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Apple Retail Stores Run Dry of iPad Wi-Fi + 3G Models
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Tried 6 Apple stores in DC area this Saturday. No 3G iPads at all. 7-10 days waiting list.
Can only get worse as Apple rolls out internationally.
I wonder how much the shortage of iPads are due to folks trying to make a fast buck on eBay - verses those of us that really want to use it?
For me I can't see myself buying two iPad's a day to end up selling them on eBay. Call it Karma, the Golden Rule, or what have you. Know I am missing the boat there - but just not in my soul to do that sort of thing.
Durham (SouthPoint) NC - no ipads in stock at all (wifi nor 3g)
Crabtree Mall, Raleigh NC - no ipads in stock at all (wifi nor 3g)
Friendly Center Greensboro, NC - only 16 and 32 gb wifi in stock, no 3g
I opted for the 32gb wifi. I figured I am home mostly, and if ever I am in a pinch - I have my iphone. after installing everything app and book wise, I still have 24gb left. I do not plan on using it for an ipod. Looks like I made the right choice for me. Now to finish converting the rest of my PDF's to epub and uninstall stanza & Amazon reader. I like ibooks.
After using the ipad for 4 hrs tonight (and still have 76% battery), I could not see getting or using a netbook. I have a strong feeling my lenovo x61T tablet is going to gt very lonely except when I need to use my OneNote, but then again I have Mobilenoter, so the Lenovo wil only be used to sync my onenote and to back it up.
looks like my macbook is now a desktop machine. And with opting for wifi only, I am not tempted to get the data plan on top of the 2 iphone bills.
Can only get worse as Apple rolls out internationally.
I wonder how much the shortage of iPads are due to folks trying to make a fast buck on eBay - verses those of us that really want to use it?
For me I can't see myself buying two iPad's a day to end up selling them on eBay. Call it Karma, the Golden Rule, or what have you. Know I am missing the boat there - but just not in my soul to do that sort of thing.
Fast buck? More like megabucks. I took a look out on ebay. I seen as high as $1500 with keyboard dock. Amazon.com has one person listing one for $4,999
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B003K2TB2I/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Outdoor lighting
The outdoor lighting depicted in that picture is not what I would consider in line with other Apple environmental initiatives. The fixture is designed to shine the light every direction but downwards where you could actually use it. What's the point of shining it straight up into the sky?
The outdoor lighting depicted in that picture is not what I would consider in line with other Apple environmental initiatives. The fixture is designed to shine the light every direction but downwards where you could actually use it. What's the point of shining it straight up into the sky?
First off, it would be nice if you at least used the correct term: Growth.
However, you really need to look at both a dictionary and an economics textbook, because a positive Growth figure means that it sold that percentage MORE than the previous listed time period, whether that means the month before, the quarter before or the year before. When you figure that netbooks year over year growth figures reached as high as 165% last year, that means it sold over 2-1/2 times as many as the previous year--in other words, as many as the previous year, plus that many again, plus 65% more on top of that. The fact that the growth figure is down to a mere 5% means that as many netbooks were sold in April as were sold in April last year, plus 5% more. It's still growth, but it's only barely above the break-even mark over last year's sales.
However, what most people here seem to ignore is that the growth figure has been falling steadily and sharply ever since the hype started about an Apple tablet device. The rumor mill was running rampant in September and October and by November there were supposedly even 'leaked' photos. This could easily have had an effect on the sale of netbooks, even then convincing some buyers to wait and see what Apple would bring out. The fact that the growth went from 2.5x in Sept. to barely topping the break-even point in April tells me that the netbook fad has topped out and is very likely to start dropping this month. You may not like this logic, but the numbers are right there in the chart and the trend seems quite obvious to me.
However, it won't be the iPad alone that kills the netbook. Yes, the iPad is the first of the new form factor devices that's getting the credit, but Microsoft didn't help any by announcing its partnership with HP on a tablet form factor of their own, even if it ended up being cancelled. We also have who knows how many Android-based devices in the works--supposedly. So Apple shouldn't be getting all the credit for killing the netbook. If you ask me, Microsoft may well have made its January announcement solely for the purpose of accelerating an already visible drop in interest in the netbook, and Microsoft is well known for its dislike of the sub-notebook form factor.
No, I expect that when everything stabilizes again, netbooks will fall to less than 5% of PC sales and may even drop off the chart entirely--barely selling enough to even maintain production. But to continue selling supposedly 8 million a month or more? I don't think so. Odd are that the companies that are making the least from them will drop the form factor as too expensive to build for such a tiny profit margin. While they were selling in great numbers, even a $5 profit each over millions of devices was worth it, but when you're only selling hundreds or thousands, you start considering switching production to something that brings in more money.
