Any news on availability?

I know everyone probably has more important things on their minds lately, but still ... :)

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by mavis on March 29, 2011 at 6:53pm

No one has heard anything at all?

Permalink Reply by ketahi on March 30, 2011 at 12:30am

Rumor and speculation- Instead of iPhone 5 being released in June/July, Japan will get the iPad2 instead. iPhone 5 coming in September.

Or, how about this...

Apple won't release the iPad2 in Japan until a consortium of ad agencies agree that enough time has passed to not feel guilty about using personal money for something so indulgent.

Also, Apple will not release the iPad2 until Fukushima Daiichi is resolved, and also for as long as there are rolling power blackouts. It would appear to be somewhat irresponsible and insensitive.

To tell the truth, I'd feel pretty guilty about buying an iPad2 now. As it is, I can't pass a donation box in a shop or restaurant without putting in some spare yen.

And to be a little more truthful, I think that is why this board has puttered to near no activity since the quake. Speaking personally, for as long as there are blackouts and grim news from Fukushima, it is very difficult for me to be distracted by shiny baubles designed in California, even though I really want to be.

Permalink Reply by TokyoRob on March 30, 2011 at 9:51am

If they are waiting for Fukushima Daiichi to be resolved before releasing the ipad/iphone here we may well have to get the ipad 3 and the iphone 6

That place will be a festering sore for more than a few months .. Tepco management should be taken out and shot ( I'm not talking about the people on the ground who are risking their lifes to save us) anyone is seen the president of Tepco since the problem ?

Donated some money to the Japanese Red Cross myself and will be donated some more then I get paid again

Mind you I won't be buying another ipad/iphone unless I can get it on another carrier

I will be supporting the Japanese by working and trying to keep everything normal not running like a little chicken or Flygin as they are now called

Permalink Reply by mavis on March 30, 2011 at 8:56pm

Exactly. If they are waiting for the situation to be resolved and everything to get 'back to normal' in Japan, they're going to be waiting for a very long time. And blackouts will likely continue through the summer - does that mean Japan gets treated like a third-world country by Apple until the fall? Or will they hold off on releasing any products here until Fukushima settles down (which will likely take months, as well) ... ?

As for donating money, what my family has given is really irrelevant to this discussion. This is meant to be a discussion about when we can buy the iPad 2 in Japan, not about how much money we've donated to relief efforts.

Permalink Reply by TokyoRob on March 31, 2011 at 9:36am

Unlikely I'm going to buying a iPad 2 anyways if I had the need too I could easily ask one of my friends in the US or UK (uhg 20pct Vat) but I feel no urgent rush to go and buy one as I'm still using my old ipad

But if the 3G versions are linked to softbank I'm not going to get one .when . I bought my old 3G iPad and the first thing I did was to throw the SB MicroSim that I had to get with it

One of friends who is a iPad/Phone Dev just got one this week and he seems impressed with the speed increase.

Although it was looking at the DoCoMo L-06C but the last thing I need now is another contract

As for the Donating thing I was speaking Ketahi so it wasn't targeted at you

Permalink Reply by ketahi on March 31, 2011 at 12:55pm

My company is in a quandary about this. We need to purchase about 20 iPads with 3G, and were holding off until the iPad2 came out.

That was until the earthquake happened.

Now, if the iPad2 doesn't come out in at most a couple of months, we will have to dump our entire tech budget into buying old spec iPads. All this wouldn't be a problem if Softbank just sold mini-sims, but since they don't, were 'forced' into getting iPads.

Permalink Reply by TokyoRob on March 31, 2011 at 1:13pm

Docomo are selling Micro-sim plans from the 1st April

http://www.nttdocomo.com/pr/2011/001514.html

Its worth looking into

Permalink Reply by ketahi on April 3, 2011 at 1:07pm

That is a good tip- It is worth watching this carefully once more specifics come out.

We might be forced down that road if we don't see new product in a month or two.

Permalink Reply by mavis on April 15, 2011 at 10:15pm

Almost a month late now, and still not a ****ing PEEP from Apple. Other companies seem to releasing products despite the earthquake and tsunami - I wonder what Apple's problem is? Personally, I think they're using the disaster as an excuse to not spread supply too thin for the other markets. But that's just my opinion ...

Permalink Reply by ketahi on April 16, 2011 at 10:48am

Agreed. Hell- if Tokyo Disneyland is open and people are happily blowing 30,000 yen romping around with Mickey Mouse, I think Japan is mentally prepared for the iPad.