Apple is moving quickly to broaden its distribution channel for its hot-selling iPad, inking a deal to make the tablet computer available at Target stores starting October 3. The retailer announced Friday that it plans to carry all six versions of the iPad starting with the 16GB Wi-Fi model priced at $499.99, as well as […]
Apple is moving quickly to broaden its distribution channel for its hot-selling iPad, inking a deal to make the tablet computer available at Target stores starting October 3. The retailer announced Friday that it plans to carry all six versions of the iPad starting with the 16GB Wi-Fi model priced at $499.99, as well as the 32GB, 64GB Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi+3G models.
A company spokesperson told InternetNews.com that all 1,743 Target locations across the U.S. are expected to carry the iPad in the store’s electronics department. Bargain hunters might be motivated to wait a few more weeks to mid-October when Target plans to offer shoppers who use a Target credit card a 5 percent discount on all their purchases.
The news comes at a time when a number of computer makers are planning to release new tablets. Meanwhile, the iPad appears to be gaining enterprise adoption even quicker than the company’s iPhone. In the case of the iPhone, adoption was driven largely by employee and executive demand, citing a preference for Apple’s sleek touchscreen smartphone over entrenched devices like RIM’s BlackBerry.
“Every CIO I meet is carrying an iPad these days,” David Girouard, president of Google’s Enterprise division, said earlier this year, calling the iPad “the ultimate statement of the consumerization of IT to date.”
Analyst Jack Gold notes that it’s hardly a new trend. “It started with employees bringing the first PCs into the office to get work done more efficiently. People forget the first BlackBerrys were purchased by individuals and eventually IT came around supported them,” Gold, principal analyst with J. Gold Associates, told InternetNews.com.
Gold said Apple’s Target deal is a smart move. “It’s all about distribution. Not everyone goes to an Apple Store or buys off the Web,” he said. The iPad is also already available at Best Buy.
Competitors include Dell’s new Android-based Streak tablet and HP, which has announced plans to offer two models, a tablet based on Palm’s webOS for consumers and another model for enterprise users based on Windows 7. Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) also plans to release its Cius tablet early next year designed for enterprise collaboration.
Gold said the expanded distribution to Target stores will mean more people will be exposed to what they can and can’t do with a tablet device.
“That’s going to lead to more pressure on IT shops to support the iPad or other tablets. It’s already happening,” he said.
David Needle is the West Coast bureau chief at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Driving Greater Equality
FEATURE | By James Maguire,
December 16, 2020
AI vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
December 11, 2020
Huawei’s AI Update: Things Are Moving Faster Than We Think
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
December 04, 2020
Keeping Machine Learning Algorithms Honest in the ‘Ethics-First’ Era
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
November 18, 2020
Key Trends in Chatbots and RPA
FEATURE | By Guest Author,
November 10, 2020
FEATURE | By Samuel Greengard,
November 05, 2020
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
November 02, 2020
How Intel’s Work With Autonomous Cars Could Redefine General Purpose AI
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
October 29, 2020
Dell Technologies World: Weaving Together Human And Machine Interaction For AI And Robotics
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
October 23, 2020
The Super Moderator, or How IBM Project Debater Could Save Social Media
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
October 16, 2020
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
October 07, 2020
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
October 05, 2020
CIOs Discuss the Promise of AI and Data Science
FEATURE | By Guest Author,
September 25, 2020
Microsoft Is Building An AI Product That Could Predict The Future
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
September 25, 2020
Top 10 Machine Learning Companies 2021
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
September 22, 2020
NVIDIA and ARM: Massively Changing The AI Landscape
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
September 18, 2020
Continuous Intelligence: Expert Discussion [Video and Podcast]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By James Maguire,
September 14, 2020
Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Ethics [Video]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By James Maguire,
September 13, 2020
IBM Watson At The US Open: Showcasing The Power Of A Mature Enterprise-Class AI
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
September 11, 2020
Artificial Intelligence: Perception vs. Reality
FEATURE | By James Maguire,
September 09, 2020
David Needle is a veteran technology reporter based in Silicon Valley. He covers mobile, big data, customer experience, and social media, among other topics. He was formerly news editor at Infoworld, editor of Computer Currents and TabTimes, and West Coast bureau chief for both InformationWeek and Internet.com.
Datamation is the leading industry resource for B2B data professionals and technology buyers. Datamation's focus is on providing insight into the latest trends and innovation in AI, data security, big data, and more, along with in-depth product recommendations and comparisons. More than 1.7M users gain insight and guidance from Datamation every year.
Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved
Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.
