Have people already lost interest in the iPad?

This isn`t the least bit surprising.

Face it, the debut of the iPad was watched by millions and within those millions, plenty of people groaned when Steve Jobs unveiled a device that appeared like nothing more than a big iPhone.  That was just the beginning of people`s apparent decline in love for the iPad.

The evidence shouldn`t be startling considering recent innovations with handset hardware and software, the emergence of a zillion e-readers and the popularity of netbooks. So, it`s going to be tough, even for Apple, to convince people that they want to spend upwards of $500 on a device like the iPad. And thus far, it appears people aren`t going to bite.

In a study conducted by the online marketplace Retrevo, the company randomly selected 1,000 customers to take a survey. The results were pretty telling.

52 percent of the people taking the survey had heard of Apple`s new device and weren`t planning on getting one while another 18 percent claimed they hadn`t heard of the device and still weren`t going to get one.  61% said they did not need an iPad.

Here`s what Retrevo said via Apple Insider:

“It`s the apps that sell smartphones like the iPhone and it could very well be those same apps that motivate buyers to run down to the Apple Store and get in line to buy a shiny new iPad,” the company said. “Whether this device becomes a big hit is anyone`s guess but based on this study it sure looks doubtful.”

So, according to Retrevo, the iPad`s success is doubtful. Obviously that is just a fraction, a tiny sliver of Apple`s potential customers so jumping to these sorts of conclusions is a little silly. We`re also still a month away from absolute pandemonium at San Francisco`s Apple stores and if Apple`s success rate lately is any indication, the iPad should be fine.

However.

Retrevo`s survey adds up with the opinions I have been receiving about the iPad. Even here, in the Apple capital of San Francisco, I haven`t met anyone that has flat out said they are going to be buying one. Maybe I hang out with the wrong people or maybe they represent a trend. We`ll see come March, won`t we?

So I`m curious about what the rest of San Francisco thinks?

Yay or nay on the iPad?

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