iPad, Quick Review and things to know if buying from the US. (now with pics)

EuskalHerria

gfog wrote: »

mine says, Your item cleared customs in IRELAND, whats that mean? and does anybody have any experience with roughly how long delivery is after this process. have i gotten away with the charges or am I just going to get a bill as well?

No you'll get a customs charge when the package arrives that you'll be expected to pay. I had a large box come over from america and it cost me €130 to get it at the post office.

Loomis

Parents due home tomorrow and still no word from apple after they reserved one in store last Wednesday.
They have since been to 3 different BestBuy stores who all have them on display but are all out of stock. Parents reckon it's a marketing ploy simply to keep demand high.

Graham

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

Parents due home tomorrow and still no word from apple after they reserved one in store last Wednesday.
They have since been to 3 different BestBuy stores who all have them on display but are all out of stock. Parents reckon it's a marketing ploy simply to keep demand high.

I doubt that's the case to be honest.

Imagine you are just going into production of a new widget. You have a guess that you'll have orders for 1400 of these widgets in the first year (avg. sales over the year of about 117 widgets per month) but you also have a fair idea that 300 of these widgets will be sold in the first month.

Do you target your production lines to manufacture 300 Widgets a months to meet your first months targeted sales, or do you target production at 117 widgets per month to meet your first years targeted sales. You could scale manufacture for 300 per Widgets per month but what happens after month 1 when you only need 100 per month? What do you do with that very expensive extra manufacturing capacity?

Keep in mind that your widget is a brand new device introduced to an as yet unquantified market. You really have no idea how it's going to sell in the market. As a manufacturer, would you rather make too many widgets and have them floating about in unsold stock?

Supply and demand is a two-way street, often the market needs to prove the demand is there before the supply is put into place. Early adopters often pay a premium during the early stages of a successful new product launch (as apple know only too well) precisely because demand exceeds supply.

Demand exceeding supply isn't just a marketing ploy(although Apple have realised to maximise the advantages of this strategy), it's plain business sense. If you shape production to supply the peaks of demand you end up with wasted manufacturing capacity or stockpiles of product during the troughs of demand.

As a manufacturer, would you rather sell out of Widgets every now and then, or have hundreds of Widgets left in your warehouse?

Now I've got all that off my chest, I really hope your parents managed to get you an iPad. You won't be disappointed.

cojomo2

For anyone wondering where you can get the iPad for 549 euro inc. VAT, here is the place:

http://www.fonezonline.ie/apple/91-apple-ipad-wifi.html

banquo

cojomo2 wrote: »

For anyone wondering where you can get the iPad for 549 euro inc. VAT, here is the place:

http://www.fonezonline.ie/apple/91-apple-ipad-wifi.html

I love you.

cojomo2

banquo wrote: »

I love you.

don't just say it, SHOW IT!

.......buy me an iPad

banquo

I would if I could ;_;

Loomis

Graham wrote: »

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Now I've got all that off my chest, I really hope your parents managed to get you an iPad. You won't be disappointed.

Posting from the iPad!:) Tis bloody legend.

Got a mail the other night after 1am saying the iPad was ready for collection so text the parents, it being after 8pm there. They were already out so said they'd try to reach the shop before it closed at 9pm. They got to the shop 10 minutes before it closed. Score!

Graham

Fantastic news, let us know what you think when you've spent some time with it.

vinnycoyne

Looks like the iPad section in the Irish store is now open for business.

No iBooks yet though.

Loomis

Graham wrote: »

Fantastic news, let us know what you think when you've spent some time with it.

Will do. Spent a few hours on it last night. Had a quick look at a few things:

Video looks brilliant. So clear.
Music is nicely laid out. Very handy for making playlists. Strange that cover-flow was omitted. Presumably they'll include it in an update soon enough.
Loaded a few iPhone apps onto it too. The 2x feature works for the time being but can cause the text in the apps to pixelate and just look a bit poor. IM+ is brilliant on it though. It seems to be laid out differently and acts like it's iPad specific but don't really see how that's possible?
Photos are great on it. Really clear.
Setup mail and contacts through gmail and all works well. Much prefer viewing mailbox in landscape so you can see mail list and currently selected mail.

Looking forward to playing with it some more and to see how iPad specific apps fair.

lackofcolour wrote: »

Looks like the iPad section in the Irish store is now open for business.

No iBooks yet though.

Just since this morning? After setting up the iPad last night I still got the message that the app store was not available in my country.

vinnycoyne

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

Just since this morning? After setting up the iPad last night I still got the message that the app store was not available in my country.

Launched across Europe this morning. Signed in with my Irish account and downloaded a paid app, so it's working!

Basq

This time next month, I should have an iPad in my cold dead hands!

Graham

Well, just spent the last few hours with a handful of NUIM'ers playing with the iPads.

Was very entertaining, I don't think i've heard that many ooh's and ahh's since........ second thoughts we won't go there.

Great fun guys, really entertaining. I think that could have been Maynooths first Nerdapalooza.

