back to article iPad stuck in US for extra month

Apple has delayed the international launch of the iPad by one month. The reason? According to an Apple media advisory, "demand is far higher than we predicted." Although iPad wannabes outside the US won't be able to get their hands on the "magical and revolutionary" device until the end of May, Apple will announce …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Grenade

    demand is higher than expected.

    read 'we didn't think many people would buy this obvious crud'

    maybe they only made around 600,000 of them in case is was a big flop and now they're a little staggered that so many people are gullible and fall for 'its a new paradigm', 'its a new device never before seen' rubbish.

    oh..and its shiny...so typical Apple buyers will buy it ;-)

    1. Ascylto
      Terminator

      Troll!

      You must have come out from under your bridge VERY early to get pole position with your inane comments.

  2. Eric Hood

    Supply.

    This is not unusual for Apple products. I expect areas outside of the US will not see good supply until September.

  3. Tom from the States

    This is probably a stalking horse

    The "high demand" story both provides marketing grist while providing time for Apple to fix bugs such as the DHCP bug discovered by Princeton at http://news.softpedia.com/news/Lay-Off-the-iPad-Princeton-University-Tells-Students-139830.shtml.

  4. El Mono Grande
    Pint

    No comments until you try it

    Yeah, I'm talking to you AC. While I am a Linux user, I have had an opportunity to work with the new pad for an extended period of time (even though I don't own one). I can honestly say that being a version 1, this thing is pretty solid. Not to say that there isn't room for improvement because there most certainly is but I'll be curious to see what the next versions of the hardware will deliver (like read and forward facing cameras). Not to mention the competition that seems to be occurring thanks to this baby....and that's a Good Thing (tm) for all of us.

    1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      Maybe fanatism works?

      As much as I dislike Jobs' attitude, I have yet to see Apple let loose a product that at least deserves the title v1 instead of alpha v0.1 like, well MS Vista. Maybe that's part of their runaway success, an unwillingness to use the customer as beta tester. Having said that, waiting with the iPhone meant I have a 3GS - "good" doesn't mean it cannot improve :-).

      It's a problem really. I'd love to bitch about Apple, but it's undeniable they make good products, and [Windows: updating your computer is almost complete. You must restart for the updates to take effect]

      QED..

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    ... and I bet it still wont have iBooks

    So now it is "Late May" ... I bet in a few weeks time it'll be "Late June"

    Apple should have put fixed dates for International release, as the current "delay" just to appease the american market just deters people for buying

    When Apple had the "Slate" market all to itself a few weeks ago, the iPad looked good. Now with HP due to release and several other manufacturers being rumoured to make slates why buy an iPad if you're a UK resident .. it wont do the iBooks (note how it's missing anything about them from the UK apple website)

    Windows 7 may suck, but if HP produce a slate near apples price, it might steal a few of apples sales

    For me, the contempt apple has for Non-US customers seems to be showing a little.

    I would have got an iPad on in late April, now I look at the money and think I can do something else with it ... perhaps a nice new Laptop (and not one of the new even-more expensive MacBook Pros)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Jobs Horns

      The HP Slate..

      is based on the Intel Atom processor so getting Android to run on it should be pretty simple given Google has already ported it to Atom (for a tablet device they are planning).

      Given the HP Slate has ticked a few more boxes than the iPad, I think it has a good chance of winning against the iPad, even if it does initially ship with Win7.

  6. SteveC 1
    WTF?

    Where are they now?

    The question I'd like answered is where these devices actually are at the moment. you'd have thought for an April release here in the UK they'd been shipped out from Hong Kong weeks ago so they could sail here, avoiding the pirates, and be here in time to get through customs and be driven around the country ready for the original sales date. I'd bet they are currently sitting on a dockside somewhere in the South of the UK.

    Does that mean Apple are going to pack them back into aircraft and fly them over to the US?

    1. Ascylto
      Terminator

      And ...

      In another article I read that the wifi standards in Europe are higher/different than in the US. If this is so, then the UK iPads are hiding somewhere or, if returned to the US, some buyers are not going to experience the alleged wifi problems with the iPad.

      I smell bullshit.

    2. Britt Johnston
      Pirate

      really don't know where they are?

      ebay is stuffed with ad's for US iPads, footsoldiers frontlining, no need for Apple to struggle to meet promises.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Or a marketing ploy...

    Used to know a shopkeeper who told me a couple of trade secrets.

    One was never to show there's plenty of some new item on stock. People buy it better if they think it's running out. Wouldn't surprice me if apple used same ploy.

  8. Chris Elvidge

    They're on sale in electronics shops over here

    in Dubai. Advertised in the press. No prices, though

  9. truCido
    Jobs Halo

    not bad!

    So if they've sold 500,000 thats at least!!! $249,500,000 so probably nearly the $270,000,000 mark. Not a bad profit, over $100,000,000 if you go by the $260 build price rumours

  10. Lime Smoothie
    Paris Hilton

    Bollix

    Apple in 'hyping new product' shocker. Supply chain difficulties meant initial delays in release but they couldn't let down the US market or SJ would have looked like a tit. Now they've shifted plenty of units, its time to wheel out a bit of spin to explain why they can't ship internationally yet.

    Course, all your early adopters will have got one via eBay or a freight forwarder (Bundlebox, Borderlinx etc). Leaving just the mildly interested to wait for the UK/EU release.

    Paris, because I bet she's got an iPad already.

  11. Witty username
    FAIL

    "demand is far higher than we predicted."

    They cant believe people want one either! hows that for confidence inspiration.

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