One Week After iPad 2 Launch: Long Lines Still Abound

[jonnysods]

How has Apple made it into such a frenzy that a consumer would do this?

Do other companies experience this?

I love my iPad, but I don't think I could give up a week just to get the next gen a few weeks early.

Only in North America eh?

 

[Popeye206]

Apple could of waited for supplies to build up before releasing the ipad2 but they love the attention they're getting with the long lines. Apple is the biggest attention whore in the world. Normaly this wouldn't be a big deal but with the events in Japan it just makes them look bad.

LOL! What the heck does the disaster in Japan have to do with Apple and selling iPad 2's????

As much as it's a tragedy, the world does go on. What would you like them to do? Shut down operations until things are better in Japan? I guess McDonalds, Ford, Sony everyone should shut down huh?

For goodness sakes. Comments like this are getting so silly.

 

[Popeye206]

How has Apple made it into such a frenzy that a consumer would do this?

Do other companies experience this?

I love my iPad, but I don't think I could give up a week just to get the next gen a few weeks early.

Only in North America eh?

Well.... I remember when people lined up for Nitendo Wii's. First year they were out they were hard to come by and Nitendo could not keep up with demand. So it does happen to other companies too. But, you have to have a HOT product to start with.

 

[liavman]

I think Apple has made it pretty clear... They're distributing as fast as they're coming in and if you can't wait, most Apple stores are getting daily shipments and opening at 9am to distribute on a first come first serve basis. Check with your local store the evening before to see if they will be opening at 9am the following day. This is what I was told at the Apple store.

What else do you need to know? I'm not even sure what else they could tell? I'm sure they've given their big store partners more details about their warehouse shipments, but that has nothing to do with the general consumer.

Apple can do a lot more things in the area of communication than what they are doing now which is next to nothing. Minimally, they can bring back the store inventory link at their site and indicate the approximate expected quantities with an 8 hour lead time. I have 5 different apple stores I can potentially go, I can optimize based on distance-quantity. And they can be much more open about giving indications on how long these supply constraints are going to last. Believe me, they know.

 

[2ndname]

This is insane! Then again I should have prepared for this and ordered online during the initial launch.

 

[LondonCentral]

You know what, it takes some effort to try to disprove a real problem so you need to be acknowledged. Get ready...

marksman, you are absolutely, 1000%, undoubtedly correct!!!!

There ya go champ!

So we're completely ignoring what was widely reported to have happened during the iPhone 4 launch? I even remember watching buyers IN India and China explaining how their grey market supply chain worked.

No of course you're right, we're just mindlessly speculating now aren't we? Nobody has said 100% of 'asians' or 'foreign looking people' are not genuine buyers (whatever genuine means - good ol' native whiteys buy and sell Apple products after queueing for days whenever there's a new iPhone and now iPad - read the forum and check ebay).

I don't see what the problem is. This is globalization and capitalism in it's most basic form. Sit back and watch in awe.

Throw your passports in the bin, whoever has the cash and manpower wins!

 

[JAT]

Apple could of waited for supplies to build up before releasing the ipad2 but they love the attention they're getting with the long lines. Apple is the biggest attention whore in the world. Normaly this wouldn't be a big deal but with the events in Japan it just makes them look bad.

And people get them sooner, something that seems to be missed by many people. So, your premise is everyone waits, or Apple is a whore? That's just stupid, and completely ignorant of the most basic principle of economics. What company could survive if they only sold products once they had built exactly enough to supply 100% of all demand for that product? That's ludicrous because it is so impossible.

It's just hate for Apple that causes posts like this one, how silly.

And it doesn't make them look bad to me. They are a manufacturer, they build stuff. Where does your weird idea end? There's a natural disaster, so...do they stop selling stuff? Stop making stuff? Maybe close their doors completely since computer equipment is less important than food, and give all the money to the Red Cross? (who will "save" it for the next disaster instead of helping this one) Probably most of those morons waiting in line are actually nuclear physicists and could be there fixing problems with the plant, but NO, they are in line for an iPad.

