Report: Initial iPad demand greater than iPhone's

It's hard to forget the near mania that preceded the iPhone's US launch. New Yorkers began lining up to buy one four days in advance. David Pogue wrote a song about it. Things got out of hand. Now, according to RBC Capital Markets' Mike Abramsky, iPad demand is even higher.

RBC recently conducted a survey of 3,200 people and found that 13% are likely to buy the US$499 iPad. Initial interest in the iPhone was at 9% prior to launch in 2007. Perceived value for the cost is probably the deciding factor. Remember, the original iPhone was also $499. The iPad has obvious differences like size, resolution, a huge existing library of 3rd party apps and 16GB of memory (the $499 iPhone had only 4GB of storage). The iPad is also contract-free, something the iPhone can't (officially) do in the US.

What's most interesting is the number of people who said that the iPad is affecting other purchasing decisions. A full 25 percent of respondents said that they are delaying other Apple purchases as a result. Nine percent have put off buying a MacBook, and 10 percent have put off an iPhone. On a personal note, my parents just put off buying a MacBook until they get some hands-on time with an iPad at their local Apple Store.

iPad pre-orders could begin as early as this week, but Apple doesn't release those numbers. However, this report and the fact that some Norweigan retailers had to halt pre-orders because of the overwhelming demand bodes well for initial iPad sales.