7 ms·

If Gruber is right, what Apple did with the Smart Covers is really remarkable. First, they'll get an extremely high attach rate, probably north of 75% or 80%,

If Gruber is right, what Apple did with the Smart Covers is really remarkable. First, they'll get an extremely high attach rate, probably north of 75% or 80%, much of which is probably pure profit. Second, it may be enough of a feature to convince some iPad 1 owners to buy an iPad 2 (and a Smart Cover). What an absolutely shrewd design that is likely to lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and profit for Apple.

staunch 16y ago
Why can't someone just make a smart cover (sans the auto-on/off?) for the iPad 1?
- solipsist 16y ago
  Apple said they built the smart cover and the iPad 2 at the same time, so there is hardware in the iPad 2 that is required for the cover to work. Primarily, the magnets needed to have the cover attach.
- po 16y ago
  The original iPad doesn't have anything on the left side for the magnets to grip onto.
- xuki 16y ago
  You need the built-in magnet inside the ipad 2.
  - fluidcruft 16y ago
    Why can't you use adhesive magnetic strips/tape on the outside of the iPad 1? Sure, it may be slightly unsightly, but it should be completely workable. Heck, the strip doesn't even have to be magnetic, it can be paramagnetic or such and just channel field between magnets on the cover hinge.
    - deleted 16y ago
      [deleted]
    - danilocampos 16y ago
      The downvotes you've gotten aren't fair but it's worth pointing out: It's this kind of thinking (on the part of their competition) that lets Apple keep their head start for way, way longer than necessary. The short answer: Because what you're proposing would be terrible. Apple's money magnet is creating a sense of delight and surprise. You'd be mimicking the result, a snap on cover, without grasping the intent, which is to make you feel like a kid seeing magic. People don't want a cover. They want to be delighted by a cover. At least, they do now, since Apple has shown them it is possible to feel this way.
      - endlessvoid94 16y ago
        It continually shocks me how few people grasp this.
      - fluidcruft 16y ago
        Yay! Throw the iPad 1 in the trash for the iPad 2! Because the cover is blinged out with a magnet! On. the. inside! MAGNETS ARE MAGIC! Watch the magician make your money disappear into his pocket! Waste! Waste! Waste! This country is doomed.
        lwat 16y ago
        No you just sell your iPad1 on eBay like everyone else. You'll get a decent fraction of your purchase price back.
  - bigiain 16y ago
    I wonder if there are actually magnets inside the iPad, or just bits of metal the case magnets stick too? It there _are_ magnets, I can see it getting annoying when the iPad starts collecting magnet-attracted crap. This is a problem with magnetic tank bags on motorcycles, they pick up presumably iron/steel grit on the magnets, then you clip the magnets+grit onto your nicely glossy painted fuel tank, and scratch the crap out of it...
- lwat 16y ago
  It just won't be the same. You can't make the iPad1 switch on / off automatically and there's no magnetic spots on the side where a cover can magically attach like on the iPad2.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- tuhin 16y ago
  This is exactly what happens when you control the ins and out from start to finish. You can come up with the craziest of the ideas and innovation and pull it off without a lot of resistance since some manufacture cannot make it for you!
- kenjackson 16y ago
  InCase already did that, prior to the iPad2 announcement (just so you don't believe InCase stole Apple's idea). Rather it looks like Apple took InCases's idea and improved on it. Although in some ways, the InCase version seems better (using the strap to hold the iPad would be useful for a lot of work scenarios). http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/03/apple-ipad-2-smart-cover-vs-incase-convertible-magazine-jacket http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/03/apple-ipad-2-smart-cover-...
treblig 16y ago
Pretty wild that apple came up with a case that truly would be the tipping point for some (maybe even myself) iPad 1 owners to make the switch. Try pitching that in your next product concept or product marketing meeting.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- emehrkay 16y ago
  My 9 year old son, who is the main ipad user, watched the video of the smart cover and was like :-O then he said "we should get the brown one." to which I was like "we're buying an ipad2?" Anyway, brown looks amazing http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/03/ipadrev630.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/03/ipadre... and I am trying to justify buying an ipad2 for "development" purposes. Got any app ideas?
- angelbob 16y ago
  Have you used those magnetic MacBook Pro power cables? Apple can bring something even smaller than a case and have it be the tipping point.
fxj 16y ago
the smart cover might be a insanely clever idea, but it is also insanely ugly and looks cheap.
- _frog 16y ago
  What exactly makes it ugly for you? I'm not arguing against you but I'm interested in your reasons.
  - nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
    For me, I think what makes the smart covers ugly is seeing the sections of the cover divided up by the folding joints, not to mention the combination of colors and materials, except maybe the black leather, don't seem to lend itself well to the iPad's fantastic, slab look. I do still think the smart covers are insanely clever and useful though, and definitely worth the cost. Enough to make me wish my wife's birthday wasn't in January, so that I wouldn't have bought her the original iPad before this was available.
  - fxj 16y ago
    cheap plastic and it looks like opening a tin can. i bet the whole thing dissolves after a year of usage. why didnt they build the ipad more in the way like the microsoft courier? this would be something that i would buy right away. it reminds me a little bit about the first ibook, this was looking like a girls' make-up case. sometimes apple's design is borderline.
trotsky 16y ago
Let's face it, if you buy a new tablet 11 months after your last one just because you like the new optional case better, you're just searching for ways to spend money.
- baddox 16y ago
  Assuming we're talking about the base prices for both versions, I believe you could significantly subsidize the iPad 2 by selling your iPad. Sure, there's still extra money involved, but probably less than a quarter of the base price. It's less frivolous, and probably will be more common, than you make it sound.
  - trotsky 16y ago
    Hard for me to believe that people will want to buy a used, out of warranty iPad with half the ram and half the cores of the new model for ~$100 less. In fact, the apple certified refurb with a new battery, shell and 1 year warranty is already $429.
    - lancer383 16y ago
      Last week (when I posted mine for sale) Gazelle.com was offering $280 for a 32GB Wifi model with moderate wear and tear. Would be interesting to know where it will end up and how much it will then be sold for in turn.
    - lukifer 16y ago
      Apple hardware tends to retain its market value better than most consumer electronics. I've always offset the cost of new Macs by selling the previous one; typically I can still get at least half of the price back on a 3-year-old machine. A low-end iPad 1 seems to be settling to a market price of around $350.
    - wonderzombie 16y ago
      More anecdotal data: a friend of mine would surely buy my iPad 1 off me for ~$200 or so. Considering I don't want 3G and 16 GB works fine for me, that leaves it at $300. Uh, actually, I hadn't seriously contemplated this until now. Hmm. Come to think of it, the major hurdle is probably getting this scheme past my SO. :)
pilif 16y ago
As the new cover is only protecting the screen, wouldn't that lead to the back of the device to acquire the scratches usually associated with apple devices? This might lower the resale value of the device which could be another reason for the design that Apple has chosen here.
- spitfire 16y ago
  Doesn't anyone like patina anymore? A scratched up aluminium back looks good as time goes on. Same with your leather briefcase as it wears in, or your cars seats.
  - panacea 16y ago
    "by spitfire 22 minutes ago" Eponysterical, as they say on MetaFilter.
- jsz0 16y ago
  The iPad V1's back was very resilient to scratching. Not sure if the same is true of the V2. Ultimately any mobile device is going to get some dings. That's just how it goes.
silvestrov 16y ago
For all the shoppers who doesn't know what RAM or CPU is, the Smart Covers is probably the most important feature when deciding what tablet to buy: A feature that the competition cannot match at all and which is overlooked by all of the "feature list" comparisons.

