Global launch of Apple iPad delayed till May, what's new?
(Credit: Apple)
The title says it all. Due to unexpectedly high demand in the US, the Cupertino company's slate tablet will not be available to the international market till late May. Since its launch, reports have underscored the Apple slate as bypassing most analysts' expectations, selling 300,000 units just on the first day of sale and half a million in the first week.
But is it an indication of a successful product? Maybe not.
According to ZDNet's Andrew Nusca, the device was not sold out in US stores, nor was the iPad as commonly seen on the streets as the Amazon Kindle. Still, this means Asian consumers will have to hold onto their wallets for another month at least.
Can't wait? Then be prepared to be fleeced by the multitude of eBay sellers and parallel importers out there already charging a premium for the iPad. Now, with announcements that its global rollout has been delayed, the elusive slate will even higher markups in other parts of the world.
According to reports, one large 24-hour megamall in Singapore is retailing the entry-level US$499 iPad for a whopping S$1,299 (US$1,043.71), which represents a tidy profit. Over in Hong Kong, our blogger Victor Cheung found iPads selling at twice the list price in computer malls and telecom retail outlets.
For the rest of us plebs, we'll just hang onto our wallets and wait like everyone else.
About the author
Tracking laptop and PC trends since 2005, Darius Chang may have been knee deep in bits and bytes but is certainly not a binary person. Under that big and soft exterior holds a marshmallow core which dotes on his god-daughters and nephew. Suspected of ADD, his interests span disparate fields such as sustainability studies, diving, sports, politics, etc. A true jack of all trades, but master of one (maybe two).
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