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Apple: 'Incredible demand' delays dual-2.5GHz G5s

updated 08:05 am EDT, Mon August 23, 2004

More dual-2.5GHz G5 delays

Apple last week began notifying customers of further shipment delays for its dual-2.5GHz Power Mac G5. In a note sent late last week to customers, Apple's online store said that demand for the high-end G5 systems had caused a backlog of orders, preventing the company from fulfilling some of them until the end of the month. One MacNN reader notes that his dual-2.5GHz Power Mac G5 was originally expected to ship on July 30th, but was .

In the company's conference call last month, Apple said that IBM's G5 manufacturing problems was the cause of the delay in in the G5 iMac launch, which now is rumored to debut at the end of the month. Last week two research analyst firms warned of continued G5 processor shortages.

by MacNN Staff

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iKant
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Joined: Jul 2004

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08/23, 09:00am | report spam | close Reply |
insulting explanation

demand, incredible or otherwise, can't alone explain these delays.

If we are believe Apple, there must be some serious flaw in their order-taking and order-promising procedures. It must be decentralized, so that when say 1000 orders come in from 1000 customers at the same time, the apple store computer checks the availability, let's say 500, and sees that each order is less than 500, so an early delivery date is promised. Only later is it recognized that there's a problem.

but does this make sense for one of the most tech savy firms around? Nope. I think we have to look elsewhere for an explanation. Maybe IBM problems, maybe a huge institution or institutions bumped us regular folk to the back of the queue...but regardless, I think we deserve an explanation that doesn't insult us.

testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001

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08/23, 09:10am | report spam | close Reply |
Delayed?

I'm shocked! Shocked! I can't believe Apple missed a shipping date! And then to do it a second time! Luckily for all these customers, they'll be getting their computers in a week. I say that with certainty because we all know Apple couldn't missing a shipping date a third time! No way that could happen.

Oh, and don't forget that Apple has already publicly stated that they'll be announcing a new G5 iMac next month, which means more constraints on an already constrained chip (either that or their just announcing it, with usual Apple flourish, and then not have it available for delivery until November, just like Apple sells everything). But, I hear Apple has lot's of eMacs available for you all, if you don't mind built-in screens. Maybe if you all are lucky, you could get it by Christmas. Or you can call dell, get just as fast and good computer for half the price delivered to your door in a week. Sure, not as good and all, but at least you'd be able to, oh, I don't know, USE it sometime this year, rather than just being able to stare at an ever-changing delivery notice.

Hmmm, tough choice...

Maybe apple can do another one of those "We're a supercomputer" ads, saying something like "The new G5 from Apple, so powerful we don't sell it to anyone!" Or how about a slapstick one. You know, showing Apple's shipping department, people drinking, falling all over the place, tripping carrying your computer around, seeing the pieces all over the floor, voiceover starts to read "We at apple computer really enjoy our job, even if it means shipping things a little broken and a little late. But its OK, because we have 90-day free phone support and a one year warranty." Or a promotional one "Be one of the first G5 owners whose computers work consistently out of the box, and win a free .Mac subscription". That promotion could last until next year the way their supply and QA is going.

lukechip
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Joined: Aug 2003

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08/23, 09:13am | report spam | close Reply |
word smithing

the same guy who wrote this release probably also wrote the 'skip free iPod' blurb, which is also quite a stretch of the imagination for those of us who run with the device.

Apple are legendary at spin doctoring things; at making bad news sound positive. I prefer honesty myself. If they just said "A supplier has been unable to meet projected delivery dates and orders will be filled in the order in which they were received", I'd think better of them. But maybe Wall Street wouldn't....

denaps
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Joined: Apr 2001

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08/23, 09:25am | report spam | close Reply |
calm down

none of you are surprised by the move, yet you all write multiple paragraphs about it? please. as soon as they announced the dual 2.5 wouldn't be shipping with the other two models you should have known there would be delivery problems. i find it quite amusing that #2 is talking about doing and getting a Dell because you have to wait longer for your G5 - yeah that's a great idea. do you realize that some people need these computers for their job? so far this thread is making me sick. just keep your pants on and wait for the machine - i'm sure then you won't be poo-poo'ing Apple you fair weather freaks.

Chris Hutcheson
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Joined: Oct 2000

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08/23, 09:28am | report spam | close Reply |
WEll, I got mine

I walked into a local Toronto store - CPUSEd yesterday, and walked out with one - love it. What an easy install process to move stuff from the old system. I wonder how many people are, like me,d eciding at the last minute that the price difference between the 2.5 and the 2.0 is (relatively) low enough from a business perspective to justify the higher end purchase, resulting in the shortfall...

ebeyer
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Joined: Jun 2004

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08/23, 09:45am | report spam | close Reply |
It's like...

