To those complaining about no launch day...

[Mr.C]

I'm inclined to believe that the delivery windows were designed as so they could be bracketed ordering waves. Essentially, I expect most people in the 4/24-5/8 window will get them on the 24th, and then we may see very few deliveries for the next week or so, and then another wave of deliveries begin in the next bracket, or maybe even a day or two before. By creating these windows it appears that Apple has designed a wave system based on their confidence in current supply plus manufacturing.

My guess is that the initial delivery window comprises of the supply currently on hand, and nothing more. If that's the case, there isn't really a good reason why it would not be delivered on the 24th. All future waves are likely determined by Apple's production projections going forward from the initial wave. With any luck Apple will continue to improve the manufacturing process over the coming weeks and those June and July orders will bump up by a few weeks.

Again, I understand that Apple has stated these delivery dates to be what they are, and that we cannot EXPECT any more than that, but we can still make predictions based on logic and the limited information available to us.

I'm not doubting that and I do hope I'm wrong. That said it is all assumptions for now until there is actual change in people's delivery status.

 

[remarkable]

Why not? If we were all assured that supply would be plentiful and conveniently available either via online or in-store there would be no reason for Apple product scalpers to exist. No need for Apple to comb through purchases and randomly cancel parts of orders to the same household to enforce a 2 per customer limit.

Once upon a time customers could reasonably expect that if they dropped by the store or placed a catalog order they could receive their purchase in a timely manner. With most products we still do.

I don't know how we Apple customers allowed ourselves to be conditioned that it's acceptable for a company to advise us to wake at 3:00 am to order a product they don't care if they get to us in 1-3 months. Or to accept that one day to one week or more later we could still have our orders cancelled on us for exceeding an order limit that was not at all communicated to us at the time the order was placed. I'm not just talking about the watch. The 6plus preorder and launch period was a hot mess. I was there at the Apple Store buying other stuff and saw a lot of ticked off customers who were incredulous over their projected wait for the Plus they wanted.

So what if Apple makes a lot of product and it doesn't all sell out the first week or the first month? It will sell eventually through the year of its run. At least have enough inventory on hand for a respectable launch. If that's too much to ask of Tim Cook maybe it's time to sit these launches out altogether. I think this is my family's last one unless something changes. We will start buying like normal sensible people from now on when the product is actually in the store to be bought.

A) You never tried to buy a Nintendo Wii for the entire first year after it was released, did you? They weren't in stock anywhere. Fights broke out. It was a mess and they only sold a little over 3 million in the first year.

B) Apple probably already has millions already made and ready. I would consider that plentiful stock.

C) Apple is the most prestigious company in the world therefore demand is always going to outstrip supply.

D) Changes? They did make changes. No in-store sales as to prevent the feeding frenzy in malls. It cuts retail out of the middle and out of the shipment distribution in order to get the products into customers' homes faster and to make it more difficult for resellers to get first dibs.

Yes, I agree it's frustrating that the watch I ordered the day pre-orders started won't come to me until June, but I have to breathe and remember we live in an impatient, materialistic society and it is just a watch and I shouldn't get bent out of shape over it.

 

[briankeith513]

I fully expect people in the 4/24-5/8 window to get them on launch day.

Some might get them on launch date. However, why would Apple give a date range, even to people who ordered right when the site was updated, instead of just saying 4/24, which is the launch date? This is not something that Apple has done in the past.

 

[KPOM]

Some might get them on launch date. However, why would Apple give a date range, even to people who ordered right when the site was updated, instead of just saying 4/24, which is the launch date? This is not something that Apple has done in the past.

Quanta is making the Watch and the new MacBook, and has had known issues with QC recently. My guess is that the stories about yield issues are real, and the quantities are really limited right now. They will ship some watches on 4/24, but others in the initial wave will get them later.