staunch 16y ago

Why can't someone just make a smart cover (sans the auto-on/off?) for the iPad 1?

solipsist 16y ago
Apple said they built the smart cover and the iPad 2 at the same time, so there is hardware in the iPad 2 that is required for the cover to work. Primarily, the magnets needed to have the cover attach.
po 16y ago
The original iPad doesn't have anything on the left side for the magnets to grip onto.
xuki 16y ago
You need the built-in magnet inside the ipad 2.
- fluidcruft 16y ago
  Why can't you use adhesive magnetic strips/tape on the outside of the iPad 1? Sure, it may be slightly unsightly, but it should be completely workable. Heck, the strip doesn't even have to be magnetic, it can be paramagnetic or such and just channel field between magnets on the cover hinge.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
  - danilocampos 16y ago
    The downvotes you've gotten aren't fair but it's worth pointing out: It's this kind of thinking (on the part of their competition) that lets Apple keep their head start for way, way longer than necessary. The short answer: Because what you're proposing would be terrible. Apple's money magnet is creating a sense of delight and surprise. You'd be mimicking the result, a snap on cover, without grasping the intent, which is to make you feel like a kid seeing magic. People don't want a cover. They want to be delighted by a cover. At least, they do now, since Apple has shown them it is possible to feel this way.
    - endlessvoid94 16y ago
      It continually shocks me how few people grasp this.
    - fluidcruft 16y ago
      Yay! Throw the iPad 1 in the trash for the iPad 2! Because the cover is blinged out with a magnet! On. the. inside! MAGNETS ARE MAGIC! Watch the magician make your money disappear into his pocket! Waste! Waste! Waste! This country is doomed.
      - lwat 16y ago
        No you just sell your iPad1 on eBay like everyone else. You'll get a decent fraction of your purchase price back.
- bigiain 16y ago
  I wonder if there are actually magnets inside the iPad, or just bits of metal the case magnets stick too? It there _are_ magnets, I can see it getting annoying when the iPad starts collecting magnet-attracted crap. This is a problem with magnetic tank bags on motorcycles, they pick up presumably iron/steel grit on the magnets, then you clip the magnets+grit onto your nicely glossy painted fuel tank, and scratch the crap out of it...
lwat 16y ago
It just won't be the same. You can't make the iPad1 switch on / off automatically and there's no magnetic spots on the side where a cover can magically attach like on the iPad2.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
tuhin 16y ago
This is exactly what happens when you control the ins and out from start to finish. You can come up with the craziest of the ideas and innovation and pull it off without a lot of resistance since some manufacture cannot make it for you!
kenjackson 16y ago
InCase already did that, prior to the iPad2 announcement (just so you don't believe InCase stole Apple's idea). Rather it looks like Apple took InCases's idea and improved on it. Although in some ways, the InCase version seems better (using the strap to hold the iPad would be useful for a lot of work scenarios). http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/03/apple-ipad-2-smart-cover-vs-incase-convertible-magazine-jacket http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/03/apple-ipad-2-smart-cover-...

