Even experienced tech analysts can be wrong, especially if they may have been caught up in some of the recent iPad pre-release hype. Hey, we’re not saying we weren’t excited for the iPad too, just that our predictions may have not been quite so optimistic. What am I talking about? Read on.
Before launch, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster first predicted Apple would sell between 200K and 300K iPads on its first day. But later, after doing some more research and perhaps feeling a bit more optimistic, he bumped up those first day sales estimate to between 600K and 700K. That’s a lot of iPads.
Well, it didn’t do quite that good but still, you can’t argue the thing is a success right out of the gate. Yesterday, Apple announced that “over 300,000” iPads sold on the first day, which confirmed Munster’s original estimate. Should have stuck to that one I guess. Apple also announced software sales related to the iPad launch, which were 1 million apps in the iTunes App Store and 250,000 e-books in the iBookstore.
“It feels great to have the iPad launched into the world — it’s going to be a game changer,” Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO said in a statement to the media. “iPad users, on average, downloaded more than three apps and close to one book within hours of unpacking their new iPad.”
Yes Steve, people seem to like the iPad. No surprise there.
