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One Week After iPad 2 Launch: Long Lines Still Abound
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Here is a pretty easy solution if you ask me - and while some might not like it, its still better than the scalpers and resellers buying them all up:
1 - 1 per customer
2 - Required to open unit and register in store with matching ID info (driver's license)
3 - All US sold serial numbers are entered into a database and are checked upon registration in iTunes - if it is detected that the serial number is being registered outside the US, it bricks the iPad and has to be re-activated in store
1 - 1 per customer
2 - Required to open unit and register in store with matching ID info (driver's license)
3 - All US sold serial numbers are entered into a database and are checked upon registration in iTunes - if it is detected that the serial number is being registered outside the US, it bricks the iPad and has to be re-activated in store
yeah but the whole market has dropped. So the issue would be only if Apple dropped 6% and everything else was only like .5%
Does anyone know what time I should line up tomorrow to have a chance to get an iPad 2?
Depends on where you are going. Some places you can't line up over night. The mall won't let you, the city won't let you
Apple doesn't do anything before they want to. And they don't care about anyone else when they make their decisions.
Plus if they wanted a month, they would still have issues. Because they don't have massive warehouses to store stuff. And it would be a disaster if they did because the batteries in these things slowly drain even turned off in the box. That's why you get one that comes out of the box with only 80-90% charge. If they were sitting in a warehouse for as much as a month, they could be drained completely out. And who is going to want a dead device they have to go home and charge before they can use. No one. Especially when it is an ipad etc you want to play with before you even leave the store. At the least you want to see that it turns on and doesn't have a purple screen or such
No they didn't. They had no idea it was going to happen, they didn't cause it. But some folks act like they did. It's really pathetic.
Same with playing the game of acting like Apple controls Foxconn, Fed Ex etc. They don't. So they can't make Foxconn stop producing stuff for other companies to make more ipads. They can't make Fed Ex stop delivering aid supplies so they have more planes and boats for Apple stuff.
Racism and privacy suits await.
This is NOT a press game. Apple doesn't want the lines, the limited numbers etc. Because it is not worth the press in the end. Not worth it to have to deal with the pissed off customers sometimes to the point of having to call the police because some douche threatened violence. Having to hire extra security to handle the crowds of folks trying to swarm into the stores even just to play with the demos (or to shop lift other stuff while the staff are busy with questions). Having to hire extra security to guard the trucks that come in against thieves. And so on.
And have those snag all the stock so there's nothing for the stores where there will always be folks waiting.
And worse, lets make it easy for the scalpers to use dozens of apple ids and gift cards to buy tons and get them day of release to toss up on ebay etc.
They tried that a couple of times and it was a failure. Because folks would bitch and moan that they looked online before they left the office/house and can't believe that the store could sell out of whatever model in an hour. Even when Apple put things like "there is no guarantee that inventory will still be stock when you get to the store" there were complaints.
Folks complained about no reservations as well. But it's not fair to hold something for someone on the phone and not let the guy that has been standing in line get it cause that was the last one. Plus it's a nightmare for the staff.
Now that is valid. It is also not common. Many stores, if not most, are talking to customers. Go out as soon as they know that they won't have any and telling folks. Perhaps it is a factor of where the store is. Malls etc don't want folks standing around for nothing so the stores may be required to send folks away.
Many stores are also using claim tickets like they were supposed to on launch day but only now they are marked for the stock on hand. That way when they run out of tickets for a black 64 ATT 3g, they know that's the end of the stock. Everyone else that wants that one go home now.
They tried it and it was, according to my highly reliable sources, a total disaster. Folks that didn't place reservations were pissed that they couldn't walk in and get one. Folks weren't coming in to pick them up meaning they held up those later in the list from getting theirs. People were constantly calling wanting to know where they were in the line and when more were coming in (which the staff didn't know anymore than they know now). The stock staff had to deal with the nightmare of having to ensure that everything was unpacked, triple counted and properly recorded by specific times for the system to send out the next batch of emails.
Awesome idea, then I know exactly what day me and my gang should be at the Apple store to get us some free ipads.
Believe me, they don't know. Even if they have a clue when some will arrive, they have no idea of the demand. Not everyone bothers with reservations if they are even aware of the system. So Apple has no way of knowing that they have 200 folks wanting that 100 units or merely 10 folks wanting them
The other solution is to pull back other products and use that equipment and staff to make more whatever. but that is still costly and unless you are going to stop selling everything else, you lose sales and get negative press because folks still want to buy the cut back items
And when it takes 3 weeks they are blasted for it.
