Could the iPad be a failure?

[Nostromo]

Apple failed once with the Newton, and now serves up a tablet that's nothing more than a big iPhone.

Do you see a chance this product may fail?

What would it mean for Apple? Would Apple lose the reputation of having a marketing Midas touch?

How big an investment did Apple make?

Did hubris get to Apple and do they really think we'd spend so much money on a device that is not able to do a lot?

And what would this mean to Apple's computer line?

Is this device proof of Apple being in a crisis? Did they lose touch?

 

[Chaos123x]

it will be about as popular a kindle or tv

 

[marksman]

It will be about as popular as my Aunt Jenny down at the Shady Bar Saloon on Nickle Beer night.

 

[gibbz]

Not able to do a lot? Did you even see the presentation. If you were looking forward to a full fledged desktop OS with some touch overlaid on a small device, sorry but that was never realistic. Adding touch capabilities to a desktop OS isn't user-friendly and it just doesn't work. As Microsoft.

You have to be kidding about the crisis comment. Apple just released its most profitable quarter ever, is now a $50 billion annual revenue company and the largest mobile products company in the world, and has over $40 billion sitting in the bank. If that is a crisis, sign me up!

I think it will sell and it will sell a lot. The price point is right and I think it functions as an in-between device should. This thing will sell more in one year than the kindle has in its entire existence. This thing just killed the Kindle DX.

 

[Nostromo]

I was expecting a real computer, but it's more an entertainment device.

This is what I'm missing:

No USB.

No Flash payback.

Lame processor.

Tiny HDD. In 2010 they really come out with a device that only has 16 Gb storage space. (And the maximum size of 64 Gb for over $800 is a joke).

No OS X.

 

[marksman]

Who cares about lame flash except people who don't know how the internet work?

You know NOTHING about the processor so how could call it lame.

You seem to be pretty uneducated is that true?

 

[calderone]

Will the iPad fail? Will Steve Jobs liver turn against him? Next time on MacRumors.

 

[maflynn]

saying that iPad is a failure is way to premature. While it's clear that the iPad has failed to garner the approval from many macrumors members here but the real litmus test is whether the consumer approves/disapproves and votes with their wallet.

We're two to three months away from when people can actually get one, so talk of its success or failure is way too premature.

 

[agkm800]

I sincerely hope it fails. SJ needs to learn - albeit it doesn't seem possible - what we really want.

 

[gibbz]

I sincerely hope it fails. SJ needs to learn - albeit it doesn't seem possible - what we really want.

You mean what a small number of tech geeks on a rumor site want. I would say, given the latest quarterly earnings report, that Steve knows darn well what his customer base wants. You don't have $40 billion sitting in the bank by making crap.

 

[Airforce]

You don't have $40 billion sitting in the bank by making crap.

Bill Gates and The ME operating system.


Jesus, now that was a terrible experience, lol.

 

[coolbreeze]

Palm. Foleo.

///RUNS


It's a joke folks. It will be successful. After a few iterations, at least.

 

[HeadForTheHills]

Underwhelming ... seems like another case of 'Don't buy a mk1 Apple product'.

 

[t0mat0]

You mean what a small number of tech geeks on a rumor site want. I would say, given the latest quarterly earnings report, that Steve knows darn well what his customer base wants. You don't have $40 billion sitting in the bank by making crap.

Agreed. They'll sell millions in the first year.

 

[gibbz]

I was expecting a real computer, but it's more an entertainment device.

This is what I'm missing:

No USB.

No Flash payback.

Lame processor.

Tiny HDD. In 2010 they really come out with a device that only has 16 Gb storage space. (And the maximum size of 64 Gb for over $800 is a joke).

No OS X.

Here is a good article detailing the downside to Flash.

 

[coolbreeze]

Here is a good article detailing the downside to Flash.

Downside? Yes.

Necessity? Yes.

Issue for the normal consumer who wants the "entire web?" HELL YES

Lack of Flash will be an issue until OMGHTML5!!!11 takes over the internet. Oh, and OGG while were at it.

Until then, expect frustration from most consumers.

EDIT: of course it will sell. Everything made by AAPL sells well...can't believe that's a question in anyone's mind.

