iPad 2

The iPad 2 was launched today, and my company hired five temp staff to queue for the iPad 2. Each person could only get two iPads, and we were paying them $8 per hour. 

Upon hearing that, a colleague was visibly outraged and unhappy, thinking that the company is wasting money to hire people just to queue for the iPads. 

However, is it really a waste of money? 

The temp staff are getting paid $50 to get two iPads. Effectively, each iPad 2 costs just $25 more. 

I ordered my iPad 2 online this morning, and to my disgust, it will only be delivered on 18th May. I would be very willing to fork out $25 more - no, even $50 more - to get my iPad 2 now. 

This colleague thinks that the company need not spend this amount of money, and it is all right to wait till around 18th May to get it. But $25 more to get it three weeks earlier - is it really a waste of money? Within these three weeks, our company can start using it to start IT development, for presentations, and to send the message out to clients and partners that we are embracing the adoption of mobile devices. The iPad 2 will make a maximum impression these three weeks while it is still in short supply (the iPad 2 is already out of stock at the iStudio near my office). 

So is $25 really a lot more?