That will always be taken by some if not most as there being an issue with the product itself and current stock are lemons. So then some tiny little issue on like half a percent of units gets passed around as a major design/manufacturing issue with claims that Apple knows about it and that's what their comments were about and it screws with sales and PR
i would love to see NYC invoke public nuisance laws on those lines taking over the sidewalks and such. Send out the cops to make everyone go home if the store reports no stock for purchase at that time. Tell them that they can't come back before 6 am the next day or they will be ticketed/arrested. A few times of that and some of the reseller lackeys could give up.
Course what 5th Ave also needs is folks that can walk the line, perhaps in plain clothes pretending to be press or such and watch for money handouts and boot those folks (giver and receiver). Get their photos and give them to the staff to know that those folks have been told they are banned from the store. For life. Apple legally can refuse service to anyone they wish. They won't get in trouble so long as it is abuse of the no resellers etc and not "we don't allow asians to shop here" or "you have to speak english to shop here" or that kind of crap
Wouldn't work cause you would piss off the folks that want to buy it as a gift.
also they tried to limit via the reservation system. but the resellers just make up bunches of apple ids. Privacy laws and privacy nuts will have them hit with a lawsuit within about 2 seconds if they try to record drivers licenses etc so that's a no go.
[quote}
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:[/QUOTE]
Apple will never support reselling nor would they ever auction etc their stuff. They abhor the resellers because they know that their stuff isn't cheap already and the resellers abuse demand by marking it up even more. Sometimes 4-5 times over the price. Not cool.
That is correct. Said store's lines are out on public sidewalks and public streets. Massive lines are a public nuisance and potentially dangerous. So the police put a limit on how many folks can be there. And Apple has to follow that rule.
Personally I think the police should shut down the lines and not allow the camping out all day and night, which would screw with the resellers, but that's not my call since I don't run the NYPD
It's really hit and miss out there
Went to the Palo Alto store at 3:30 AM on Thursday morning. I thought I might be near the head of the line, I was actually #16. Or at least I thought I was. Turns out that several of the people ahead of me were holding places for people in cars, I ended up #24.
The last thing Apple wants to do is dive into any kind of racial profiling, but there is something to the demographic breakdown of the people in line. Nearly everyone in front of me was Chinese. A British guy was directly ahead of me. He and his wife were getting one for their son who is in the UK. I'm Filipino. The guy behind me was Vietnamese, then a white guy, a black guy and an Indian (east). Everyone in our part of the line was getting one iPad, while the people up front were invariably getting two. There is something to the demographic breakdown, as you could see that the line got much more diverse and it was obvious that people weren't organized. If the people up front can organize and make a few bucks more power to them. The problem is that the people in the back, the ones who are more likely to get one for personal use, are getting negatively impacted by Apple's lack of communication.
Limiting customers to one iPad per purchase would immediately create a more fair situation since the scalpers would have to view the lesser pay that comes from buying only one iPad as a value proposition. If they want to bring a dozen more people, what can you do? The Apple Store could also reinstitute the credit/debit card policy, which would be somewhat controversial but would be fair given the supply issues. The scalping issue wasn't nearly as rampant last year because of that policy.
In the end I got the last 16 GB model, a Verizon flavor in black. I wanted white 16 GB WiFi, but Verizon was a good backup for me. People who are getting into lines multiple days in a row should have a good idea of what to expect by now. That doesn't mean that Apple shouldn't make a modicum of effort to keep customers informed. I think they should dedicate specific days to SKUs, such as WiFi models for three days, AT&T and Verizon for two days each. At least those in line will have some idea of what would be in stock.
Went to the Palo Alto store at 3:30 AM on Thursday morning. I thought I might be near the head of the line, I was actually #16. Or at least I thought I was. Turns out that several of the people ahead of me were holding places for people in cars, I ended up #24.