 

[TheBonk]

I don't think it will fail. It'll sell very well. The iPad is just not aimed towards the market that MacRumors members are in. Apple is going for the mainstream, non-nerd market. Most MacRumors members were expecting a tablet computer with OS X and all the fancy rumored features, which is why they're so disappointed. But for the huge population of non-nerd people out there, this device is great. It's great for students. It's great for the older people who don't sit in front of a computer all day. This device makes it easy to browse the internet, read books/magazines/articles, watch videos, send emails, which is what most people use computers for. Not everyone is a tech-nerd that needs a fully loaded 17" Macbook Pro.

People on this forum said the iPod was lame and would fail when it first came out. It's the same thing this time around.

 

[gibbz]

...
Until then, expect frustration from most consumers.
...

Hasn't stopped the millions of people who are using the iPod touch/iPhone.

 

[TheBonk]

You mean what a small number of tech geeks on a rumor site want. I would say, given the latest quarterly earnings report, that Steve knows darn well what his customer base wants. You don't have $40 billion sitting in the bank by making crap.

Steve also knows pretty darn well that Apple's customer base doesn't consist of mostly computer geeks anymore. They did their research on what consumers want.

 

[coolbreeze]

I don't think it will fail. It'll sell very well. The iPad is just not aimed towards the market that MacRumors members are in. Apple is going for the mainstream, non-nerd market. Most MacRumors members were expecting a tablet computer with OS X, which is why they're so disappointed. But for the huge population of non-nerd people out there, this device is great. It's great for students. It's great for the older people who don't sit in front of a computer all day. This device makes it easy to browse the internet, read books/magazines/articles, watch videos, send emails, which is what most people use computers for. Not everyone is a tech-nerd that needs a fully loaded 17" Macbook Pro.

People on this forum said the iPod was lame and would fail when it first came out. It's the same thing this time around.

Exactly where the issue with no flash lies.

Try explaining to the non-techy why a simple, mainstream website like hulu.com doesn't work.

After all Aunt Martha just saw the commercial on TV for Hulu, went to it on her iPhad, and ... well ... this new fangled device must be broken because it doesn't work.

And so on.

 

[63dot]

You mean what a small number of tech geeks on a rumor site want. I would say, given the latest quarterly earnings report, that Steve knows darn well what his customer base wants. You don't have $40 billion sitting in the bank by making crap.

Having that much money in the bank was from great past moves, and does not predict the future of how the iPad will do.

Last time I checked, Microsoft had $123 billion in the bank, and for reasons other than quality is why that is. Sony has even more, and their capital is a combination of quality (where Apple got their money) and market share (where Microsoft got their money).

Will iPad it be the next iPhone or iPod? No.

But it certainly won't do as badly as the Cube, which was their real failure, but maybe only big one under Steve Jobs.

I see the iPad being a moderate success like Apple TV. Useful if you take the time to let it integrate into your life. I don't see myself needing iPad or buying one. I can't think of anyone I know who would want or need one, but there must be a much younger generation than mine that probably thinks this iPad is the S***. People who drool over X-Box and Playstation (things that do nothing for my generation or older generations) will probably love iPad.

A genius move was pricing the iPad within the reach of the under-18 crowd and it's a lot easier getting $499 in a summer job or asking mom and dad for that much vs. trying to garner $1299.

 

[coolbreeze]

Hasn't stopped the millions of people who are using the iPod touch/iPhone.

Flash video on the tiny cellphone is different than on an OMG Tablet!

Oh well, I'm always wrong. Time to log off of this cesspool.

 

[chill.]

i think it'll turn out a lot like the macbook air. very, very niche product and kind of useless until it goes through a couple revisions

 

[Airforce]

People on this forum said the iPod was lame and would fail when it first came out. It's the same thing this time around.

The difference this time around are the news agencies reporting it isn't that great either.

 

[Chaos123x]

It's not a tablet computer! it's just a big ipod. get over it.

It never was intended to be anything but a giant sized iPod.

Think of it like the Nintendo DSi XL.




it's never going to be a Macintosh Computer sorry folks.