Trademe, Murdoch, blender guy go wild for iPad

Apple’s iPad has sent the planet into an unprecedented gadget frenzy.

HP, which has promised its own touchscreen tablet, sometime soon, and Nokia (later this year) can only look on in wonder (and probably still will after they launch; only Apple seems to fully understand it’s all about the content - specifically, spoon-feeding it via iTunes and, now, iBookstore, and winning the hearts and minds of developers and publishers; Nokia is getting better, in fits and starts, with Ovi. Also, HP and Nokia lack a black turtle-necked messianic leader with a recent near-death experience and lair for drama).

No New Zealand launch date has been set for the wi-fi or 3G cellular versions of the iPad, or iBookstore. One insider has said August, with constrained supply.

No matter.

Generating publicity Apple couldn’t buy, at least four iPads turned up on TradeMe nevertheless (and remember, there’s no iBookstore here in the foreseeable future to download content).

Want the 32GB wi-fi model? (from $US599 State-side, or about $NZ800). You’ll have to bid somewhere north of $1680. (See Apple's full US pricing and specs here).

One clown is also offering myipad.co.nz and related web addresses at a buy now price of $4999 (for which one fool has bid $999. Expect local buyers to head to Apple.co.nz, as for any Apple product, and to iTunes for content).

Entrepreneur Lance Wiggs, who happened to be in the US for the launch, bought six iPads - one for himself, five for friends and collegues including Rod Drury.

On his return, Mr Wiggs was interviewed by Radio New Zealand.

But of course.

US publications were awash in (mostly positive) iPad reviews.

More than 3 million have also viewed the above YouTube clip, to see whether the tablet can be blended (it can! Is there nothing this magic device can’t do!).

And over at the Australian, owner Rupert Murdoch offered his own assessment.

The News Corp boss is quoted as saying the iPad, and similar devices, could save the newspaper industry.

Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal has been one of the first onto the iPad bandwagon, with a $US17.99/month iPad edition (vs $US14.99 for its Amazon Kindle edition and around $US8 a month for its website).

And certainly, if you’re website is free, or you’re having problems gaining traction with a paid website, any new format is a potential advantage. People are just more psychologically attuned to paying for content on a mobile device.