Is the iPad a Genius Marketing Move? Or a Newton?
I got an e-mail from Apple today in my inbox. The iPad is coming April 3rd. Pre-order now!
Apple has a great track record of making innovative products. I am a huge Apple fan. Thanks to Steve Jobs, Apple and team are brilliant at product development and design. Seriously, could the Iphone be any simpler or more fun to use? And Apple TV is so smart. As well, the iPod is one of my best friends (it goes everywhere with me). I have five iPods– annually adding the newest, coolest model to my collection.
Because I am such an Apple fan, I was perplexed about whether to purchase the iPad. Thus, I went to the experts. I asked James Garvey, owner of Work2Home, Inc. and a technical solutions expert for his opinion. James said, “I am not purchasing the iPad in this initial release. For example, the iPhone didn’t even copy and paste or have multi-tasking in the first version. So are we getting with the iPad? A large iPod Touch? Not really groundbreaking. Not WOW. Yawn.”
Garvey further expalined, “Typically, when companies launch a product, it’s not fully baked. Some features just don’t get fully tested. Businesses are often faced with a dilemma. So they are going to start selling the product early and deal with the support/PR aftermath after launch.”
I also asked my students in the brand planning class I teach at GA State University. The GSU students are super cool 20 somethings with their pulse on what is new in technology. When I posed the subject about the iPad, there was a 50/50 split between those who would purchase those who would not. As result, I asked them to research the product further–using the four P’s as the guide for their purchase decision and get back to me in the next class. After a week of research, the class voted again. The vote to purchase the iPad on its first release was unianomously, no. They all agreed that it would be smart to wait until Apple has received their feedback from the early purchasers and then relaunch iPad 2.0.
As for me, I am going to let all the early adopters test out the iPad for me. Then, who knows? Maybe ultimately I’ll own five iPads! Until then.
Are you purchasing the iPad? Or will it be a “Newton?” Check out an early product review from Digg http://bit.ly/9MzYGG
Let us know.
March 15th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Early adopters do not use a 4p marketing analysis. They will buy it because it’s cool. The first consumer release will likely be a functional yawn but the platform could be a game changer if they can sort out the input “device” (as in procedure, not peripheral – voice?) and un-tether it from ATT’s 3G. It could be a Newton, but only because the aspiration is ahead of it’s time.
March 15th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
I believe you’re right that the Apple loyalists will buy it for the cool factor and emotional connections. However, I’m worried it may fall between the “functional benefit cracks” – it’s not a phone and it’s not a netbook. It may be a Kindle-killer, but who really wants to lug around three devices?
March 15th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Right question. If I can talk to text on the input side and if it transitions seamlessly from 3g radio to WAP, then even a luddite like me will get excited. But the secret is likely to lie elsewhere. If they are the Kindle killer, can they do for books and video what itunes did for music? Will they enable the news content providers to return to subscriptions? Will they figure out microtransactions so we can start to measure price utility of a click to content? Now that would be sexy. an alternative to the ad-supported revenue model.