ipod
12/16/2004, 6:05am, EST
Thursday, December 16th
iPod shortage around the US?
An article in the The Wall Street Journal today says that iPods are becoming scarce at retailers around the country. The report says that Amazon.com, Buy.com, and other online retailers are now out of stock and "Apple is contending with what appears to be an immense demand for the gadget," and it suggests that Apple is dealing with manufacturing and distribution constraints due to the iPod's 'near-cult status.' Consumers are buying iPods faster than they did the Sony Walkman by its sixth year, and analysts expect Apple to sell more than 4 million iPods this holiday season. 'To try to meet the high demand, we're making and shipping iPods as fast as we can,' Apple said in a statement. 'So, if one store has run out, you may find iPods in another authorized iPod reseller.' iPod minis are selling for as much as $380 ($130 above retail) on eBay's auction site." [subscription required]
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Supplies of the iPod aren't constrained because of its "near-cult status", it's because the iPod is highly popular.
Few cults are highly popular. Those that become popular get another name (like, say, christianity).
as for ipod cult status, at around 4 million sold, does that qualify for cult status? especially since that number will be around 8 million in 2 months. i also read some analysts expect 25+ million to be sold in 2006. that's a hugely popular cult. almost as popular as xenu. (anybody get that reference?)
I think that reporter is on to something - popular gift items are sold out when Christmas is almost here. What a discovery!
Every generation. Every mini color. White earbuds and cable everywhere. On the street, in almost every store. On skaters, cyclists, on buses, trains, subways... EVERYWHERE!
It's phenomenal!
If that doesn't qualify as near-cult status, I don't know what does? As a Mac user since 1985, I don't see that as a dig on Apple at all!
How does that sound?
Never mind I'm keeping it! I'll see another hooked up under the tree @ my cousins this year, his sister has one already... They're everywhere here in Erie too...