"This was a triumph.
I'm making a note here:
HUGE SUCCESS.
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction."
-- From Still Alive by Jonathan Coulton, 2007
The numbers are in, and the Apple
Early analyst estimates had pointed to first-day iPad sales of maybe 700,000 units, but the official word is about half of that at "more than 300,000." That's still better than the first day of iPhone sales, way back in the mists of time, and many prospective buyers might be holding off until the next model drops with a remarkably affordable AT&T
I'm not convinced, though. The iPhone made history by redefining what a smartphone can be, paving the way for a whole new market brick by hard-won brick. It was a surprise, a shocker, an unannounced triumph -- Apple made a phone? The slow start was understandable, especially since high-speed wireless data plans were hard to come by in 2007.
This time is different. The hyper-connected infrastructure that makes iPads attractive is already in place whether you like AT&T, Verizon
And that didn't happen. When even the most rabid Apple fans choose to await software updates or better hardware before jumping in with both feet, I don't see the excitement matching the expectations. Microsoft
Apple's aesthetics may be unmatched, but the iPad's functionality isn't -- yet. I can see sales trailing off rather than picking up as consumers realize that there are other choices on the market already. That won't hurt Apple much, but somebody should give Steve Jobs a hug. He must be disappointed.