Were you one of the lucky few to get up early and place your order online for the coveted Apple iPad? If you did, you are one of the few that will have early bragging rights that you got yourself an iPad, and be the envy of all your friends. If not, you might be standing in long lines, or pay a little extra on eBay to get your iPad.
Seth Weintraub of 9to5Mac is reporting that due to high iPad sales there might be shortages in our future. Does this mean there’s going to be rioting in the streets? Will those who didn’t get up early on Friday morning to reserve their iPad be left out in the cold? I doubt it. It sounds more like PR hype to me than anything else. Earlier in February everyone was saying that Apple was only able to produce 300,000 iPads. Now the new count is at 700,000 iPads.
I’m reminded of when the iPhone launched, and people wanted to buy as many iPhones as possible to sell them on eBay. They thought that Apple was going to have a limited stock of iPhones. To the contrary, after the initial rush of customers, there still were iPhones available. Only shortly after that did they run low, but they seemed to be able to keep up with demand.
On Friday morning I read two reports. The first that Apple was selling 20,000 iPads per hour, and the other report stated that they were selling 25,000 iPads per hour. So, if Apple were to sell 40,000 to 50,000 iPads in two hours, that is a small fraction of the 700,000 that have been produced. Even if Apple sold 25,000 iPads an hour for a twenty-four hour period, they would have only sold 600,000 units. That would still leave 100,000 units available. I seriously doubt that, that type of momentum kept up for a twenty-four hour period.
More reports are going to be coming out in the weeks to come. Some will have a great outlook on supply, while others paint more of a bleak picture, and cause people to say, “darn I wish I pre-ordered early”. Whatever the case may be, Apple is in the business of making money not losing money. So, if you didn’t order on Friday the 12th, I’m sure you’ll be able to get your iPad. Maybe not on launch day, but shortly after. What do you think? Do you think there’s going to be a shortage? Or, do you think it just a lot of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt)? Let me know by leaving your comment in the comments section below.
Photo Credit: iPad Apple
Article Via 9to5Mac
