Microsoft Offering $200 For "Gently Used" iPads
The drawback is that this credit can only be used in Microsoft stores.
Can you smell it? That's the scent of new Windows-based tablets in the air, and Microsoft is preparing consumers for the big wave of gadgets getting ready to flood retail isles this October with a new promotion aimed specifically at iPad owners. Sorry Googlers, you're not included.
According to Microsoft, Apple loyalists can trade in their "gently used" iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad 4 and get a minimum of $200 on a gift card to the Microsoft store. This promotion began on September 5 and ends on October 27, days after new Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 tablets are set to North America. There may even be an updated Surface and Surface Pro on standby.
The drawback is that the credit can't be used online, so customers will need to hunt down an actual Microsoft store. "Offer only valid for the exchange of listed iPad products, no exceptions," reads the fine print. "To be eligible for trade-in, device should include power cord, if available, and device cannot be password protected. Microsoft Store gift-card value will be equal to trade-in value, and is subject to Microsoft’s discretion and manager approval."
Naturally Microsoft suggests purchasing a Surface RT or Surface Pro tablet with your new found wealth. However the credit is good for any product sold within Microsoft's brick-and-mortar stores. Don't know where there's one located near you? Head here and Microsoft will point the way once you enter a zip code. If that doesn't work, find a location by state instead. For some, it may cost $200 in gas just to find the nearest store, so the promotion is useless.
TUAW points out that Apple customers should be a little insulted, as the lowest qualifying tablet on Microsoft list, the iPad 2 with 16 GB of storage, can bring in better prices on eBay even in a "decent" used condition. Trade-in prices aren't determined until the device is brought into the store and evaluated by a Microsoft employee, the company indicates.
Earlier this summer, Microsoft launched a back-to-school anti-iPad ad campaign while Best Buy offered its own $200 iPad trade-in promotion. Microsoft just recently ran a series of ads comparing the capabilities between Windows 8 tablets and the iPad, indicating that the iPad's price tag is a bit over-inflated for what it can (or cannot) do. The company has also been pushing the platform's business readiness as well, addressing the enterprise sector.

let's see, what can I spend $200 or so of microsoft credit for? Surface RT? no thanks, Surface pro and it's 2hr battery life? nope. Failbox one? nah. xbox 360? already own one (actually, 2nd one. thanks Microsoft for the red ring of death on my first one...) Halo games? over milked...
The list goes on...
microsoft is just copying apple and google and they have a public perception problem. microsoft needs to go back to the drawing board and *innovate*.
/end fanboy
thanks---
MS (again, the largest software company on planet EARTH) should wonder why most PC users buy digital media like (music and video) from iTune (Apple, a HARDWARE company) and (games) on Steam (Valve, a game developer). Both services are available on PC in 2003. What kind of digital distribution did MS provide around 2003?
If MS have a brain, they should offer $200 to anyone has a DEAD ipad/andriod tablet. So it can made them easier to switch.
Also who would want window store credit anyway. 90% of the paid apps on the windows store, have free alternatives on iOS and android.
Windows rt is useless
and the ones that run the desktop version of windows are overpriced (cost more than laptops, while having crappy screens and no expandability).
They are also ruining any value of the OS. eg nagware to get you to pay $10 a month to use microsoft office (home version). They are trying to sell overpriced tablets, then implement overpriced macro transactions for continued normal use of the tablet, and they wonder why the the surface RT is such a failure and the surface pro is still not doing too well.
Offering a similar trade ins of Surface items for iDevices would probably be a good idea Simply put, they are a superior device for some peoples' needs, and it would be ideal if those people ended up with them.
Also, your advice is... Problematic. Simply put, if you want word, excel, and powerpoint editing utility and multitasking actually matters to you, the Surface is generally a far superior device to any Android or iOS device. That's a good number of people. And the App store... I know for a fact most people are operating on almost year old information - it's a *lot* more complete than it was than when I first tried Windows 8.
In all honesty, have you tried a Surface recently? I doubt it, based on what you're saying.
Example: Will you switch to an iMac if Apple give you $200 to trade-in your Desktop PC (which you already bought many software like Office, Photoshop, games... for it).