Is Apple betting the farm on the new iPad (iPad3 or iPadHD or ?)?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by jocampo

I would get two! ...

However, do you hate Apple? I do not hate Ferrari, but I can't afford one.

Is criticism hatred?

I consider my iPod touch 4 to be the best home based internet radio and audiobook player out there. Why? ease of use, $145 price tag, and low cost speaker docks.

The same can't be said for my Galaxy Player 4. Who the hell puts a charging port on top? No wonder there aren't any speaker docks for it.

But; if I could only keep one, I'd say bye, bye iPod. It's woefully lacking in features I need in a pocket net device.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Great example: I bought a brand new HP computer for work. I also bought a brand new HP printer to go with it. Excited, I set up my shiny new toys (small business, we're our own techs). Everything worked great...for two weeks. Suddenly, my HP printer stopped working. I called tech support every day for about a week...I spend countless man hours on the phone. Several different people from tech support auto connected to my computer to try to get it working. Uninstall, reinstall. Uninstall, reinstall. Rinse, lather, repeat. They never could get it to work. They finally decided to tell me it was the computer's fault. ???!?! By this time I'm angry and my computer's OS/security had holes in it the size of Texas. And now everything was seizing up. WTF. So, I gave everyone the business and prepared to send back both the computer and the printer for a refund. Before I did that, I decided to contact HP computer support. Someone there backed my computer up a few weeks (lost some data) to the time before the printer was hooked up. I sent back the printer and bought a new one. Shuddering the entire time.

All my Mac friends laughed at me. Their Apple products work well together and had none of these issues.

I suspect your PC friends were laughing at you too. Some people are better off with a package that just works. You pay a premium for that and lose some flexibility. To be honest, I don't know anyone having problems like you describe. Last summer, I got my kid a laptop for school. The touchpad was funky, so I called an 800 number. A couple days later a box arrived. I loaded the laptop, sealed the box, and dropped at the carrier. A couple weeks later, I had a repaired PC. That was a $600 HP laptop. Even with a $400 Acer, a failed disk only required a call to an 800 number. A new disk was shipped to me (my request) and I was up in a week.

As for the disrespect being paid to the Apple cult, that might just be payback for all the "it's not an iPad" pans of the other e-readers. The tsunami of negative Fire reviews that preceeded anyone actually touching one was unprecedented -- and condescending

Regardless, no one knows if Apple has another product in the pipeline. Siri was a purchase, so there has been nothing new since the iTouch (if you consider the iPad a bigger iTouch). I keep hearing about Apple TV...er...iTV, I guess (though they'll have to purchase or litigate the name from a UK company that has used it since 1955). Not sure if the brand will bring the returns required to keep shareholders in the fold.

What happens with the iPad 3 and the iPad Mini will tell us all we need to know. If the iPad's share of the tablet market continues to fall, things are going get uncomfortable in Cupertino. If Apple can retain even 50% market share (without reducing profit margins), they be fine.

Personally, I think Apple was buried last year.

So, is Apple betting the farm on the iPad 3? I think Apple is betting the farm on the iPad 3 and the iPad mini staving off competition long enough to find the next insane product. If the iPad 3 receives a tepid reception, the iPad mini will follow. The loss of market leader status will impact spin off opportunities (education) and profit margin which will erode share price.

Should be fun to watch...

[ScotiaBurrell]

iPad mini?!?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I'd get an iPad if it was priced at $250

If refurbs will suit you, wait a couple months.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by ScotiaBurrell

Miss Jospeh, you say in a lot of words that choice is good. I agree. Many here agree, they just want people to choose something other than apple.

If same exact Apple products were made by samsung or ms and sold for same exact price mobileread would have half the traffic because people just don't hate those companies.

The lesson learned last summer is that no one will pay Apple prices for Samsung, Microsoft, RIM, Asus, Motorola, or any other product. The question for this summer is whether people will pay Apple prices for Apple products when Amazon and others are selling lesser products for lesser prices.

[wizwor]

lol...forgot HP

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Is criticism hatred?

Not unless your eyeballs bulge and the spittle sprays the room before you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9QOnBMHqNA

There is a vast middle ground between sacrificing your firstborn to the manufacturer of your toy of choice and blinding hatred of everything else.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by wizwor

The lesson learned last summer is that no one will pay Apple prices for Samsung, Microsoft, RIM, Asus, Motorola, or any other product. The question for this summer is whether people will pay Apple prices for Apple products when Amazon and others are selling lesser products for lesser prices.

I would suggest that the key question of this year will be the same as last year: "Can anybody other than Apple make significant money selling tablets?"

As of last year, the answer was: "Probably not."
This year, so far, the answer looks like; "Maybe Amazon. But don't bet much on it."