The last thing Apple wants to do is dive into any kind of racial profiling, but there is something to the demographic breakdown of the people in line. Nearly everyone in front of me was Chinese. A British guy was directly ahead of me. He and his wife were getting one for their son who is in the UK. I'm Filipino. The guy behind me was Vietnamese, then a white guy, a black guy and an Indian (east). Everyone in our part of the line was getting one iPad, while the people up front were invariably getting two. There is something to the demographic breakdown, as you could see that the line got much more diverse and it was obvious that people weren't organized. If the people up front can organize and make a few bucks more power to them. The problem is that the people in the back, the ones who are more likely to get one for personal use, are getting negatively impacted by Apple's lack of communication.
Limiting customers to one iPad per purchase would immediately create a more fair situation since the scalpers would have to view the lesser pay that comes from buying only one iPad as a value proposition. If they want to bring a dozen more people, what can you do? The Apple Store could also reinstitute the credit/debit card policy, which would be somewhat controversial but would be fair given the supply issues. The scalping issue wasn't nearly as rampant last year because of that policy.
In the end I got the last 16 GB model, a Verizon flavor in black. I wanted white 16 GB WiFi, but Verizon was a good backup for me. People who are getting into lines multiple days in a row should have a good idea of what to expect by now. That doesn't mean that Apple shouldn't make a modicum of effort to keep customers informed. I think they should dedicate specific days to SKUs, such as WiFi models for three days, AT&T and Verizon for two days each. At least those in line will have some idea of what would be in stock.
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Yes, because we all know Apple can just manifest iPad's into existence at will. Maybe, just maybe the demand for iPad's exceeds Apple and it's partners' ability to manufacture them?
Seems like only yesterday people were accusing Apple of anti-competitive practices by securing large amounts of strategic components for its devices. This is why.
I hate to interrupt what I'm sure must be a very cathartic slugfest, but some personal observations on the actual original topic:
Prior to reading this article, I was assuming that the supply was going to start overtaking demand in the next week or so. I had already ordered one online, but the delivery date is very close to a long trip I'm about to take, which was part of the motivation of getting one in the first place. So I had been calling Apple Stores, swinging by around opening time, etc. I figured it would be any day now.
How little I knew.
I normally wake up at around 9am on weekends, but I found myself wide awake for no reason at 6am. I had called the local Apple Store (Massachusetts, not saying which for reasons listed below) and knew they would have some in stock today. I figured what the hell, swing by the mall, grab a sandwich and some OJ, and get some work done and that'll be it. I fully expected to one of a few people at most.
There were already 40-ish people there. I was shocked. I abandoned the breakfast plan and grabbed my spot. I've never waited in one of these lines before, but the moment grabbed me and I ran with it. I listened to people talking, telling stories of how many days they had been waiting in line, what they knew and didn't know. A surprising number of people waiting in line didn't know nearly as much about the iPad or Apple as I would have guessed. But, for the most part, people were happy, a little bit tired, and excited -- if anyone was there just to scalp them, they weren't obvious or numerous. I got no sense that there was some legion of illegal foreign nationals looking to ship them overseas.
Eventually an Apple store employee came by (by then there were at least 80 people), told the front of the line the gist of what they were going to do, told the people at the end of the line there was pretty much no way they were getting one. The staffer also told us that they were making the decision to only sell one per customer (which is why I don't want to say the location, it was the right decision but I don't want to get anyone in trouble).
Despite being what I thought was ridiculously early for the week after the release, I just barely got the last one, not exactly the one that I wanted but close (3g vs the wifi I had ordered online). I was there for three hours, from when I first saw the line to when I got back to my car with the iPad. If it weren't for the upcoming trip, it totally would not have been worth the three hour wait. But even then, it wasn't like three hours of my life that were worthless... I talked to some people, got some work done, did a little emailing and chatting online I would have done from home anyway.
As usual in most of these threads, I don't see what the big deal is either way. I don't think most of these people really need to be waiting in line for an iPad 2. I also don't think that most people there really looked like they were completely throwing away the time they were spending there. I would have been fine on my trip without it, but I'm also happy that I'll have it and some time to get used to it first.
It would be nice if Apple weren't trickling them in 40 at a time. I'm sure Apple is reaping benefits in terms of hype and media attention from it. But the engineer in me know how complicated supply chains get and the ridiculous expenses that go into trying to create a one-time surge in capacity that you won't need in a few weeks. The corporate guy in me also knows how painful it can be to screw around with release dates when you never know what kind of buzz, sales, or new products competitors are going to release; you have to strike while the iron is hot.
