The less-expensive versions of the iPad (16GB and 32GB) have become the Zhu Zhu Pets of the tech world. Remember the news footage of parents going from store to store, only to find shelves bare of the mechanical hamsters? The same thing is happening to Apple fans searching for something other than the 64GB iPad.
J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz surveyed 15 stores this week, finding 11 stores had the 64GB iPads compared to just four stores able to sell a 16GB or 32GB version of the popular tablet device.
“While the sample stores represent a small fraction of the 221 U.S.-based Apple stores, we believe the targeted stores offer a decent barometer given their geographic distribution and importance,” Moskowitz said. The take-away from all this: get thyself to Chicago or Kansas City.
It turns out Chicago and Kansas City both were fully stocked in all three iPad versions. In an interesting tidbit, San Francisco, Calif. was also flush with the gadgets, as opposed to Palo Alto, just 30 miles away. Other areas with tight supplies: Greenwich, Conn. and Miami Beach.
“While the initial excitement could ease, we are surprised by the continued strength in the early stages,” the analyst said. It’s believed Apple sold over a half million iPads in under 10 days. The J.P. Morgan analyst projects Apple will sell 4.8 million iPads this year.
Apple decided to send iPads to its retail partners, such as Best Buy, which sold out the first weekend the tablet went on sale. Apple has also hobbled online retailers, requiring iPad orders only be take by phone, reports say.
[via AppleInsider]
