iPad 2. What's with all the commotion? It is just a simple refresh, a couple of low res cameras smoothed out edges, and an upgrade in the processor. Is this really enough to cause the lines and delays?
I have been on the sidelines for over a year, contemplating taking the plunge. I read articles and forums and the consensus was mostly underwhelming, so I figured I would have a good chance at getting one faster than it took to buy a Wii when they first arrived. Was I ever wrong. My trip to the local Apple store brought me there about 15 minutes before it 'opened', and the line looked small. Then the classic fool’s mistake I asked the guy who I thought was standing in line if he was at the end, and he chuckled and pointed and said the end was about a thousand people the other direction...
A thousand people, "Balderdash!" He was wrong. It couldn't have been more than 500 people in a line that seemed to snake through the mall… So where did all of the interest come from, and who were all of these people? I just wanted an iPad 2, black, 32GB, Wi-Fi, perhaps with a nice smart cover and that fancy camera adapter kit, is that too much to ask? I discovered it is if you are asking on opening day just a mere 15 minutes prior to open.
It turns out I was wrong, and a victim at the same time. I was wrong to think that there would be little to no interest in a shiny new Apple product. It also looked like I may have been victimized by the Gray Market I found out there were international resellers buying up as many iPads as they could selling them over seas for amazing markups, some as high as $1525 for the top of the line 64GB 3G model. I guess I underestimated the lure of Apple's newest addition to the mobile device line.
So, I did what anyone else would do at the mall… I bought a PS3, and I have to say I am impressed with that purchase, so the trip wasn't a total loss. I also ordered an iPad 2 from Apple's website, and hope to have it in my hands before my trip the last week in April. According to the invoice it should ship on the 11th of April, and should get here in time. Once I have some time to use it, I will write up my thoughts on this device that has garnered more excitement than a truck load of "Tickle Me Elmos" during the Holidays
