Not the Apple™ of My Eye…
I promised at the end of Friday’s post to write today about my new iPad 2. That post would, I’m afraid, be rather short: in effect, I didn’t get my damned iPad, thank you very much.
Were it not for natural and imminent nuclear disaster in Japan, political instability in Libya, and political insanity in Wisconsin, Apple’s iPad 2 marketing debacle would probably have received more coverage over the weekend. But basically, Apple succeeded in making me want an iPad so bad it hurt: and then wouldn’t sell me one.
To be fair, my timing was bad: had my schedule for the week been a bit more flexible, I likely could have waited many hours in line on Friday before being turned away empty handed. As it was, I was in New York for a meeting, with a 4:30 p.m. flight out of La Guardia; the iPad went on sale at 5:00 p.m. So I wasn’t going to be there in that crush among the earliest of early-adopters. I figured I’d just roll out Saturday morning and buy one with the civilized crowd.
How naïve was that? Very. I arrived at the nearest Apple Store about 9:30 Saturday morning, in plenty of time before the 10 a.m. opening; after waiting about 20 minutes, the manager informed us that they’d sold out of iPads the previous day, and wouldn’t be getting any more until Monday. This was the start of a rather tedious morning, and I’ll try not to drag you through all the tedium: in short, I drove a circuit of about 40 miles visiting Best Buy, Target, and AT&T stores along the way: all with the same result. No iPad for me.
Toward the end of this exercise, I did start to feel like a proper idiot; so I decided to just pack it in and head home—and move onto some proper work. It had become obvious that I was wasting a lot of time trying to acquire my time-saving device.
So calmly, at my computer, I went to the online Apple Store, and ordered an iPad 2. I was distressed at the advertised delivery estimate of “3-4 weeks,” so I opened a chat window to see if I could get any clarification. None was forthcoming, other than the (by then) obvious fact that it was “an item in heavy demand”; and so I ordered it. But not, I’m ashamed to say, before adding the $79 “Apple Care” plan to my already way-too-expensive order: opening the chat window with Apple customer service did nothing but add $79 to the bottom line. Pretty expensive customer service, I’m thinking, especially since they couldn’t answer my question.
Ten minutes and about $1000 later, I’d ordered my iPad 2 with a nice cover, and it should arrive … sometime before Mother’s Day. I thought. But the plot thickened, and sickened: more tomorrow.
well, if it’s any consolation, even those of us who went through the hassle of multiple calls to apple, sending in credit card authorizations, etc, etc, didn’t get the ipad they wanted. . . i had one on hold for my boss, and it’s the wrong one. they have “no information” about when they’ll get new ones. they really flubbed this one.
Whenever some new launch like this happens, I always wonder “How can some device possibly be worth this much hassle?” I mean, you were getting along fine prior to this, right? You could post, tweet, read, write, Skype, and everything else, right?
As you hint at in your post, the power of marketing is truly amazing. The iPad is a great case in point. Who really *needs* one? They are nifty, don’t get me wrong. As a hunk of technology, they are super cool. On the day the first version came out, I looked for a long time over the shoulder of a proud new owner in a coffee house. I thought that it was the coolest thing I ever saw. But what would I actually *do* with it? In biz speak, which I have to hear every day but abhor, what is the value proposition? For me, at least, there isn’t one.
Apple is particularly good at this kind of marketing, which is to make you want something you don’t really need just because it is shiny and pretty. They are essentially a lifestyle brand–you buy one of their products and you get not only the technology but also a particular kind of cachet.
How does this work? Well, it’s interesting to consider that the folks who attend Mac World are called “the Mac Faithful.” And that Apple has (or had, anyway) people whose official job title is “Evangelist.”
For me, computers and the like are tools. They are expensive hammers, in effect. When a new kind of hammer comes along that allows me to do something new or significantly better, then it’s time to buy one. But wait in line to buy a fancy hammer with a nice paint job that only works on nails that I can already pound? No, thanks.
