Some Apple retail stores plan to open early Tuesday for iPad 2 sales

[fleurya]

No matter what Apple does, nothing will change this problem as it's just a matter of them having no way to keep up with demand. That will always breed this type of problem.

Any practices to curb it, such as credit card only purchases, will just be seens as discriminatory and wrong. However, it seems like it would be the only way to curb this behavior as many grey market buyers are paying cash and I imagine they're easily getting around the 2 per person limit with cash and fake names.

What would be nice is to reverse in-store supplies online as they become available. It would still be difficult to get in on one, but it would be much more customer-friendly than having to stand out in front of a mall for 2+ hours only to find out that they either don't have enough for everyone in line or don't have any at all that day.

Some good old patience will save much time and aggravation. My order is scheduled to arrive on 4/6. I may try to get one before then, but I won't try too hard or be upset if I can't.

 

[a.j.c.]

i wonder how possible it would be for apple to have enough ipads on launch (ipad3 etc.)where anyone who wanted one that day could very much get one

 

[MYmacROX]

i wonder how possible it would be for apple to have enough ipads on launch (ipad3 etc.)where anyone who wanted one that day could very much get one

It's not really a matter of getting enough iPads made. It's getting enough iPads made by launch day. If Apple took a poll and said who wants us to delay launch day by 6-8 weeks but we'll have enough inventory that everyone can get one, hardly anyone would say "ok". People don't want to wait. That's the real problem. They'll take their chances and get up early to stand in long lines.
Here's proof:
Just this morning there was a line of at least 100 people outside my local Apple store. More than 2 weeks after these went on sale, people are still lining up like that. 2 hrs before the store opens.

If people were more patient and not so greedy, everyone would just order online and wait for it to arrive at their door. But 3 weeks shipping time? No way!

 

[pigoo3]

i wonder how possible it would be for apple to have enough ipads on launch (ipad3 etc.)where anyone who wanted one that day could very much get one

There are at least two driving forces (probably more) behind how much product is available on a new products launch day:

- It's very difficult for a company to get an exact "feel" for how popular a new product will be. The best they can do is "predict" what the demand may be (via focus groups, surveys, and previous new product launches, etc.).
- How much time does a company have between the developing the "final prototype" of a new product...and launch day...to manufacture the units needed for retail sale.

Maybe Apple under predicted how many units they needed to meet demand for iPad 2's on launch day & beyond...or maybe they knew that there was no way they could manufacture enough iPad 2's before launch day.

Remember that there are also competitive pressures on companies to launch their new products as soon as possible...because if they don't someone else will. Apple could have waited 1, 2, 3, or 6 months longer to launch the iPad 2 (to have the time to manufacture more units)...but then all the other manufacturers of "tablet devices" may have launched their tablets...and then sales of iPad 2's may not have been as spectacular.

Will things get better with the launch of the iPad 3...probably not. There's just too many factors that go into predicting how many units you need for a new product at launch time. What if Apple produced 10 million iPad 3's before launch day...and ended up only needing 3 million. Now Apple has 7 million iPad 3's in the warehouse collecting dust...and BELIEVE me...this is a VERY costly way to run a business!

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

Just this morning there was a line of at least 100 people outside my local Apple store. More than 2 weeks after these went on sale, people are still lining up like that. 2 hrs before the store opens.

WOW...approx. 100 people still lining up before opening time! I was wondering if things had "cooled" off at the Apple Stores...but I guess not!

I guess I will have to wait longer to get my iPad 2 That's ok...I can wait!

- Nick

 

[fleurya]

I'm pretty surprised too. This seems worse than the iPad 1 launch, which is pretty impressive!

 

[a.j.c.]

so i'm still trying to get an ipad2...and since best buys and targts are getting so few i figured the apple store is still the best shot.

i got to my local apple store yesterday at 7:30 am and there were no less than 45 people already in line!!

they started handing out tickets when the manager got in and only got about 22 ipads for the day.

 

[iWhat]

Evidently, Best Buy receives their iPads directly from Apple. They don't get their shipments on a Best Buy delivery truck with everything else. So you can imagine, it's slim pickings of models that are in demand -- like WiFi only models.

 

[a.j.c.]

Evidently, Best Buy receives their iPads directly from Apple. They don't get their shipments on a Best Buy delivery truck with everything else. So you can imagine, it's slim pickings of models that are in demand -- like WiFi only models.

this is true...best buy gets direct from FEDEX same as target..and they can get dropped off any time during the day

and for some odd reason it seems that all the targets near me only get white 3g models

 

[fleurya]

so i'm still trying to get an ipad2...and since best buys and targts are getting so few i figured the apple store is still the best shot.

i got to my local apple store yesterday at 7:30 am and there were no less than 45 people already in line!!

they started handing out tickets when the manager got in and only got about 22 ipads for the day.

I've heard from my local store that people are still showing up as early as 4am to start lining up! But, they apparently get a ton of them at this store, because the past couple days I've called in they'd had some on hand until up to 12pm. (of course, you'd be lucky to get the model you actually want)

I'm not sure how dedicated you are, but it seems like in general stores are getting them in daily and if you showed up an hour or more earlier you'd probably get one.

Good luck!

 

[iWhat]

this is true...best buy gets direct from FEDEX same as target..and they can get dropped off any time during the day

and for some odd reason it seems that all the targets near me only get white 3g models

My mother has been asking around, and that's what answers she was getting at Target as well -- majority of the quantity being 3G. And even when they do get mostly 3G models, it's only a shipment of like five iPads...