So far we know that the only place to get an iPad on launch day is at the Apple Store, or if you pre-ordered one it will come to the house for delivery. Not even Amazon will have the iPad available on launch day. As a matter of fact Amazon had the iPad searchable on their site for a brief moment, but now it is no longer searchable, unless you marked it as “Notify Me When Available, when it was searchable. So, who would have guessed that Best Buy will have the iPads available on launch day. If I were you I wouldn’t get too excited about that.
Robin Wauters of Tech Crunch is reporting that Best Buy will have the iPads available on launch day. However, here’s the kicker, only Best Buy’s that have Apple Stations with an Apple Solution Consultant will be receiving the iPads. Plus Best Buy is only going to receive fifteen iPads per store. Amongst the fifteen iPads, they are evenly distributed between the three storage capacities. What does this mean for the eager iPad customer, it means that there will only be five iPads per storage capacity. So, Best Buy will only have five 16GB, five 32GB, and five 64GB iPads to sell to you. This is only for the initial release.
Tech Crunch goes on to site a TUAW report on how many Best Buy stores will be selling the iPad:
“…only Best Buy stores with badged Apple Solutions Consultants (ASC) and “Apple Shops” will be carrying the iPad devices, which equates to roughly 675 stores total.”
There’s no word if Best Buy is going to have people lining up days before the iPad goes on sale. However, you will probably see people that missed the pre-order window in line at Best Buy vying for one of five different capacity iPads.
One note I’d like to bring up about purchasing any Apple product including the iPad at Best Buy, do not purchase their store warranty. It is not an AppleCare warranty. They will say that they will work on it, or send it out if they can’t fix it. To be honest I would only want an Apple Genius working on my iPad, and not a member of the Geek Squad. If you purchase the iPad from an Apple Solutions Consultant, they will more than likely suggest that you purchase the AppleCare warranty. Where you will get hit up with someone asking you if you want to purchase Best Buy’s warranty is at checkout. With that said, the decision is up to you. I have personally never been dissatisfied with an AppleCare’s warranty.
Another thing about getting an iPad on launch day, the Apple Stores will be selling iPads that were reserved but not picked up. Reservations will be held from 9:00am to 3:00pm. After that it’s first come, first serve. So, if someone did not pick up their reserved iPad you’ll be in luck.
Whether you decide to fight the crowds at Best Buy for the only fifteen iPads they have, or you decide to try your luck at an Apple Store after 3:00pm. Keep in mind that Apple will be selling more iPads as they become available. Have you pre-ordered, or reserved your iPad at an Apple Store? Or, are you going to try and get one at Best Buy?. I’d like to know how you’ll be getting your shinny new iPad. Leave a comment in the comments section below, and let us know where you’re getting your iPad at.
Photo Credit: best-buy-logo
Article via Tech Crunch & TUAW
