iPad marketing vs. WePad marketing

Apple's iPod lacks a lot of things that are considered standard with other laptops, such as USB ports, connections for screens, multitasking ability or support to Flash. However, the German WePad comes up with all this and even more. Should Apple start to get worried?

The WePad GmbH, who markets the WePad, is a joint project of the Neofonie GmbH and the 4tiitoo AG. The sale of the WePad is supposed to start this summer - much cheaper than the iPad: 570 € for the WePad 3G 32GB, wheras the iPad 3G 32 GB will cost around € 730. Even though the WePad's battery life of six hours is less than the iPad's with 10 hours, the display of the WePad is bigger than that of the Apple iPad, the WePad has a faster processor, more RAM and even a webcam that the iPad completely lacks.

All this sounds as the WePad could outdo the iPad easily. When the WePad was presented to the public for the first time everybody thought it was a joke, as there was only a video presentation running on the device. The rush to the first presentation was enormous - the frustration and confusion before and after as well. The press event was poorly prepared and the device was only delivered a few minutes before the press conference.

Or was the disaster at the presentation just a publicity stunt of the company WePad GmbH? No, certainly not, as a video of the strange WePad performance in Berlin shows - including an error message at 1:31. This PR disaster the anticipation has to WePad but very troubled.

WePad's CEO so far mostly invested in social marketing. On Facebook all the news of the company are posted and the website www.wepad.mobi also tries to draw more attention to social networks. Thus, Facebook already registered over 19,800 people who like the WePad. Fans of a device that nobody had ever held in his or her hands. What are you reminded of when you hear that? Maybe a tiny bit of the marketing strategies of Apple?

But what will happen with the fans if the company goes on like this with their public relations work? At the end, once enthustiastic fans will turn to the brand - before the WePad reaches the market.

The two managing directors of WePad GmbH presented their device to bloggers and the press again - this time it worked!

So there is still hope that the middle-class company with the WePad will still land the absolute hit and lever out Apple's iPad. With the Open Office suite installed, it is definitely an alterantive to the iPad that only runs on Apple software.

Some people seem to think life is all about the I, and the Me, Me, Me We beg to differ. To us, the power of many beats the power of one.

Read more: http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/will-apple-hunt-down-german-wepad-tablet-over-the-pad-trademark-20100415/ # ixzz0mEy3x3XJ

Apple's Marketing - is the iPad really that great?

Apple's iPad is not the first tablet PC. It doesn't do anything that other devices wouldn't do - and other devices generally even do it better: The iPad does not have a USB connection, nor does it have a keyboard or a mouse. The iPad doesn't do multiple things at the same time. However, you can hold it with one hand, put it on your lap or pass it to someone else. Typing on the device feels as if you were typing with frozen fingers, it doesn't even have a camera, but it has a nice design. The only browser that the iPad has is Safari and it doesn't have a system for storing data. However, it has one of the world's best multitouch technology displays. The iPad doesn't have a lot of features (not even Flash!), but it has great batteries that will allow you to surf the Internet for 10 hours with charging them once.

Apple's products are simple. The iPod wasn't the first MP3 player, but it makes it easy to listen to music. With the iMac it became simple to use the Internet. With the iPhone it became easy to carry the Internet, phone, films, and music with you. The products speak to the masses rather than thechies. This can be seen in the fact that Apple is more concerened with TV commercials than social media marketing, which would tent to attract techies.

Apple does not organize focus groups, it doesn't ask what consumers want. Instead, Apple dictates what customers want.

Apple creates new niches and dominates them from the start. Whereas rival Microsoft penetrates and takes over established markets in a brutal way. Apple's products consist of a mixture of different niche products. Also the iPad is a little bit of everything: some MP3 player, some netbook, a little bit of tablet PC and a some e-book reader. In fact, the iPad can't be compared to anything, because there is nothing comparable.

And anyone who ever bought an Apple product will have a hard time to escape from the brand. After all, those who switch to another will lose everything previously purchased or will have to pay a lot of money.

But which organization is actually able to get customers to stand in a line for a product that they have never before held in their hands, nor seen or used?!

The iPad is not a revolution - bbut certainly different than a regular laptop. It is well suited to consume content, but not for creating content. Apple shifts the focus from content creation to pure absorption of content and thus transforms users to pure consumers.