One Week After iPad 2 Launch: Long Lines Still Abound

[unlinked]

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.

By definition the scalper will be buying again. They will probably be buying an awful lot sooner than you.

Apple could stop a lot of this by selling the iPad 2 in more countries at launch date but they didn't because they preferred not to for whatever reasons. Their business their call.

 

[smaffei]

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.

I love people who make statements like this. Everybody spends a lot of money on Apple products. But, you see, your money is no greener than anybody else's.

You didn't get one. Too bad. You should have gotten up for the 1AM PST ordering like I did. But, being privileged, you thought you would just walk into an Apple Store and get one on launch day instead of waiting 3-5 days like us common folk. Guess who has an iPad 2 and who doesn't.

 

[smaffei]

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?

Hmmm... Got one on launch day @ Target in 10 minutes. Your point is?

(My Dad's arrived in 5 days from 1AM PST online ordering).

 

[Doebldodl]

Walked into the Bellevue Apple store yesterday, asked for an iPad 2, they had a single white 64 GB one in stock and gave it to me.

This was just the config I wanted, except that it was a Verizon model. So I handed it back and ordered an AT&T iPad 2 in the online store instead.

 

[asaseaban]

Is Apple running low (or out of) iPad 2 in-store stock?

I was in line at the Apple Store at the Pentagon City mall around 0600 this morning and around 0706, the Apple store employe game and told all of us that, no iPad 2 stock were received. We asked about tomorrow and they were not sure either.

 

[ctdonath]

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?

To the contrary, I don't see any hint of "showing off their power etc." Apple makes a product, introduces it as close to availability as is legal, performs the obligatory hype & advertising due any product, and offers it for sale on a straight-up first-come-first-served basis. They have to perform the inherently imperfect juggling act of balancing availability among their own online & storefront outlets along with other retailers.

Upshot is they have a limited supply of a high-demand product. They can't make 'em faster, they can't ship enough to any store, and people are willing to pay a premium for someone else to stand in line and get it (hence Craigslist etc.).

Hype? What "hype" is Apple doing that's "beyond reason"? A half-hour intro by a half-dozen geeks? followed by a standard, albeit well-done, advertising campaign? What "hype"?

The fanboys are whining because it's magical enough to do so when you can't get one.

 

[DiamondMac]

If it's so damn "Magical" then why the endless threads of whining fanboys?

Because this is a massively huge forum with MANY people. Most of the "whining fanboys" still buy BECAUSE they know it is still a great product hence many whining but also admitting that they do like it.

Just because some people complain here while the high, high, high majority love it...is hardly some sort of reason to point to

 

[yergnov]

I was in line at the Apple Store at the Pentagon City mall around 0600 this morning and around 0706, the Apple store employe game and told all of us that, no iPad 2 stock were received. We asked about tomorrow and they were not sure either.

Not too uncommon as yesterday was Sunday. Likely there were no shipments received as would have been reflected in today's numbers. They can't speak for tomorrow as they have not yet received tomorrow's shipment. Call later in the day and you will hear something more useful.

 

[DiamondMac]

I was in line at the Apple Store at the Pentagon City mall around 0600 this morning and around 0706, the Apple store employe game and told all of us that, no iPad 2 stock were received. We asked about tomorrow and they were not sure either.

You should try the BestBuy near bye

Their inventory online says they have several different versions (well, as of this morning)

 

[Glideslope]

On-Line went to 4-5 weeks this morning. 6-7 weeks next monday.

 

[DiamondMac]

On-Line went to 4-5 weeks this morning. 6-7 weeks next monday.

It has been 4-5 weeks for a few days now

 

[Glideslope]

It has been 4-5 weeks for a few days now

Sorry, just noticed. However, IMO, it's more a supply chain problem with parts from Japan (My Heart Goes Out To Them) then Apple underestimating demand.

There are a few parts specifically made for the iPad 2 in Japan that will be had to re-source. The Gyro for one.

Plus, Samsung is not going to be in any mood to help Apple after Apple went with Toshiba for the long term (think 3.9 billion in infrastructure investment in Asia).

Toshiba FLASH will be slower in production for a long time. Hope I'm wrong, but lot's of verbal crap back and forth between Samsung and Steve these days.

 

[JPR]

Target

Happy to report that I got the specific iPad I wanted at my local
Target about 11am today. No waiting no lines. I didn't ask how many they received last night but I know they had several. So, keep poking around your local target. And good luck. They didn't have the color cover I wanted so I'll try the apple retail store this weekend.

 

[TerpCJ]

iPads in stock in Orlando - Florida Mall Apple Store

There's hope if you don't mind getting there early!
Got up at 5am, and went today (Wednesday) and they had about 100 iPads in stock! I arrived at 6am, found an open door to the Florida Mall (security people will help you out) on Orange Blossom Trail, and got into line with about 14 people ahead of me. By 8am there were about 70 people in line. A little before 9am two employees started down the line asking each person what model they wanted. They had a LOT of 3g models, and by the time they got to me they only had 16GB Wifi models left. (I don't know if anyone ahead of me got a different model of wifi only). So there is no guarantee they will have what you want - but I got the model I was looking for.

At 9am they started allowing several people in at a time and you were assigned a personal shopper. Then you were handed over to a setup person if you wanted assistance. The whole process was very well organized.

Yes, there are definitely people doing this to re-sell them. The 3 guys ahead of me were from the U.K. and had been there on Tuesday morning and when they saw how easy it was to get the iPads, they came back today to get more. (College kids I think)

Couple behind me (also from the U.K. on holiday) had stood in same line on Monday morning - only to be told at 8:30 am that there were NO iPads that day. Today, they got two!

Good Times!

 

[vi2867]

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I have a problem at my local Apple Store in Rancho Cucamonga, CA it is an open door mall and they do not allow people to line up. As people show up they have them leave. Around 730 am, after more than 50 gather around and rush in front of the store and refuse to leave. It doesn't matter if you show up early. This very frustrating.