Prior to reading this article, I was assuming that the supply was going to start overtaking demand in the next week or so. I had already ordered one online, but the delivery date is very close to a long trip I'm about to take, which was part of the motivation of getting one in the first place. So I had been calling Apple Stores, swinging by around opening time, etc. I figured it would be any day now.
How little I knew.
I normally wake up at around 9am on weekends, but I found myself wide awake for no reason at 6am. I had called the local Apple Store (Massachusetts, not saying which for reasons listed below) and knew they would have some in stock today. I figured what the hell, swing by the mall, grab a sandwich and some OJ, and get some work done and that'll be it. I fully expected to one of a few people at most.
There were already 40-ish people there. I was shocked. I abandoned the breakfast plan and grabbed my spot. I've never waited in one of these lines before, but the moment grabbed me and I ran with it. I listened to people talking, telling stories of how many days they had been waiting in line, what they knew and didn't know. A surprising number of people waiting in line didn't know nearly as much about the iPad or Apple as I would have guessed. But, for the most part, people were happy, a little bit tired, and excited -- if anyone was there just to scalp them, they weren't obvious or numerous. I got no sense that there was some legion of illegal foreign nationals looking to ship them overseas.
Eventually an Apple store employee came by (by then there were at least 80 people), told the front of the line the gist of what they were going to do, told the people at the end of the line there was pretty much no way they were getting one. The staffer also told us that they were making the decision to only sell one per customer (which is why I don't want to say the location, it was the right decision but I don't want to get anyone in trouble).
Despite being what I thought was ridiculously early for the week after the release, I just barely got the last one, not exactly the one that I wanted but close (3g vs the wifi I had ordered online). I was there for three hours, from when I first saw the line to when I got back to my car with the iPad. If it weren't for the upcoming trip, it totally would not have been worth the three hour wait. But even then, it wasn't like three hours of my life that were worthless... I talked to some people, got some work done, did a little emailing and chatting online I would have done from home anyway.
As usual in most of these threads, I don't see what the big deal is either way. I don't think most of these people really need to be waiting in line for an iPad 2. I also don't think that most people there really looked like they were completely throwing away the time they were spending there. I would have been fine on my trip without it, but I'm also happy that I'll have it and some time to get used to it first.
It would be nice if Apple weren't trickling them in 40 at a time. I'm sure Apple is reaping benefits in terms of hype and media attention from it. But the engineer in me know how complicated supply chains get and the ridiculous expenses that go into trying to create a one-time surge in capacity that you won't need in a few weeks. The corporate guy in me also knows how painful it can be to screw around with release dates when you never know what kind of buzz, sales, or new products competitors are going to release; you have to strike while the iron is hot.
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I agree, I had hoped to procurean iPad on launch day, but was out of town on launch. I waited in line twice at the apple store, and was still unable to get my hands on one. So I went through the reservation process at bestbuy and have yet to hear back from them here a week later. Hope to get mine soon, will update.
I agree, I had hoped to procurean iPad on launch day, but was out of town on launch. I waited in line twice at the apple store, and was still unable to get my hands on one. So I went through the reservation process at bestbuy and have yet to hear back from them here a week later. Hope to get mine soon, will update.
Please don't spread misinformation. Apple has dropped more than the rest of the market in the past few days and that has to do with rumors about worries about parts supply shortage.
These aspects of a launch are all manageable for a company like Apple. You are going way out of line to find excuses for Apple. Remember we all love Apple, that does not mean you have to toe the line on everything.
This is the lamest excuse if any for not communicating with your customers.
How afraid you want Apple to be.. Ridiculous.
This just shows how much you do not know, which is perfectly fine.
Fair enough. I want the company whose products I like very much and whose shares I own to act in that self-confident manner... But then you make a lot of contradictory statements. In fact, the rest of the post, baring a few points, is all in defense of Apple on the ground if they do anything else, it will piss off people.
So Apple cares about complaints on the margins, so they would rather not communicate for fear of getting blasted for some unexpected reactions for someone else... that is not how a self-confident company operates.
All these statements are your projections, as an individual, about how a big company like Apple operates. Believe me, they have million times more resources to tackle issues like this which may look daunting to you and me. These guys are experts at logictics and supply chain management in the big scale, you moaning about psychological turmoil at the individual level does not apply.
