Apple's iPad Megathread

[bluejays]

I love the stock for a tech company, but I can't for the life of me understand how the stock dropped so dramatically today. A $10 drop in just a day at about $18 in the past few days. Weird that it dropped so dramatically with an imminent announcement along with earnings report. Odd...

[Russic]

I might argue that the hype machine has been working in a very subtle way. Of course I'm assuming the report from the former apple guy is factual (the one where he said they deliberately feed info to certain people). I think apple knows that by only letting people know 2% of what's going on creates a wild buzz. They're working the hype machine by ironically not hyping the product.

Also, whether people think it's going to fail isn't a sign that the hype machine is not happening.

[kermitology]

Apple doesn't even allow much communication between departments.

Hell I'm interviewing for a job there right now and they've barely told me anything about the job.

[temple5]

Originally Posted by fleury

I love the stock for a tech company, but I can't for the life of me understand how the stock dropped so dramatically today. A $10 drop in just a day at about $18 in the past few days. Weird that it dropped so dramatically with an imminent announcement along with earnings report. Odd...

Likely speculating that the previous price increase due to tablet speculation was to bullish and now some are pulling back and taking profits before it releases the product.

Its the whole problem with the stock market, where they try to build the revenues of a product into a stock before its even sold 1 unit.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by temple5

Likely speculating that the previous price increase due to tablet speculation was to bullish and now some are pulling back and taking profits before it releases the product.

Its the whole problem with the stock market, where they try to build the revenues of a product into a stock before its even sold 1 unit.

That's the funny thing. With a company like Apple, I'd personally give them the doubt with coming up with a proper product that will sell bigtime. They've done it in the past and within this decade really haven't failed with a product launch AFAIK. I'm not a fanboy at all (don't own an Apple product), but they really have done exceptionally well with creating a brand that people want to own, and of course, a product that will sell due to "cool" factor. That's why I found it so odd this past week when so many people decided to unload. I would be very surprised tomorrow if the price stays this low.

[FanIn80]

And now... To really kickstart the hype machine...

Tech Crunch reports that Steve Jobs has been heard saying that the upcoming Apple tablet "will be the most important thing I've ever done."

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/24/...Dve-ever-done/

(No pressure or anything...)

[Russic]

I'm almost hoping they let me down now. I'm spending $100 of my tablet money to go snowboarding later this week. If they reveal something incredibly awesome I'm going to be choked!

[Burninator]

While I am interested for curiosity sakes to see what this whole tablet business is going to look like, what features it has, what it will do and how much it will cost. I am less interested in buying one...at the moment. And the reason I say that is because I don't know what I would do with it. I have a desktop computer, I have an iPhone, and I am assuming that the tablet fits somewhere in between the two.

Personally I would like to see the tablet as a cross between an iPod Touch, a netbook and a e-reader. While I like my iPhone I find the hardware not powerful enough and the screen not big enough for long term use. For me it's good enough for checking email, reading some things on google reader and quickly browsing a couple websites. But for anything more involved or longer use I hold off till I am near a computer. I would like to use the tablet for longer full internet use on the couch (or when traveling) and I would like to take it on the train and read a book on it. And of course it would need to be had at a reasonable price.

For the people that are interested in it. What niche do you think it's filling for you? Using it on the train? Browsing the internet on the couch? Using at the board room table? Replacing your laptop for traveling (assuming you have a desktop)?

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by fleury

That's the funny thing. With a company like Apple, I'd personally give them the doubt with coming up with a proper product that will sell bigtime. They've done it in the past and within this decade really haven't failed with a product launch AFAIK.

Apple's recent record of successful products is indeed very strong, but there was one notable failure in the last ten years.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Apple's recent record of successful products is indeed very strong, but there was one notable failure in the last ten years.

Oh really? I'll see your cube and raise you a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipod_hifi

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Oh really? I'll see your cube and raise you a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipod_hifi

I don't remember that one at all. There's probably a reason why no one ever talked about it.

[FanIn80]

Leaked name, prices and release date?

According to a (now deleted) tweet by major German electronics retailer Media Markt, the Apple iPad will go on sale March 1st at a price of 499 Euros with contract with T-Mobile or 899 Euros without. In U.S. prices this would likely be around $500-$600 U.S. with contract and $999 without. We came to these numbers by comparing similarly priced Apple items sold in Euros and USD (Mac Mini: 549 Euros / $599 USD, MacBook 899 Euros / $999 USD).

"iPad" was already a rumoured name, along with iSlate... and the pricepoint seems to be on par with earlier rumours of the device being reasonably priced ($500-$600 with contract).

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/26/...000-march-1st/

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Also, a possible interpretation of the invitation graphic:

One analyst now claims that Apple may allow all U.S. Carriers to sell the iPhone:

T-Mobile USA Inc. will get the phone this summer, followed by Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. in the fall, and Clearwire Corp. in 2011, Horan wrote in a note yesterday. AT&T Inc. has been the exclusive carrier since the iPhone debuted in June 2007.

This report leads to one possible interpretation of the Apple invitation with colors lining up with the brands of major carriers:

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/25/...d-iphone-apps/

[mykalberta]

I just cant see it being a monthly plan device. That to me makes the least sense unless this somehow replaces the iphone.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Leaked name, prices and release date?

"iPad" was already a rumoured name, along with iSlate... and the pricepoint seems to be on par with earlier rumours of the device being reasonably priced ($500-$600 with contract).

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/26/...000-march-1st/

Your link is now saying that is fake.

Update: fscklog reports [Google translation] that a company representative has confirmed that the Twitter account is not an official Media Markt account, and thus the iPad posting is certainly fake.

Ugh I hope the tablet isn't going to be that cost and need a contract. I would not be interested in paying $30 a month for internet on that thing. If you have an iPhone (or other smart phone) you are already paying $30 a month for internet plus paying for the internet you have at home. Possibly around a $100 a month for internet is really steep and is probably a small market. Obviously the information is fake, but I hope it is off base as well.

I think I am most interested in the e-reader capabilities of this thing. I am not sold on the other e-readers out there (Kindle, Sony). They are stand alone readers with quasi-computer abilities at best. The tablet looks promising for the computer abilities. Although I worry about long term reading and eye strain on an LCD type screen for book reading. But I would not be interested in paying $30 a month for data, for my hopeful use of a tablet it would not be worth it. And $1000 for half a laptop seems silly too.

[Tyler]

The iPad sounds like a tampon product

[Russic]

Could it be?



Link: http://mashable.com/2010/01/26/apple-tablet-pics/

[FanIn80]

I saw the bit about the Media Markt leak being fake this morning, but this German site apparently has the validity going back and forth:

http://www.netbooknews.de/12990/appl...-ohne-vertrag/

wtb translator, pst

[Azure]

If the iPhone goes to all US carriers....AT&T is going down the craphole very fast.

Verizon has 10x better 3G coverage and better service from what most people say.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by Russic

Could it be?



Link: http://mashable.com/2010/01/26/apple-tablet-pics/

I'm sure this is fairly close to what it will look like, but the image is doctored IMO. The shadows in the screen don't mirror correctly.

[HotHotHeat]

Has anyone seen a site that will be streaming live video?