iPad: What demographic is Apple Targeting?

[Habitus]

While I'll concede that I'm impressed with the iPad, I don't see the practicality or who Apple wants to sell the iPad to.

Isn't the iPad a bigger iPod touch, but without the portability? I noticed, however, the focus Apple placed on using the iPad while sitting on the couch. With that said, is Apple foreseeing users replacing their morning paper with breakfast with the iPad?

Again, I'm intrigued; especially with the price. However, I don't see the practicality of the iPad as Apple does.

Thoughts?

Habitus

 

[marksman]

I think it fits an interesting market.

I have an iPhone and a macbook pro. I find my macbook pro too cumbersome to use for just hanging around and sharing pics, videos, and stuff and casual browsing.

The iPhone is good for this stuff in a portable sort of way, but for extended use its small screen is not optimal. That is where this device comes in, in the middle. Proper screen size. Same size as most netbooks without the dated design of a notebook/laptop. Which means it is easy to just lay on the coffee table and pick it up to show someone a quick video, to check email real fast or anything else. Best part is you can do it in a way that is bigger than an iPhone.

I may end up getting one, but will probably stick with wireless version that I can use around the house. To me that is the ideal use. My MBP lives in my office and I am not going to disconnect and drag it out to check something quickly or to do a little casual surfing in the living room. Now I can pick up the iPad off the table, show a friend that latest video I saw and they can actually see it, then I can check my mail real quick and look something up on imdb. All in a way that I can actually see much better than on my iPhone. Which by the way might be charging in my bedroom.

I think it potentially fills a niche for me around the house. Good around the house and good for traveling. Not really intended as something you carry with you every where you go. That is what the iphone/ipod touch is for.

 

[chill.]

what were you impressed with in particular? compared to the functionality of other tablets, it is sorely lacking.

the only target i see right now are fanboys

 

[TraceyS/FL]

It should fit all our needs here.

We have a dying 12" iBook, the child that uses it, does writing and watching video lectures on it mainly. The iPad replaces those features easily - and gives her the ability to use all her other apps from the Touch (who knew, she now wants NOVA ).

To her, it's the perfect device (she has a 3g nano for music).

To me, as her parent - it's an affordable Apple solution to the netbook she didn't want, and uses all the stuff we own from the App Store.

I see eventually each child owning one, leaving the Mini as the main "computer".

 

[Habitus]

what were you impressed with in particular? compared to the functionality of other tablets, it is sorely lacking.

the only target i see right now are fanboys

I see your point; however, I'm ignorant when it comes to comparable products.

Honestly, I see it replacing all items on your coffee table. Remote, magazines, pictures...

I'm excited about the potential apps, too.

Habitus

 

[125037]

Me; someone who loves the touch/iPhone but realizes if it were much bigger the capabilities could be expanded by far. Now I can take my iPad to school for notes, etc.

 

[aaquib]

Students.

Take it to class, it's a super slim, light computer that takes notes, has access to thousands of books, plays games, has an iPod, lets you watch Youtube, surf the web.

All that in class.

 

[mscriv]

I think Tracy and Marksman have hit the nail on the head with their comments. This device is meant to be an addition to your mac family. You will still need a powerhouse computer to sync it to and do any heavy tasks and you will still need an iphone so you have basic phone functions. This is for your kids or for you to have an electronic device around the house and maybe on the go depending on your portable needs. If text book companies get on board then this will be big with students, due to it's portability.

 

[NT1440]

Students.

Take it to class, it's a super slim, light computer that takes notes, has access to thousands of books, plays games, has an iPod, lets you watch Youtube, surf the web.

All that in class.

I say students/the younger generation that will grow up with these devices never knowing the world before them. Apple is essentially crafting its own future and the future of mobile computing in one swoop, very clever.

 

[CylonGlitch]

Students.

Take it to class, it's a super slim, light computer that takes notes, has access to thousands of books, plays games, has an iPod, lets you watch Youtube, surf the web.

All that in class.

The taking notes is the one draw back. What it really needs is a way to write with a stylus directly. Sure you can type some things, but what happens with the professor draws out a diagram? What now? To me this seems a bit limiting for taking notes realtime.

