“It could be deja vu all over again for Apple Computer Inc. Just one week after launching the tiny iPod Shuffle, a lightweight and much cheaper model of its market-leading digital music player, customers face a wait of two to four weeks before their order is shipped, according to the company’s Web site on Tuesday,” Reuters reports.
“The backlog of orders comes not quite a year after the introduction of the iPod mini sparked a six-week wait when ordered online,” Reuters reports. “There is a two- to three-week wait for the $99 iPod Shuffle, which holds about 120 songs, while customers face a wait of three to four weeks for the $149 model, which has double the capacity, according to the Apple Web site.” Full article here.
According to a November 12, 2004 report from AppleInsider, “RUMOR: Apple to start making flash-based iPod stockpiles for January debut,” Apple was rumored to be building a stock-pile of approximately 2 million iPod shuffle units before the product began shipping world-wide after a Macworld Expo debut. We can only wonder if Apple had 2 million units on hand by the time Steve Jobs unveiled it. If so, “Wow!” Regardless, if for the publicity that is sure to be generated by this shortage alone, Creative, iRiver, and the rest of the also-rans are seriously hating life right now.
MacDailyNews Take: More popular than Apple thought? It’s almost, we say almost, beyond reason (well, maybe not so unreasonable, if Apple sold 2 million iPod shuffles in a week) that Cupertino could’ve underestimated demand for the iPod shuffle, but Apple does have its voluminous [pun intended] history of supply problems. Anecdotal evidence from retailers suggests that people are buying multiple iPod shuffles at one time – have they bled the initial run dry already? Not bad for a “fad and a one-product wonder,” as Dell CEO Kevin Rollins was quoted yesterday to describe Apple’s iPod line. It seems that Rollins offered no catchy descriptions for the Dell DJ line.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Tech columnist Wendland: ‘Apple’s new iPod Shuffle to be the next must-have product’ – January 18, 2005
iRiver CEO on Apple iPod shuffle: ‘It will be very difficult for users to find their favorite songs’ – January 17, 2005
Dismissive Dell CEO not impressed with Apple Mac mini, calls iPod a ‘one-product wonder’ and a ‘fad’ – January 17, 2005
Apple VP: Apple received more prerelease orders for iPod shuffle in Japan than for iPod mini debut – January 14, 2005
Creative CEO: Apple iPod shuffle ‘a big let-down, worse than the cheapest Chinese player’ – January 12, 2005
Walt Mossberg tests Apple’s new iPod shuffle and concludes that ‘the iPod juggernaut will roll on’ – January 12, 2005
Analyst: Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle are big winners for Apple – January 11, 2005
Apple introduces iPod shuffle, first iPod under US$100 – January 11, 2005
RUMOR: Apple to start making flash-based iPod stockpiles for January debut – November 12, 2004
Crap.
to the moon , this is going to be great
Damn, and I was going to buy one for this girl to hopefully…….well…….you know.
No soup for me.
It’ll be the same with the Mac mini – just watch.
Magic word = didnt
“Why didnt I buy Apple at $12 in summer 1996?” Answer: Gil Amelio
NUMBERS! I want to see the number of orders for the first week. I bet they will jump to 75% market share for flash players in the first month. Of course I have 1 question, what possible upgrade path is their for such a simple device?
I found the 512MB shuffle at an Apple Store yesterday. They had maybe 20 or so left at the moment I bought mine but they were selling briskly, so I’m sure they were all gone an hour or two later.
There doesn’t have to be an upgrade path. This is the sort of device people will simply buy an identical one of to replace an old/broken one. This is true, to some degree, of the iPod as well (though the price is higher). This is also going to be huge as a gift (as seen by people buying multiple shuffles at once). All the iPod loving people out there are spreading the joy.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” /> Win, win scenario for Apple. Free advertising, more income, and a larger chunk of the flash marketshare pie.
I ordered mine on the day of Macworld and got it yesterday. I should have not opened it and put it on ebay. Im sure there are people out there willing to pay double just to get one of these..
Man, I ordered one hours after the announcement and still haven’t heard squat from Apple’s online store about shipping dates….
Come on, Apple–I want my shuffle!
mine is coming today !!!!!!!! ray no one is going 2 pay double for it. It’s a flash ipod. It’s a cheap ipod. That’s the whole point. you guys think I should take pics of it’s opening. mac mini is high!!!!!!!! My imac is delicous. so is my powerbook. daddy steve ah. apple is god
Argh–just checked the order status, and it says “on or before 1/28”!!
Well, my birthday’s the 29th…. Maybe Apple will get it into my hands then
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Ordered on the day arrived yesterday. The Mrs is exceedingly pleased, listening to Mozart Mass in C walking the dog!
The Shuffle is going to be mega mega mega…
Magic word is STARTED…it has indeed.
At the Apple store in San Francisco on Tuesday last week (i.e. day of Keynote), I noticed people buying 2, 3 and in one case about 10 of them. They only the 512Mb version which we weren’t interested in, but I’d heard they’d sold out of those by the end of the day.
Guess when people buy 10 at a time, it’s no wonder. They probably have lots of lucky friends right now!
I think I am going to get a 512 Mb one. That is like 8 hours of music right? Plenty enough for the short trips or exercise sessions I plan on using it for. Usually I will continue to use my 30 gig iPod that only has like 4 gigs left open. And only music!!
My order for 2 of these bad boys goes in soon, I guess I will be waiting unless I can catch some at the Apple store
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EAT IT DELL!
I’m more concerned about the Mac mini supply. If they can’t keep up it could dampen momentum.
16 hours
The upgrades? Increased capacity for the same price.
The Apple store in London got 200 in on Saturday morning – sold out in a couple of hours.
I just saw the news on CNN.com and sent the link to MDN, but they were ahead of me. The iPod shuffle is going to be a dinosaur-killer, likewise the Mac mini.
My local Apple Store got them in on Monday. I called first, but they wouldn’t hold one for me. By the time I arrived, they had already sold out. I heard one person bought several dozen – probably to sell on ebay.
Bastard.
The demo model one of the Geniuses was wearing looked pretty cool.
I ordered one.
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Hope you get yours soon.
There are TONS of iPod shuffle’s already on ebay. Check this out: http://search.ebay.com/ipod-shuffle_W0QQxZ0QQyZ0
A 1 GB model for ‘buy it now’ of $169.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=73839&item=5745181173&rd=1
Or a 512 MB for $130.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=67835&item=5745201242&rd=1