Jobs: One million iPads sold
'Demand exceeds supply'
Apple announced on Monday that one million iPads were sold in the first four weeks of the "magical and revolutionary" device's availability in the US market.
"One million iPads in 28 days - that's less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with iPhone," crowed Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a canned statement.
True that - but Jobs didn't mention that the iPhone 3GS, the current model, topped the one-million mark in three days.
Neither did Jobs provide a breakdown of what percentage of those iPads were the WiFi-only model, which went on sale on April 3, and the WiFi + 3G model, which began shipping to pre-order customers and became available in stores on the last day of the four week period, April 30.
Jobs did, however, throw a bit of cold water in the direction of international fanbois jonesing for their own multitouch window onto the internet: "Demand continues to exceed supply and we're working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers."
The iPad was originally supposed to have shipped to international customers by the end of April, but Apple issued a Media Advisory in mid-April pushing that date back to the end of May, with pricing announced and pre-orders to begin on May 10. In that release, Apple offered the excuse that "demand is far higher than we predicted" - although rumors of production problems continued to circulate.
To be sure, Apple has made no mention of pushing the international release of the iPad back further - and The Reg is not predicting that it will. But with Jobs' warning that demand continues to outstrip supply, we'll be keeping an eye on the iPad's emigration date.
But if you think that Apple is purposefully keeping the iPad on US shores simply to heat up unfulfilled international demand, Steve Jobs thinks you're nuts. ®
Bootnote
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the iPad is a hit among pensioners due to its ease of use, light weight, and easily readable type - great for glaucoma sufferers. The editor of ElderGadget told the Chron: "I don't know if it's a deliberate move by Apple to make a tablet that appeals specifically to seniors, but that's what they did."
COMMENTS
Waa waa waa
All complains sound a lot like "I hate it. Hate it! Why oh why do they like it when I hate it"?
Bitter, Bitter Little boys
Amusing to read all the bitterness here.
Oh dear, despite the Reg nerdcores usual predictions of doom for Apple hardware, the iPad is a success.
Just like all the wise men here predicting the failure of the iPhone, you are so very wrong again.
And also, as I predicted here in a previous post, the "oh, so superior" saviour pads are once more proven to be vapourware - sad, bitter attempts to steal the limelight from Apple.
The courier mock up video was so fake, but you all so desperately wanted to believe it would work. I said at the time that there was no way a windows product would work that smoothly and look that good. Guess who was right?
And the "slates" that Ballmer announced - dead too. (how embarrassing for him and MS).
Do you see the difference here? Apple announce products, and deliver them, and they work.
These aren't mock-ups, prototypes or fantasy island devices. They are out there now.
Meanwhile, you all wait for your cheap copies from Acer, Dell and whoever and hope that they might come close to the ease of use, stability and functionality (and pray that they aren't too ugly in comparison).
Hilarious how you all so desperately hate the iPhone and iPad but can't seem to stop reading and commenting on articles about them.
Your penis envy is so obvious, it is kinda sad.
(On a side note, also amusing is the whole "Slate" thing. When the rumours went around that Apples new device was going to be called iSlate, suddenly everyone was talking about "slate" this and "slate" that (even Ballmer).
Now it's back to "Pads" again. You know you are on top when even the rumoured name for your device changes the game).
Formula for Apple Envy
1) Dismiss all new Apple products as evil AND/OR over-priced AND/OR lacking functionality
2) Suggest Steve Jobs is the Devil Incarnate
3) State unequivocally that product X will fail
4) Grunt and moan about media hype generated by the Apple Marketing team (whose job it is to create marketing hype)
5) When sales figures show product X is doing well claim this is only fanbois and the rest of the world has sense.
6) When sales figures make is clear the rest of the world is buying product X, claim the world is full of idiots.
7) (My favourite) - Proclaim your business acumen and say something like "When will Steve Jobs learn x about y" yada yada yada. Because he clearly has no clue what he is doing and needs to be put right by your genius.
Rinse, repeat...
Oh and the golden rule. Make sure you always, and I mean ALWAYS make comments on articles written about product x. Even though you have no interest in product x,
(except you do, you really really do but you could never admit it)
Keep it in the closet boys. ;-)
I'm very, very clever!
Speaking as an IT professional, one who is very CLEVER with computers and has heard of Linux distros NOBODY else has heard of (and written them), can I just write off these one million customers as "stupid" and "fanbois" because obviously people who want well designed and easy to use products are DUMB. It's obvious! Spending hours getting barely functional software operating on barely functional netbooks is what everybody should be doing. Well, people intelligent enough to do so anyway (like me).
EXPERTS like myself, pride ourselves in wrestling with technology and mastering it in a mighty battle of will. Technology is hard and therefore people like myself are indispensable. Technology made simple, personable, approachable and available to all people (even stupid ones) is offensive and a possible threat to my livelihood.
So let me finish with a few more elitist "fanbois", "one born every minute" and "evil locked down technology" comments while I sit back and polish my ivory tower. Thank you.
