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Guess what, product shortages are a pretty desirable thing. Tons of companies fabricate fake sellouts to make their product seem hot (Apple surely has done it on occasion). First of all, they have no inventory, and can sell as quick as they can produce them. Second, it drives demand higher. Hence the high resale prices for new Apple product launches.

If demand exceeds supply because they simply suck at manufacturing, that's a different thing. But when Apple is able to manufacture millions on day one for a brand new product with a new manufacturing process, that hardly signals incompetence in their supply chain.

Your logic fails in almost every regard. You think someone will just give up immediately because they couldn't walk into a store the first time and buy one. If its a kid, it will just make him want one even more. If its an adult, most adults have patience and will simply wait. I highly doubt a person who is lusting for an iPad, will immediately give up and just say "eh let's get a kindle instead." The public has already become accustomed to Apple products being hot items that sell out quick. This happens every year, which is why you will see lines on launch day. You're acting like the public will be completely oblivious and expect stores to be packed with them.

Apple makes money selling tablets, not by pretending like they're there's too much demand for them. Apple does not make money by pandering to resellers due to low stock.

Every tablet that Apple cannot get into a consumer's hands at the moment they want it is an opportunity for that customer to be persuaded to buy something else. Not everyone is an Apple loyalist like many on this forum(including myself).

And I think that parent's would give up and get another tablet. The word iPad is synonymous with tablet to many people, and if a genuine iPad is sold out everywhere they look, if the parent wants a gift under the tree they're forced to buy an "iPad" made by another manufacturer.
 
Well it is 7 est and I could still get one if I wanted....i'm sure they will be easily available in store on the 2nd. I definitely need to see it in person
 
I got order confirmation at 316AM eastern time.

When I had it in the cart (I have my credit card on file on apple store app webpage already). When I had it in the cart at 315AM, it said 11/2.

Transaction literally took 45 seconds from the time I loaded the app. When checked out, it said 2 week delay.

I heard the pre orders actually opened 2 minutes before 3AM? So if pre orders opened at 258AM eastern time and I ordered at 316AM. That makes me 18 minutes?

So I missed the cut off by 1 minute?

That sucks. I ended up ordering the black and the white 16GB wifi. Guess will return one of them.
 
Going to check them out in store before buying. :) But I will probably get one for manga reading. The full sized iPad is so heavy in comparison. Definitely expecting the 5th generation to give the full sized iPad at least a 20% reduction in weight.
 
Truly remarkable. Apple once again destroys the competition with jaw-dropping pre-orders. Absolutely astonishing Apple sold out in less than an hour for a product the fandroids said was average and ridiculously overpriced. :D :D :D :D
 
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Apple is like the Rolls Royce in computing, a status symbol to some, of course they'll always sell out now.

I pre-ordered a White 16GB mini in Aus 7 minutes after they opened. Was still plenty of white stock up until about 3 hours in, now only 32's and 64's left. I'm keeping my Thurs Generation iPad with Retina anyway, it's got cellular and therein covers most of my needs. The mini is more of an experiment for work and potential applications over regular sized iPads in different environments.
 
It is clear that Apple have released a much smaller number of whites than blacks due to the fiasco with people saying the white iPhone 5 was better finished than the black which would make white more popular. So expect to see more whites fed into the system over the launch period.
 
I got order confirmation at 316AM eastern time.

When I had it in the cart (I have my credit card on file on apple store app webpage already). When I had it in the cart at 315AM, it said 11/2.

Transaction literally took 45 seconds from the time I loaded the app. When checked out, it said 2 week delay.

I heard the pre orders actually opened 2 minutes before 3AM? So if pre orders opened at 258AM eastern time and I ordered at 316AM. That makes me 18 minutes?

So I missed the cut off by 1 minute?

That sucks. I ended up ordering the black and the white 16GB wifi. Guess will return one of them.

I would expect a two week delay if I were you, but not be surprised if it came on the 2nd. A few people who were right on the cutoff time for the iphone 5 ended up making the initial shipment.
 
