• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Millennials say they’ll refuse to care for aging boomer parents—but they’ll be forced to as their inheritance shrinks to 40 cents on the dollar

2

The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line

3

Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers

1

Millennials say they’ll refuse to care for aging boomer parents—but they’ll be forced to as their inheritance shrinks to 40 cents on the dollar

2

The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line

3

Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers

The great iPad death watch, Part 2

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2010, 7:53 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Even as people were queuing up to buy the device, critics were dancing on its grave



AAPLinvestors‘ Terry Gregory, a longtime Apple (AAPL) stockholder, likes to collect what he believes to be misguided quotes about the company’s products.

His site hosts a fascinating list of early Macintosh reviews and what may be the definitive collection of dumb iPhone quotes.

In that spirit, he started a “death watch” collection for the iPad in January, after Steve Jobs unveiled his latest creation. We published a sample in March, before the April 3 launch.

But the fun hasn’t stopped. On the suggestion of reader FalKirk, here are some of the things the critics have been saying since then:

Alex Cook, Frontier Outlook, 3 April 2010:

“I don’t get it. It costs $500 for the basic model, when you could get a laptop with a lot more functionality for about the same price… I don’t buy the iPad hype. Analyst expectations for iPad revenue are way overblown. If I turn out to be wrong, I’ll gladly eat my words, but I’m pretty sure that I’m not wrong. ”

Paul Thurrott, Paul Thurrott’s Supersite for Windows, 5 April 2010:

“Anyone who believes this thing is a game changer is a tool.”

Reggie Fils-Aime, President, Nintendo of America, 7 April 2010:

“If our games represent a range between snacks of entertainment and full meals depending on the type of game, [Apple’s] aren’t even a mouthful.”

Rob Pegoraro, Washington Post, 9 April 2010:

“In short, I don’t get the ‘magical and revolutionary’ vibe that Apple chief executive Steve Jobs touted at the iPad’s January unveiling.”

Josh Belzman, MSNBC.com, 20 May 2010:

“The iPad is useless. Beautiful, but useless.”

See AAPLinvestor’s full list here.

See also:

  • 2 million iPads in 59 days
  • The great iPhone death watch
  • Jan. 1984: How critics reviewed the Mac

[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]

About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in

Elon Musk’s fortune slumps to pre-SpaceX IPO levels after rout
Big TechWealth
Elon Musk’s fortune slumps to pre-SpaceX IPO levels after rout
By Tom Maloney and BloombergAugust 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Exxon, Chevron warn fuel prices to endure as war knocks refining
Energyfuel
Exxon, Chevron warn fuel prices to endure as war knocks refining
By Kevin Crowley and BloombergAugust 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Bessent joins Japan to help reverse months of yen losses
EconomyCurrency
Bessent joins Japan to help reverse months of yen losses
By Shintaro Inkyo, Masahiro Hidaka and BloombergAugust 1, 2026
3 hours ago
A dead SpaceX rocket that’s been adrift for over a year is about to slam into the moon, carving out a new crater with the equivalent of 3 tons of TNT
Innovationspace
A dead SpaceX rocket that’s been adrift for over a year is about to slam into the moon, carving out a new crater with the equivalent of 3 tons of TNT
By Marcia Dunn and The Associated PressAugust 1, 2026
4 hours ago
After Trump threatens more strikes on Iran, Kuwait and Hormuz shipping face new attacks, while Israel hits Gaza despite Hamas pledge to disarm
PoliticsIran
After Trump threatens more strikes on Iran, Kuwait and Hormuz shipping face new attacks, while Israel hits Gaza despite Hamas pledge to disarm
By Samy Magdy, Aamer Madhani and The Associated PressAugust 1, 2026
4 hours ago
A loneliness epidemic is creating a new type of third space: the one built around curiosity
SuccessSocial Media
A loneliness epidemic is creating a new type of third space: the one built around curiosity
By Tatiana SatauaAugust 1, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Millennials say they’ll refuse to care for aging boomer parents—but they’ll be forced to as their inheritance shrinks to 40 cents on the dollar
Personal Finance
Millennials say they’ll refuse to care for aging boomer parents—but they’ll be forced to as their inheritance shrinks to 40 cents on the dollar
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 31, 2026
1 day ago
The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line
Retail
The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 31, 2026
1 day ago
Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers
Success
Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers
By Preston ForeAugust 1, 2026
5 hours ago
'Retiring backwards': How cold economic reality forced Gen X into something like the reverse of baby boomers' golden years
Success
'Retiring backwards': How cold economic reality forced Gen X into something like the reverse of baby boomers' golden years
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 31, 2026
1 day ago
Jensen Huang says this is the greatest time in history to start a business—and his advice is to stop overthinking it: 'How hard can it be?’
Success
Jensen Huang says this is the greatest time in history to start a business—and his advice is to stop overthinking it: 'How hard can it be?’
By Preston ForeJuly 31, 2026
1 day ago
Tim Cook signed off on his final Apple earnings call with a warning about a ‘100-year flood’ in memory chip pricing
Big Tech
Tim Cook signed off on his final Apple earnings call with a warning about a ‘100-year flood’ in memory chip pricing
By Alexei OreskovicJuly 30, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.