Apple’s iPad was released into the American market on Saturday, a little more than two months after its late-January debut, and the UofA Bookstore expects big sales for the device.
The iPad, the larger counterpart of the iPod Touch and iPhone, comes with applications for personal photos, videos, notes, calendars, contacts and e-mail hosting. It also comes with widgets for Safari, iTunes, Maps, Spotlight and other programs.
According to Daniel McConnell, a senior information technology support analyst for the bookstore, demo models and bursar’s accounts make the iPad especially accessible for students.
“”People can come in, they can touch it, feel it, pick it up and see what the big hype is about,”” McConnell said.
Also, for this week only, bursar’s accounts will be reopened for students who buy iPads.
“”If students have bought an Apple computer in the past, they have until this Sunday, even if there is no (available) stock. If they put in an order this week when it does come in, they can use their bursar’s account,”” he said.
Through the UofA Bookstore, 15 iPads have already been shipped and sold with more shipments coming in daily.
“”The response we have gotten has been really positive,”” McConnell said. “”We’ve had a huge response.””
Some students aren’t as excited about the arrival of the latest wave of Apple technology.
“”The iPad’s are stupid. I’m not getting one yet,”” said Joshua Lee, a pre-engineering and German studies freshman.
The owner of an iPhone and MacBookPro, Lee cites the lack of basic technologies as his reason to wait it out. This model is not 3G compatible, though a 3G version will ship in late April.
“”I never buy first-generation Apple products anyway,”” Lee said. “”So, I’ll probably wait it out and see.””
Despite some negative reaction, the UA is offering the iPad in limited quantities.
Around Tucson, the new iPad seems to be selling quickly as well.
The Tucson Apple Store in the Foothills on Skyline Drive was the first to sell the device, moving nearly 500 units within four days of its official release, according to management.
The Best Buy on 575 E. Wetmore Road, one of four in the area to sell the device, has also seen very high sales.
“”We are selling huge,”” said the store’s manager. He joked that, around the store, they have noted the iPad is like “”moving from a wallet to a suitcase””, and that “”every store in town who generated the iPad for the weekend sold them out.””
Prices are similar in stores around Tucson, but even higher on popular sites such as Craigslist, where 64GB versions of the device were being hocked for as much as $850.
There’s a high demand for the latest technology — The New York Times even reported that it will begin publishing daily articles on the iPad. It seems that McConnell’s view of the technology is a widespread one.
“”It’s a really cool piece of technology that is going to pick up really well,”” he said. “”Just imagine carrying that to class with you instead of a 5- to 10-pound laptop.””
