New Retina iPad Mini In-Store Availability Tracker Gaining Attention

[MacRumors]

Another unofficial web tracker for checking the availability of Retina iPad mini models at Apple's U.S. retail locations has surfaced, providing help to those attempting to purchase the supply-constrained device. Obscurely hosted on marine life conservation website Seaturtle.org, the website offers a grid view of inventory checks of each Retina iPad Mini model for every Apple Retail Store in the United States, displaying a green, red, or white box for availability, unavailability, or non-checked information, respectively.

For model/location combinations that have not recently been checked, users are able to click on the cell content to update the data and check nearby stores. Users can also register for email notifications when specific models become available for pickup at their local stores. Apple launched its Personal Pickup option for the Retina iPad mini earlier this week, with stores seeing quick sellouts of many models. Walk-in sales of the device will apparently not be offered until supplies improve.

Last week, Apple shut down tracking website Apple-Tracker.com, which was dedicated to monitoring in-store pickup availability of iPhone 5s and iPad Air models, citing a terms of use violation, and a similar fate will likely befall this new tracker as it continues to gain attention.

Article Link: New Retina iPad Mini In-Store Availability Tracker Gaining Attention

 

[echo44]

I think these apps are a good idea if they help match people with product

 

[vmachiel]

So... don't give it attention?

 

[unplugme71]

This will be shut down now..

 

[bugout]

nice job macrumors..sheesh..

 

[siurpeeman]

damn. no 32gb t-mobile space grays anywhere. i do see a 64gb relatively near me, but that's a lot more storage than i need.

 

[Bare]

ROFL See if you can shut down Seaturtle.org, Apple!

...

They probably can, so I guess that sucks for Seaturtle.org.

 

[BornAgainMac]

That is a odd place to host that. What is next, healthcare.gov?

 

[Sean7512]

I actually wrote my own Groovy script that I have running locally every 20 minutes that will give me the printout of the local stores of only the models I am interested in.

It is nice to be a developer...

 

[roland.g]

They didn't find a way to filter by state or store or have the header roll with you, so there is almost no way down down the chart to know which variant you are looking at.

 

[kwiky]

I actually wrote my own Groovy script that I have running locally every 20 minutes that will give me the printout of the local stores of only the models I am interested in.

It is nice to be a developer...

Hey everyone! Look how important this guy is.

 

[ctdonath]

Scraping Apple stores might not go over well & get shut down, but how about non-Apple stores? Some of us have Target $200 trade-in credits burning holes in our pockets...

 

[ArchAndroid]

A site which empowers the people allowing them to make a more well-informed decision on where to go knowing what is available? A site which informs potential customers of their choices of iPad and saves them from futilely travelling from store to store in search of products which are no longer there? A site which treats users as human instead of cattle?

Apple won't like that.

 

[Locoboof]

I actually wrote my own Groovy script that I have running locally every 20 minutes that will give me the printout of the local stores of only the models I am interested in.

It is nice to be a developer...

Anyway you could make one for me?
And have it run every 5 minutes? Lol

 

[x13gamer]

That's great but....

I live in a place where I am over 2.5 Hours from an apple store, but have access to Best Buy, AT&T stores, Target, Walmart, Staples, Office Max, Meijer and can not find any AT&T iPad mini or 5th Gen in stock to save my life. How about a tool for that?

 

[garya73]

I actually wrote my own Groovy script that I have running locally every 20 minutes that will give me the printout of the local stores of only the models I am interested in.

It is nice to be a developer...

People still print things out? How 00's.

 

[WaxedJacket]

That's more red than I expected

 

[garya73]

I live in a place where I am over 2.5 Hours from an apple store, but have access to Best Buy, AT&T stores, Target, Walmart, Staples, Office Max, Meijer and can not find any AT&T iPad mini or 5th Gen in stock to save my life. How about a tool for that?

You can check availability at Best Buy via their website - it will look at the three closest locations. You have to do it by device configuration, though. Unfortunately, it is only working for rMini wi-fi models at this point, cellular ones say "coming soon." Air cellulars also mostly say "coming soon."

I guess you'll just have to do it the old fashioned way and call the stores. Maybe BB could hold one for you? I don't know.

 

[osx11]

Thanks MacRumors!

The site will be shut down by tomorrow.

 

[applesith]

That is a odd place to host that. What is next, healthcare.gov?

Then no one would be able to access it!

 

[cal6n]

Nice to see someone helping the scalpers to organise their operations more efficiently...

 

[bbeagle]

A site which empowers the people allowing them to make a more well-informed decision on where to go knowing what is available? A site which informs potential customers of their choices of iPad and saves them from futilely travelling from store to store in search of products which are no longer there? A site which treats users as human instead of cattle?

Apple won't like that.

Wow. What a way to spin this. You should be hired by Fox News immediately!

 

[nStyle]

Not sure which system is inaccurate, Apple's or theirs. Says no Gray available on their's and Apple says that is is available. I do know from experience that Apple's system is slow to update but maybe theirs is too.

 

[AppleMactablet]

Scraping Apple stores might not go over well & get shut down, but how about non-Apple stores? Some of us have Target $200 trade-in credits burning holes in our pockets...

Seroiusly, really getting tired of calling my local Targets everyday to find out their if they got the Mini Retina in

 

[avanpelt]

If Apple actually made their site present information at a glance instead of requiring so many clicks to get information (color, Wi-Fi/Cellular, carrier, capacity, store name), sites like this wouldn't need to exist.

If I'm on the fence about color, capacity, or Wi-Fi vs. Cellular and want to buy an iPad from an Apple Store today, I have to click dozens of times to find out which stores have which capacity, color, and Wi-Fi/cellular models I'm considering.