Apple media advisory:
Faced with this surprisingly strong US demand, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the international launch of iPad by one month, until the end of May. We will announce international pricing and begin taking online pre-orders on Monday, May 10. We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news, but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason—the iPad is a runaway success in the US thus far.
No Apple, we’re not pleased at all. Not at all.
Stunning wallpaper for your brand-spanking new iPad from 50FT Shadows.
Well, it’s simple really. Gillian, my lovely wife, is a teensy bit excited about the possibilities of the iPad. So, one for her. Laura, our 8-year-old thinks it’s COOOL and the BBC iPlayer is her homepage. So she gets one. Then there’s our 5-year-old, Dana. She’ll be annoyed if she’s left out and trouble will ensue.
And myself… I think I might wait a while until the funds replenish a bit before I buy one. After all, I have a brand new MacBook Pro. A 2.5kg laptop which I slide into a bag and take to work every day and bring back home, along with a Magic Mouse and an iPhone dock. As opposed to a 680g iPad.
That MacBook Pro might end up on eBay.
Barely a day after the iPad introduction and everyone and their next-door neighbour’s cousin’s friend’s dog has an opinion on the new device. I think the ratio of the number of people who have actually used one over the people opining are probably 1:20,000,000 or so.
“It’s just a big iPhone!”
“No camera and no flash!”
As everyone who knows me knows I’m an unabashed Apple fanboy and my opinion? I’m very impressed and I think I see the potential, but I am also ambivalent. I’ll wait until I hold one and try it myself. Everyone who was actually at the keynote and tried the iPad is completely won over, from John Gruber to Stephen Fry to Michael Pusateri. Money quote from the latter:
I am a technology professional. For almost 20 years I’ve tested, used, broke, fixed, and played with all kinds of technology from broadcasting to air conditioning to software. I am not easily swayed in these things. But even with all my skepticism, I think the iPad is something different. A new way of computing that will become commonplace.
Of course it’s called iPad! What was I thinking of? No clues yet on pricing or availability in the UK but with current exchange rates it should start at £300. Which makes it a nice birthday present, no?
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