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发表于 2010-4-20 12:18 PM
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本帖最后由 ByStander 于 2010-4-20 13:20 编辑
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Apple Inc. began selling the iPad Saturday to swarms of dedicated fans, but there were few early indications that the much-anticipated device would sell out in its first weekend.
The weekend introduction is the first real test of demand for the iPad, which Apple pitches as a new category of device making it easier to surf the Web and do other basic computing tasks. Since it was unveiled by Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs in January, debate has swirled about how much the $499-and-up tablet computer will appeal beyond the company's stronghold of technology enthusiasts.
Apple's flagship retail outlet in New York City was thronged by hundreds of fans who wanted to join in the camaraderie and land bragging rights from being among the first people to hold and own an iPad. "I like the games and the music," said nine-year-old Monaco resident Roman Rose, who waited with his family for his turn to buy an iPad, with his own savings, he said.
Lines snaked around a block-wide plaza at the store adjacent to New York's Central Park. People--some in line for days--waited out front in a concrete plaza where the crowd was closely watched by a heavy dose of security, members of the media, and even someone in an Easter Bunny costume. At 9 a.m., people were allowed to slowly file into the store, 10 or 15 at a time from two lines -- one for people who had pre-ordered an iPad online, and one for those hoping to buy iPads off the shelf.
In San Francisco, tech blogger Jason Kincaid had been in line for one and a half hours and was about to be clapped into the store by the blue-shirted staff. He already had two iPhones, an iMac and the MacBook Pro laptop, but "had to have an iPad," he said. "It's changing the paradigm of how we will use computers – I'll need to test all its apps as well as the way the touch-screen works," he said.
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At another San Francisco store, 32-year-old Cuyler Binion said "I'd buy a toilet if they made it." An avid photographer, Mr. Binion said he envisioned using the device to organize and share photos. "Their design is light years ahead of everyone else's," he said.
However, outside of the typical tech urban strongholds, the hubbub died down pretty quickly.
Traffic was thin by about 10:30 a.m. at the Apple desk of a suburban Charlotte, N.C., outlet of Best Buy Inc., the other major retailer stocking the device. Store manager Andrew Rochelle said three people were waiting in line when he got to the store at 7 a.m., and by opening time at 10 a.m., the store had handed out about half of its 60 right-to-buy tickets.
Jose Sanchez of Huntersville, N.C., and his 13-year-old son, Carlos, picked up a 32GB iPad without having to wait in line. "I know everything about it," said Mr. Sanchez, 45, who works in distribution for US Airways Group Inc. Sanchez plans to use the iPad on work breaks and at lunch, as well as to download movies from Netflix Inc. in hotel rooms when the family travels.
The scene was similarly muted at the Apple store at Dallas's popular Northpark Mall. While some who showed up early had to wait several hours to get into the store, by 10:15 there was no one standing in line and workers were putting away the metal poles that had kept earlier crowds in order.
The first iPad customers weren't all typical early adopters. Jeff Doi, 37, and his wife Rochelle Europa, 38, both pharmacists, came to Detroit from Toronto for a shopping weekend. Friday they bought their first Apple device -- an iPod touch, but were intrigued by the hype of the iPad. They came back to the mall on Saturday and found themselves in line to buy a 32 GB iPad.

"Yesterday would have been our first Apple purchase. We were going to use the Touch as a test run," said Ms. Europa, "but never mind the test run."


"We heard about all the hype" and decided to buy the iPad too, said Mr. Doi. "I have to say they did a good job hyping it."
The weekend crowds could be tempered by the fact that consumers have been able to order the device online for home delivery since March 12. And only later this month will Apple begin to sell iPads with cellular Internet connections in addition to Wi-Fi wireless Internet. Those devices with 3G cellular Internet connectivity start at $629, with Internet-access plans sold separately.
Sales estimates from analysts have ranged widely, and Apple hasn't said how many devices it has sold online, nor how many it expects to sell in stores.
Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, said Apple could sell 200,000 to 300,000 iPads over the weekend and 2.8 million over the course of 2010. Research firm iSuppli Corp. predicted that 7.1 million iPads will sell world-wide this year, with sales nearly tripling to 20.1 million by 2012.
—Jerry A. Dicolo, Mary Ellen Lloyd, Kate Linebaugh, Ana Campoy, Marietta Cauchi and Andrew Morse contributed to this article.
Write to Shira Ovide at shira.ovide@wsj.com and Geoffrey A. Fowler at |
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狗仔卡
发表于 2010-4-20 12:22 PM
发表于 2010-4-20 12:31 PM
