreen device that's larger than a tiny iPod Touch is going to sell this thing to the masses. Remember, the general public is different than most of us members here. They want easy to use, and usually buy whatever is the "in" thing right now, as long as it's relatively cheap, especially when it comes to Apple. You mentioned getting people to plunk down $500 when they already own devices that do what this does, yet I know many, many people (even close friends) who buy every version iPod, or iPod nano, or iPod Touch that comes out, when they already have the generation(s) before it. I also know plenty of people who, even though they were still under contract for the iPhone 3G, went out on launch day and purchased (at full retail) the iPhone 3GS. Apple has this effect on people, and I think this device is just going to continue that. I've heard nonstop chatter about the iPad since it was announced Wed., such as "how cool is that! A larger screen iPod Touch!", from all my friends and even most of my customers that I interact with. Granted, these are all "regular Joes", and not enthusiasts like on this forum, but I think this is indicative of how the general public is going to react to this thing. Apple is a business, and businesses usually cater to the masses. I don't know of many businesses that get to the point of having $40 billion in cash reserves by catering to the relatively small "hardware geek" market.

 

[Peace]

Go on...

Well have a seat.

Are you seated yet ? You could stand up I suppose. While holding your laptop *cough*

I'm in my office at an important meeting and I have some great stuff to show the board. Thing is I don't want to rent a projector. I want to impress the CEO or the director.

I have on my iPad a keynote presentation I made at home and it's on my iPad.

I walk over to the big guy and hand him the iPad with the presentation on it.

He flips through it looking at various concepts and prices. He likes what he sees. He decides. OK. We will do this project. Oh. by the way "Bob" how much are those things ? I want one.
---------------------------------------

Another person is walking around campus and that person has been hauling around books for 3 years and is tired of it.
He gets an iPad. Purchases all those books and has them on one device that only weighs a pound instead 15 pounds like with his books. He's a happy camper now.

--------------------------------------

Now the good part.

YOU. Yes you! are walking around the IT center and you find a stack that has some clunky non working part in it. What do you do ? Go back to your office and look it up in the catalog? Nope. You open the iPad and look at the inventory stats that are stored dynamically on the iPad because it will update using wifi.
You then select the device you need and see it's low on stock. Wow you need to buy more.

Open the Flash free browser and go to the place you buy your goods at and order 3. Just in case.

You just did that standing next to the one that bit the dust.

----------------------------------------

I'm at home sitting on the couch and I want to listen to some music so I put the iPad on my lap. Note it has no physical keyboard so it fits quit nice. Not all bunched up like a laptop would be if it were sitting on your lap.

I'm now listening to my favorite. Grateful Dead. Live at the Tweeter center.

Now I know this thing doesn't do multi-tasking right?. But I decide I want to flip through a spreadsheet I've been working on. so I open Numbers and start checking it out. Oh. btw. The music is still playing.

hmm.. These numbers don't look right so I lean back on the couch comfortably and start using the very nice virtual keyboard and touch to change some of the numbers.
There we go. All fixed. I'm still listening to the GD btw.

hmm.. I wonder if those photo's I took are still there. I go into Photos and look around. They aren't there. So. What do I do ?

I think back to my mac works on the iPad.Lets see.

I look for shared computers in the settings ( which wasn't shown BTW. wonder why.hmm. ) and I find my main computer and it has the pics I needed so I transfer them from my main computer to my iPad. There. I now have them to show to a client tomorrow.
-------------------------------------------------
Understand the "focus" yet ?

The "focus" is YOU. The Person being able to comfortably do work and play at the same time without having to get up after a long hard day and walk around looking for stuff.

There's a lot more examples I could use but I know you're going to come back with some snappy anti- iPad remark so I'll stop.

 

[spice weasel]

I have a strong feeling that, come spring, some of you naysayers will be posting to these forums from your new iPads.

Face it, Apple doesn't sell "need," it sells "want." No one here legitimately needs an iPod, but almost everyone has one (or more). When Apple releases a beautiful new 27" aluminum iMac, people immediately begin trying to justify to themselves (and often their spouses) why they just have to have one. I don't need an iPhone, but I sure as hell got one.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the iPad and I still am to some extent, mainly because I know that RevB is going to be a lot better. Do I need one? No. But do I still want one?

Hell yes.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

prices should be

wi-fi $199, $299, $399
wooooo

Those are iPod Touch prices, son!

 

[ericinboston]

For my laptop, I have to use my heavy laptop bag and everything, or carry it completely unprotected; when I want to turn it on, I have to wait a few seconds for it to wake up, a bit longer for it to connect to any WiFi network... although it doesn't take so long, it feels clunky and awkward, not just for me, but for those around me.

So instead, right now I use my iPhone. Only problem is, its screen is tiny. Very inconvenient. My dad keeps exclaiming: "How can you keep looking at that tiny screen!" He does have a point, but it is still more convenient than using my laptop.

So, I think I may use the iPad (though shudder at the name).

Right...for you, the owner of a $300 iPhone and a $500+ laptop, you seem to have the $500 in your hand to go purchase a 3rd device. And there is nothing wrong with that.

