Apple Sets iPad Ship Date Amid Cheers and Jeers
Some models of Apple\'s much-discussed iPad will become available to U.S. buyers on April 3, the company said today -- answering one of the remaining questions surrounding the sleek-looking, mobile touchscreen device about which the industry has spent the better part of a year buzzing.
However, that date is only for iPad models sporting Wi-Fi connections. More expensive models, featuring both Wi-Fi and 3G wireless connectivity, won\'t ship until \"late April,\" the company said. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) also added that U.S. pre-orders for all iPad variations will start March 12.
The plans are also somewhat behind initial expectations. During the iPad\'s introduction in January, CEO Steve Jobs said the iPad would be available within 60 days of launch, which would have been at the end of March. At least one industry analyst claimed earlier this month that delays with the iPad\'s Taiwanese manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision Corp., would limit the number of units available by March, though it\'s unclear how much impact, if any, this might have had on Apple\'s timing.
Apple on Friday also gave a first look at its international rollout plans. According to the company, both models of the iPad will go on sale in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April, with pricing to be announced sometime that month. Apple also said that it plans to ship the iPad in additional, unspecified countries \"later this year.\"
Despite its previous track record and the massive, prelaunch excitement surrounding its latest product, another Apple success with the iPad is far from a sure thing. Initial reports suggested a hint of disappointment among the iPad\'s potential consumers following months of rabid speculation and fevered rumor-mongering leading up to the device\'s unveiling in late January.
And while the device received accolades for its looks, its responsiveness and its ability to run iPhone apps -- not to mention a lower-than-expected, $499 price tag for its entry-level model -- some found plenty to complain about when initially assessing the iPad.
When his company finally revealed the iPad, Jobs described the device as \"truly magical\" and as fitting in nicely between two existing product categories that are already key for Apple: smartphones and notebooks. And Apple is known to be meeting with high-level media executives, widely seen as a move to pave the way for the iPad to take on e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle -- a small but growing market that\'s already thought to be paying off handsomely for Amazon.
\"iPad is something completely new,\" Jobs said in a statement on Friday. \"We\'re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.\"
However, that date is only for iPad models sporting Wi-Fi connections. More expensive models, featuring both Wi-Fi and 3G wireless connectivity, won\'t ship until \"late April,\" the company said. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) also added that U.S. pre-orders for all iPad variations will start March 12.
The plans are also somewhat behind initial expectations. During the iPad\'s introduction in January, CEO Steve Jobs said the iPad would be available within 60 days of launch, which would have been at the end of March. At least one industry analyst claimed earlier this month that delays with the iPad\'s Taiwanese manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision Corp., would limit the number of units available by March, though it\'s unclear how much impact, if any, this might have had on Apple\'s timing.
Apple on Friday also gave a first look at its international rollout plans. According to the company, both models of the iPad will go on sale in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April, with pricing to be announced sometime that month. Apple also said that it plans to ship the iPad in additional, unspecified countries \"later this year.\"
Despite its previous track record and the massive, prelaunch excitement surrounding its latest product, another Apple success with the iPad is far from a sure thing. Initial reports suggested a hint of disappointment among the iPad\'s potential consumers following months of rabid speculation and fevered rumor-mongering leading up to the device\'s unveiling in late January.
And while the device received accolades for its looks, its responsiveness and its ability to run iPhone apps -- not to mention a lower-than-expected, $499 price tag for its entry-level model -- some found plenty to complain about when initially assessing the iPad.
When his company finally revealed the iPad, Jobs described the device as \"truly magical\" and as fitting in nicely between two existing product categories that are already key for Apple: smartphones and notebooks. And Apple is known to be meeting with high-level media executives, widely seen as a move to pave the way for the iPad to take on e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle -- a small but growing market that\'s already thought to be paying off handsomely for Amazon.
\"iPad is something completely new,\" Jobs said in a statement on Friday. \"We\'re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.\"