 

[gkarris]

And it doesn't make them look bad to me. They are a manufacturer, they build stuff. Where does your weird idea end? There's a natural disaster, so...do they stop selling stuff? Stop making stuff? Maybe close their doors completely since computer equipment is less important than food, and give all the money to the Red Cross? (who will "save" it for the next disaster instead of helping this one) Probably most of those morons waiting in line are actually nuclear physicists and could be there fixing problems with the plant, but NO, they are in line for an iPad.

Hey, no worries - I guess people are surprised that Apple is doing this, when they shouldn't be surprised at all.

The Videogame Companies have been doing this for a long time (since the Atari 5200 as far as I can remember...).

 

[Thunderhawks]

And people get them sooner, something that seems to be missed by many people. So, your premise is everyone waits, or Apple is a whore? That's just stupid, and completely ignorant of the most basic principle of economics. What company could survive if they only sold products once they had built exactly enough to supply 100% of all demand for that product? That's ludicrous because it is so impossible.

It's just hate for Apple that causes posts like this one, how silly.

And it doesn't make them look bad to me. They are a manufacturer, they build stuff. Where does your weird idea end? There's a natural disaster, so...do they stop selling stuff? Stop making stuff? Maybe close their doors completely since computer equipment is less important than food, and give all the money to the Red Cross? (who will "save" it for the next disaster instead of helping this one) Probably most of those morons waiting in line are actually nuclear physicists and could be there fixing problems with the plant, but NO, they are in line for an iPad.

Retards, morons, instant gratification babies etc. etc.

Why can't we just all get along?

There are people who enjoy standing in line "for the experience" and there are people who have no problems waiting until they get their ipad2 or there are plenty around.

Granted the line standers could be using their time to invent a cure for whatever, but maybe they enjoy the Russian roulette of getting an ipad or being turned away to try again.

To each his own!

This is the umpteens MR post about ipad shortages and I think all has been said.

The trolls cannot be converted in their belief that Apple just can't make these quickly enough and from what I can see they don't seem to be experts in supply chain management and logistics, let alone sales and marketing.

About the dumbest comments want Apple to first produce, store them in their warehouses and then release.

Yeah right, between warehouse space needed, additional distribution cost and capital binding that would be very dumb by any company.

But again, to a troll that logic doesn't count.

Funny they are addicted to big bad Apple and posting on MR

 

[Popeye206]

Apple can do a lot more things in the area of communication than what they are doing now which is next to nothing. Minimally, they can bring back the store inventory link at their site and indicate the approximate expected quantities with an 8 hour lead time. I have 5 different apple stores I can potentially go, I can optimize based on distance-quantity. And they can be much more open about giving indications on how long these supply constraints are going to last. Believe me, they know.

Look... I could argue the point, but it's silly. They're shipping as fast as they can and they're selling as fast as they open the doors in the morning. They've told us what to do if you really want one now. I know if it was me, I'd call the night before... ensure they are opening early and be to that store by 7am on a weekday to give me the best chance of getting one at 9am.

When you see stock on the shelves at WalMart consider that your announcement that the supply is finally exceeding the demand.

 

[notabadname]

I don't think Apple is restricting supply. I just think with all the distribution points and enormous demand, no single place will have many on any given day. And I think the start of production was very close to release, limiting the opportunity for leaks, but also for building an enormous inventory prior to launch.

 

[gkarris]

I don't think Apple is restricting supply. I just think with all the distribution points and enormous demand, no single place will have many on any given day. And I think the start of production was very close to release, limiting the opportunity for leaks, but also for building an enormous inventory prior to launch.

Yes, it's kind of a win-win situation for them. Build normal for average demand knowing that there's going to be great demand, then get all the free press surrounding it...

 

[AidenShaw]

Yes, it's kind of a win-win situation for them. Build normal for average demand knowing that there's going to be great demand, then get all the free press surrounding it...

