Actually we are the ones that get owned either way... all these iPads are then sold as refurbs and the cost for apple, equals cost for us right?
Apple is doing a good thing for their customers, making sure there's enough supply to outweigh demand and put the scalpers out of business.
What will be funny with the iPhone 5 release will be that because everyone who preordered will think "Gee, no need to preorder because Apple stores have no lines and they'll have every size all day long" that we'll be right back where we used to be- fewer goods in the hands of customers, more in the hands of scalpers.
I didn't like worrying about FedEx trucks and delivery dates, would have preferred just to walk in the store and get what I needed. Customer behavior moves both ways depending on the situation. We all preordered The New iPad to avoid the in-store shortages, now that we perceive there aren't in-store shortages, we'll all stop preordering for the iPhone 5. Round and round it goes...
BJ