By SteveJack
For multiple iPhone launches, when Apple failed to have adequate supply on hand to satisfy demand, the company had a functional and useful “iPhone Availability Tracker” online for iPhone hunters.
Obviously, iPad 2 demand is far outstripping supply, so where is the “iPad 2 Availability Tracker?”
Hello, Apple?
I only ask because it would be logical to have provided such a tool already and because Apple’s own retail employees probably have better things to do than answer, “No, sorry, we don’t know when we’ll be getting another batch in” all day long to phone callers asking, “Do you have iPad 2 in stock?”
I just called five U.S. Apple Retail Stores (east coast, west coast, north, south, and one right in the middle of the country) and asked if they had iPad 2 units in stock. Of course the answer was no, but I also asked if they were getting a lot of iPad 2 availability phone calls. Each employee said, basically, “You don’t know the half of it.” Each employee also seemed to be straining to sound helpful and cheerful, considering they had probably been asked the question hundreds of times already today.
Does Apple enjoy torturing their retail employees and potential customers for no good reason? It sure seems like it.
One would hazard a guess that the code for the tracker exists, still tied into the retail stores’ inventory system, and that it would be rather trivial to turn it back on for iPad 2, right?
For reference, Apple’s availability tracker looked like this:
Maybe Apple doesn’t want to put up red squares for every store, but at least they’d be giving customers some useful information while also giving their own retail employees a break from repetitive and totally unnecessary phone calls.
Come on, Apple, get on the ball!
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
Always, always, always… Leave them wanting more. There is a greater return on investment in having an item that is never in and always wanted than to spend the capital on a tracking program.
born to rage !
Sounds just like a spoilt child.
Only a company as big as Apple could make a million $600 product before launch of a new item – and still not have enough
What would happen if they got it wrong and luanched a ” turkey” ?
Well Mr. Steve Jack,
Since you tout yourselft to an expert on “trivial software fixes” and scheduling, where the hell is the new MDN App which has been promised as “coming soon” for months? Perhaps you could open an App Tracker to let us know the current status.
Some of the comments in this forum are funny. For starters, few actually understand the issues relating to supply chain here. It takes time to retool from product A (iPad 1) to product B (iPad 2). When Apple does finally get initial supply, they could either begin moving the inventory and actually sell product or they could just sit on it for weeks to the point that no iPads would be available (version 1 or 2).
There are several benefits from selling what you have when it’s available. First, you actually make money. Second, initial reviews of the product are made and demand builds. Third, Apple gets free publicity from the circus of long lines and articles of demand outstripping supply. This in turn generates more demand for the product while effectively muting your would be competition like the Galaxy Tabs or the Xooms, etc.
While many of us may would be early adopters may get frustrated, you can rest assured this is a highly orchestrated event that is unfolding exactly as Apple hopes it would.
Good point at Steve! I have no problem admitting I am impatient and eagerly awaiting my Ipad, but the fact remains an Ipad in my humble opinion is a “luxury” item so I am not going to die, starve are be homeless without it, so I think we will all get over it and probably keep buying Apple products, lol.
Seems like a reasonable complaint — the system exists / existed for previous product launches, and would save a lot of hassle for customers and employees. Where’s it gone?
Not that it’s SO important to get it right away, just that it would save everyone involved a lot of guff.
Yes. Save customers the time and trouble of calling or traveling to the many stores that have no stock, and empower retail employees to spend more of their time helping in-store customers. Everybody wins.
We get it–iPad2 is a huge hit. Now do us all a favor and help those who want to buy one… to actually buy one!
I was also frustrated until I started looking at the tracking info for my ipad cover which is coming from China which let me to start looking around and I found this:
http://personalfinancebulletin.com/disaster-in-japan-causing-ipad-2-availability-delays/8094/
Yes Apple should do the tracker or at least say “hey the disaster is impacting production”
If you were a more important person, Apple would have given you one for free, before the launch date and asked for you to review it. So it’s basically your fault for not being important enough.
I’m in tel aviv and have prepaid for the I pad 2 it’s now in the 5 th week ,absolutely pathetic had I known I would of asked someone to bring it from Australia ,there even the kangaroos can buy one on the spot !!