Note to self, trademark the term iRag.

Should probably qualify the iRag term; a micro-fibre cloth used to wipe greasy fingerprints off an iPad.

banquo

a pleasant time was had by all

RedLegend

Anyone having problems downloading iPad apps from the Irish app store? I managed to download two apps last night and now it just won't let me. Tells me my payment method was declined even though it's a free app?

Pretty cool that you can upgrade to the iPad version of a previously paid for iPhone app for free too!

Graham

RedLegend wrote: »

Pretty cool that you can upgrade to the iPad version of a previously paid for iPhone app for free too!

Unfortunately that doesn't apply to all iPad apps.

iPhone only apps will work on the iPhone and the iPad in x1/x2 magnification.
iPhone/iPad apps will work on the iPhone in its native resolution and the iPad in it's native resolution.
iPad apps will only work on the iPad in it's native resolution.

It's all down to whether the develop of a particular app has released a combined app (in which case if you have it on the iPhone you can download it to your iPad free of charge.

Lots of developers are releasing iPad specific versions of their apps, in which case you'll have to pay for them again even if you already have the iPhone only version.

Loomis

Was wondering that cause I put the IM+ Lite iPhone app onto the iPad and it appeared to be iPad specific but a Twitter app for example didn't. Just paid the 79c for one to see how it looked. Might spend the 3.99 again for the one I prefer.

Messed around with the app store last night a got a couple. Noticed the + icon on apps indicating if they are iPhone and iPad capable.
I actually love Colourful Aquarium. Firstly it's free and looks so cool - able to feed the fish and all.

http://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/colorful-aquarium-for-ipad/id364577117?mt=8

Josey Wales

I'm here in New York at the moment and there is not a single iPad to be found. All the Apple stores are sold out, as are Best Buy. Very frustrating.

Graham

That's a pain, will any of the Apple store let you reserve one out of their next delivery?

Graham

Josey Wales wrote: »

I'm here in New York at the moment and there is not a single iPad to be found. All the Apple stores are sold out, as are Best Buy. Very frustrating.

Apple's stores have begun offering customers the opportunity to be placed on a "Notify Me" waiting list, which will have the store hold an iPad when it arrives for 24 hours. One Apple store representative advises that customers who enlist in the in-store reservation system typically wait 4 to 7 days to receive an iPad.

Loomis

Josey Wales wrote: »

I'm here in New York at the moment and there is not a single iPad to be found. All the Apple stores are sold out, as are Best Buy. Very frustrating.

Graham wrote: »

Apple's stores have begun offering customers the opportunity to be placed on a "Notify Me" waiting list, which will have the store hold an iPad when it arrives for 24 hours. One Apple store representative advises that customers who enlist in the in-store reservation system typically wait 4 to 7 days to receive an iPad.

My parents were the same last week in Orlando. Apple store and several BestBuys all sold out. Reserved one last Wednesday and it was ready for collection Monday just gone.

hshortt

basquille wrote: »

This time next month, I should have an iPad in my cold dead hands!

hmmm... so you are just dying to get it? Presumably once those hands are cold you won't mind me prying it away from you.

Just name the place....

cheers

niiico2

Heya,

I bought an ipad 3G in the us, where I live now. But I regulary spend time in Ireland for business, at lear a couple of weeks per month

Where can I buy a sim card for the iPad? It seams easy to get a standard sim card but I was wandering for the micro sim. Otherwise, do you shops who could turn a regular one into a micro one? I heard you just have to cut in the right place

Thanks

Branoic

The networks will release microsims in Ireland once the ipad officially launches here. As far as I know you don't pay any extra for the sim when you buy the payg tariff.

Josey Wales

Well I didn't find any iPads in New York but I got to Boston today and went to the Apple store straight after checking into the hotel. I finally found an iPad. I was hoping to get the 32GB wifi version but they only had the 64GB version. So that is what I am typing this message on right now.

Surprised at how good the touch typing is.

yawnstretch

Sold out in San Francisco too. Does anyone know if they accept Irish credit cards when you go into the actual apple shop to buy an ipad or would I need a US credit card/ cash?

I would have to pay credit card ATM fees to get the cash so I'd prefer to just buy with my Irish credit card but don't want to be turned away at the last minute at a store if it has some stock but won't take my card and then won't allow cash because they know I'm from outside US?

None of the stores I've been in touch with know when they'll have new stock (

am heading to Oregon tomorrow - hopefully I'll get lucky...

Branoic

The apple stores in the US won't accept cash for iPad sales, credit cards only. Irish credit card should be fine. Read a story about it last week.

cojomo2

Branoic wrote: »

The apple stores in the US won't accept cash for iPad sales, credit cards only. Irish credit card should be fine. Read a story about it last week.

Not anymore, they have changed their policy and will now accept cash for payment.

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/05/19/apple-axes-no-cash-policy-for-ipad-sales/

KeithM89_old

Dad is planning on heading up to Newry to buy one for himself on Friday -will he get one if he didnt pre-order?