To be honest, hearing about the status of the store stock from you Americans, I wonder if they're not having production problems. They just started taking pre-orders on Monday this week!!
My guess it's a combination. I do believe they not expect the iPad to be as successful as it is for them. And because of that, they did not have production at the level needed to have a free flowing pipeline. This is a problem that HP, Toshiba, Sony, and Dell would love to have.....
I'm glad I got my pre-order in on day one - a 2.30am. My expected delivery date is still showing as "by 28th May". I wonder if anyone is monitoring the expected pre-orders in Europe as they did in the US? I read somewhere that approximately 15,000 iPads have already found there way to the UK via grey import (mainly eBay) so that's presumably 15,000 people who haven't pre-ordered this time (unless they want more of the things of course).
I've had my iPad for 1 1/2 weeks now. I think their issue is that the iPad is that damned good - demand is much higher than expected. So - they're trying to level supplies out and not get themselves in a big mess.
If my experience is like other peoples, the more people have them, and show others, the more sales will keep coming in. My son, daughter, and I each have one, and there hasn't been one person who has seen them, that hasn't wanted one!
Australia now June 7 for all new orders.... It was expected the demand is greater than supply I ordered my 32 gb wifi early at 5am on the 10th May in Australia. My date of delivery still shows by 28th However the Apple store web site now states June 7 for all new orders. Based on my previous knowledge with Apple it looks like each country was allocated so many units That was exhausted in 2 days so demand is high I have no figures for Australia for sales yet but like USA it is similar demand iphone is NUMBER 1 now in Australia so that shows how Apple is accepted here. Keep in mind our populations is about 26 million about the same as greater LA lol so we are small in size compared to USA I will move this thread to international area as it belongs there. Cheers Colin Down under
It's interesting that, in the UK, there has been zero advertising for the iPad and the general public seems disinterested/ unaware of what it is capable of. In my company of some seventy plus people, no one has said they will be getting one (although most have said they would like to see mine when it arrives) So either their are a lot of Geeks out there who read forums such as this/ listen to Podcasts from the likes of Leo Laporte, or Apple have not allocated us many?
Canadian Apple Store still shows may 28th for now, but we know how slow Canadians are to react eh! LOL