The Apple Execution Dazzle Thread

[aaronspink]

Well the thing is the media hype was so huge that almost everyone heard about the iPad. Even if only 0.5% of the people who've heard about it buy it, that's still a lot because that's 0.5% of almost everyone.

Raise hands if you haven't heard about the Chevy volt or Nissan leaf?

New products either into new categories or reviving categories tend to get a decent amount of media coverage.

So what you are complaining about is that apple PR aren't complete morons?

Had there been no hype, it might be 3% because only tech-oriented people would have heard of it, but by the same token, it would be 3% of a much smaller base, and that would amount to a much smaller number of people in the end.

No, you are assuming there would be no ads.

Obviously, I've pulled those percentages straight out of my ass, but you get the point.

As far as I can tell you've pulled everything you've said in this thread from their including your irrational hatred.

 

[Xenus]

He has a point though even if he is blowing it out of proportion. There is a large audience of people that buy things they don't really need cause it's the cool trendy thing to have. Apple is very good at taping that base. Plus there is a base with practically every company that will buy whatever that company tells them to.

 

[Alexko]

Yeah, cause it isn't at all like apple has proved that they have the consumer appliance mojo that makes them the envy of pretty much every other company in the computer and consumer electronics space. It isn't like the iPAD was the first tablet. Just like the ipod wasn't the first DMP. Just like the iphone wasn't the first smartphone. So far the company had been batting a 1000 at bringing categories of products into the mainstream and reaping the benefit. They had successfully built two significant markets upon which a whole slew of devices ended up following.

I mean as a reporter covering technology, it would be absolutely stupid to report on a new product in a new category from Apple!

Come on, there's a difference between covering it and talking about it every opportunity you get even when there's nothing to say. Just take a look at this quick search:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...apple+tablet+2009&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Raise hands if you haven't heard about the Chevy volt or Nissan leaf?

Never heard of the Nissan Leaf. And I've only read about the Volt in the US press, which most people outside the US don't read.

New products either into new categories or reviving categories tend to get a decent amount of media coverage.

So what you are complaining about is that apple PR aren't complete morons?

No, just saying there's a difference between reporting news and giving free advertisement, and a very big part of the press has more than crossed that line with the iPad.

No, you are assuming there would be no ads.

It would have had to be a pretty huge advertising campaign to reach that many people.

 

[Mariner]

I mean the price of the unlocked device. They are still too high for my liking in case of smartphones.

Besides, it's ironic that the Chinese/Taiwanese OEM's are having trouble matching Apple in price of tablets. I am still not sure about the how/why of it.

Here in the UK, network provider Orange is selling the ZTE Blade as the 'San Francisco' priced at GBP 99.99 (though I got mine on a deal for 90 quid i.e. about US $ 140).

Specs are:

3.5" OLED WVGA capacitive screen
600MHz ARM CPU (includes Adreno 200 GPU)
512MB memory
WiFi/GPS/Compass
Android 2.1

This is a stupidly good value phone which can be unlocked for just a couple of quid and whose only downside is a pretty average 3 megapixel camera as it is surprisingly well-built for such a budget device. Checking Modaco it looks as though we'll have Froyo 2.2 ROMs on it very shortly - i.e. the next week or two. Remarkable device for the money.

If we can get this phone so cheap over here in the UK, I don't see why similar devices won't be available elsewhere in the world very soon. :smile:

I can see phones such as this will really begin to cut into the iPhone's market quickly unless Apple release a 'budget' phone to counter it and Apple aren't exactly known for their budget devices!

 

[rpg.314]

I assume it is unlocked.

It could make for a very nice device after rooting it.

 

[rpg.314]

Well the thing is the media hype was so huge that almost everyone heard about the iPad. Even if only 0.5% of the people who've heard about it buy it, that's still a lot because that's 0.5% of almost everyone.

Had there been no hype, it might be 3% because only tech-oriented people would have heard of it, but by the same token, it would be 3% of a much smaller base, and that would amount to a much smaller number of people in the end.

Obviously, I've pulled those percentages straight out of my ass, but you get the point.

People don't buy $500 gadgets just because they have heard about it. Seriously, answer this instead of repeating ad infinitum that lots of people/press/sheep/bitches ranted about iPad before and after launch.

 

[rpg.314]

There is a large audience of people that buy things they don't really need cause it's the cool trendy thing to have.

They may buy cheaper items for the coolness factor, but not $500 ones.

 

[Xenus]

There is quite a large number of people with disposable income that buy plenty of expensive things cause they think they are cool are barely if ever use them and don't really need. Those infared grills and expensive carpet cleaners tend to be of that nature with most people along with many other items expensive or not.

 

[Alexko]

People don't buy $500 gadgets just because they have heard about it. Seriously, answer this instead of repeating ad infinitum that lots of people/press/sheep/bitches ranted about iPad before and after launch.

I never said that! My point is just that the more exposure your product gets, the more people will buy it. And the press gave the iPad plenty of (undue) exposure, for free.

 

[Mariner]

I assume it is unlocked.

It could make for a very nice device after rooting it.

You can buy an unlock code from a seller on eBay for about £2.00. My contract SIM is with the Orange network so I've not bothered to unlock mine yet but I'll probably do this later in the week just for convenience.

