6 ms·

IPad Will Be Available In The U.S. Starting On April 3

58 points by whyleym 17y ago

whyleym 17y ago
Looks like pre-ordering starts March 12 - http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ipad-available-in-us-on-april-3-86560327.html http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ipad-available-in-us...
- ivankirigin 17y ago
  Congrats, your comment had more value add on top of a press release than a techcrunch post.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
joezydeco 17y ago
Not saying this is deliberate, but I wonder if there's an advantage to launching a new device around tax season in the USA. If you're crunching numbers and discover you're getting a few hundred back, are you more inclined to spend it on something like this if the hype syncs up with the money?
- Glide 17y ago
  As a very early filer I already received money back. I am considering getting either an iPad or a new computer with it.
- tiffani 17y ago
  There's definitely a benefit to doing that. Didn't have to pay this year, so I took part of my refund and got a new MacBook Pro.
  - joezydeco 17y ago
    If a MacBook Pro takes up "part" of your refund, you really need to modify your exemptions and stop letting the IRS hold your money all year long. The IRS even gives you a handy calculator to figure it out: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html
    - staunch 17y ago
      Unfortunately for too many people their excess tax withholdings are their only saving plan.
      - notauser 17y ago
        If your IRS refund is your only form of saving, then spending it on a MacBook Pro takes you to a whole new level of bad decision making.
        staunch 17y ago
        Unfortunately it also makes you a fairly typical American.
        steveklabnik 17y ago
        I'm sure Apple would be thrilled if all of the typical Americans bought MacBook Pros.
        mattmaroon 17y ago
        It is baffling how many people treat a tax return like it's found money, when in reality it's the end result of you losing money. People think "oh sweet I can buy a laptop" rather than "oh crap I lost a bunch due to inflation and missed interest". Sometimes I wish I knew less about math, I would probably be happier.
        deleted 17y ago
        [deleted]
- imp 17y ago
  There's also the other side where you may find that you owe a lot and have to cut back spending for a month or two. It might be a wash.
  - philwelch 17y ago
    Most people aren't in this situation--especially since, as in previous years, the government is adding a little "stimulus" to our tax refunds.
- petercooper 17y ago
  In the UK, purchases shoot up in March as people make up their allowances and budgets before the new tax year (which starts April 6) :-)
mixmax 17y ago
It will be interesting to see whether the publishing industry, and particularly Old Media, will be able to leverage the Ipad and start making some money on their content.
- metachor 17y ago
  It looks like they are ready to take a shot at it: http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-first-look-how-penguin-will-reinvent-books-with-ipad/ http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-first-look-how-penguin-...
  - mixmax 17y ago
    The Ipad and other devices that will undoubtedly appear are probably the best shot they've got. It's not about paying it's about psychology and transaction costs that are too high and cumbersome. Apple already proved with the Ipod/itunes combination that consumers are willing to pay for music even though the recording industry said they weren't. The same is probably true of print - it's simply a question of delivering a great user experience, no hassles, and low transaction costs.
    - metachor 17y ago
      "[I]t's simply a question of delivering a great user experience, no hassles, and low transaction costs." Absolutely. Looking at the video in the above link, it appears they will nail "great user experience" (obviously I won't know for sure until the iPad is in my hands, but those Space, Human Body and Travel app/books look slick). Apple seems to have the "no hassles"/"low transaction costs" angle covered for the consumer.
  - somedaywings 17y ago
    There's also this: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/the-wired-ipad-app-a-video-demonstration/ http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/the-wired-ipad-app-a-... I think premium magazines are going to make a huge comeback on the iPad, with a lot of attention paid to rich media, professional design, and smooth transition effects (none of which the Kindle has).
sachinag 17y ago
I think this PR is a fake. It doesn't read quite right. EDIT: well, looks like my bullshit calibration was off this morning. I still cannot believe they threw "magical and revolutionary" into the first sentence instead of into Steve's pullquote.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
- booticon 17y ago
  http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/03/05ipad.html http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/03/05ipad.html
glhaynes 17y ago
Yay.
whyleyc 17y ago
And many other countries in late April: "iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year."
- noarchy 17y ago
  This is one I'll have to watch closely. Given the near-parity of the US and Canadian currencies, I'm not sure how forgiving Canadians will be if the iPad ends up costing noticeably more up here.
  - chrisbolt 17y ago
    The current MacBook Pro lineup is $100 more in Canada for all models (from $1199 -> $1299 to $2499 -> $2599) with the base Mac Mini $50 more. The price difference is probably close enough to duty that it won't be worth it to cross the border.
- bruceboughton 17y ago
  What's the source for this? UK Apple site make no mention of late April as far as I can see... --- EDIT: Ahh, in the press release: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/03/05ipad.html http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/03/05ipad.html
Willie_Dynamite 17y ago
Now if they would only release some updated MacBook Pros. The current line is really outdated specwise.
- jsz0 17y ago
  It seems like Apple is very careful to let their current inventories run nearly dry before introducing updates. I'm sure it saves them a lot of money but they should probably be a bit more concerned with keeping up with the market.
  - aaronblohowiak 17y ago
    "they should probably be a bit more concerned with keeping up with the market" why? is the average user's experience going to be any different between the current crop of MBP's and the next? I'd rather a longer wait and then have x25-m's standard =)
  - joezydeco 17y ago
    When your business model revolves around making the previous product look old and unappealing, you work hard to make sure you have none of that model left when the new one launches.
- cpr 17y ago
  I would imagine they've got stuff in the pipelines, but they'd most likely want to get through the iPad intro season before distracting the world with lesser updates.
- niravs 17y ago
  Apple Insider recently posted an interesting analysis speculating the reason for the delay. http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/19/apple_plans_dual_graphics_enhancements_on_future_macbook_pros.html http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/19/apple_plans_du...
allenp 17y ago
Finally, we can get past the hype and let the device speak for itself.
kerringtonx 17y ago
Yes! Super excited to get my pre-order in
numbchuckskills 17y ago
"..Apple® today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3,.." I was equally irked when Steve referred to the device as "magical" in the unveiling. Someone in marketing at Apple must really be trying to make the term stick, but I hate the word choice.Anyone else?
petercooper 17y ago
And they've pushed back the UK release a whole month, to late April! This is ridiculous. Now British iPad developers be a whole month behind most of their customer base (the US is the biggest market even for most UK developers)! Can't Apple at least find a way to get iPads into the hands of the many developers over here, even if regular users wouldn't be supported? We're being held back weeks for no good reason and will have to organize getting them sent via intermediaries or hop on a plane to pick some up.. which is a crazy, unnecessary waste of money. As such, we'll miss out on being early on the iPad App Store which is a massive disadvantage. Poorly played, Apple.
- hboon 17y ago
  Worse for us developers that operate in "additional countries later this year."
Luyt 17y ago
"iPad a Kindle killer", as the article states? I don't think so. Nothing beats e-Ink for readability in the bright sunlight outside. LCD's are hardly readable under such conditions, especially if they have a shiny finish. [well, maybe a book or a newspaper beats an eBook reader ;-)]
- jamesmcintyre 17y ago
  "readability" is feature book-readers care about, unfortunately most "consumers" aren't "book consumers" therefore if the iPad is designed for the average "magazine (ultra-light) reader" than it will be a "kindle-killer". If the iPad is good for the "reading on the toilet" it WILL kill kindle's chance of "tablet dominance", BUT kindle will still have a sizable market if it remains merely the choice "e-book". As long as Amazon manages to convert a large portion of book-readers to kindle-readers than Bezos could care less (and should be thrilled).

