Second Round of iPad Shipments Delayed

Gauging the initial popularity of the iPad will be a blood sport. Pro-Apple enthusiasts will insist any number is the proof they need to demonstrate how great it is. Anti-Apple diehards will insist any number proves a successful iPad would have sold more with a forward-facing camera and Flash. In short, it will be the usual fight that plays out across the media and common folk every time Apple releases something new and interesting. A small little bit of information reported in 9To5Mac however offers a somewhat more objective popularity metric.

As reported in an article on that site, initial demand for pre-ordered iPads has caused Apple to run out of initial stocks. From now, until presumably launch day next week, if you pre-order an iPad from the Apple web site it will not be delivered until April 12th. Reserving one at an Apple Store is also no longer possible. Apple has now sold so many iPads sight unseen they have gone through their entire initial product run. FedEx is going to be very busy on April 3rd.

Say what you will about Apple and the iPad, it seems we have our first objective metric of the device. Demand for it has been so huge that probably 1 or 2 million units have been sold sight unseen. Trust in the quality of the device and in the quality of Apple products is so high right now a sizable portion of the population was willing to buy a device based on media coverage, a keynote presentation, and a Super Bowl ad alone. I mentioned in an earlier article I thought the iPad was easily the largest, most successful product launch in history. I think with numbers like these coming out, I was justified in that statement.

It will be interesting to watch as we move past next week’s launch date to see if the sales numbers continue to be strong. Would the iPhone numbers have been this strong in 2007 if pre-ordering have been allowed? That’s an interesting question. The iPhone started strong and has been strong ever since. If the iPad delivers on many of the promises and proposed use cases I think Apple has another iPhone-sized winner on their hands. Even if it disappoints some it will still be a solid product in Apple’s already solid line up.

What do you think of the iPad pre-sales numbers? Is there a lot of people getting caught up in the hype or do they know something special when they see it? Did you order an iPad? Are you getting it the 3rd or 12th? Drop us a comment and weigh in on the topic.