I've rooted mine and installed a custom ROM already (which has support for Apps2SD) but it is now looking as though we'll have Froyo available within 1-2 weeks as the mod community have got hold of a dump of a Froyo ROM from within China.

Good stuff! :smile:

 

[Rys]

I never said that! My point is just that the more exposure your product gets, the more people will buy it. And the press gave the iPad plenty of (undue) exposure, for free.

Why was it undue?

 

[Alexko]

Why was it undue?

Because it was wildly excessive.

 

[Sxotty]

They may buy cheaper items for the coolness factor, but not $500 ones.

Actually there is. I know plenty of people who bought an iPad right when it was released, without ever seeing one themselves, b/c they had all the apple crap and it was so rad. Of course when I saw that it sucked which is does I laughed to myself. You cannot see it outside at all. So if you spend all your time hiding from the sunlight I guess it is good. It is so easy to make sunlight readable LCDs, but that would have cost apple about $3 more per unit. Can't cut into the margins. And yes I own apple stock So buy up those ipads, and other assorted iJunk.

 

[Malo]

There were several real estate agents in the company I work for that went out and bought the iPad when it was released then came to me asking what they can do with it.

 

[rpg.314]

Amusing as it is, it is entirely besides the point. There will always be sheep who have more money than they know how to spend wisely and consequently will throw themselves at anything. Such people cannot sustain sales of ANY product, unless it is actually Made By God.

iPad has been on the market for almost 6 months now. In the LAST 3 months, how many people do you think were rational (or atleast more rational) buyers?

 

[Harison]

Love or hate him, but Steve Jobs is genious, incredibly talented engineer with a vision, and most charismatic salesman in the World Not so long ago Apple was going down under after firing Jobs, but as soon as they got him back, he turned to gold everything he touched, hell - becoming more valuable company than Microsoft is highly impressive feat.

That said, I dont have Apple products, nor planning to buy one - I rather prefer my custom build PCs which are much faster, 1/2 price, and with 3x longer warranty Played with iPad too, but its not exactly what I want, I would prefer more universal device with a better multitasking.

 

[I.S.T.]

Love or hate him, but Steve Jobs is genious, incredibly talented engineer with a vision, and most charismatic salesman in the World Not so long ago Apple was going down under after firing Jobs, but as soon as they got him back, he turned to gold everything he touched, hell - becoming more valuable company than Microsoft is highly impressive feat.

That said, I dont have Apple products, nor planning to buy one - I rather prefer my custom build PCs which are much faster, 1/2 price, and with 3x longer warranty Played with iPad too, but its not exactly what I want, I would prefer more universal device with a better multitasking.

I'd like to note that A. Steve Jobs hasn't done any engineering work in a long, long time. He's a CEO through and through.

B. Not everything he touches turns to gold. Look at the lack of success of their Macintosh products. They haven't really expanded past Apple fans in a long time.

C. I'm pretty sure his only vision is "Sell products people will buy."

He is a damned good salesman, though. Plus, he had the foresight to hire a damn good PR company. I would argue that if the iPod/iPhone/iPad existed somehow without Jobs, they wouldn't sell nearly as well as they do now. Apple already had a Reality Distortion Field(To be fair, all companies with a big fan base do), but it massively expanded under him.

 

[tangey]

An interesting comparision product is the 1st gen Apple TV.

One assumes the press had the same opportunities with it as the ipad, to put it out and about all over the place, but it certainly didn't get the same exposure as the ipad has, it's sales were also at a totally different level.

So did it not sell because it wasn't a great product, or did it not sell because it didn't light up with a lot of journalists even though it was a great product.

I think it was that the product wasn't ground breaking, the journalists reported that it was less than brilliant, and the public agreed.

Interesting that the new ATV would appear to have a better chance, cheaper, more targetted etc. I havn't seen it flogged to death by journalists, probably cause its not "sexy", so interesting to see if the public go for it despite its relative lack of press.

 

[I.S.T.]

An interesting comparision product is the 1st gen Apple TV.

One assumes the press had the same opportunities with it as the ipad, to put it out and about all over the place, but it certainly didn't get the same exposure as the ipad has, it's sales were also at a totally different level.

So did it not sell because it wasn't a great product, or did it not sell because it didn't light up with a lot of journalists even though it was a great product.

I think it was that the product wasn't ground breaking, the journalists reported that it was less than brilliant, and the public agreed.

Interesting that the new ATV would appear to have a better chance, cheaper, more targetted etc. I havn't seen it flogged to death by journalists, probably cause its not "sexy", so interesting to see if the public go for it despite its relative lack of press.

I forgot the Apple TV.

I don't expect this new one to be much of a hit myself. It's something of a niche product. Admittedly, the niche is kinda big, but it's still a niche product. I do expect it to sell more than the original, though.

Edit: It'd probably sell like gangbusters if it had the "i" branding on it. A good name for it might be iTV.

 

[tangey]

Edit: It'd probably sell like gangbusters if it had the "i" branding on it. A good name for it might be iTV.

I think they are beat on that one, ITV is a major broadcaster in the UK and has been for decades. Given that UK is an important market for Apple, they probably don't see it feasible to have a different name for one country.