It's just smart planning to do this.

Apple knows that there will be an initial spike in demand, which will fall as soon as the early adopters get their new toys.

It would be very expensive (and stupid) to create production lines to produce units at the rate of initial sales. As soon as the sales fall to sustainable levels, you have a lot of excess capacity that you're paying for, but not using.

It's just a side benefit that the smart longer-range planning gets all the hype from the initial long lines.

 

[liavman]

Look... I could argue the point, but it's silly. They're shipping as fast as they can and they're selling as fast as they open the doors in the morning. They've told us what to do if you really want one now. I know if it was me, I'd call the night before... ensure they are opening early and be to that store by 7am on a weekday to give me the best chance of getting one at 9am.

When you see stock on the shelves at WalMart consider that your announcement that the supply is finally exceeding the demand.

Yeah, but that is what a company who is neutral about customer service will do, but I want Apple to do better. I do not understand what is wrong with what I suggested Apple should do, if they have the info. That is something Apple can do and they are not doing it. If they announce something like this ( just hypothetically since I do not know the reasons for the supply constraints, whether it is on the demand side or supply side. )

1) Demand is many times more than our expectations. We are working hard to increase supply ( Interpretation: The supply will be limited for quite a while, possibly months, go stand in line every day, if you can not wait that long ).

2) We are working hard to increase supply. We expect to see significant improvements in two weeks ( Interpretation: Those who do not need one urgently, can wait. Those who want it sooner than two weeks can fight for the current supply )

3) This is nothing to do with much increased demand. We have some manufacturing issues which are being rectified. We are on full blast mode now.. ( I do not expect them to say it this way )

There is nothing bad going to happen to Apple or its reputation if they communicate what they know. Caring for the customer like this is a good thing, and Apple has always been that way.

 

[Scott6666]

This is insane! Then again I should have prepared for this and ordered online during the initial launch.

+1

I was up around 6:30am on launch day and saw 3-5 days to ship and thought, why bother, I'll just get one at the store. I almost bought then figuring I could cancel later but ultimately did not want to bother with the return. Duh! I could've been on Ebay!

 

[gkarris]

It's just smart planning to do this.

Apple knows that there will be an initial spike in demand, which will fall as soon as the early adopters get their new toys.

It would be very expensive (and stupid) to create production lines to produce units at the rate of initial sales. As soon as the sales fall to sustainable levels, you have a lot of excess capacity that you're paying for, but not using.

It's just a side benefit that the smart longer-range planning gets all the hype from the initial long lines.

Well said.

Plus, if you start pumping up the manufacturing rate, the defect rate goes up as well...

 

[alhedges]

I think this launch is turning into something of a fiasco for Apple because it's so irritating for customers. While I certainly don't think that Apple has caused a deliberate shortage, and I think that they were surprised by the demand, they have handled the distribution poorly. And they are not amateurs at this.

The biggest mistake they made (and are continuing to make) is not having any sort of in-store reservation system. This takes care of the customers and gives Apple the lines they want (at least according to MR people); I think that the advantage of lines is overstated.

However, I think that the iP4 launch was handled perfectly - long lines, but if you had a reservation, you knew that waiting for a couple of hours would result in you getting a phone.

But having long lines for 10-20 ipads per day is just irritating for everyone - and I wouldn't be surprised if malls, shopping centers, and municipalities with Apple stores started cracking down on the lines: periodic lines a couple of times a year are fine and add some publicity, but permanent lines are probably not accounted for in Apple's lease.

One big problem is the resellers, of course. Regular customers are taking time off work to wait in line. Resellers' job is to wait in line; they get paid for it. Regular customers lose. Which is not, I think, what Apple wants. I'm not sure of a way around this - maybe requiring registration by Apple ID and not permitting the device to be activated with a different ID for 30 days? (I have no idea whether that would really work, but it's an idea.)