That’s so frustrating! I hope you get your iPad sooner than projected. It sounds like once it finally arrives, you’ll really enjoy it.
I hope you enjoy it too, Kevin, despite my previous, needlessly dyspeptic comment.
This is one of those areas about which I have a bee in my bonnet. I think it’s mostly because I’ve been up and close and personal to manic techno-optimism for so long that I’ve reached a breaking point.
I’m definitely a techno-utopian: but I know it. I know that gadgets won’t solve my time management problems, etc.: at least that last one didn’t. But that next one–I dunno. Meanwhile, in all honestly, I would have to say that the iPhone has made my life noticeably, demonstrably better.
Just yesterday I ordered a Droid, so I’m not completely immune to techo-optimism. Plus, I was tired of being mocked by my daughters about my oh-so-2001 flip phone.
Hello Kevin:
I’m so sorry to hear about your Apple iPad2 purchasing woes. I feel your pain, having been a Mac early adopter for many years now, and having experienced similar disappointment (and the inevitable frustration and self-loathing that follows acquirus interruptus!)
It may be scant consolation, but I must tell you as the current owner of a new iPad2 that your patience will be rewarded grandly in the fullness of time. Probably sooner, rather than later, since Apple typically under-promises and over-delivers with their online sales and shipments. (I managed to get mine through a friendly connection at a local Apple reseller.)
At any rate, rest assured that it is a joy to use and every bit as elegant and sophisticated as advertised. I am no neophyte in the world of consumer electronics, in fact I thought myself quite jaded in that respect until yesterday – when I spent 5 solid hours totally engrossed in playing with the damn thing.
I synched, I iTuned to my heart’s content, I watched HD videos, I recorded HD videos, I FaceTime-d with friends and family, I downloaded 80 classic iBooks free from the Gutenberg Project in less than ten minutes. I purchased and downloaded another 5 from the current round of bestsellers. (iBooks is like a 24/7/365 crack house for literary buffs, since once chosen, the tomes download in mere seconds). For the paltry sum of $4.99, I bought GarageBand for iPad: which is an absolute blast for anyone who loves music, but failed to invest the time in learning how to actually play it. E-mail is a dream. Surfing the web is fast and easy, and the large number periodicals with colorful and interactive iPad-tailored content makes it a treat to stay current with the horrible and depressing stuff going on internationally.
In short, the world is my oyster now; all neatly contained within the slim profile and lightweight heft of this wonder of modern technology.
Hang in there, my friend. Only 2 -3 weeks to go – and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
BTW: Not sure if you’re aware that if you presently own an iPhone 4 with the latest software update, you can now use the iPhone as a”Personal Hot Spot” (which sounds a bit kinky, I know) with which to gain internet access. In the middle of nowhere, or at very least in the absence of a free/paid wireless connection or an AT&T or Verizon 3G data plan for your iPad, you can still consider yourself a globally linked citizen in good standing.
Thanks for this, Alan. If I didn’t know better–and really, I suppose I don’t–I’d swear you were in the pay of Steve Jobs. Did you write your comment on your iPad?
My pleasure, Kevin.
Don’t worry, I’m no Apple shill. Mr. Jobs and I have had a love/hate relationship for many years now, but I believe Apple gets it right much more often than not, so consider these positive comments credit where credit is due.
Having waited patiently lo these many months for the iPad2 iteration to launch (I wanted the camera), I can honestly say it was well worth the delayed gratification. It is truly a thing of beauty on many levels, and at the risk of going right over the top, I must say that when I use it I get the same chill I feel when reflecting upon a Keats poem, an Albinoni oboe concerto or a Caravaggio – that is to say what little faith I have left in humanity is temporarily bolstered.
When we aren’t bashing the daylights out of each other, humans are still capable of wondrous things.
PS: I happened to write the comment on my MacBook Pro, but I could just as easily have written it on the iPad. I’m not a stellar typist, but I’ve found the digital keyboard works fine for me…