Isn't Tim cook supposed to be a logistical genius?.

[dckcentaur]

A few things to think about .
- A lot more people are preordering they don't want to wait on line for hours on end to get the phone when they can have it shipped to there home or office.
- They can only preamble so many iPhones before launch as iOS 6 was still in beta and was not ready along with manufacturing limits.
- The iPhone is sold in more country's then in past.
- The need to limit preorders to so many for they need to distribute to the apple retail stores and retail partners.
- The most important thing to remember is that shipping partners can only deliver so many on launch day. Think about let's say 5 million iPhones are preordered and want delivery on the same day.

If you look at past launches like iPad 3 preorders ran out pretty fast and shipping slipped but stores didn't have as long lines as the past and many had barley a line at all. The stores all had plenty of stock for the weekend and apple sold a record number of iPads .


Just something's to think about

 

[richpuer]

A few things to think about .
- A lot more people are preordering they don't want to wait on line for hours on end to get the phone when they can have it shipped to there home or office.
- They can only preamble so many iPhones before launch as iOS 6 was still in beta and was not ready along with manufacturing limits.
- The iPhone is sold in more country's then in past.
- The need to limit preorders to so many for they need to distribute to the apple retail stores and retail partners.
- The most important thing to remember is that shipping partners can only deliver so many on launch day. Think about let's say 5 million iPhones are preordered and want delivery on the same day.

If you look at past launches like iPad 3 preorders ran out pretty fast and shipping slipped but stores didn't have as long lines as the past and many had barley a line at all. The stores all had plenty of stock for the weekend and apple sold a record number of iPads .


Just something's to think about

I pre ordered iPad 3 about 8 hrs after midnight on the pre order day. Got the iPad the following week on time. Found out I needed more memory and strolled on into an apple store the same day I got it and exchanged it. There were like 10 people in line and they had plenty stock.

I hope launch day is the Same for this

 

[CrAkD]

I snoozed.

Hit the snooze button like 3 times around 12:10am and gave up and passed out

lol your in the pacific time zone and you couldn't wake up? I stayed up till like 330am to order mine......Like the first guy said you snooze you lose!

 

[xAnthony]

I so enjoy the amazing amount of maturity in your post, and because I refuse to stoop to your level I will stay on point with the facts at hand instead of resorting to personal attacks upon someone I don't know.

1. You claim they can not limit the supply on pre-orders. So then explain to me, why all the Apple, ATT, VZ and sprint stores will have stock come launch day. How is that possible? Right now Shipping estimates are floating between 1-3 weeks pending model and vendor. If they have not limited pre-orders in any way shape or form, then that means all phones built and ready to sell for the next week at minimum are spoken for by a pre-order, which if true would mean come launch day no phones will be available for purchase at any store. Maybe your right..... though in less than a week we will know for sure.. and I'm betting your wrong.

2. Sales Numbers are Public, actually not necessarily. Yes Apple is publicly traded and files a 10-K as required by the SEC but please provide evidence as to where it requires them to disclose the number of units sold? I can't find it, yes it does require them to disclose their consolidated financial data and from that intelligent people can probably figure out a lot even how many units sold. However I'm not convinced that based on the data required you could actually delineate pre-orders from launch day. However as I'm sure the numbers will be good Apple will freely disclose the numbers in the best light possible. Which may never actually separate out pre-ordres from launch day sales... If I recall correctly last year the only firm number apple released was "launch weekend" which was pre-orders thru sunday. So your right that they can not fake the numbers but they certainly CAN and WILL disclose them in methods that it is to their advantage.

3. Your right physical stores have a limit of how many phones they can sell, however you seem to also forget that its not just Apple stores selling them as all phones sold at VZ, ATT, and Sprint also count towards their numbers...

Finally, my ENTIRE point was regardless of what anyone thinks, each vendor (Apple, VZ, ATT, & Sprint) HAD to set a limit on the number of phones they would guarantee launch day delivery for, because with out that limit they would not be able to guarantee that their stores had stock for launch day. At no point did I agree with the posters who said they are limiting stock to increase hype, I said it was POSSIBLE as it is and unless your prepared to post your Apple Corporate badge as proof you are in the know then you do not know ether.

In the future, I would suggest you learn to open your mind, consider others ideas and opinions then learn to respect them as that. We are all here because of a mutual enjoyment of apple products, not to belittle people and attack them personally.

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People probably saw the shipping estimate jump up and decided they would rather try to get one on launch day at one of the stores, and some folks probably decided they didn't mind waiting as they might not have time or ability to go stand in line all day launch day.

When I said Apple would never intentionally limit supply, I meant if they had 5 million units ready for launch, they would only try and sell 2.5 million units to create a stronger demand. Of course they have to limit the supply for pre-orders because they do need devices available when you're going to an Apple store, or another retail store... But by no means are they intentionally keeping devices in a secret storage somewhere. Which is what certain people in this thread think they are doing. If you just think Apple is limiting supply for pre-orders... You are indeed correct. It would not make sense for Apple to secretly limit supply to build up hype (or a higher demand)... If information like that became public, Apple would never be able to recover from that. It just doesn't make sense. As a business you want to make as much money as possible, and making the phone near impossible to get (considering it already is... Every new batch sells out in hours) will just limit the amount of money they can make.

Anyone with a computer could figure out a companies sales... It's not very difficult. And to break down the financial data is even easier. Maybe I'm biased because I deal with financial data everyday, but I consider it fairly easy to do.

Perhaps I misread your original post, I apologize.

 

[indianboynyc]

apple has one thing that a lot of companies dont have which is brand loyalty. usually when prices are cheapier, consumers buy more but look at apple. supply and demand for them stays the same no matter of the product. i think of it this way, why release say 100,000 iphones when you can release 30,000 and have 70,000 phones "backordered" and know how to fix the glitches that go wrong on the first batch sent out. also with waiting it draws people next time to place pre-orders as early as possible.

apple can email people that there is a month wait and guess what, those people will wait a month.


apple does what they do best and thats not give into demand hence why they have such high brand loyalty ANDDD this is why they are successful at what they do. no matter how much you complain about waiting 2-3-4+ weeks for an iphone, you are going to wait for it, **** no other phone ever has lines days before they open for a phone. only time there are ever lines outside a store other then for an iphone release is for blackfriday.


at the end of the day its simple... apple is smart and great at what they do and no matter what we say, they will continue to do what they do and be dominant at what they are doing

 

[richpuer]

lol your in the pacific time zone and you couldn't wake up? I stayed up till like 330am to order mine......Like the first guy said you snooze you lose!

I work NY banker hours, so im up at like 4 am...go to bed at like 9-10

 

[CyBeRino]

When sales exceed the forecast by 2x, and your forecast was 2x prior release sales already, you can expect shortages.

Not even Apple can forecast these things - as good as they are. Who would really think the one analyst who predicted 10M unit sales the first week would be right.

They have to be conservative in their estimates of sales. Being exactly right is best of course, but overestimate and you have a whole lot of inventory you have to store (which costs money) for an unknown amount of time, and if you overestimate really badly you may never sell part of it at all. Underestimate and people have to wait a little longer to get your product.

In general, the latter option is better for business.

 

[Purant]

interesting you'd choose an empty one. guess they need you to keep em in business.

You didn't mention anything about the quality of both hypothetical restaurants, so I assumed they have similar food quality, environment and service... So why would I go to one where I have to wait to get a table?