iPad crunch may see long waits, limited business use
updated 04:30 pm EST, Fri March 12, 2010
Bulk purchases blocked
It may soon be difficult or impossible to get an iPad without having pre-ordered, information from retail sources indicates. Apple itself has confirmed that all shoppers are currently being limited to two iPads, even if they represent a business client. The restriction on businesses could imply that quantities are limited enough that Apple is reserving as much as it can for the general public.
Backing this view are sources for AppleInsider, which claim that the number of iPads each retail store will receive will be based entirely on the amount of pickup requests per location. Only stores with large quantities of pre-orders, as a result, may also have a significant number of tablets in-stock on April 3rd. All pre-orders are expected to be fulfilled, but casual shoppers may be disappointed, even if they line up in advance.
Other reports note that Apple is telling some people, namely those switching from online to pickup orders, that demand is so intense the company cannot guarantee they will have an iPad on launch. The truth may be that Apple has been experiencing production problems, preventing it from building systems at the rate it has hoped to. Some sources involved in supplying Apple manufacturer Foxconn have denied this, however.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2007
Nah, the haters already know this short supply
rumor is merely a ruse by the Apple hype machine to make sales seem greater than they actually are. Every time Apple has a shortage on iPhones or iMacs, it's faked. They're deliberately holding products in their huge warehouses trying to build up demand. Instead of consumers going to purchase another company's product, they'd rather wait in agony for Apple products. The Apple haters will manage to debunk the whole iPad "overwhelming pre-order" lie that Apple routinely uses to boost its share price and draw headlines. The pundits have already determined that nobody will buy iPads and everyone is holding out for either the JooJoo tablet or HP Slate because those devices do EVERYTHING a geek could ever want.