treblig 16y ago

Pretty wild that apple came up with a case that truly would be the tipping point for some (maybe even myself) iPad 1 owners to make the switch. Try pitching that in your next product concept or product marketing meeting.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
emehrkay 16y ago
My 9 year old son, who is the main ipad user, watched the video of the smart cover and was like :-O then he said "we should get the brown one." to which I was like "we're buying an ipad2?" Anyway, brown looks amazing http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/03/ipadrev630.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/03/ipadre... and I am trying to justify buying an ipad2 for "development" purposes. Got any app ideas?
angelbob 16y ago
Have you used those magnetic MacBook Pro power cables? Apple can bring something even smaller than a case and have it be the tipping point.

fxj 16y ago

the smart cover might be a insanely clever idea, but it is also insanely ugly and looks cheap.

_frog 16y ago
What exactly makes it ugly for you? I'm not arguing against you but I'm interested in your reasons.
- nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
  For me, I think what makes the smart covers ugly is seeing the sections of the cover divided up by the folding joints, not to mention the combination of colors and materials, except maybe the black leather, don't seem to lend itself well to the iPad's fantastic, slab look. I do still think the smart covers are insanely clever and useful though, and definitely worth the cost. Enough to make me wish my wife's birthday wasn't in January, so that I wouldn't have bought her the original iPad before this was available.
- fxj 16y ago
  cheap plastic and it looks like opening a tin can. i bet the whole thing dissolves after a year of usage. why didnt they build the ipad more in the way like the microsoft courier? this would be something that i would buy right away. it reminds me a little bit about the first ibook, this was looking like a girls' make-up case. sometimes apple's design is borderline.

trotsky 16y ago

Let's face it, if you buy a new tablet 11 months after your last one just because you like the new optional case better, you're just searching for ways to spend money.

baddox 16y ago
Assuming we're talking about the base prices for both versions, I believe you could significantly subsidize the iPad 2 by selling your iPad. Sure, there's still extra money involved, but probably less than a quarter of the base price. It's less frivolous, and probably will be more common, than you make it sound.
- trotsky 16y ago
  Hard for me to believe that people will want to buy a used, out of warranty iPad with half the ram and half the cores of the new model for ~$100 less. In fact, the apple certified refurb with a new battery, shell and 1 year warranty is already $429.
  - lancer383 16y ago
    Last week (when I posted mine for sale) Gazelle.com was offering $280 for a 32GB Wifi model with moderate wear and tear. Would be interesting to know where it will end up and how much it will then be sold for in turn.
  - lukifer 16y ago
    Apple hardware tends to retain its market value better than most consumer electronics. I've always offset the cost of new Macs by selling the previous one; typically I can still get at least half of the price back on a 3-year-old machine. A low-end iPad 1 seems to be settling to a market price of around $350.
  - wonderzombie 16y ago
    More anecdotal data: a friend of mine would surely buy my iPad 1 off me for ~$200 or so. Considering I don't want 3G and 16 GB works fine for me, that leaves it at $300. Uh, actually, I hadn't seriously contemplated this until now. Hmm. Come to think of it, the major hurdle is probably getting this scheme past my SO. :)

pilif 16y ago

As the new cover is only protecting the screen, wouldn't that lead to the back of the device to acquire the scratches usually associated with apple devices? This might lower the resale value of the device which could be another reason for the design that Apple has chosen here.

spitfire 16y ago
Doesn't anyone like patina anymore? A scratched up aluminium back looks good as time goes on. Same with your leather briefcase as it wears in, or your cars seats.
- panacea 16y ago
  "by spitfire 22 minutes ago" Eponysterical, as they say on MetaFilter.
jsz0 16y ago
The iPad V1's back was very resilient to scratching. Not sure if the same is true of the V2. Ultimately any mobile device is going to get some dings. That's just how it goes.

silvestrov 16y ago

For all the shoppers who doesn't know what RAM or CPU is, the Smart Covers is probably the most important feature when deciding what tablet to buy: A feature that the competition cannot match at all and which is overlooked by all of the "feature list" comparisons.