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The popularity of Apple’s iPad may have peaked as CEO Steve Jobs was making the much-hyped product introduction on January 27, 2010.
The number of consumers interested in buying an iPad fell 50 percent after January 27, according to study by Retrevo.
Between January 16 and January 20, 26 percent of surveyed consumers said they have heard of the iPad but are not interested in buying one. Between January 27 and February 3, that figure grew to 52 percent.
During the pre-introduction period, 49 percent said they don’t need an iPad. After the introduction, however, that number grew to 61 percent.
A major deterrent for surveyed consumers appears to be the price of 3G-enabled iPads. Apple will release three Wi-Fi models ranging from $499 to $699 and three same-sized 3G models ranging from $629 to $829.
Don’t Press Panic Button
Even Retrevo says that these findings should be taken with a grain of salt. There is bound to be a letdown after so much media-generated hype surrounding the product introduction.
Besides, how are consumers supposed to decide if they want or don’t want something prior to its introduction?
The good news for Apple is that even after its introduction, 30 percent of consumers either want to buy an Apple iPad or are interested in buying one. That’s a significant chunk of potential buyers.
As custom electronics professionals aim to figure out how Apple’s iPad will impact home automation, Retrevo’s findings don’t seem all that significant. Let’s face it: their clients aren’t the same ones who are balking at paying the extra $130 for access to the 3G network.
Still, Retrevo’s Apple iPad consumer interest findings are worth a look.
I have a Dell Netbook, Mini 9 that does everything that the iPad doesn’t. Video camera, multitasking, video skype, user replaceable batteries…and I paid $200 for it.
Ed
@Kenneth Lawson
I dont need to read reviews to realize I have no need for this device. I would prefer a multitasking device with flash support, this has neither. A review good or bad makes no difference to me as this is just a large itouch which I have 0 need for.
Again people are guessing about something thats not even out for sale yet. People will change their minds probably several times before its here, depending on what they read. Until its in stores and one can actually hold it and experience it, and play with it, the full potential won’t be understood. For “Expert Reviewers” to sit and say its good, bad or otherwise isn’t fair to the IPad. It probably would bias the average consumer one way or the other, buy the time they read all of the “reviews ” on a products that barely been announced much less released..
So, for poles to say this or that is essentially guessing.
The consumer won’t know for sure if they want it or not until its actually in their hands, in the stores.
For more thoughts on the IPad, and other tech and media topics see my blog;
Ken Lawson
http://kennethlawson.blogspot.com/
The problem with polls like this is that they are not coming from real people. What I mean by that is most online polls come “gadget heads” who live and die on this stuff, not “actual” consumers. Everyone I encounter is looking forward to it coming out and will be buying one. My daughter came home and said all her teachers were talking about it and they plan on buying one. One teacher even went into detail as to what she could use it for in the class room. So, yes I agree after the announcement the excitment has gone down, that’s just common sense because the product hasn’t been released yet and life moves on. Once released you will most likely see a re-newed excitment level.
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@MrWhite do you know the poll methodology or are you assuming it is an out-of-the-box survey box on a site thing.
Having worked 10yrs in market research and half of that for a leader in online polling (HarrisInteractive) I can tell you that online polls can be very accurate (meaning projectable to the general population) if done correctly.
EH you should really post survey methods if you are going to post results.