Already Waiting In Line For That iPad? You Might Want To Hold Off For A While…

Thinking of buying an iPad? Getting a little obsessed with it, maybe? Counting down the days until it goes on sale? You’re not alone, and I won’t pretend I don’t share some of your enthusiasm. But there may be a compelling reason to wait a little while before you buy one. The Marketbeat blog at WSJ.com reported today that Apple will stay “nimble” on iPad pricing and apparently doesn’t feel locked in to the numbers they revealed the other week. The report comes from Credit Suisse analyst Bill Shope, recounting some things Apple execs said in meetings with the financial services group. The $499 to $829 price spread may actually go down if demand for the iPad doesn’t meet expectations. Perhaps Apple is a bit worried since, according to Marketbeat, shares are down 5.5% since the iPad’s launch. This may be bad news for Apple fanboys but good news for consumers. $499 is a pretty aggressive price, but if the higher capacity versions came down closer to that, it could tempt more of those people who know about the iPad but just aren’t interested in it. Of course, this is all academic to those of you out there who never buy first generation devices anyway. Being an early adopter may seem cool, but all too often we play the role of beta tasters and shell out large sums for the privilege of doing so. Let’s hope that’s not the case this time.