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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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103345-ipad_2.jpg


The Wall Street Journal reports on a new note from research firm ThinkEquity claiming that the Apple's manufacturing partners in Taiwan are in fact experiencing delays in ramping up iPad production ahead of the device's launch announced for later this month. According to the report:
Our checks in Taiwan indicate some minor delays on the iPad. The manufacturing of the iPads was supposed to pick up in February, but volumes even in March are still low. Current volumes are much lower than the market expected but most checks are indicating minor delays. The delays do not appear to be a glass or manufacturing process delays.
Barron's is also reporting on the news, citing expected shipments of 200,000-250,000 units for this month before ramping up to 800,000-1,000,000 units per month in the April-May timeframe. Earlier claims had suggested that Apple had been looking at having 1,000,000 units ready for deployment at launch.

A separate analyst report earlier this week had claimed that iPad production delays would create shortages or even delay the launch of the device, although Apple has stood by its "late March" launch date and other suppliers have disputed any delays in production.

MacRumors has heard whispers of a possible Friday, March 26th launch at 6 P.M. local time similar to that used for the original iPhone.

Article Link: More Analyst Claims of iPad Production Delays Surface
 

Ted13

macrumors 6502a
Dec 29, 2003
670
353
NYC
BS from someone caught with an AAPL short position just as the stock rocketed up over the last couple of days.
 

ddubbo

macrumors member
Jan 14, 2007
99
0
BS from someone caught with an AAPL short position just as the stock rocketed up over the last couple of days.
5% for a week, it's not called "rocketed", it "climbed".
Anyway, for a shorts AAPL is a dead horse a long time ago
 

talkingfuture

macrumors 65816
Dec 4, 2008
1,216
0
The back of beyond.
I think sometimes these analysts make statements in the hope there is a delay. If it happens then they look good and get a few more clients. If they are wrong everyone forgets about it anyway.
 

shawk

macrumors newbie
Mar 4, 2010
3
0
Something for Apple stock churning. Investment companies make money by driving a volatile stock like Apple up or down slightly.
 

jpaureli

macrumors newbie
Dec 27, 2006
7
0
Houston
Anyone else think that this is because they are going to be shipping with a camera?

Because the original hardware had space for camera, the SDK has programming for camera.... I wonder if manufacturing delays were because cameras were added to the mix before launch...

I am speculating but I expect a pre launch meeting that announces new MB pro's with i7's and SURPRISE! camera's in the iPADs.
 

miketcool

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2003
925
367
California
Uh oh, shortage in iPads!!!!

Lets stir up some excitement and wild speculation. Play with stock values.

Now there might be enough? Still don't know. Hmmm. Cameras have been added? There was a enough parts?? I'll take 4 please.

This is ridiculous, I hate supply and demand tampering by companies. Not enough Tickle me iPhones? I'll buy my first one for $1,500 just to have it!
 

pvmacguy

macrumors 65816
Sep 2, 2009
1,114
29
Jax
Won't believe anything an analyst says about short supply until it comes from apple themselves.
 

bobsentell

macrumors 6502a
Nov 14, 2008
836
0
Alabama
I wonder if eBay is behind this announcement. Nothing like a perceived shortage of a particular device to drive up auction costs and eBay fees.
 

aaronsullivan

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2003
162
41
Rochester, NY
Oh, I suspect the origin of these "scarcity" stories is Apple itself. Maybe I'm a cynic, but here I am, someone planning on buying an iPad and I can't stop checking email and sites to see if the pre-orders are available yet. It's pathetic. :rolleyes:
 

iAlan

macrumors 65816
Dec 11, 2002
1,142
1
Location: Location:
Totally agree. One more kind of parasites, that do nothing valuable and still contrive to exist are analysts

Agreed. I wish I got a salary for being wrong as often as I am right :p

I work in an industry that turns to the company I work for for insights into the market we are supporting. Sure, we have "our opinion" and it is communicated to clients/media/investors as an opinion. We also have facts, which are at the core of our consulting business, and we charge clients (who keep coming back) for this.

Analysts can have access to good and meaningful information, but not all analysts do. Yet they all stand up with certainty and claim they know everything! If only it were true. And many just mirror what other analysts say!