 

[qtx43]

From my point of view a cell phone is great for making calls, but the screen is way too small for anything else. Sure it's very portable, but who cares if the screen's too small to see anything? And I hate laptops, trying to use a touchpad and keyboard sitting in my lap is very awkward, I end up just using it at the desk and plugging in a mouse most of the time. Why do that when I can just carry usb flash devices between desktops? Desktops are much nicer than laptops.

Lots of people think the "giant iPod Touch" is useless, but for me it's a pretty good start. A long battery life is absolutely necessary for a device like this, because I would use it like a book, carrying it around and browsing the web. A laptop is completely unusable for that. That, and other applications where you just look at stuff, is what I would use it for 90% of the time. I'm disappointed it doesn't have real GPS or even a cheapy camera, and the technology isn't quite there for making cheap mass storage at such a low power level. But all in all, this is a great device. Being able to use their bluetooth keyboard will be nice too. If the display is really high quality (it seems so), then with the multi-touch interface, this is a reasonable price, given Apple pricing.

 

[Habitus]

Students.

Take it to class, it's a super slim, light computer that takes notes, has access to thousands of books, plays games, has an iPod, lets you watch Youtube, surf the web.

All that in class.

Didn't think of that. The design of the iPad keeps students honest, too (i.e., they can't hide behind a screen to hide what they're viewing).

Habitus

 

[chill.]

Me; someone who loves the touch/iPhone but realizes if it were much bigger the capabilities could be expanded by far. Now I can take my iPad to school for notes, etc.

how the hell are you going to take notes? there's no stylus so are you going to use your finger to write? are you going to use the 7 inch wide virtual keyboard?

when i went to class, i would download lecture slides off the website and edit them. right now there is zero indication that the ipad can even download off a website

 

[mkruck]

I'd fit into the target demo on this:

1. 46
2. Enough disposable income to be able to purchase without having to forgo diapers and milk for the kids
3. Current ebook reader (Sony)
4. Just want something to lay on the couch with and be able to read and browse the web. Using a laptop is a PITA when I'm laying down, and I want a larger display than the iPhone offers

Oh, yeah...4 Macs and 4 iPhones in the house already.

 

[Habitus]

I'd fit into the target demo on this:

1. 46
2. Enough disposable income to be able to purchase without having to forgo diapers and milk for the kids
3. Current ebook reader (Sony)
4. Just want something to lay on the couch with and be able to read and browse the web. Using a laptop is a PITA when I'm laying down, and I want a larger display than the iPhone offers

Oh, yeah...4 Macs and 4 iPhones in the house already.

I definitely see the value when laying on the couch. I see it replacing everything on the coffee table.

Habitus

 

[-aggie-]

People who like big iPod Touch's....Texans.

 

[0dev]

Most people who buy computers these days buy them for web browsing, games, Facebook, IM, YouTube, music, movies, etc.

The tablet is very smart. It's targeting people who carry laptops/netbooks around. For the purposes above, the iPad is better.

iWork is a good move. It replaces Microsoft Office, therefore making it useful to students and business people.

The fact it supports apps makes it a great entertainment device right there.

Finally, the books. Ebook readers are a growing market, and if Apple is making a product the same size as them, they might as well compete. Not to forget that it makes it even more useful to carry around, and makes it useful for people who don't play games or want to use it for a practical purpose.

A businessman could check the FT on the way to work, update spreadsheets during work, and play some games or read a book in his break. It's perfect.

It will also entice people who want an ebook reader with the low price. They'll look at the £250 touch screen ebook readers currently avaliable, then see the all-singing all dancing Apple version and fork out the extra ~£50 for it.

One thing's for sure, this'll put a large dent in the Nook.

 

[125037]

how the hell are you going to take notes? there's no stylus so are you going to use your finger to write? are you going to use the 7 inch wide virtual keyboard?

when i went to class, i would download lecture slides off the website and edit them. right now there is zero indication that the ipad can even download off a website

Yes, as a matter of fact I will be using the 7 inch keyboard. I can type pretty fast on iPhone already so iPad should be a snap.

 

[Habitus]

People who like big iPod Touch's....Texans.

