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Wal-Mart Deal to Carry iPad Confirmed

John.B said:
Wow, marketed just like Target: behind glass with no demo model. Yeah, that'll get people to buy 'em... :confused:

Still, selling a touch computer behind glass where the customer can't actually touch one seems a bit like trying to sell a car that the customer can't test drive.
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KarlOlsson said:
Yea, the same way a lot of us stood in line at an Apple Store and paid for one before touching it.....lol
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LOL. Of the tens of thousands of comments I've read over the years in these forums, I have to say that this reply has got to be the most funniest and wittiest OF ALL TIME!!
 
iJon said:
I would think of it quite the opposite. Whenever I go into Target there aren't many people there. When I go to Wal-Mart it is usually packed, much like an Apple Store.



You do realize Wal-Mart is the nation's Top 2 Electronics Retailer don't you. Wal-Mart doesn't carry products they can't sell.
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No I was born last night so I'm unaware of that fact.......

Wal Mart's portion of the electronics market is driven by televisions low end consumer electronics. How about you go out and buy yourself an ipad there and then let us all know how many other people were there buying one alongside you?

Right or wrong, part of Apple's success has always been it's branding, selling their products at Wal Mart/Target and to some extent Best Buy sullies that branding for many people.
 
Caliber26 said:
LOL. Of the tens of thousands of comments I've read over the years in these forums, I have to say that this reply has got to be the most funniest and wittiest OF ALL TIME!!
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There is something to be said about trying it out though. I watched the announcements and said "meh." I saw the news about the US launch and I said "nah." I watched the lead-up into the Canadian launch and said "whatever". I watched people lining up at the Apple Store and said "suckers!" Then I decided to go check one out on launch day, just to see it - and truth be told, to laugh at its shortcomings. 30 minutes after playing with one for myself, I was saying "are there any more in stock?"
 
KarlOlsson said:
Q:How many people will actually go to Wal Mart and casually buy an ipad?
A: People that don't Have an Apple store around the corner that dont want to wait for Online ,

Walmart Est. about 400,000 by end of X-Mas......lol "CNN Money"
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I forgot....CNN Money is the new Oracle of Delphi. We'll see how that pans out, but my bet is they will be wrong.
 
roratus said:
Right or wrong, part of Apple's success has always been it's branding, selling their products at Wal Mart/Target and to some extent Best Buy sullies that branding for many people.
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For "many people"? YOU seem to take offense at knowing that your precious highly-branded Apple product can be purchased by lowly commoners. Do you truly think you are better than "those other people" because you own an iPad?

Do you own a PS3? Those can be purchased at Wal-Mart too. How about a Sony Bravia TV? Those are available at Wal-Mart too, and all the high-end ones are available at Best Buy. Or do you think the fact that Sony's stuff can be purchased outside of the Sony Store "sullies that branding" too?
 
I live in Ohio and...wow, they really have wifi in Steubenville?
 
I am sick of all the anti-WalMart comments around here. Get over yourselves.

If I didn't have a job, I think I'd start a website called PeopleOfTheAppleStore.com or something like that. I'd sit outside all the apple stores I could find, and take pictures of the 1% that are ugly or weird or dressed funny or have toilet paper stuck to their shoe. Then I'd post it online, and the whole world can make fun of Apple Stores.
 
Math time!

roratus said:
I forgot....CNN Money is the new Oracle of Delphi. We'll see how that pans out, but my bet is they will be wrong.
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Thats avg. of 130 per store NOT including Walmart.com in the next

78 Days at an Avg. of 1.6 ipads per store per day....again NOT including Walmart.com

I bet they sell more.....

:eek:)
 
notjustjay said:
For "many people"? YOU seem to take offense at knowing that your precious highly-branded Apple product can be purchased by lowly commoners. Do you truly think you are better than "those other people" because you own an iPad?

