Apple to sell iPad at Best Buy and other assisted locations

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Apple said Tuesday that sales of its upcoming iPad device will follow a model similar to that of the iPhone during its onset, with availability limited to the company's direct sales channels and select other retail locations that receive Apple assistance.



Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer, spoke at the Goldman Sachs annual tech conference in San Francisco Tuesday afternoon. He said the iPad will launch in retail, online education and other direct sales from Apple, but will also include the company's assisted sales from partners like Best Buy.



The announcement suggests AT&T stores could also offer iPad sales, though Cook did not specifically mention Apple's wireless partner in the U.S. Overseas, Apple's premium resellers will also offer the iPad at brick-and-mortar locations.



"Initially it will be around places with really great assisted sales," Cook said. "Over time it will expand."



The Apple executive also revealed that he has personally had an iPad for about six months, and he believes that many consumers will find it hard to purchase a netbook when they experience Apple's new product for the first time.



"The experience is just absolutely incredible," he said. "And so we're obviously very excited about this thing and can't wait to start shipping it."



Cook also said he's not particularly concerned about the prospect of the iPad cannibalizing other Apple products, such as iPod touch or Mac sales.



"It's an incredible value at $499," he said. "It's an amazing experience you can have."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 51
    Cook is doing his darndest to lure all into the iTunes web from which there is no escaping.

    Muuaaaahhhhh!

    Seriously- what are these people on? It's a gigantic iPod for crissake!
  • Reply 2 of 51
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple said Tuesday that sales of its upcoming iPad device will follow a model similar to that of the iPhone during its onset, with availability limited to the company's direct sales channels and select other retail locations that receive Apple assistance....



    If supply is limited, and you are already thumbing your nose at anyone living outside of the USA, why restrict it even more by shovelling large numbers into big box retailers? I feel Apple is completely letting it's customers down lately with this stupid focus on the USA customer above all others.



    If the supply is anything like the 3Gs, we won't be able to buy an iPad in Canada until Xmas 2010. It's not like Canada is some exotic foreign locale or has substantially different laws, import duties or tax structures or anything, this is just another "f-you" to "foreigners" from Apple.



    Their business culture seriously needs to evolve beyond the early 90's. Or maybe the execs need to travel outside of the USA once in a while.
  • Reply 3 of 51
    Well the rumors were true. Start lining up now!



    iPad News and Updates:



    http://iPadLot.com
  • Reply 4 of 51
    so when will it be at Walmart with all the rest of the cheaply made chinese rubbish
  • Reply 5 of 51
    dcj001dcj001 Posts: 301member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TEKSTUD View Post


    It's a gigantic iPod Touch!



    And that is what is so great about it!



    Manage digital images, music, video, and surf the web and use e-mail.



    Plus, have access to about 150,000 applications, with a ten hour battery life, on about a ten inch screen!
  • Reply 6 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


    If supply is limited, and you are already thumbing your nose at anyone living outside of the USA, why restrict it even more by shovelling large numbers into big box retailers? I feel Apple is completely letting it's customers down lately with this stupid focus on the USA customer above all others.



    If the supply is anything like the 3Gs, we won't be able to buy an iPad in Canada until Xmas 2010. It's not like Canada is some exotic foreign locale or has substantially different laws, import duties or tax structures or anything, this is just another "f-you" to "foreigners" from Apple.



    Their business culture seriously needs to evolve beyond the early 90's. Or maybe the execs need to travel outside of the USA once in a while.



    Too bad. Sounds like you need to visit the good old USA more where the temperature is better along with its hockey team.
  • Reply 7 of 51
    Smart! Get it in every store you can for max exposure on opening day! Not only in the stores themselves but in all the newspapers which the following day will be reporting on long lines of people, out of stock issues not to mention Sales numbers/stats, etc.!



    Wonder how the MS store is doing?
  • Reply 8 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    Wonder how the MS store is doing?



    Dunno- but Apple stock is down 2% because WalMArt bought VUDU.
  • Reply 9 of 51
    I hope it's available on Amazon. That would save me $30 in tax.
  • Reply 10 of 51
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TEKSTUD View Post


    Too bad. Sounds like you need to visit the good old USA more where the temperature is better ass well as its its hockey team.



    So you are just randomly kicking people when they are down now? What a total little shit you are. How do you live with yourself?
  • Reply 11 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TEKSTUD View Post


    Dunno- but Apple stock is down 2% because WalMArt bought VUDU.



    That's just the 'fuctuations' of the market!



    Poor VUDU....
  • Reply 12 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DCJ001 View Post


    Manage digital images, music, video, and surf the web and use e-mail.



    If the iPhone 4.0 OS allows you to do all that at once then I will be happy. I could care less about things like a webcam and some of the other stuff but I really would like true multitasking seeing the hardware has no problem supporting it.
  • Reply 13 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    If the iPhone 4.0 OS allows you to do all that at once then I will be happy. I could care less about things like a webcam and some of the other stuff but I really would like true multitasking seeing the hardware has no problem supporting it.



    I would believe iPhone OS 4.0 will, considering iPhone OS 3.1.x already can. I can listen to my iPod music while surfing the web, check an email, go back to the exact spot I left my web page, copy an image from the web onto my phone, check my pictures, go back to my web page (again, exactly how I left it), double tap my home button to switch songs, all while having my emailed pushed to me through MobileMe in the background. I can take a call and look up directions, emails, web pages, etc. at the same time as well. There, you should be happy!
  • Reply 14 of 51
    mark2005mark2005 Posts: 1,158member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


    If supply is limited, and you are already thumbing your nose at anyone living outside of the USA, why restrict it even more by shovelling large numbers into big box retailers? I feel Apple is completely letting it's customers down lately with this stupid focus on the USA customer above all others.



