(Ryan Anson/AFP/Getty Images)
Tribune staff report | Apple Inc. began taking pre-orders for its iPad multimedia tablet computer today at 7:30 a.m. this morning. Customers who order one of three Wi-Fi versions initially offered will receive it on April 3, either by home delivery or store pickup. iPad’s go on sale in Apple retail stores April 3, the company said.
The Wi-Fi models start at $499. in premarket trading, Apple shares rose above a record $227.50 on the Nasdaq. The shares have more than doubled in the past year.
Just (pre) ordered mine…I am not a MAC guy at all. In fact, this will be the first Macintosh product I have ever owned (not even an iPod). In my non-biased opinion this will be a revolutionary product.
I’m going to buy mine today. I can’t wait, never owned a MAC product but I am now drinking the cool aid.
Shale
Cool, anyone know when the new Apple store at the north end of the Clybourn Corridor opens up???
I just pre-ordered a six pack for my girlfriend…should last her til fall. I’ll probably spring for the 64gig pads, she needs as much capacity as possible.
Just ordered one. This is only the second Apple product I have ever bought (2nd gen iPod a long time ago). This is going to be highly useful to RC my home and work computers. The wireless plan that Apple has obtained from AT&T ($30 a month, unlimited) is really very reasonable.
I’ve had a very similar, but better, product since last July, and others have had them much longer than myself. It’s called an iPhone, and it has all the capabilities of an iPad, but in a MUCH more compact package and with a phone built into the “iPad mini.” And I paid almost HALF of what the iPad costs. Oh, I almost forgot, I can plug a pair of headphones in the top of my iPhone and put it in my pocket, and listen to music without looking ridiculous and lugging around this huge tablet.
The only way I can see this being “better” than an iPod Touch or an iPhone is if someone has fat fingers or is old and needs the “large-print” edition, as the screen on the iTouch/iPhone can be a bit too small for the older crowd.
…and Adobe functions STILL won’t work…
I have an enhanced version of the iPad with a built-in qwerty keyboard. It has many more capabilites, and actually folds in half for easy storage and protection.
They call it the MacBook Pro and it is awesome.
I have been a computer nerd for over 20 years and have never owned an Apple product and have zero desire to buy this.
Who cares!
To those hating, nobody said this device is for everyone, but for those who say it’s just a giant iPhone or iPod Touch, consider:
The bigger screen is going to lead to exclusive new apps that will blow away anything on the the smaller devices, the iPad is an e-reader that will offer books, newspapers, and magazines in one device, and the iPad offers iWorks, each $10 apps that are Microsoft Office compatible (and better apps). Also, to the guy who said he paid less than half for the iPhone, don’t be ridiculous: you are spending almost $1000 a year for required service on that iPhone, and your phone was subsidized to tie you to AT&T for two years.
The iPad offers most of the iPhone apps plus some killer ones to come, with no additional cost, unless the owner wants the 3G. I own an iPhone, but I’m giving it up because I’m sick of the $30 data plan from AT&T when I usually use it in wi-fi range anyway.
I don’t know if I’m getting the iPad because we have a enough Mac products in the house already, but the thought of all the benefits of the iPhone (pocket portability and phone capability aside, of course) with no monthly fee is appealing. Give it time, when developers go nuts with this thing, and more people will see the appeal.
I am VERY interested but I am compelled to wait and see…..