I can state an opinion and my clients don't look at me any differently, because they know when I am offering an opinion and when I am providing accurate facts. I am not trying to just win their business with a stab in the dark.
 

AgingGeek

macrumors regular
May 21, 2007
104
0
Overheard on the assembly line floor:

"WTF were they thinking when they designed this? You can't get any of the parts to stay in place while you snap the case together! I need like 4 hands! F@(#*&$(@*#$& this, I'm going to work for Toyota!"
 

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,465
20,521
If it does delay then I hope that the 3g and WIFI models are released at the same time. I really need a reason to wait for the 3g. Not being able to buy one seems like the only thing stopping me.

How long, after purchasing a product (like a 32gb iPad WIFI), do I have until I can return it? Does Best Buy have a longer return policy than the Apple Store (which I think is 14 days?) Again, I really don't want to wait until 3g and would rather swap it out. I'm very impatient when it comes to Apple product launches! The six month wait for the iPhone about killed me twice.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,972
1,468
Washington DC
So just what the heck does "our checks" mean?

They always say that. "Our checks in Asia indicate the foam packing peanuts aren't staying in the boxes." Or something like that.

How do they know these things? Are they breaking into the factories at night? Is "our checks" just a plaecholder for "our illegal activities?" Because if that IS what it means I'd actually trust these stories a lot more! Please tell us all about breaking in through the back door at 2 AM and then I will be MUCH more willing to believe you!
 

mac jones

macrumors 68040
Apr 6, 2006
3,257
2
This might be Apple's doing

They do research themselves (obviously) and if their research tells them that the demand is less then their original projections then they will ramp down accordingly.

Any kind of ramp-down might appear like this in the media, as Apple is not going to divulge the research results.

After all, this iPad is controversial in spite of all the hype.

There's no proven market niche for this type of thing except as a reader. Amazon was very conservative with their projections for the Kindle ,which led to huge shortages at launch. Their own in house research must of led them to believe that demand would be such.

we shall see

Anyway, it's a world of spin
 

Glideslope

macrumors G3
Dec 7, 2007
8,319
5,782
The Adirondacks.
Because the original hardware had space for camera, the SDK has programming for camera.... I wonder if manufacturing delays were because cameras were added to the mix before launch...

I am speculating but I expect a pre launch meeting that announces new MB pro's with i7's and SURPRISE! camera's in the iPADs.

I'm with you. I still think there is a link with any "rumored" delays and a shortage of Webcams. I think the iPad will launch with a Webcam. I thought it might be the 3G version first, but Randall's comments the other day suggest to me the Wi-Fi may launch first with a cam. :apple:
 

kernkraft

macrumors 68020
Jun 25, 2009
2,456
1
The 26th will be my birthday (honestly)!

It's a shame that I'm currently in the UK, so by the time we can get our hands on the iPad - or even just to try it in an Apple Store - it will be April!

Meanwhile, I falling in love with the Skiff. It is supposed to come out towards the end of the year. If things go like this, there will be no 2. generation iPads by then... :(
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,972
1,468
Washington DC
Any kind of ramp-down might appear like this in the media, as Apple is not going to divulge the research results.

Right, but they won't divulge the ramp-down either.

That's what I'm asking. How does anyone outside of Apple and their contractors know if production is up or down?

Is it because they know how many RAM chips Apple bought? That'd be useful info for us to have. But no, they just say "our checks."

EDIT: Yes, I notice they wrote "An unspecified production problem" as the reason. I'm just saying, that'd not really a reason to write an article, WSJ. How about you come back with a specified production problem first.
 

writingdevil

macrumors 6502
Feb 11, 2010
254
32
read before you write

Yup - I've just spoken to Apple UK and the iPad has been delayed (in the UK) till late June/July.

unless you're an "analyst" trying to manipulate stock, in which case you wouldn't bother to fact check, check out press releases from Jan 27:

"We now know that Apple will introduce its iPad tablet device in 60 days in the U.S., and 90 days for the 3G versions. We also learned that the international version will be available some time in June, expect to see the iPad hit the UK by the end of that month."
 
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