Or - if reselling is perfectly fine as some on here have suggested - Apple should just embrace this aspect of free market capitalism and sell iPads by auction: you go online to purchase and iPad and include the model you want and the amount you are willing to pay, and Apple sells its inventory from the highest bidder down until it runs out of stock. That's what's happening with resellers, so I don't see why Apple shouldn't get a cut. (Alternatively, they could just have everyone in line fill out a card with the device and price).

 

[liavman]

It's just smart planning to do this.

Apple knows that there will be an initial spike in demand, which will fall as soon as the early adopters get their new toys.

It would be very expensive (and stupid) to create production lines to produce units at the rate of initial sales. As soon as the sales fall to sustainable levels, you have a lot of excess capacity that you're paying for, but not using.

It's just a side benefit that the smart longer-range planning gets all the hype from the initial long lines.

That does not fully compute. No one will create production lines to produce units at the rate of intial sales. That will be stupid indeed. Normally, the solution for that initial demand is to start manufacturing early to build up the inventory. And I can understand if there is some mismatch in their projection and the actual demand. But even after a week, if all they can supply is few dozens here and a few dozens there, that is not fully explained by the usual mismatch... The lack of information about this from Apple is the bummer for me.

 

[I is Mac]

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Are ppl that desperate over the iPad? Seriously every morning with only the hope of getting one? WTF...

 

[gkarris]

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Are ppl that desperate over the iPad? Seriously every morning with only the hope of getting one? WTF...

Yes, so it seems....

Apple wants to avoid this negative press, so no more "pre-orders" or "reservations"...

http://www.dailytech.com/Verizon+iP...s+is+Back+to+Work++From+Home/article20891.htm

 

[mb335]

Still amazed as well that people are still lining up for the iPad 2. Left empty handed when trying to pick one up at launch day. I didn't want to deal with the lines or hassles of finding one at best buy, walmart, target, etc.

I figure, well, I'm willing to wait for it, even if the shipping time for the iPad 2s were weeks out, so I submitted an online order at the Apple store last week on the evening of March 12 (PST), along with a smart case and some accessories. The projected delivery was mid April for delivery.

To my surprise, just after a day or so, the iPad 2 order went immediately to prepare to ship! It is the 64 GB, white, at&t 3G version with engraving. I think I may have been lucky, perhaps the manufacturing lines were focusing on this configuration, so the order I had submitted was built and shipped immediately. I've seen some interesting theories on why this was the case.

I feel for the guys who did early orders and have not have shipping notifications yet. I would think it would be first come, first served, for iPad 2 orders. That seems fair to me, I'd probably be fuming if other later orders shipped earlier than mine.

The smart cover recently went into prepare to shipment and hoping to see the smart cover within the next 2 weeks.

 

[revelated]

Really popular products run out of stock.

Funny. I seem to recall Final Fantasy VII being in plentiful supply for reserves.

 

[Taka]

Darn, too bad I canceled my order online. I woke up at 3:30 AM EST and got one of the first preorders... shipment was scheduled for 3-5 days. Just out of curiosity I showed up at my local Walmart Supercenter at 5pm and walked away with a 64GB iPad 2. They also had 2 16GB and one 64 unclaimed when I left the store. Apparently that was their entire stock (4 iPad 2s).

Probably could have made a decent profit selling it on eBay!

 

[lazyrighteye]

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I arrived at the Aspen Grove store in Englewood, CO ~7:30 this morning to a line of ~50. At about 8 am, an AS employee came out and announced that they only received 20 iPads and had no idea what configurations.
I left and hit both a Target and Walmart on the way home. Neither if those stores had seen iPads since last Monday.

Ordering online. Will make a nice surprise mid-April.

 

[RangerXML]

Screw it, gave up the line. The two days I wait, none, the two days I don't go, they get 'em. I just bought one at Fry's, reserved, I'm the only one waiting for a iPad 2 64GB 3G Black model there, and they will call me when its in.