58 points by whyleym 17y ago

Looks like pre-ordering starts March 12 - http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ipad-available-in-us-on-april-3-86560327.html http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ipad-available-in-us...

ivankirigin 17y ago
Congrats, your comment had more value add on top of a press release than a techcrunch post.
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]

joezydeco 17y ago

Not saying this is deliberate, but I wonder if there's an advantage to launching a new device around tax season in the USA. If you're crunching numbers and discover you're getting a few hundred back, are you more inclined to spend it on something like this if the hype syncs up with the money?

Glide 17y ago
As a very early filer I already received money back. I am considering getting either an iPad or a new computer with it.
tiffani 17y ago
There's definitely a benefit to doing that. Didn't have to pay this year, so I took part of my refund and got a new MacBook Pro.
- joezydeco 17y ago
  If a MacBook Pro takes up "part" of your refund, you really need to modify your exemptions and stop letting the IRS hold your money all year long. The IRS even gives you a handy calculator to figure it out: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html
  - staunch 17y ago
    Unfortunately for too many people their excess tax withholdings are their only saving plan.
    - notauser 17y ago
      If your IRS refund is your only form of saving, then spending it on a MacBook Pro takes you to a whole new level of bad decision making.
      - staunch 17y ago
        Unfortunately it also makes you a fairly typical American.
        steveklabnik 17y ago
        I'm sure Apple would be thrilled if all of the typical Americans bought MacBook Pros.
        mattmaroon 17y ago
        It is baffling how many people treat a tax return like it's found money, when in reality it's the end result of you losing money. People think "oh sweet I can buy a laptop" rather than "oh crap I lost a bunch due to inflation and missed interest". Sometimes I wish I knew less about math, I would probably be happier.
      - deleted 17y ago
        [deleted]
imp 17y ago
There's also the other side where you may find that you owe a lot and have to cut back spending for a month or two. It might be a wash.
- philwelch 17y ago
  Most people aren't in this situation--especially since, as in previous years, the government is adding a little "stimulus" to our tax refunds.
petercooper 17y ago
In the UK, purchases shoot up in March as people make up their allowances and budgets before the new tax year (which starts April 6) :-)

mixmax 17y ago

It will be interesting to see whether the publishing industry, and particularly Old Media, will be able to leverage the Ipad and start making some money on their content.

