iPad launch raises awareness, boosts disinterest
Not a must-have, but still a shift-loads
A follow-up survey from Retrevo has found that while a lot more people have heard of the iPad since the launch, fewer of those people are planning to buy one.
Just prior to the launch of the iPad Retrevo randomly asked a thousand of its users if they'd heard of Apple's new tablet thing, and if they thought they'd be buying one. The exercise was then repeated after the launch to see if perceptions had changed.
Turns out they had: an additional two per cent said they'd "definitely" be buying one, but the number of categorically uninterested rose from 26 per cent to 52 per cent once the full specifications were known.
That still leaves five per cent of respondents saying they will be buying an iPad, up from three per cent who stated an intention to purchase despite having no idea what the iPad could do, what it was for or even what it was called.
Five percent of the US population is a big number, to be sure, but one must remember that Retrevo users may not be typical. The service describes itself as "the ultimate electronics marketplace", and probably attracts more than its share of early adopters who'll rush to have the latest Apple tech.
Everyone else is still waiting to see where the iPad fits in the bigger picture, as borne out by an increase in the number of Retrevo users who are waiting to see what the iPad can do before they'll consider buying one (from 19 per cent to 21 per cent).
We're all waiting to see if the iPad will really change how we interact with computers, or if Apple's really launching another Pippin - the reality almost certainly being somewhere between the two. ®
COMMENTS
Fun with statistics
'three per cent who stated an intention to purchase despite having no idea what the iPad could do, what it was for or even what it was called'
Which I think we can all agree means they are morons.
So, if we extrapolate the figures 5 people in every hundred want the iPad, but 3 of those will be morons. So statistically 60% of all iPad early adopters will be morons.
They probably shouldn't put that on the box.
or even uninterest...
...given that 'disinterest' is a synonym for 'altruism' or, more exactly 'not having an interest in' the same way one not benefiting from something derives no interest from it.
I know I am fighting a lonely fight here.
Apple's strategy is right on.
Brangdon and I Know Better are right. If you are even here reading the Reg, you are not Apple's target market for the iPad. It's for people who are intimidated by computers, but would like to do a few basic things like email and Internet searches. Perfect for my parents--and it's a huge untapped market.
WRONG CONCLUSION
Per the survey results, the number of people "committed" to buying one went from 3% to 9%. Thats' 3X the number of people who claim they WILL buy one on launch.
The category of people "Interested but NOT considering buying one" did in fact double, however, the results clearly indicate that the doubling came mostly from the "never heard of it" and "completely disinterested" categories, which went from 35% to only 18%. Essentially, half the people completely disinterested have become people interested but still not committed. Also, the "Interested but I need more data" group dropped from 36% to 21%. It appears 6 of the 15, or about a third, moved into the "I'll buy" column, and the rest to the "interested but no or not yet" column.
The survey fails to differentiate between a "no never" and "no not yet" group of people, shedding some negative light. A lot of those people, as I've found elsewhere, are incorrectly informed about the specs, and especially most think it does a) nothing more than an iPhone (it edits documents in full, can run presentations, can output HD to a TV, can manage documents in your iDisk and iWeb sites, and much more), b) it has no SD card slot (there's an adapter), mostly C) there's no camera (there's full bluetooth support and UI bits in the SDK to fully support video conference, and finally D) it has no phone features (it clearly does and with VoIP over 3G, or paired with a regular phone over bluetooth, is a complete communications platform.) Corrected of the actual specs and capabilities, almost every one of the people I've spokent to (well over a hundred) who were naysayers, turned tail and began considering it, especially when they were reminded there are clearly sacrifices between a $900 device and a $500 device to be had. (with almost all of the sacrificed features coming in the form of a $20-30 dongle adapter or a $50-60 bluetooth camera add-on).
Possible bias
"The service ... probably attracts more than its share of early adopters who'll rush to have the latest Apple tech." - Those people are also more likely to be computer-friendly enough to have netbooks, and as such would not be the target audience for the iPad. It's aimed at people who don't like computers and just want a simple domestic appliance.
