After one week, the iPad 2 is completely out of stock in the U.S. and no where to be found. Lines at U.S. Apple Stores continue to form but stock has stopped arriving. Online Apple.com orders now state a 4-5 weeks shipping time.
This has been noted as one of the worst-handled product launch in Apple history. They didn’t allow pre-orders, they had a 5pm launch, and most stores didn’t have a limit to the number of iPads you could purchase. This resulted with the gray market and eBay being flooded with overpriced iPad 2’s.
The international launch of the iPad 2 (which includes Winnipeg and all of Canada) is now in jeopardy. Analyst believe there isn’t enough stock to handle the international demand, which leaves Apple with two options. They will either delay the March 25 international launch citing stock issues, or continue with the launch but have extremely limited supply. Either way, consumers are not going to be happy.
So if you are planning to get an iPad 2 before summer, make sure you’re in line early this Friday, March 25. Online ordering is also available at Apple.ca.
Image iPad 2 Screenshot 2 Originally uploaded by The GameWay
