Why not just order from Apple?

No idea myself, but two guesses are:
1. Low stocks even online make for long shipping periods?
2. Alot of people still do not like the idea of online shopping.

 

I agree to number 1 but the second one I doubt ... This is an iPad buyer.

 

Thats what I said 4 days in a row going to the apple stores early in the morning to get one. After getting shut out this morning I said **** this and I ordered one online.

As of now, buying one at the store is a complete waste of time.

 

Not everyone thinks alike. I'd rather hunt stores for my chances than waiting for an order online. That's me though

 

My grandfather, a classic leather-wearing, bearded truck driver, owns an iPad. He would never dream of shopping online.

Just saying, Plenty out there still don't prefer online shopping. I just recently became comfortable with it myself.

 

Impatience.

 

Almost 10% in sales tax.

 

I've never been to an apple store on launch day, so this year I gave it a try. I thought, " hey it's the 2nd version. How many people will really be in line." man was i wrong. when I got to the mall there were at least 200 people lined up. So I went home and ordered a white 16gb wifi model and got it in three weeks. The iPad has been out for 6 weeks. If people would've ordered online, they would have them buy now.

 

yep. I didn't get one on launch day and it was clear they were going to have stock issues for a while so I ordered one in the early evening of launch day. Have had it for 4 weeks already...

 

Your hindsight is impeccable. Congratulations.

 

I got my ipod and now my white 32g wifi ipad 2 thru the apple online store... I like the free engraving option!

--rob

 

I think a lot of people started chasing stock when the shipping estimates shortly shot up to 3, 4 and 5 weeks. It's not like people were not able to find units (in most cities), so for a lot of people it was worth driving around and buying one than waiting a month.

When the iPad 2 first came out, I'd planned to get one for my wife's birthday in April. Shipping estimates quickly made it questionable if I'd get it in time for this weekend.

I went to an Apple store in Dallas right before it opened yesterday and picked up the one I wanted. No big deal.

I could've ordered it online and waited a month, but buying it locally was a piece of cake.

 

People have been saying this since launch day. I put in a reservation at Best Buy the day after launch. Over the next week, plenty of people were taunting in the Best Buy threads that none of us with reservations would ever get them, or that Apple would obviously fill all its online orders before shipping any more iPads to other stores. Instead, I got my iPad a week after launch - and then got a call 3 weeks later that my iPad was in, because my name apparently didn't get crossed off the list! So by the time the people who ordered online when I put my reservation in got theirs, my BB had gotten at least two shipments of my particular model in. I was also watching Target inventories in my area, since I could cancel my BB reservation if I bought one elsewhere.

Ordering online is a great way to guarantee that you'll get one - eventually. It's low-stress, low-effort, but it will take time and you know that it will take time (although 1-2 weeks is significantly better than the 4-5 week wait after launch). If, however, you're impatient and have some time to invest, watching the store inventories and checking regularly could get you one sooner. It's a bit of a gamble, though. So basically you've got guaranteed in 3 weeks, versus possibly today - it just depends on which one sounds better to you.

 

I prefer to buy from apple. I wound up at best buy this time for iPad 2. That was ok especially since I wound up getting one the day after launch. I sure do hope the next time apple will offer the opportunity to buy via a presale order. It just makes things so much easier!

 

Can't escape sales tax ordering from Apple

That's not true. If Apple has a physical presence e.g. an Apple Store in the shipping state, then yes you have to pay salestax. If you order from a store without a physical presence in the state you can avoid it, but inventory at such a place will be more challenging at present.

 

I walked into best buy 2 weeks after launch at 5 pm. They had the white 64gb wifi I wanted in stock. My girlfriends roommate ordered hers from apple march 20th and it just arrived yesterday April 22.

^^ This is why you go into a store. It just depends on where you live and what kind of demand there is.

 

Chance for instant gratification.