Apple iPad survey: "It'll be crap at first"
The UK release of the Apple iPad coming up fast, we asked our readers what they think of the new tablet and Apple in general
With the UK launch of the iPad imminent, we asked our readers what they made of Apple's latest hoopla generator, whether they were going to buy it and what they thought of JobsCo in general. As always, your responses were illuminating.
Some 255 readers answered the survey, with 53 per cent saying they would definitely not buy an iPad. Only 12 per cent of the self-selecting sample said they would.
This was despite a high number of Apple fans -- 63 per cent said they liked or loved the brand, with only 27 per cent not keen or actively hating the boys and girls from Cupertino. Thirty-six per cent owned an iPhone; only 21 per cent owned no Apple products at all -- so at least 6 per cent don't like them but buy them anyway.
Apple seems to have got the pricing just about right, however, with 38 per cent saying they'd be prepared to pay between £300 and £399 for an iPad. Forty per cent said it should be less than £300, whereas only 7 per cent would pay over £500 for one. UK prices haven't been announced, but US iPads will range from $499 (£327) to $829 (£542) depending on spec.
When asked how they felt about Apple, our readers were typically verbose. "Apple users seem to be caught in an electronic Stockholm Syndrome where
if you criticise any part of the Apple product they own then they go
rabidly after you," said one. "I like their attention to detail. Unlike Microsoft, Apple have quality
control very high on their agenda," said another. If we knew who these people were, we could put them in a cage and let them fight to the death.
On the iPad itself, one reader liked the company but nevertheless thought the product isn't quite ready. "I think it will be like the iPhone, crap at first, but after some time and evolution, and feedback, it will get far better." A non-Jobsian was slightly more blunt: "Why on Earth anyone would want to buy an iPad is beyond me... It's a mediocre device that is old hat."
Let us know your opinions on the iPad in the comments below. We've got another survey for you too -- tell us what you think about Twitter and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher. It won't take more than a few minutes, promise. Just click here.