Nine months to go.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

I would suggest that the key question of this year will be the same as last year: "Can anybody other than Apple make significant money selling tablets?"

I disagree. I don't think Amazon needs to make 'significant' money selling tablets. Maybe it's, "Can Apple survive in a world where nobody makes significant money selling tablets?"

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I'd get an iPad if it was priced at $250

At that price point, I could get 6 (just pre-ordered 2 iPad 3 Wi-Fi 64GB which comes out to over $1500 including taxes) . I'd only get 3, though. Two for the household and 1 to give to my grandmother so we can FaceTime. The rest of the funds, I'll save for a 7" 1280x800 tablet (perhaps the ASUS Memo 370t?) and the upcoming Transformer.

[aagstn]

My wife and I are each in for the new 64GB models. I use my original iPad daily and with the new iPads screen it will be my full time ebook reader as well. Well worth the money to me considering the use I get out of it.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by wizwor

I disagree. I don't think Amazon needs to make 'significant' money selling tablets. Maybe it's, "Can Apple survive in a world where nobody makes significant money selling tablets?"

As long as they can keep their stranglehold on mobile service providers (and their insane profit margins on the iPhone), I'm thinking yeah.

I'm not sure how long they can continue Jobs' legacy, though. We all saw what happened to Apple when Jobs left. Whether current management can maintain Apple's success, we'll know soon enough. As it is, I think Apple has lost some of its marketing flair. People might call Jobs a jerk and all but there's no question, love him or hate him, he does have a certain presence that get people to pay attention and is great at spinning things to his advantage.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

As it is, I think Apple has lost some of its marketing flair. People might call Jobs a jerk and all but there's no question, love him or hate him, he does have a certain presence that get people to pay attention and is great at spinning things to his advantage.

True. Tim Cook looked awful. Not a fair comparison, but capitalism is not fair.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by wizwor

I suspect your PC friends were laughing at you too. Some people are better off with a package that just works. You pay a premium for that and lose some flexibility. To be honest, I don't know anyone having problems like you describe. Last summer, I got my kid a laptop for school. The touchpad was funky, so I called an 800 number. A couple days later a box arrived. I loaded the laptop, sealed the box, and dropped at the carrier. A couple weeks later, I had a repaired PC. That was a $600 HP laptop. Even with a $400 Acer, a failed disk only required a call to an 800 number. A new disk was shipped to me (my request) and I was up in a week.

As for the disrespect being paid to the Apple cult, that might just be payback for all the "it's not an iPad" pans of the other e-readers. The tsunami of negative Fire reviews that preceeded anyone actually touching one was unprecedented -- and condescending.

Well, if the were laughing...they sure as heck weren't helping either. Which means I'm still in the same situation. SOoL.

I've never had those problems before - until the next time. But the truth remains - if you can't afford to pay someone to consistently do your tech work - you have to become a tech yourself. Some of us aren't meant for that...and I am one of those people. I feel no shame that my skills are in other areas. And I get tired of trying to figure out my computer.

If I didn't game (and if I didn't spend most of my toy budget on books) I'd have a Mac. But they aren't in my budget and I can't deal with learning how to (what is it called?) split my hd so I can run an Apple OS and a Windows OS on the same computer. If that's what it's called (I'm not sure).


Re: Condescending behavior/comments

I can understand not being happy when someone talks down to you about your tech choices. It happens to me quite often on MR. Doesn't feel too good. I don't practice that activity and wish I didn't have to deal with it here.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Well, if the were laughing...they sure as heck weren't helping either. Which means I'm still in the same situation. SOoL.

I would have helped. I dropped by the home of my payroll manager Wednesday. He had two 'broken' computers. One had no network connection and the other had a persistant active desktop error. I located desktop.ht and deleted it to recover from the active desktop problem. The no network connection error was clearly explained in a message as a consequence of not renewing an antivirus program (but the user did not pay attention). I uninstalled the Symantec product and installed Avast Free. For the record, the user would not have had these problems had he not installed third party themes and let his AV subscription expire.

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

If I didn't game (and if I didn't spend most of my toy budget on books) I'd have a Mac. But they aren't in my budget and I can't deal with learning how to (what is it called?) split my hd so I can run an Apple OS and a Windows OS on the same computer. If that's what it's called (I'm not sure).

That's the flexibility and premium cost factor. Even if the payroll manager had paid me $150/hr, that would be less than the cost of buying a system that could not be broken.

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Re: Condescending behavior/comments
I can understand not being happy when someone talks down to you about your tech choices. It happens to me quite often on MR. Doesn't feel too good. I don't practice that activity and wish I didn't have to deal with it here.

I hear you. It's a cultural thing. It's called rooting for the uniform. Unfortunately, there is no cure.

Find a friend who can help you with your PCs. A couple hundred bucks, a chinese buffet, and a grateful smile will take you far.