Do you own a PS3? Those can be purchased at Wal-Mart too. How about a Sony Bravia TV? Those are available at Wal-Mart too, and all the high-end ones are available at Best Buy. Or do you think the fact that Sony's stuff can be purchased outside of the Sony Store "sullies that branding" too?
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I don't own and ipad. If I wanted to purchase one I wouldn't do it at Wal-Mart. I'm not really offended by Wal Mart selling Apple products but I do think it cheapens the experience of owning an Apple product for many people, including myself. As I said a big part of Apple's appeal is it's branding. If you can casually pick up something at Wal Mart it's simply not as appealing to many people.
 
Even though I think this is page 4 news I thought I would comment on the no display issue.

I was in Fry's yesterday and I overheard a salesperson tell a customer that they are NOT allowed to display Apple products unless they conform to Apple's display policy. He mentioned that they were still waiting to get the proper items from Apple to display the products. Now I do not know if this is total BS, but thought I would pass it along.
 
Different Box's

roratus said:
I don't own and ipad. If I wanted to purchase one I wouldn't do it at Wal-Mart. I'm not really offended by Wal Mart selling Apple products but I do think it cheapens the experience of owning an Apple product for many people, including myself. As I said a big part of Apple's appeal is it's branding. If you can casually pick up something at Wal Mart it's simply not as appealing to many people.
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I guess they change the box's or something , they might take the Apple logo of the box and stamp it "Cheap azz iPad purchased from Walmart for the same price"

Oh wait , its still an iPad......lol
 
roratus said:
I don't own and ipad. If I wanted to purchase one I wouldn't do it at Wal-Mart. I'm not really offended by Wal Mart selling Apple products but I do think it cheapens the experience of owning an Apple product for many people, including myself. As I said a big part of Apple's appeal is it's branding. If you can casually pick up something at Wal Mart it's simply not as appealing to many people.
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Apple's products are less appealing yet Apple has been selling iPod's and now iPhones at Wal-Mart for how many years.

Sounds like you are just making stuff up. Considering Apple isn't selling a less capable iPad at Wal-Mart I fail to see how selling the iPad lessens the brand.

Do you have any marketing studies to support your theory?
 
roratus said:
How many people will actually go to Wal Mart and casually buy an ipad? The vast majority of Wal Mart's clientele don't have an extra $500+ in their pockets to begin with. Given that the device doesn't have a display model that people can actually put their grubby hands on I don't see it being a huge seller for Wal Mart's clientele. Even among the portion of Wal Mart's clientele that can afford an ipad, most of them aren't going to buy it at Wal Mart. Wal Mart is where they go to buy toilet paper, cheap beer, and diapers.
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Christmas is coming up soon. Do you think everyone wants to drive to the nearest Apple Store (which isn't all that close for a lot of people) to stand in line at an Apple Store waiting for the next Genius to become available, or would it be better if they could drive to their local WalMart or Target and pick one up?
 
roratus said:
How many people will actually go to Wal Mart and casually buy an ipad? The vast majority of Wal Mart's clientele don't have an extra $500+ in their pockets to begin with. Given that the device doesn't have a display model that people can actually put their grubby hands on I don't see it being a huge seller for Wal Mart's clientele. Even among the portion of Wal Mart's clientele that can afford an ipad, most of them aren't going to buy it at Wal Mart. Wal Mart is where they go to buy toilet paper, cheap beer, and diapers.
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no wal marts in NYC but when i visit people in other countries i go to wal mart. i've bought the same stuff they sell at Whole Foods Market, except a lot cheaper at wal mart.

between target and wal mart i like the latter. same stuff except it's cheaper at wal mart. i have shorts that i bought at wally world years ago that last longer than some of the crap i bought in the snobby stores like banana republic and some of my $140 jeans

they just opened a new costco in NYC close to where i live and i probably won't go to whole foods for a while now. they have everything there except cheaper.
 
Quote of the Day -- Fanned

notjustjay said:
I think they should close up all the Apple Stores in the malls, and move their online ordering website to a secret URL. Only people "in the know" can buy Apple products, and if you want one, you have to be friends with someone who can invite you into the club.

