It can be difficult getting your hands on an iPad. Apple admits it. Analysts announce it. Now the mainstream media are reporting it. Following up on online stories stretching back into mid-April, an investigation now finds Apple retail stores in 13 cities across the country have no iPad inventory.
New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Seattle, Denver and five other areas told Bloomberg Thursday they were out of iPads with no indication when a new supply would arrive.
Apple retail locations are handing out waiting lists rather than iPads, according to AppleInsider. Ten Apple store retailers are offering customers a chance to get on a “Notify Me” list, giving them first crack at iPads when they are available.
A similar picture was painted during the first weekend of iPad 3G sales, when most retailers reported selling out of the new iPad. Analyst Gene Munster predicted such a shortfall when he told investors April 1 “Apple is selling every iPad it can build.”
Not only are physical Apple retailers reporting empty shelves and delays, but also Apple’s virtual storefront. The Apple Store is reporting a a wait for up to a seven days on the iPad.
[via Bloomberg and AppleInsider]