metachor 17y ago
It looks like they are ready to take a shot at it: http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-first-look-how-penguin-will-reinvent-books-with-ipad/ http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-first-look-how-penguin-...
- mixmax 17y ago
  The Ipad and other devices that will undoubtedly appear are probably the best shot they've got. It's not about paying it's about psychology and transaction costs that are too high and cumbersome. Apple already proved with the Ipod/itunes combination that consumers are willing to pay for music even though the recording industry said they weren't. The same is probably true of print - it's simply a question of delivering a great user experience, no hassles, and low transaction costs.
  - metachor 17y ago
    "[I]t's simply a question of delivering a great user experience, no hassles, and low transaction costs." Absolutely. Looking at the video in the above link, it appears they will nail "great user experience" (obviously I won't know for sure until the iPad is in my hands, but those Space, Human Body and Travel app/books look slick). Apple seems to have the "no hassles"/"low transaction costs" angle covered for the consumer.
- somedaywings 17y ago
  There's also this: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/the-wired-ipad-app-a-video-demonstration/ http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/the-wired-ipad-app-a-... I think premium magazines are going to make a huge comeback on the iPad, with a lot of attention paid to rich media, professional design, and smooth transition effects (none of which the Kindle has).

sachinag 17y ago

I think this PR is a fake. It doesn't read quite right. EDIT: well, looks like my bullshit calibration was off this morning. I still cannot believe they threw "magical and revolutionary" into the first sentence instead of into Steve's pullquote.

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
booticon 17y ago
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/03/05ipad.html http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/03/05ipad.html

glhaynes 17y ago

Yay.

whyleyc 17y ago

And many other countries in late April: "iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year."

noarchy 17y ago
This is one I'll have to watch closely. Given the near-parity of the US and Canadian currencies, I'm not sure how forgiving Canadians will be if the iPad ends up costing noticeably more up here.
- chrisbolt 17y ago
  The current MacBook Pro lineup is $100 more in Canada for all models (from $1199 -> $1299 to $2499 -> $2599) with the base Mac Mini $50 more. The price difference is probably close enough to duty that it won't be worth it to cross the border.
bruceboughton 17y ago
What's the source for this? UK Apple site make no mention of late April as far as I can see... --- EDIT: Ahh, in the press release: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/03/05ipad.html http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/03/05ipad.html

Willie_Dynamite 17y ago

Now if they would only release some updated MacBook Pros. The current line is really outdated specwise.

jsz0 17y ago
It seems like Apple is very careful to let their current inventories run nearly dry before introducing updates. I'm sure it saves them a lot of money but they should probably be a bit more concerned with keeping up with the market.
- aaronblohowiak 17y ago
  "they should probably be a bit more concerned with keeping up with the market" why? is the average user's experience going to be any different between the current crop of MBP's and the next? I'd rather a longer wait and then have x25-m's standard =)
- joezydeco 17y ago
  When your business model revolves around making the previous product look old and unappealing, you work hard to make sure you have none of that model left when the new one launches.
cpr 17y ago
I would imagine they've got stuff in the pipelines, but they'd most likely want to get through the iPad intro season before distracting the world with lesser updates.
niravs 17y ago
Apple Insider recently posted an interesting analysis speculating the reason for the delay. http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/19/apple_plans_dual_graphics_enhancements_on_future_macbook_pros.html http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/19/apple_plans_du...

allenp 17y ago

Finally, we can get past the hype and let the device speak for itself.

kerringtonx 17y ago

Yes! Super excited to get my pre-order in

numbchuckskills 17y ago

"..Apple® today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3,.." I was equally irked when Steve referred to the device as "magical" in the unveiling. Someone in marketing at Apple must really be trying to make the term stick, but I hate the word choice.Anyone else?

petercooper 17y ago

And they've pushed back the UK release a whole month, to late April! This is ridiculous. Now British iPad developers be a whole month behind most of their customer base (the US is the biggest market even for most UK developers)! Can't Apple at least find a way to get iPads into the hands of the many developers over here, even if regular users wouldn't be supported? We're being held back weeks for no good reason and will have to organize getting them sent via intermediaries or hop on a plane to pick some up.. which is a crazy, unnecessary waste of money. As such, we'll miss out on being early on the iPad App Store which is a massive disadvantage. Poorly played, Apple.

hboon 17y ago
Worse for us developers that operate in "additional countries later this year."

Luyt 17y ago

"iPad a Kindle killer", as the article states? I don't think so. Nothing beats e-Ink for readability in the bright sunlight outside. LCD's are hardly readable under such conditions, especially if they have a shiny finish. [well, maybe a book or a newspaper beats an eBook reader ;-)]

jamesmcintyre 17y ago
"readability" is feature book-readers care about, unfortunately most "consumers" aren't "book consumers" therefore if the iPad is designed for the average "magazine (ultra-light) reader" than it will be a "kindle-killer". If the iPad is good for the "reading on the toilet" it WILL kill kindle's chance of "tablet dominance", BUT kindle will still have a sizable market if it remains merely the choice "e-book". As long as Amazon manages to convert a large portion of book-readers to kindle-readers than Bezos could care less (and should be thrilled).