Hasta La Gadget!

Much like the company did when it suddenly dropped the price of its original iPhone, Apple is giving $100 back to those who purchased an iPad up to a fortnight before the March 2nd unveiling of the iPad 2. If our math is correct, that makes February 16th the cutoff date, and it’s being reported that those in the US will see $100 placed back on their credit card, while those overseas will get £100 / €100 back in their pocket. If you’ve suddenly found yourself in this pool, you’ll need to head back to a brick-and-mortar location with your receipt to get the refund processed, or if you ordered online, you’ll need to call Apple’s 1-800 number and use your smoothest late-night voice when asking nicely for your Benjamin back. Godspeed.

Apple confirms $100 refund for those who recently purchased an original iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Conan O’Brien produces a more honest iPad 2 promotional video

Conan O’Brien produces a more honest iPad 2 promotional video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Wednesday, Apple introduced the world to the iPad 2. A beautiful device, to be sure. Feature packed? You bet. Soon to be selling like hotcakes? Absolutely. But the introduction of an iteration on an already existing product wasn’t the most notable piece of the event, nor was the surprise appearance of Steve Jobs. No, Wednesday’s event was significant because it introduced the world to Apple’s real vision for the foreseeable future, a theme the company has hinted at but never fully expressed. This week, Apple showed everyone where it was headed, challenged competitors on that direction, and made it clear that the company not only has staked a claim in that space, but is defining it.

This week, Apple stepped into the “post-PC” era of computing — and there’s no looking back, at least not for the folks in Cupertino.

By joining the company’s ongoing vision of a “different” kind of computing with a soundbite friendly piece of marketing-speak, Apple has changed the rules of the game, and made the competition’s efforts not just an uphill battle, but — at least in the eyes of Steve Jobs and co. — essentially moot. But what exactly is the “post-PC” world? And why is it significant? Let me explain.

Continue reading Editorial: It’s Apple’s ‘post-PC’ world — we’re all just living in it

Editorial: It’s Apple’s ‘post-PC’ world — we’re all just living in it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Smart Cover, Apple's protective case for the iPad 2, can be bent to cover the front or the back of an iPad 2. Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Apple’s new Smart Cover for the iPad 2 is one of the most interesting protective cases yet, not because of the clever magnet design, but rather the aggressive business strategy behind it.

The iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner than the original iPad; a significant design difference. That means first-generation iPad cases won’t fit on the new iPad. And when the iPad 2 ships March 11, Apple, the only company that’s had direct access to the iPad 2, will be the only vendor selling a case made to fit the product just right.

That gives Apple a few weeks to rake in juicy profits with the $40-$70 Smart Cover before third-party case manufacturers whip up other variations of protective accessories for the iPad 2. Keep in mind the most sales for a product typically come on launch day, plus Apple retail stores carefully select which third-party cases they display on shelves. With the Smart Cover, Apple can potentially create a temporary pseudo-monopoly on protective cases for the iPad 2, bringing in millions of dollars in profits to pad hardware sales.

This isn’t the first time Apple has enjoyed a head start on accessories. Apple shipped its own “Bumper” cases for the iPhone 4 (which probably didn’t work out so well because of Antennagate and the free case program), and Apple also sold cases for the original iPad when it launched.

Still, the Smart Cover is Apple’s hardest push in the accessories game yet. The marketing behind it is intense. Apple devoted an entire webpage and video just for the Smart Cover, embellished with some truly over-the-top ad copy: “A magnetic attraction.” “An on-again, off-again relationship.” “A cover that’s smart. And bright.” “That’s not just smart. It’s genius.”

To be fair, it’s a well-designed cover, and the ability to prop up the iPad at an angle makes it easier to type on a touchscreen. But it’s a plastic cover with a magnet on it, people.

Steve Jobs even noted that the case is made of polyurethane, “which is used to make spacesuits.” Polyurethane is also used to make some condoms, baby toys, carpet underlayment and mattress filling, facts which Jobs neglected to mention.

The Smart Cover comes in leather, too, and surprisingly Jobs didn’t note that leather is the same material used to make Phillip Lim motorcycle jackets or Olivia Harris purses.

Jokes aside, Apple’s accessory strategy might point to a change in its hardware evolution.

In the past, Apple only gave major makeovers to Macintosh computers every three or four years; the smaller upgrades in between would be incremental improvements in chip speeds and other small features. The iPhone also didn’t get a hardware revamp until the iPhone 4.

So it’s peculiar that the iPad 2’s design is so different, just one year after the first iPad. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal claims the iPhone 5 will have a “different form factor” than the iPhone 4. Maybe we’ll see more rapid hardware design changes occurring in Apple’s mobile products, partly motivated by Apple’s desire to compete in the accessories game.

That’s wishful thinking, as it would make each Apple announcement a bit more exciting, so long as you’re not an avid upgrader who always buys a case.

Unlike the first iPad, the iPad 2 will be available from more than just Apple retail stores and Apple Web site on lunch day. On March 11th, you will also be able to get your new, thinner, faster iPad 2 at Best Buy.

Since there isn’t a pre-order option for the iPad 2, it’s safe to say that there will be quite a frenzy on March 11, as people fight in the lines outside Apple Stores across the country. So, the fact that Best Buy will also be offering the iPad 2 is most likely welcomed news, because it will help reduce the madness on launch day by supplying more locations to buy the iPad 2.

So if you already know that you absolutely MUST have that iPad 2 in your hands on March 11th, you better start working on your location strategy. Will choose Best Buy or the Apple Store? It’s up to you, but at least you have a choice.

Note: Rumor has it that Walmart and Sam’s Club will also have the iPad 2 on lunch day. As of now, Walmart’s site has the iPad 2 listed merely as “coming soon.” But who knows.