It's like deja vu all over again.

Seriously -- just substitute 2.5 GHz for 2.0 GHz and this post could just have easily been made on this date in 2003.

Does Apple ever learn?

MacnTX
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Joined: Apr 2004

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08/23, 10:25am | report spam | close Reply |
Shouldn't Be A Surprise

Either IBM is short on processors or NVIDIA is short on video cards. This shouldn't be news to anyone. At least Apple is throwing in a $150 video card free for the delay. Can't complain about that. If you're going to fly on the bleeding edge (2.5 & 6800) you should expect delays. Same goes for any other electronic item, not just those from Apple.

testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001

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08/23, 11:04am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: wait

i find it quite amusing that #2 is talking about doing and getting a Dell because you have to wait longer for your G5 - yeah that's a great idea. do you realize that some people need these computers for their job? so far this thread is making me sick. just keep your pants on and wait for the machine - i'm sure then you won't be poo-poo'ing Apple you fair weather freaks.

Well, I do understand people need these computers for their job. I also understand they CAN'T DO THEIR JOB if they don't have the computer! Waiting sounds so great. Yes, I'll just sit here waiting for my computer to come in. No, I'm sure I'm not losing my business to those who actually have computers to do their job.

And let's not forget that there's going to be a whole boatload of people trying to buy before the end of their fiscal Q4 to get their money out (esp. the gov't). You think they're going to use that on Macs? I wouldn't. I couldn't trust them to get me a delivery before October 1, and wouldn't be able to get the expense on this years taxes.

But that's OK. I'm waiting...waiting...waiting...waiting...

MichaelNH
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Joined: Jul 2002

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08/23, 11:36am | report spam | close Reply |
job loss? umm no

If you are going to be losing business over this.. you need business 101.. buy a Dual 2.0Ghz... do the work.. when a Dual 2.5 is out there easily to be picked up... sell the Dual 2.0.. then buy a 2.5.. that easy.. what have these people been using before they put their DUal 2.5 order in!?!? Some people are so stupid. I went from a Dual G4 1Ghz.. to a Dual 2Ghz.. I couldn't wait for a new Dual 2.5.. so for the past 4 months I have been extremely product.. happy.. and even playing games... Motion runs faster than I need it to be.. I am not making money using the machine.. but instead of being stuck on a machine that wouldn't be able to run the high end programs I wanted to use.. I have been using them.. and getting ahead of the game when I ready to upgrade to the next step..

Cadaver
Addicted to MacNN

Joined: Jan 2003

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08/23, 12:15pm | report spam | close Reply |
Clamoring for 2.5's

While you've all been screaming that you need your 2.5GHz G5 for your business or you'll have to buy a PC, I've been using my DP2.0GHz G5 for nearly the past year... Don't know what you've all been doing with your time, but I managed to get a year's worth of amazing productivity done... all while you've been waiting and whining (and apparently not getting any work done).
Those who complain the most, need it the least.

klinux
Senior User

Joined: Jul 2002

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08/23, 01:58pm | report spam | close Reply |
A year?

"I managed to get a year's worth of amazing productivity done."

Only a year? Maybe the cancer is weakening Steve's Reality Distortion Field. You mean a decade right?

The fact is, it is one thing to have a runaway hit. It is another thing to constantly miss your delivery date. The next time someone considers a G5 cluster, or a schoool computer lab deployment, or a corporate upgrade, they will think "Apple will miss its delivery date but I cannot miss my project date. What are the other alternatives?"

denaps
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08/23, 04:10pm | report spam | close Reply |
wow

yes, if you can't do your job because you don't have a Dual 2.5 G5, then you or your IT person really screwed up somewhere. you should have another machine. yes, apple missed the delivery date, BUT unless you've been living in a box for the past 5 years you knew that would happen, i agree with the earlier comment "those who complain the most need it the least." stop bitching and get your work done on a different machine until your dual 2.5 shows up.

MichaelNH
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Joined: Jul 2002

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08/23, 04:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
g5 comment?

I am sure Apple would let a potential cluster customer know a much more detailed eta on product. if Apple didn't feel they could get them 1000 Dual 2.5's by September 1st, obviously they would tell them that... maybe give them a good deal on the Dual 2.0, then upgrade them to a 2.5 as they become more available. OH wait, that did happen in the Virgina setup.. upgraded from a single processor to duals I believe is what I read... Apple can only gain by working out solutions for these customers. Yeah it's a lot of work swapping out the xserves for the new ones, but a sale is a sale, and that is the cost of doing business and publicity.

testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001

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08/23, 04:41pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: wow

yes, if you can't do your job because you don't have a Dual 2.5 G5, then you or your IT person really screwed up somewhere.

