How Apple sold 3 million iPads in 80 days
I have a hard time believing in the stereotypical fan boy. How many tech geeks purchase a product only because of the brand? My guess is very few. When a self-proclaimed Android smartphone fanboy purchases the latest HTC Incredible it is because he/she believe that it is the best possible phone for him/her.
The reasoning is simple to follow. If you already own an HTC smartphone, purchasing the latest one is probably a good investment (if you consider purchasing shiny gadgets an investment). You know that all your current apps will keep working. You know that all your Google services will continue working. You know about all of the design flaws and you have learned to live with them.
Switching brands is a leap of faith for consumers. This is why Apple spends so much explaining how to make the move from PC to a Mac and reassuring consumers that everything they do today can be done on a Mac. Apple knows that even if people don’t like their PC, they would rather stick with something they know than taking the leap of faith.
Apple has spent the last ten years building trust with consumers. When Steve Jobs launched the iPhone and called it revolutionary, he was right. When Apple presented the new unibody Macbook Pro:s and called them the most beatuiful laptops ever, he was arguably correct. Just bring a Macbook Pro to someone who has never seen a Mac before and see their reaction. And not only that, they have a track record of adding features and fixing bugs in both iOS and OS X several times a year.
When Steve Jobs goes on stage and says that the iPad is the best way to access the internet consumers believed him.
If Dell, HP or Asus came on stage and said that they had built the best tablet computer, which scenario would you think is most likely?
a) They release the tablet, continuously support it for several years with free software updates
..or ..
b) They release the tablet, forget about it and six months later release a completely new tablet
How many other consumer electronics companies do you know that has the same level of trust as Apple?