What's a realistic number of iPads a store might get (non-pre orders)

[chriskzoo]

I din't pre-order and might still wait a week or two to pick one up, but what seems like a reasonable number of iPads that the average Apple store might get? Do you think we're talking 100, 500, 1000? My local Apple store, at a mall, opens at 9 and the mall opens at 8am for walkers, so probably no real reason to get there much before that if I go.

Do they normally give out tickets to people in line so that people at the end of the line are not waiting and then shut out when they get into the store?

 

[NachoGrande]

I din't pre-order and might still wait a week or two to pick one up, but what seems like a reasonable number of iPads that the average Apple store might get? Do you think we're talking 100, 500, 1000? My local Apple store, at a mall, opens at 9 and the mall opens at 8am for walkers, so probably no real reason to get there much before that if I go.

Do they normally give out tickets to people in line so that people at the end of the line are not waiting and then shut out when they get into the store?

i've been reading ~700 per store, I think that includes reservations. I don't know how true it is, but it looks like a good estimate to me.

As for the tickets, when I waited for my 3g iphone they would not give tickets or even give us an idea if they even had enough for everyone.

 

[darngooddesign]

Apple didn't run out of 3GSes, I doubt they'll run out of iPads.

 

[iBookG4user]

Apple didn't run out of 3GSes, I doubt they'll run out of iPads.

But they also had two revs before that so they had the number of sales for both of those to estimate from. The iPad is brand new and thus they don't have any previous revs to estimate sales. I would estimate that they'll either have too many in each store or be completely sold out.

 

[chriskzoo]

But they also had two revs before that so they had the number of sales for both of those to estimate from. The iPad is brand new and thus they don't have any previous revs to estimate sales. I would estimate that they'll either have too many in each store or be completely sold out.

Yeah, I think it's a totally different animal - it's one thing to get in line for something that's totally new and quite different when what you are selling is very similar to what people already have and don't have a need to jump in line on Day 1 to update it.

I'm not sleeping out, so I think I'll just stroll over and get in line.

 

[BacklitFirefly]

I just talked to someone at the nearest Apple Store (almost two hours away, but...oh well) and he said they wouldn't even know how much open stock their store would receive until the last minute.

 

[darngooddesign]

But they also had two revs before that so they had the number of sales for both of those to estimate from. The iPad is brand new and thus they don't have any previous revs to estimate sales. I would estimate that they'll either have too many in each store or be completely sold out.

Its a big iPod Touch, they have iPhones and iTouches to estimate sales from.

 

[skubish]

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There will be plenty for walkins.

 

[random person]

I spoke to someone at the Boston store (the largest in North America) and he said that there will be two stocks of iPads, one for those who reserved, and one for walk-ins. Walk-ins will be let into the store starting at 10am, whereas reserved folk can start coming in at 9. The reserved stock will be held until 3 and then non-claimed iPads will be put into the walk-in stock.

The moral is that they will definitely have some for walk-ins and they are definitely receiving an allocation to match the ones on reserve.

That said, they won't know how many they are getting until they are allowed to open the pallets!

My guess is that they will sell out by Sunday (and the Boston store is open on Sunday!)