No, Apple screwed up. They can't deliver what they announce (and I don't mean "they announce the G5 Xserve in January, but its not available until February", I mean the "they announce the G5 Xserve in January, available in February, no I mean March, wait, April, hold-on, its May now" c***). And this ineptitude (and that's what it is, plain and simple) is going to keep biting them in the a**. Of course, they also can't provide what people want, either, like a cheaper iMac (wait, any iMac would be nice, since they screwed up that bigtime and have completely missed an entire school year's worth of potential purchases! How many bonehead mistakes can one company make???), a desktop sans monitor at less than $2000, etc. The question is why would anyone who has any sense of a schedule ever buy or think to buy from this company?

But, I forgot, Apple doesn't want a large market share (OMG, think how long it would take to get a 2.5GHz if they had anything but a miniscule userbase). They're happy being the elitists of the computer industry.

marcinjeske
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Joined: May 2002

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08/23, 05:26pm | report spam | close Reply |
This is overblown...

We are talking one configuration of one product here... the Dual 2.5 Ghz PowerMacs. (Well, two products, if you want to include the unannounced, unspecified, unorderable iMac G?)

That being said, it's not unreasonable that demand for high-end gear may out-strip demand for high-end gear. This is hurting Apple, but mainly devoted customers in creative industries who hunger for the fastest computer, and their new customers in clustering, who need large numbers of boxes on a schedule (these latter are probably more interested in the xServe G5, which Apple currently claims will ship same business day).

As for education purchases... K-12 education primarily cares about the eMac (that's why the eMac was created. K-12 turned up its nose at the flat-panel iMac; they thought it was too delicate for school environments, and too expensive) On the higher-ed front, the missing iMac will hurt a bit, but the main rush in colleges these days is PowerBooks and iBooks. On the other hand, done right the new iMac might be the perfect holiday craze along with the iPod Mini.

Perhaps the problem here is that Apple underprices its high-end PowerMacs. Perhaps they should have a debut at a premium price to temper demand, and then gradually tend down as supplies grew, finally hitting the planned price. (For some reason, Apple has an aversion to gradual price changes, preferring to make quantum adjustments every few quarters.)

But for those suffering unbearable strain waiting for the latest PowerMac, consider a more moderate PowerMac. Or consider whether it would be better that Apple had waited five months longer to ensure it had an ample supply of G5s before letting anyone buy one?

A G5 on the desk and one on order is better than nothing (including not knowing what could be available.).

Marcin Jeske

BWhaler
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Joined: Apr 2003

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08/23, 05:40pm | report spam | close Reply |
My experience

I got the dreaded 2nd delay email, but then the Mac shipped the next day. I have a feeling Apple doesn't have it's act together, sadly, in addition to a few parts problems.

But the good news was I got a discount when I called on the 2nd delay. Then it shipped the next day. So that was cool.

Now, while Fedex has it on its way, all I care about it a quality build.

LouZer
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Joined: Nov 2000

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08/23, 10:46pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: overblown

Perhaps the problem here is that Apple underprices its high-end PowerMacs. Perhaps they should have a debut at a premium price to temper demand, and then gradually tend down as supplies grew, finally hitting the planned price.

First, this wouldn't work because no one has ever claimed apple's products were underpriced (what are you smoking?). Second, it would then lead to a hew-and-cry from the masses that the price is too high, no one will buy it, Apple needs ot lower it, etc (see complaints of the iPod and iPod mini, they're still saying it needs to be priced lower, even though they can't keep them in stock).

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Apple: 'Incredible demand' delays dual-2.5GHz G5s

updated 08:05 am EDT, Mon August 23, 2004

More dual-2.5GHz G5 delays

insulting explanation

Delayed?

word smithing

calm down

WEll, I got mine

It's like...

Shouldn't Be A Surprise

Re: wait

job loss? umm no

Clamoring for 2.5's

A year?

wow

g5 comment?

Re: wow

This is overblown...

My experience

Re: overblown

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Apple: 'Incredible demand' delays dual-2.5GHz G5s

updated 08:05 am EDT, Mon August 23, 2004

More dual-2.5GHz G5 delays

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insulting explanation

Delayed?

word smithing

calm down

WEll, I got mine

It's like...

Shouldn't Be A Surprise

Re: wait

job loss? umm no

Clamoring for 2.5's

A year?

wow

g5 comment?

Re: wow

This is overblown...

My experience

Re: overblown

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