Is this a typical Apple product launch?

[bjdraw]

I've only been an Apple user for a few years and this time around my order was messed up so my ship date got moved back. So like many others I have no idea when I'll get one and after making a couple of trips to the Apple Store I'm left wondering if this is a Typical Hardware launch for Apple?

Are there usually demo units, but none for sale?
It seems that some are able to buy them even after being told the laptops are not in stock, is it typical for Apple employees to not have a clue?

 

[Tallest Skil]

Iis it typical for Apple employees to not have a clue?

Yes. Regardless of what they say to the contrary, Apple employees get trained on new products the day before they come out, as that's when they get shipped to the stores. Launch wise... I've never really paid attention to release dates and whatnot... Sorry.

 

[instant hit]

little conflicted. iirc, the launch of the ipod touch was ho-hum compared to the launch of the redesigned imac.

makes me wonder if apple are more concerned about pressing its redesigns as opposed to its new products -- save for the iphone.

 

[LizKat]

I did not vote on this poll. I don't know if "typical" and Apple are a good fit.

The launch has hardly begun, I don't know how you could decide much about it. Except that the weather in Southern China is not going to help delivery schedules for awhile, maybe. It's certainly not helping the millions of people who can't get home for Chinese New Year celebrations.

Apple likes to roll out things with surprise. It's fun and leads of course to massive hype and rumor in the final countdowns. The secrecy does make it hard at launch time on the retail store employees and customer service, and to some extent on early adopters, although most of them are a forgiving bunch.

What seems different these days is the post-rollout nastiness you can run into in tech blog comments and Apple-centric discussion sites. I suppose as Apple's market share grows, that will continue to grow too. It's disappointing to me because I am (probably like many other tech shoppers) very excited about a new Apple product and want to read of purchasers' experiences -- positive and negative-- but don't really want to have to slog through product-bashing posts and grudge-holder's posts and the toasty offerings of those who just like to flame and be flamed while waiting to develop the cardiovascular problems of a couch potato.

 

[clayj]

Is it typical for Apple employees to not have a clue?

Absolutely. When I was at my local Apple Store last night, I knew more about the MBA than anyone else in the store, including the Geniuses. I was even answering some customer questions when the Apple Store folks did not know the answers.

It's important to remember that just because they work there, it does not follow that they are bigger geeks than some of us are. While they're in there answering the same basic questions over and over again, a lot of us out here are poring over every little detail we can find.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

is it typical for Apple employees to not have a clue?

It's not that they don't have a clue, it's that their manager (and sometimes Apple) isn't cluing them in. The floor walkers will only parrot what Apple/their manager gives them to say, lest they end up in the unemployment line.

 

[bjdraw]

What I mean, is that some of the employees don't know if it's in stock, others lie to you instead of telling you, "sorry we don't know when we'll get them."

Personally I learned a very valuable lesson, don't change your order or you'll risk a delay.

 

[elmo151]

It's a well planned launch:
announce
build enthusiasm
advertise
get reviews
get people like this forum's users fussing over every detail
blast them out(beginning in the next few weeks.)

the objective is to wet the buying publics appetite and then ship

 

[sys0p]

The launch is a joke - 5th Avenue flag ship store - 20+ Units for display and none for sale ? Did this ever happen before ? WTF are the units on display for ? What a waste ...

 

[wordmunger]

This is totally typical. Very often a product is announced at MWSF and then takes a while to be shipped. Would you prefer that a few hundred lucky souls have MBAs at home and no one gets to see them in the stores? Have a little patience. They'll be shipping soon enough.

 

[camarobh]

Lighten up....

The launch is a joke - 5th Avenue flag ship store - 20+ Units for display and none for sale ? Did this ever happen before ? WTF are the units on display for ? What a waste ...

I want one, too, and would have bought it yesterday if one of the local Apple Stores had any in stock. It's certainly frustrating, but they'll be here soon enough.

 

[MacinDoc]

The launch is a joke - 5th Avenue flag ship store - 20+ Units for display and none for sale ? Did this ever happen before ? WTF are the units on display for ? What a waste ...

I wonder if Apple is trying to allow those who pre-ordered at the on-line store to get theirs first. There have been a lot of complaints in the past when products were available in stores before early adopters got theirs shipped.

And yes, having lots of them in the stores on display helps to build the hype, because the specs alone won't do it for most buyers, but the looks and feel first-hand might.

 

[Zwhaler]

Yes, it is. I preordered an iPod Touch and it came to stores half a month before my preorder was to ship luckily, I was able to cancel my order and pick one up in stores as soon as I could