    If the supply is anything like the 3Gs, we won't be able to buy an iPad in Canada until Xmas 2010. It's not like Canada is some exotic foreign locale or has substantially different laws, import duties or tax structures or anything, this is just another "f-you" to "foreigners" from Apple.



    Their business culture seriously needs to evolve beyond the early 90's. Or maybe the execs need to travel outside of the USA once in a while.



    I understand your feelings. However, because Apple has its largest user base in the USA, I think it believes it can get the biggest launch in the US. This wait-overnight popularity, reported worldwide, then creates momentum for future sales in other countries.



    It's worked many times before. Excepting your feelings, why fix what isn't broken?
  • Reply 15 of 51
    mark2005mark2005 Posts: 1,158member
    By the way, Cook said much more, as reported here:



    http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderd...d=yahoobarrons



    Not sure when AI will report on it.
  • Reply 16 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TEKSTUD View Post


    Too bad. Sounds like you need to visit the good old USA more where the temperature is better along with its hockey team.



    Better goaltending, sure, but better hockey team, I think not. Being a Leaf fan, though, I'm kind of rooting for Wilson, Burke and Kessel.



    In regards to the availability of the iPad in Canada, if one wants one badly enough, surely it would be a simple matter of ordering the unit on-line directly from Apple or, if you're close to one of our few Apple Stores, get one there.



    But for me this becomes a matter of sitting out the first wave because I work for one of the retailers who will eventually sell the thing but will not be in on the early-stage action. Being as I get an employee discount, that's too much money to leave on the table. Looks like some time next year it will be an iPad with 32G of memory, a faster processor, maybe a camera, and so on. I'd add in a price drop but I suspect Apple will have little trouble moving these units at the price point they've started off with. I have no faith in competitors providing significant pressure. They still haven't figured out how to make a good MP3 player.



    In the meantime I'll struggle along with a netbook that quite frankly is a pain in the derriere. Thank God for my Mac desktop and Touch.
  • Reply 17 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


    If supply is limited, and you are already thumbing your nose at anyone living outside of the USA, why restrict it even more by shovelling large numbers into big box retailers? I feel Apple is completely letting it's customers down lately with this stupid focus on the USA customer above all others.



    If the supply is anything like the 3Gs, we won't be able to buy an iPad in Canada until Xmas 2010.



    Read quote below...

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Overseas, Apple's premium resellers will also offer the iPad at brick-and-mortar locations.



    "Initially it will be around places with really great assisted sales," Cook said. "Over time it will expand."



    Canada is not "overseas," but it is a foreign country. I read that to mean Canada will get the iPad in a timely manner in various brick-and-mortar stores that are already working with Apple.
  • Reply 18 of 51
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mark2005 View Post


    I understand your feelings. However, because Apple has its largest user base in the USA, I think it believes it can get the biggest launch in the US. This wait-overnight popularity, reported worldwide, then creates momentum for future sales in other countries.



    It's worked many times before. Excepting your feelings, why fix what isn't broken?



    Well, I would argue that they don't know that it "isn't broken."



    For instance, the 3Gs supply was so poor that I had to wait six months to get a hold of one despite trying to get one from the very first day. There were no more than a half dozen or so handsets at each store for that entire period.



    Because the PR was controlled, not many people in Canada were aware of this. Certainly no stories were written in the US about it, and basically no one cared at Apple HQ. At the same time however, we are talking about a huge potential in lost sales. How many people got a blackberry instead?



    IMO this is a colossal failure on the part of Apple, even if as you say, it's something they may not be even aware that they are failing at.



    My point is simply that if there is enough product to supply tertiary outlets in big box retailers in the USA, that it's a slap in the face to everyone up here if it isn't going to also be available in Canada, at least at the Apple store.



    Canada is a big modern country that's only a hair different from the USA, most of the population lives within a half hour drive of the USA border. We have a superior 3G infrastructure and all *five* of our carriers allow tethering as part of the base contract. We are arguably more ready for the iPad than the USA is, and in fact a better testing ground for the product, but it seems likely at this point that we won't get iPad for most of 2010.



    I know it's not intentional, it's just part of that blind USA smuggery that no one who lives down there even notices they are doing when they do it. However polite Canadians might be though, we aren't dumb and people notice these kinds of things and remember them, even if we can't do anything about it.
  • Reply 19 of 51
    The projections for sales on the iPad are far exceeding the iPhone. With a higher ASP, the iPad will blow the stock clear out of the water!!!
  • Reply 20 of 51
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    Ehh at least it's not launching in Walmart...



    I'm not a fan of apple selling their products outside the apple store and maybe ATT stores. Best buy's have a terrible presentation for their mac section (i see macs somewhere in the corner or just sprinkled amongst all the other laptops and music players). Plus the customer service people don't know a thing about a mac (or a windows laptop for that matter) and it kinda degrades the experience. The sucess of the apple stores has been that they offer knowledgeable stuff in a clean and interesting environment, where you can talk to a genius, learn something new or get your machine repaired. That is how it should be I think.
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