All I want them to do is improve the communication aspects on the front side while working tirelessly 24/7 to improve the supply on the backside ( which I am sure they are doing )
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Americans....
Is this comment serious? It must be a joke, this is properly hilarious:
"Yay! Now let's sue Apple for bringing innocent people in the adverse environment of the street!"
Come on, courts have better things to do, and the World has other serious issues for your concern, now get back to work.
Is this comment serious? It must be a joke, this is properly hilarious:
"Yay! Now let's sue Apple for bringing innocent people in the adverse environment of the street!"
Come on, courts have better things to do, and the World has other serious issues for your concern, now get back to work.
and
Good posts, guys, thanks for sharing your experiences. I do agree with that store's policy about one iPad per customer, now that they are in such short supply. And I do wish Apple had instituted that policy from the beginning. It would have meant (almost) twice as many households got an iPad in March.
I really wanted one for a long trip starting Tuesday. Oh well. It will still be a very cool device when (if?) I get mine in late April.
I hope the lines calm down soon. I'm thinking of picking one up when I fly to the states in 2 weeks.
Epilogue
After I bought my iPad on Thursday, I asked if it was okay to stay in the store so that I could activate and sync it with my MBP, as I did last year. They granted me a corner table and a stool so I went to work. Restored from a backup of my old iPad in less than an hour.
As a result of my activation, I got a survey email. I filled out the form, explaining exactly what happened and providing some suggestions. On Saturday I got a call from the store manager. I called him back today and aired my grievances.
He explained to me that during the week after the launch day, when inventory levels are so low, the best course of action is to provide as little information as possible, because even a little bit of information will be used by the scalpers to game the system and make things even more difficult for the average user/buyer. I asked about the credit card policy, and he replied that it no longer is used because of the lawsuit that nearly occurred last year by a local woman who wanted to pay cash and was denied. I offered my suggestion of having specific days for WiFi/AT&T/Verizon. He acknowledged that it might be a way to go. He said that after the first week the lines should die down and the stores will have a little more leeway to provide information. Many of the scalpers who were actually flown in from overseas would have to leave, while others may drop off the lines due to attrition.
We both agreed that this is a situation that can't be perfectly addressed. It's also one that might be unique to the iPad due to manufacturing capabilities and the iPad being much easier to buy (no contract) than a phone.
After I bought my iPad on Thursday, I asked if it was okay to stay in the store so that I could activate and sync it with my MBP, as I did last year. They granted me a corner table and a stool so I went to work. Restored from a backup of my old iPad in less than an hour.
As a result of my activation, I got a survey email. I filled out the form, explaining exactly what happened and providing some suggestions. On Saturday I got a call from the store manager. I called him back today and aired my grievances.
He explained to me that during the week after the launch day, when inventory levels are so low, the best course of action is to provide as little information as possible, because even a little bit of information will be used by the scalpers to game the system and make things even more difficult for the average user/buyer. I asked about the credit card policy, and he replied that it no longer is used because of the lawsuit that nearly occurred last year by a local woman who wanted to pay cash and was denied. I offered my suggestion of having specific days for WiFi/AT&T/Verizon. He acknowledged that it might be a way to go. He said that after the first week the lines should die down and the stores will have a little more leeway to provide information. Many of the scalpers who were actually flown in from overseas would have to leave, while others may drop off the lines due to attrition.
We both agreed that this is a situation that can't be perfectly addressed. It's also one that might be unique to the iPad due to manufacturing capabilities and the iPad being much easier to buy (no contract) than a phone.
IPAD shortages will continue for many months
the iPad 2s three-cell battery pack on the iPad 2 is labeled assembled in China. However, this label refers to the whole battery pack. Further investigation showed the battery itself was made by Apple Japan, which operates as a subsidiary of Apple.
Typically, battery cells are made at the site of assembly but because the iPad 2s lithium-ion polymer battery is unusually thin, it likely requires advanced battery cell manufacturing technologies that reside in Japan, said Wayne Lam, senior analyst, competitive analysis, at IHS.
Logistical disruptions may mean that Apple could have difficulties obtaining this battery, and it may not be able to secure supply from an external, non-Japanese source.
the iPad 2s three-cell battery pack on the iPad 2 is labeled assembled in China. However, this label refers to the whole battery pack. Further investigation showed the battery itself was made by Apple Japan, which operates as a subsidiary of Apple.
