Apple Sold Out of iPads? Techies Don't Buy It

Skeptics pick apart Apple's excuse for delaying its international launch

Apple is delaying the international launch of the iPad by one month. Why? According to the company, the iPad's been a "runaway success" and U.S. demand for the product has outstripped all expectations. As a result, foreigners will now have to wait until May 10 to pre-order the sleek new device.

The tech community has greeted Apple's announcement with near-universal skepticism, however. Too many people bought iPads? Not likely, say tech observers. Here are the competing theories:

• Sounds Like Supply Chain Problems, writes Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune: "Before the iPad launched, reports attributed to Apple's Asian suppliers suggested that the company had hit production snags that might reduce a planned build of 1 million iPads by April 3 to as few as 300,000. Apple was evidently able to build more than the smaller number, but it seems to have fallen short of the higher."

• I Suspect Apple Got Too Many Wi-Fi Orders, writes Kevin Tofel at Gigaom: "Is this just a simple supply and demand issue? I don’t think so. My suspicion is that Apple didn’t predict the right product model mix between the Wi-Fi and 3G versions of its iPad. Early sales estimates showed that nearly two of every three iPad orders were for Wi-Fi models. I personally find the device better suited to use in the home, where typically a Wi-Fi signal is available. Additionally, all early reviews and video demonstrations are based on the Wi-Fi model, which could be further generating consumer interest in it."

• They're Trying to Boost Hype suggests Asavin Wattanajantra at Tech Eye: "The more cynical reader could see this as more as a marketing ploy to increase the hype in other countries because it wasn’t doing as well as it should be in the US."

• This Raises a Lot of Questions, writes Larry Dignan at ZDNet

-What was Apple projecting in terms of demand?
-Are there component shortages that would prevent more iPad production?
-Apple’s store isn’t out of stock and iPads appear available. Is this a conscious decision by Apple to make ensure it can satisfy U.S. demand first? Or is this a case of a manufactured shortage?
-Are unit sales keeping pace with the first week’s haul?

• Advice for Foreigners  "For now, impatient international Apple fans will need to keep hitting online auctions and paying exorbitant prices to get the first iPads. Luxury item indeed," writes Jared Newman at PC World