But for someone like myself who owns a $300 iPhone and a $300 netbook (and a desktop), there is no value in the iPad. It doesn't beat my netbook for weight, battery life, web surfing, etc. And there's nothing wrong with that.

For someone like my sister who owns a crusty old Nokia cell phone and a desktop computer, the iPad is likely a good choice. Buttttt....she may also think about a $300 or $399 netbook (cheaper than the iPad) depending on her use case(s) and her readiness to jump on the Apple KoolAid Bandwagon.

I like the shiny screen of the iPad...but when carrying it around, how am I to protect the glass from bumping a doorknob or jacket zipper or being bumped at the airport or a billion other reasons...laptops/netbooks allow you to close the screen in order to protect the glass...not to protect it from a soccer ball hitting your machine at 96 MPH. If the iPad sat on my desk all day long or rarely was moved around, then the worry is gone.

If Apple has designed this glass to be super scratch and bumper resistent, I'd love to hear about it...that would move a checkmark from the CON side of my thoughts to the PRO side...

 

[ungraphic]

I love corporate competition and lower prices for the consumer, so this rumor of competitors lowering their prices because of the jesus tablet ipad is great.

However, I see no reason at all why competitors should lower their prices, the iPad is a jack of all trades, master of none and has no place alongside the other products that already exist as well as future products; its a crippled and limited iphone experience on a larger screen. Nothing more. Is there even a file browser on the iPad? It doesnt do flash, multitasking, front side camera, xvid/divx, ms office, etc. MSI will be releasing an android based tablet also for $500, and we can be sure it will offer all of the many things the ipad doesnt, and then some.

With that said, competitors have little to fear.....well, maybe the army of loyal apple fanboys.

 

[hugodrax]

To me the iPad is great. it is an information consumption device. I can casually pick it up, it goes instantly on and I can surf the web from the couch, sitting outside by the pool, quick mail check, load etrade and check out my portfolios, showing of pictures via the cool looking app it includes etc.

Run my custom options pricing stuff in numbers.
Use this little app called Balance that I could not live without.

When I travel I can do all of the above with a lighter instant on device with no folding shell heavy laptop. I can carry it with me like a thing book etc..

Lots of things possible with this iPad and the size is just right.

I do not need a full fledged computer. I have one already and its on my desk.

I am getting a 3G model for sure.

A floor trader case would be great. One where you can have it inside with a top flap and a back where the trade confirm sheets can be inside with two slots for the bic 4 color pens, 1 pencil. and a custom NYSE openbook/MAG app running right on it.

 

[ericinboston]

...yet I know many, many people (even close friends) who buy every version iPod, or iPod nano, or iPod Touch that comes out, when they already have the generation(s) before it. I also know plenty of people who, even though they were still under contract for the iPhone 3G, went out on launch day and purchased (at full retail) the iPhone 3GS. Apple has this effect on people, and I think this device is just going to continue that. I've heard nonstop chatter about the iPad since it was announced Wed., such as "how cool is that! A larger screen iPod Touch!", from all my friends and even most of my customers that I interact with. Granted, these are all "regular Joes", and not enthusiasts like on this forum, but I think this is indicative of how the general public is going to react to this thing. Apple is a business, and businesses usually cater to the masses. I don't know of many businesses that get to the point of having $40 billion in cash reserves by catering to the relatively small "hardware geek" market.

1)Your friends who spend every paycheck on the latest Apple products are not reflective of the normal consumer. Your point of knowing these people may be true but far from reality.

2)I agree about all your points of ease of use...I have no issues with the iPad on that topic.

3)Can we please refrain from bringing up Apple's money/profits topic in every thread? I could start a thread here about cats vomiting and someone would post about Apple and their margins.

4)For the 80th time in 72 hours: I think the iPad will sell well for a few months...then around June or July we should hear real-life examples of how people like it...and what people are using it for. Heck, maybe 80% of the owners will use it for ebook reading and never buy a single app or game or video or song. Who knows. Who knows.

This will be quite interesting to watch...and how the other tablet vendors respond.

-Eric

 

[CFreymarc]

The iPad hit the intended target

For those bitching that iPad doesn't do this and doesn't do that, all I have to say is you weren't even on the dance card when this product in development.

The real target, as shown in Steve's presentation, is to do the netbook market right. If you don't remember, this space between laptop and smartphone has been tried again and again got back twenty years. It has had different names from "micro-PC" to "sub-laptop" to even "Ultra Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC)"

Yes, it doesn't do Flash, it doesn't have multi-tasking -- and it doesn't have an gravity cancellation unit too in case you drop it.

Apple goal was making a very nice, casual on the go and home computer about the side of a clipboard. They did it. What really matters is how well is sells two to three months from now and not what people on line bitch about.

There is an old line in the fashion business, "You scoffed at it. You laughed at it. You bought it!"

 

[robeddie]

Do you want someone to convince you to get something that you don't want? If you don't want it, why are you talking about it? You are funny.

