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U.S. Apple Retail Stores Continue to Experience iPad Shortages

I've had good luck at Best Buy. Got a 64GB 2 days after launch, and a 64GB 3G this past Monday(giving the old one to my fiancé as a surprise this weekend!). Part of what makes it easy is the ability to check inventories online at BB - when you see they've got them in stock, take a quick drive! I wish Apple would do this too - they did for the 3G iPhone.

FYI, I still have yet to see the camera connection kit in stock anywhere...
 
paul4339 said:
Apples apparent strategy: gather as much momentum, as fast as you can, before others have a chance to come out with a competing product. Even if your product isn't perfect, it's the only product. Marketing and advertising can handle the rest.
By the time your competitors can react, you'll own a sizable chunk of the market and be 'in the black'... then you start releasing improvements/next version.

P.
Click to expand...

Most trolls point out that the iPod wasn't the first mp3 player, the iPhone wasn't the first touchscreen phone and the iPad wasn't the first tablet. You sir have me confused.

Apple enters markets that they are not satisfied with and think they can make a difference in. They don't try to get products out first.
 
HLdan said:
Mr. Jobs spent a sizable amount of time comparing it to a Netbook and then went on comparing it to the Kindle. Did you miss that part? ;)
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Yea, you're right, but I thought we were talking about only tablet computers specifically. :eek:

But in the context of netbooks and the kindle, I agree Apple was being reactive.
 
TallManNY said:
... Apple tried to control supply issues with price for the first iPhone. That was part of why it was so expensive when it first came out. Apple got a lot of flack for that...
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Yeah, I forgot about the iPhone debacle. That was ugly.

Maybe they could've bundled some accessories in with the first tranche? Like the apple case, dock and headphones and bumped the price by $100 (at a manufacturing cost of maybe ~$30)? That would give the early-adopters less reason to grumble when the unbundled iPad arrived months later for $100 less.

Hindsight is 20-20, huh? :)
 
ValSalva said:
Orchestrated shortage?
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Doubtful.

They probably just simply underestimated demand and maybe some component issue.

I know people like to argue that shortages create hype, but at some point it becomes a self-defeating strategy - for instance depriving themselves the ability to announce a number sold at WWDC that really captures the imagination of people.
 
lkrupp said:
There's always a conspiracy theorist in the bunch isn't there.

Anyways, the next quarterly results for Apple should be very, VERY interesting.
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Orchestrating a shortage is good business. It makes the product seem like a sensation that one ought to purchase now or one won't be able to get it for who knows how long.

It worked for the Wii.
 
paul4339 said:
Apples apparent strategy: gather as much momentum, as fast as you can, before others have a chance to come out with a competing product. Even if your product isn't perfect, it's the only product. Marketing and advertising can handle the rest.
By the time your competitors can react, you'll own a sizable chunk of the market and be 'in the black'... then you start releasing improvements/next version.

P.
Click to expand...

You bet. And it sure seems to work just great.
 
ValSalva said:
Orchestrated shortage?
Click to expand...

Not so sure ... seems more like an under estimate. I'd think they would want to pretty much want to fill the market BEFORE the competition could come up with a viable alternative. Even when considering myself, I wasn't THAT hot on getting one originally .... but now .... damn, I really want one. Who wants to drag around a full laptop on vacation?
 
I purchased 2 3G ipads, 1 with 64G and the second with 32G.

I wonder if the reason the 3G iPads are in such short supply are because they are more popular than the WIFI only version or that Apple is making less 3G models?
 
the in-store reservation system typically takes 4-7 days
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Ahahahaha!

*SNORT*

Ahahahahaha!!!

I already blew by that one. My local Apple Store said none have showed up since I added my name to the reserve list more than 10 days ago. This is in a high-scale mall in Los Angeles too.

It's a good thing I already have one, but I need a second one to keep peace in the house.
 
The true price of consumer demand...

Don't get me wrong, I'm an Apple fan, bought my first imac in 2000 and would love to get an iPad.

But I wonder if we realize the true cost of the products we demand these days? To bring consumer electronics to our stores and homes at price points which we consider 'affordable' (even if Apple detractors describe the current suite as overpriced and overhyped), Apple is contracting with manufacturers which have labor practices many would deem unacceptable.

For example, see the new stories for Foxxconn, maker of displays for many Apple products, where the 9th employee has just committed suicide. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10137101.stm
 
shuggy1972 said:
Don't get me wrong, I'm an Apple fan, bought my first imac in 2000 and would love to get an iPad.

But I wonder if we realize the true cost of the products we demand these days? To bring consumer electronics to our stores and homes at price points which we consider 'affordable' (even if Apple detractors describe the current suite as overpriced and overhyped), Apple is contracting with manufacturers which have labor practices many would deem unacceptable.

For example, see the new stories for Foxxconn, maker of displays for many Apple products, where the 9th employee has just committed suicide. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10137101.stm
Click to expand...

Dawg get over it...most electronics are made in China...and most of the factories look like this one. They will never make this stuff in the USA ever again. It is just too expensive. I know it sucks but that is the facts.
 
BigYawn said:
You know, you have whining people getting all upset that there are millions of people without access to clean drinking water, sanitation, education and healthcare. Well, they know nothing about the plight of the poor US citizens who can't get their hands on a 3G iPad. What heartless people. Maybe someone should do a charity record to bring this disaster to the forefront of peoples minds.
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Did you notice that you're on MacRumors.com and not CNN?
 
shuggy1972 said:
Don't get me wrong, I'm an Apple fan, bought my first imac in 2000 and would love to get an iPad.

But I wonder if we realize the true cost of the products we demand these days? To bring consumer electronics to our stores and homes at price points which we consider 'affordable' (even if Apple detractors describe the current suite as overpriced and overhyped), Apple is contracting with manufacturers which have labor practices many would deem unacceptable.

For example, see the new stories for Foxxconn, maker of displays for many Apple products, where the 9th employee has just committed suicide. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10137101.stm
Click to expand...

Factories in China need to improve conditions for workers--that is not in dispute. I don't think the solution is stop purchasing electronics however. All that does is close the factory that provides the income to the worker.

A lot of what is going on in China is cultural. It's not like Apple is demanding no bathroom breaks for the workers to meet a quota. On the contrary, I think with all the bad publicity I'm hoping Apple starts demanding the opposite--I think they will.
 
mcpryon2 said:
I kind of wish they wouldn't have so many on display at the store during the shortage. The Jordan Creek (West Des Moines, IA) store has, I believe, 24 iPads on display yet they "can't keep them in stock," according to the specialist with whom I talked.

Oh well, there are better things to worry about, I suppose.
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Sweet, WDM, IA FTW

My mom went to pick one up and they had 2 64 wifi that just came off reservation.
 
Publicity Stunt!

After the the old lady incident of paying cash for iPad. Here's the news came right away that they're running out of iPad? Hmmmm?????? Well, Apple is getting an attention it needs to tell everyone that go buy one before you ran-out. It's all marketing strategy folks imo.
 
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