Maybe Apple won't be selling 8 million iPads per month, but if HTC and other manufacturers market enough similar devices, overall sales could reach that point--for a while. However, I expect that only the best tablets will show any staying power, and Apple won't be one of those to drop out of the race.
Apple has in the past shipped initial orders by air to cover demand.
I'm guessing the package at 3 pounds; so 3000 lb/1000. Further, having seen the package, it looks to be about 2in x 10in x 12in, which would calculate out to about 450 per 4ft palette load, or a couple of palettes on a FedEx Cargo aircraft per thousand (they would use a standard cargo container).
Apple can negotiate good deals, so maybe the shipping is $25.00 per unit (I doubt it is that high), but the value of establishing and maintaining high sales rates at this time dwarfs that cost. $25,000 against $500k to $830K in sales. Cost is reduced as well since Apple does the individual distributions once in the country of sale.
Definitely doable in the short term, even at the cost, and yes, they are shipping by sea as well.
The big problem seems to be building touch screen panels fast enough, and I have read that Apple is placing more orders with more vendors.
Every new sales milestone make it less likely for a competitor to be able to establish a sales beachhead this year, and I would be surprised if Apple doesn't top 10 million sales of the iPad this year.
People absolutely love them, and you can see this at every Best Buy and every Apple store, and I think that the 3G could be outselling the WiFi model; my Apple store had none of the 3G this morning.
I realize that you are trying to maintain your argument, but the true is that many of the same manufacturers of netbooks will likely abandon sales of unprofitable netbooks for iPad competitors so that they can make better margins.
Even if the iPad doesn't directly kill the netbook or reduce sales, the iPad sparked the new tablet paradigm which will surely reduce sales of netbooks.
I bought 2 iPads during at little day trip in Vermont, and brought them back in Canada (we're still in April)... Every time we took one out to use/play with it, the thing gathered crowds...
Now I'm not an economist or math wiz, but based on reactions from up here, people don't *really* care too much about tech specs... ALL they need to know is how much stuff they want to put in it, and *then* price. I am pretty sure that when preorders start here on May 10th, and when ipads are "available" retail, they will run out of them very quickly, especially because Canada has, oh, maybe 10 ish apple stores?
I won't wait in line to buy one, but I'll drive 2 hours to walk in a Best Buy, NOT WAIT, and kindly ask the apple rep for 2 iPads please
BTW, saw Iron Man 2 yesterday, got there 1 hour before, and played Angry Birds HD and surfed while waiting... just being able to pull that off is worth 500$
I'd love a 3G model, but don't want to be raped here up north! (15cents/kilobyte????) I hope that when the legit 3G model come out in Canada (rogers maybe?), apple won't have problems with stocks
Now I'm not an economist or math wiz, but based on reactions from up here, people don't *really* care too much about tech specs... ALL they need to know is how much stuff they want to put in it, and *then* price. I am pretty sure that when preorders start here on May 10th, and when ipads are "available" retail, they will run out of them very quickly, especially because Canada has, oh, maybe 10 ish apple stores?
I won't wait in line to buy one, but I'll drive 2 hours to walk in a Best Buy, NOT WAIT, and kindly ask the apple rep for 2 iPads please
BTW, saw Iron Man 2 yesterday, got there 1 hour before, and played Angry Birds HD and surfed while waiting... just being able to pull that off is worth 500$
I'd love a 3G model, but don't want to be raped here up north! (15cents/kilobyte????) I hope that when the legit 3G model come out in Canada (rogers maybe?), apple won't have problems with stocks
Apple usually runs out of stock right before a new product update.
The NEWER iPad must be coming out soon.
The NEWER iPad must be coming out soon.
Apple usually runs out of stock right before a new product update.
The NEWER iPad must be coming out soon.
You realize this happened with the the iPhone too, right?
Thanks for the reply,
It would be shame, if netbooks would be gone. I really like the idea of almost disposable computer. I would rather take netbook for travel, then my $3,000 MBP. The good thing is, netbooks were introduced by OEM. OEM dudes do not care about 2x profit and they are happy with just a few bucks of profit on the unit. Just like Foxconn is happy making iPhones/iPads for a few dollars (exaggerated).
I would not miss any netbook made by brand name PC makers - they are overpriced and underpowered and pretty much designed to offend "netbook" buyers and everyone else. These should go away, IMO.
The Apple Store Fair Oaks Va had no iPads at all today as of a half hour ago when I got my elusive Camera Connect Kit today....
Picked up my 64gig 3g today at Towson Maryland Apple store. I was on the reserve list for 6 days. It is cool!