For god's sake Henrystar ... they're tearing you a new one in here! Come back and defend yourself!!! LOL

 

[D*I*S_Frontman]

I watched the keynote and was "underwhelmed" by the first release, as many of the rumor mongers here were. As an eBook reader, I thought the Pixel Qi technology was a mortal lock. Nope. Camera? Nope.

Having said that, I think the concept is sound, and as a platform this thing is gonna absolutely kill once developers tap into what's possible.

Rev B. of this baby is gonna rock the house. Apple will be absolutely printing money from iPad sales by the end of the year.

 

[fobfob]

Face it, Apple doesn't sell "need," it sells "want." No one here legitimately needs an iPod, but almost everyone has one (or more).

Exactly. My reply to all those who don't understand who would want the iPad, is that to tell you the truth, I don't understand who would want the iPod Touch.

To me, the Ipod touch is not a great iPod. The nano or classic are better. And it's not a great internet device because it lacks constant wireless. Finally, while it can be a cool mobile gaming device, many games now really need the web too, so you're back to the previous point. All this is of course addressed by the iPhone.

And yet, iPod touches fly off the shelf. Go figure.

So what about the iPad. It does everything the iPod touch does, except better in every way except in portability. That's an interesting tradeoff, and I believe given the size of the iPod touch market, the iPad will have a similar share.

This is only the beginning. Missing hardware features will be rolled out in the future, but that's just noise. Apple does have its work cut out though to make this a true success in market creation and not just yet another iPod. They need to work much more on the "print" media side, including magazines. Relying on apps is lazy and will eventually come back to bite them when someone else does it better. They need to work towards the Courier, it needs to be more integrated, not just an oddball collection of apps. I agree that to get started, the app store is the way to go. But they need to keep integrating and innovating the product, otherwise the iPad will just settle into the iPod lineup and take its place along side the nano and touch, rather than being a new product category itself.

And yes, I agree that comparisons to netbooks is simply incorrect, and a mistake on Apple's part. This does not replace a netbook. They needed to make that clear. It's not the same thing. But it may do most of what some people are buying netbooks for. What people do with it and what it can do are different things.

 

[TeeJayEm]

I'll get one since they specifically designed it for leftys

 

[TMay]

Or it could be that Apple is trying a different model with this product. Apple was always known as a hardware company and the iTunes store was small potatoes and ancillary to sell hardware. With the iPhone and the App store it rakes in huge profits. Could be this device is sold at or very close to cost to re-coup tons of additional revenue from Apple's vig on the sale of content.

Apple has a huge amount of cash. They are sitting on a gold mine from the itunes store and are way ahead of the competition from a cohesive solution for content purchasing. The things that seemed like so what in the event the other day, like the number of Apps sold and the number of credit cards linked to itunes etc become much more meaningfull if you view it from a shift in Apple business model of this product.

Apple is selling low as they know that they can capture the lead position in the market with little effort. There is also the side benefit of them constraining the production of the other devices by placing orders for substantial component quantities at good pricing thereby creating shortages for competitors. This happened with flash memory prior to the iphone's arrival.

Software/media sales are just icing.

 

[atomwork]

Yet nobody accused Apple of copying HP...

i would rather say that hp stole from the iphone

 

[lilo777]

To me the iPad is great. it is an information consumption device. I can casually pick it up, it goes instantly on and I can surf the web from the couch, sitting outside by the pool, quick mail check, load etrade and check out my portfolios, showing of pictures via the cool looking app it includes etc.

Run my custom options pricing stuff in numbers.
Use this little app called Balance that I could not live without.

When I travel I can do all of the above with a lighter instant on device with no folding shell heavy laptop. I can carry it with me like a thing book etc..

Lots of things possible with this iPad and the size is just right.

I do not need a full fledged computer. I have one already and its on my desk.

I am getting a 3G model for sure.

A floor trader case would be great. One where you can have it inside with a top flap and a back where the trade confirm sheets can be inside with two slots for the bic 4 color pens, 1 pencil. and a custom NYSE openbook/MAG app running right on it.

You can also do all this and much more with a netbook or one of the Windows 7 based tablet that will have similar form-factor but a real OS.

 

[TMay]

I'm usually very anti - microsoft and pc, I am usually a drunk when it comed to apple and always drinking the koolaid. But seeing some leaked photo's of courier, has me wanting one...I think this would be a priceless addition as far as my consulting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIgNfp-MdI

My only question is when, this could be the 1st item I've seen in years that may sell better to creatives than a mac item...

Nice. A digital Dayplanner.

Don't let me stand in the way of you purchasing one.

 

[coolbreeze]

Lol. The idea that tablet manufacturers are hitting reload on the internet, waiting to see what Apple would do is insane.

Lenovo/Fujitsu/Toshiba have been making tablets for years and years.

If you're referring to Asus/Acer netbook "tablets" then I suppose I follow, but trust me, the big manufacturers are WAY past the $499 mark to even blink at the iPhad.

Ok, so maybe I'm crazy and we will see a $299 Lenovo Wacom X600 tablet.

Wake me up when this happens...

It's nothing more than a large iPod Touch. Nothing to see here, move along...