Lol! That's one definite market!

Habitus

 

[bossxii]

There are alot of people that would happily pay $499 or even $699 for the top end iPad vs spending $999 on a Macbook.

The student that takes their Macbook to school does what? take notes, surf, email, games? Aside from the taking notes easily, (no clue how it is to type on) the iPad looks to more then handle these functions.

The 50%+ of netbook buyers that RETURNED their netbook because it's a pc of underpowered crap that can't do the basic things they want. (I use 50% from a internal doc released from Best Buy back in early 09.) I've used 3 different netbooks and was disappointed by performance each time. Slow, sluggish and lots of bad experiences. Video on a netbook is a joke, HD not possible on most. Smooth web viewing is not typical and the touch gestures are horrible compared to even an iPhone.

Every iPhone user like me that would love a device that has the capabilities of the iPhone + a larger screen. I carry every vacation photo from the past several years, and have plenty of work related apps i use. the downfall is the small screen of the iPhone makes it very difficult to share those photo's with people around me other than passing the phone around, which creates an entirely different feel at a gathering.

I don't watch movies on my iPhone, I will on my iPad.
If it's not an emergency I don't do work email on my iPhone, I will on my iPad.

Sure this isn't what every blogger wanted, no product could possibly live up to the expectation of the rabid fanboy's. They have never built a device, have no idea about costs of anything and yet want $3,000 worth of tech shoved into a credit card device for $100 bucks. They are not even realistic with their wish list other than they think it's cool. This delivered what most people thought it would for probably $200 to $400 less than what nearly ever blog was reporting the price to be.

$499 version will sell like crazy, the only prediction I've seen that is now believable is the 10 million units sold in 2010. This imo will be done and then some.

 

[TheBonk]

I think Apple is trying to sell this to the older, non-nerd crowd. You know, the type of people that don't spend every waking hour in front of a computer. I think the iPad could do well in that market. It would be a great thing to have around the kitchen or the living room to do some quick internet browsing, looking through photos, or reading a book. Like Habitus said, it will essentially replace everything on your coffee table.

I could also see it becoming big with students. It's so much easier to take an iPad with you everywhere instead of lugging those big heavy books. It could also be more cost effective to use an iPad, then again I don't know how much e-textbooks sell for.

 

[dmr727]

I'm a pretty good demographic. I'm on the road all the time, and take my MBP everywhere. When I'm at home I need a real computer - I use Office, the Adobe apps, write some code, that sort of thing. But while on the road, my MBP essentially becomes nothing more than a complex and heavy version of my iPhone. I'd love to leave it at home, but the iPhone screen is just too small for hard core web surfing, which is how I spend most of my time. So I lug my MBP along.

The iPad will let me leave my MBP at home. And I love that Apple provides a less expensive non-3G option. I'll use the wireless on my iPad, and when away from a hotspot, I'll use my iPhone via 3G.

The price was key. It's hard creating a new market, and at a grand, I don't think this would've done it. But for $500? It's hard to not at least give it a try. That's a few night's worth of drinking.

 

[WordLife565]

I think it actually does serve as a good middle ground between the iPod touch and a Macbook. For those who basically would just want an apple netbook, this is pretty much the closest thing it would resemble.

 

[Habitus]

I think Apple is trying to sell this to the older, non-nerd crowd. You know, the type of people that don't spend every waking hour in front of a computer. I think the iPad could do well in that market. It would be a great thing to have around the kitchen or the living room to do some quick internet browsing, looking through photos, or reading a book. Like Habitus said, it will essentially replace everything on your coffee table.

I could also see it becoming big with students. It's so much easier to take an iPad with you everywhere instead of lugging those big heavy books. It could also be more cost effective to use an iPad, then again I don't know how much e-textbooks sell for.

I concur; Apple definitely had older consumers in mind.

Habitus

 

[marksman]

Yeah the bonk has a good point.

I was thinking about this, and most people did not grow up with the idea of sitting in front a computer all day was the thing to do.

In fact most people looked down on those of us who did. Now everyone does it because they have to, but a lot of people would like a more casual interfacing and I think this hits them pretty squarely.