Typically, battery cells are made at the site of assembly but because the iPad 2s lithium-ion polymer battery is unusually thin, it likely requires advanced battery cell manufacturing technologies that reside in Japan, said Wayne Lam, senior analyst, competitive analysis, at IHS.
Logistical disruptions may mean that Apple could have difficulties obtaining this battery, and it may not be able to secure supply from an external, non-Japanese source.
My only real complaint is that this shortage with the ability to buy two has really created a blackmarket around the iPad2. I find it frustrating that the same guys are haunting the store at 5am, buying two and selling them later on Craigslist for a lot more. Yes, they were willing to spend the time and wait, but perhaps a better way for Apple would be to take orders (like Best Buy) and hand them out as they trickle in- and only two per Apple account/email address. I do know there are ways around that too, but it may ease the number of lurkers who have purchased more than their fair share.
I have been 4 times now and am still out. I am unwilling to pay $200+ extra - perhaps I need to get up earlier... There has to be a way for Apple to better deal with this.
I have been 4 times now and am still out. I am unwilling to pay $200+ extra - perhaps I need to get up earlier... There has to be a way for Apple to better deal with this.
The same thing happened to me on Saturday morning, but I was not as fortunate. I was about #25 in line, people in line with me were telling me that they have tried several times this week to get iPad 2's with no luck, but they did notice the group in front of line were the same group everyday. They are Asians, and they start lining up at 11pm the previous night, so they are always first. I was upset that I did not get one, but I am not angry at them, because they are taking advantage of the demand. There is no law against that. If Apple does that by buying up all the flash drives to keep their products competitive. These Asians found a way to make money. What is wrong that.
Very strange! I submitted an online order for the very same item (but without engraving) on the *morning* of the same day -- but yours will arrive much earlier than mine. Apple's web site says mine won't ship*until April 4.
The only difference I can think of is that you were at an apple store when you submitted yours, and I wasn't.
Here's My Story
I travelled to USA from UK on business. Took a day trip to San Francisco and they said they had none in stock. Phoned up Sacramento, where I was staying Saturday evening and then said they had none but are getting limited stock in Sunday.
Went over at about 10.30am and they said they had 5 32GB ones but none 16GB's which is what I wanted. I ummed and arrghed for 20 minutes and thought I'd get it. Asked one employee and he said all gone. Saw another guy which I had spoken to with some questions earlier. He went out back did some investigation, came out with his jacket on to hide he was a apple employee and said a guy behind me might be cancelling his order. He did so I bought it. Wasn't particularly bothered about getting one so I'm pretty lucky me thinks.
Anyone want to offer me a ridiculous amount of money for it? Lol!
I travelled to USA from UK on business. Took a day trip to San Francisco and they said they had none in stock. Phoned up Sacramento, where I was staying Saturday evening and then said they had none but are getting limited stock in Sunday.
Went over at about 10.30am and they said they had 5 32GB ones but none 16GB's which is what I wanted. I ummed and arrghed for 20 minutes and thought I'd get it. Asked one employee and he said all gone. Saw another guy which I had spoken to with some questions earlier. He went out back did some investigation, came out with his jacket on to hide he was a apple employee and said a guy behind me might be cancelling his order. He did so I bought it. Wasn't particularly bothered about getting one so I'm pretty lucky me thinks.
Anyone want to offer me a ridiculous amount of money for it? Lol!
Responding to post #337 (don't want to quote it all) - What is wrong with that?
For one - Apple has a retail channel to serve the Apple Customers - not to supply a secondary / unauthorized retail channel called SCALPERS. Much has been written about the Apple Premium - now we are having to pay an even higher premium or spend lots of time in line or wait for a month or so. Like some on MR, I have over $15,000 of Apple equipment and would be considered a good margin generating customer by them. Yet, like others, several burnt runs in line and wasted time = no iPad2. Yet, the Apple retail channel is supplying scalpers because of their store policy. Those scalpers will not be buying again.
Like others have suggested - put me on a reservation call list - enough already with the chaos they are creating - it is starting to feel like you have to show them the secret handshake or Captain Midnight's decoder ring. The demand is high / the supply is low - I accept that. Just do something with the insane / poorly thought out / wing it store policies.