I hope this is not where we are going - counting an USB3 port an innovation in late 2012.

Function is not innovation.

The screen are greats, but seriously adding USB3.0 to the mini is not innovation? Fusion is not an Apple innovation. It's rebranded hybrid drive. The only thing fancy is the hedious logo they are using.

I pointed out that some of them were functions, but whatever. Like I said: Apple introduced innovation, just not the things you were hoping for. Tell me what you would have liked to see in the new devices.
Is it NFC that so many people keep mentioning? That too is a function (and not an innovation) and one that is used almost nowhere on the planet as yet.

So many keep asking about innovation, but they have no clue what they would like to see.
 
In The Netherlands from the launch delivery was already 2 weeks

Ofcourse is also a way to launch the iPad mini in so many countries at the same time. 2 minutes after the online Apple Store in The Netherlands became online all iPad mini's were already on 2 week delivery! This sucks!
 
The possibility also exists that no more whites will release into the system in a hurry as people have simply jumped on the whites stock due to the problems the black iPhone5 experienced. Apple won't care either way production goes up, costs down, they make money and shares go up.
 
This is what Apple is thinking: We didn't even have to price it at lower than $300 for it to sell out in 17 minutes. We win!

Your right .... They do win!

Also, they can't price the iPad mini under $300 because the iPod Touch is overpriced at $299. :D
 
What happened to "this is too expensive, buying a Nexus 7 instead" :rolleyes:

You don't know what the initial inventory was. If you think they made the same number as the iPhone 5's initial inventory, you're delusional. Plus it's being launch in many more countries.

Anyways, I never thought this wouldn't sell. They're actually going to sell a billion of these things.
 
Wow - I'm a bit surprised. I do like the black model better but I can see people opting for the white over the black due to the iPhone 5 scuff issue.

For me, I do like the black better so that's the one I ordered :D
 
I pointed out that some of them were functions, but whatever. Like I said: Apple introduced innovation, just not the things you were hoping for. Tell me what you would have liked to see in the new devices.
Is it NFC that so many people keep mentioning? That too is a function (and not an innovation) and one that is used almost nowhere on the planet as yet.

So many keep asking about innovation, but they have no clue what they would like to see.

I'm curious. What exactly is innovative about the iPad mini? Again, just curious.
 
Truly remarkable. Apple once again destroys the competition with jaw-dropping pre-orders. Absolutely astonishing Apple sold out in less than an hour for a product the fandroids said was average and ridiculously overpriced. :D :D :D :D

This can be interpreted in two ways!
 
I'm not surprised. Slickdeals pointed out that you can use shopdiscover for 5% cashback from apple store, if your signed up you get an additional 5% cashback through the monthly promotion and they had a 2% cashback for this friday as well for a total of 12% cashback on your Discover card. It was confirmed as well that it does stack together.

note - now the discover says not avaible for the iPad mini or the iPad with Retina display. You can still get 7% Cash back at the very least.
 
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The iPad 2 screen still looks good to me from a distance. I can only tell it's "inferior" because I'm spoiled with retina. I think 1024x768 will look decent enough on this screen. Retina will look even better next year...or in 6 months...heh
The iPad2 screen looks awful. It looked awful even before "retina" existed. The mini will look better since it's the same resolution in a smaller size (higher ppi), but just how much better remains to be seen. The guy is totally right to take pause.
 
I ordered one for my wife...she likes the small size (be nice) because she can put in her purse and take it with her more easily. On the shared ATT data plan for our iPhones, she now has tethering included, so she can use the iPad mini just about anywhere. No retina? For her, it's fine. If she doesn't like it, we can return it, but I think she will like it.

Overpriced? Depends. Certainly, Apple products are pricier, but I do think you get what you pay for...some of the other tablets mentioned feel rather flimsy to me. I don't mind spending more if it's reliable and enjoyable. To each, his own...
 
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