Then, when people see you with your iPod or iPad, they'll look on in wonder, and they'll know: you're cool. You're one of the special people.
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Best post so far. You have stuck the snobs in the eye. Good on you.
 
roratus said:
As I said a big part of Apple's appeal is it's branding. If you can casually pick up something at Wal Mart it's simply not as appealing to many people.
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You keep saying that, but I only half agree with the statement. Yes, a big part of Apple's appeal is the branding. But that doesn't have anything to do with where you get it. An Apple product (or a Sony product, or whatever) is just as cool whether you bought it at the Company Store, or at Best Buy, or at Wal-Mart, or the Salvation Army, or you bought it secondhand from Farmer Joe down the road, or if you won it in a raffle, or for that matter if you stole it!

Now, if Wal-Mart only sold a cheap version of the iPad made of plastic instead of aluminum, maybe you'd have a point about brand dilution, but if it's the exact same product, I don't see the problem.
 
edk99 said:
Cool. Now we get to save $.99
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FYI: Apple's suggested retail prices are whole dollar amounts, not $x.99. Wal-Mart is not offering any discount from MSRP. (Which is extremely rare, actually. Is Apple that strong now?)
 
rwilliams said:
Christmas is coming up soon. Do you think everyone wants to drive to the nearest Apple Store (which isn't all that close for a lot of people) to stand in line at an Apple Store waiting for the next Genius to become available, or would it be better if they could drive to their local WalMart or Target and pick one up?
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Right. One of the hot items they are touting for Christmas this year is the iPad. If you make the iPad available to everyone by putting them in these big box stores, you are putting this hot item into people's view. Not everyone will spend this kind of money, but at Christmas is precisely when people do splurge. Apple just dramatically increased its reach into just about every neighborhood in the country.

And think about it on the flip side: Wal-Mart wouldn't want the iPad unless it was popular.
 
roratus said:
Right or wrong, part of Apple's success has always been it's branding, selling their products at Wal Mart/Target and to some extent Best Buy sullies that branding for many people.
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The products being sold in Walmart or Target are the exact same products that you get in the Apple Store. There is no "poor, low income" version that Walmart gets. Someone would have to be an elitist prick to think that buying an Apple product from a big box store somehow sullies the product or the brand. I can assure you that Apple and those who own stock in Apple don't care where you buy their products, as long as you buy them.
 
notjustjay said:
Now, if Wal-Mart only sold a cheap version of the iPad made of plastic instead of aluminum, maybe you'd have a point about brand dilution, but if it's the exact same product, I don't see the problem.
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Very true. Once you buy an iPad, it's like every other iPad. Doesn't matter if you bought it at an Apple store, MacConnection.com or Amazon.com, Best Buy or Target or Wal-Mart. No one will know where it came from, and Apple won't care if you bring it in for service.

Apple Genius: Where did you buy this iPad?
Customer: At Taget.
Apple Genius: Ewww...get out of my store!

(not gonna happen)
 
rwilliams said:
Christmas is coming up soon. Do you think everyone wants to drive to the nearest Apple Store (which isn't all that close for a lot of people) to stand in line at an Apple Store waiting for the next Genius to become available, or would it be better if they could drive to their local WalMart or Target and pick one up?
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I'm sure a lot of people don't want to stand in line but guess what...Apple will have it delivered to your house!
 
iJon said:
Apple's products are less appealing yet Apple has been selling iPod's and now iPhones at Wal-Mart for how many years.

Sounds like you are just making stuff up. Considering Apple isn't selling a less capable iPad at Wal-Mart I fail to see how selling the iPad lessens the brand.

Do you have any marketing studies to support your theory?
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Hmm geeze I didn't realize I would offend so many people by giving an opinion. Nor did I realize I needed to have a portfolio of market research to back up a layman's opinion. Come to that I didn't realize this forum was for experts only.

Perhaps I will be wrong, but if I'm not wrong will any of you even remember this discussion? Doubtful.
 
roratus said:
Hmm geeze I didn't realize I would offend so many people by giving an opinion. Nor did I realize I needed to have a portfolio of market research to back up a layman's opinion. Come to that I didn't realize this forum was for experts only.

Perhaps I will be wrong, but if I'm not wrong will any of you even remember this discussion? Doubtful.
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No one is offended, people are just calling you out on your wild assumptions on Apple's branding coexisting with Wal-Mart in a negative light.
 
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