For one - Apple has a retail channel to serve the Apple Customers - not to supply a secondary / unauthorized retail channel called SCALPERS. Much has been written about the Apple Premium - now we are having to pay an even higher premium or spend lots of time in line or wait for a month or so. Like some on MR, I have over $15,000 of Apple equipment and would be considered a good margin generating customer by them. Yet, like others, several burnt runs in line and wasted time = no iPad2. Yet, the Apple retail channel is supplying scalpers because of their store policy. Those scalpers will not be buying again.
Like others have suggested - put me on a reservation call list - enough already with the chaos they are creating - it is starting to feel like you have to show them the secret handshake or Captain Midnight's decoder ring. The demand is high / the supply is low - I accept that. Just do something with the insane / poorly thought out / wing it store policies.
Funny, checking Craigslist - seems to be PLENTY of iPad 2's on there...
I understand a bunch are going BACK to China - must be an interesting Economy where they make them, ship them here, then are purchased and shipped back to rich Chinese who can afford them at a premium...
AFA a Reservation List - a thing of the past - Apple doesn't get any waiting lines or free press with that...
"I'm sure Apple is reaping benefits in terms of hype and media attention from it."
Just where is this hype, though? There's nothing about the iPad on the front page of the NY Times, the Washington Post, or the L.A. Times.
If there's attention paid to the iPad, it comes from web pages and magazines and podcasts (and maybe radio shows). Most humans beings don't care about the iPad. Lots of people who post on forums like this one, however, are interested in things like the iPad, so it's not surprising to see all the bitching.
Just where is this hype, though? There's nothing about the iPad on the front page of the NY Times, the Washington Post, or the L.A. Times.
If there's attention paid to the iPad, it comes from web pages and magazines and podcasts (and maybe radio shows). Most humans beings don't care about the iPad. Lots of people who post on forums like this one, however, are interested in things like the iPad, so it's not surprising to see all the bitching.
People can make hundreds of excuses, but the bottom line is this all falls on Apple. They supply BestBuy, Target, etc. Not the other way around.
Apple loves to show off their power, influence & control every step of the way. I put all blame for disorganized madness on them.
They hype the product beyond reason. If it's so damn "Magical" then why the endless threads of whining fanboys?
Apple loves to show off their power, influence & control every step of the way. I put all blame for disorganized madness on them.
They hype the product beyond reason. If it's so damn "Magical" then why the endless threads of whining fanboys?
How much do they pay you guys to spread this crap? Yeah, it's Apple's fault they can't manufacture hundreds of millions of iPads in no time, teleport them to all their stores, and store them in a space-warp until they can hand them all out on release dayyou know, like every other company does.
Gotta love the special Apple-basher's definition of "hype", too. Saying absolutely nothing beforehand is engaging in "hype". Meanwhile, hundreds of paid FUDsters making up insane crap about what the new release is going to havethat's not "hype". Then of course, when the new product doesn't have any of this made-up crap: "What a disappointment!" "Just Version 1.5" "Doesn't live up to Apple's 'hype'". The cycle is so predictable!
Tech sites are not a representation of the market at large.
Lineups and short supply are a reality when it comes to Apple products. Yes, they're THAT popular and in demand. Just deal with it.
I know we like to have things instantly because we feel we're entitled, etc. But that's no how things actually work.
It's the competition's (and their fans') fear of Apple that is at work in your comments. It's palpable. Apple's spanked the also-rans yet again. The new dominant power in consumer tech is Apple. Finally. It's taken a while but consumers are finally getting the tech they *should have* had all along: simple, usable, functional, beautiful.
Consumers are finally seeing the light and players that run on non-Apple business models are hurting, and will continue to hurt until they wake up to new market realities: specs are secondary to User Experience. Complexity is out. Simplicity is in. To put it even simpler, just look at whatever Apple is doing.
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Could have something to do with them having sufficient food to eat. We all have to spend our time doing something. These people are spending their time getting iPads because they just ate a pizza. What's the problem exactly.
I forgot to add that most of the "whining fanboys" on here are paid shills like you. (Or if you're not getting paid, that's even more pathetic!)
Most of them are dead giveaways: "I've owned a dozen of every Apple product since the Apple ][, thinking Steve Jobs was the Devil Incarnate the whole time, but if the iPad 2 doesn't have a weed-whacker attachment, I'm going Android!"