Yes We Have No iPod Shuffles Today
Apple Stores opened an hour early today to kick off the launch of the Mac
mini, iWork, and iLife ‘05.
Many people were hoping to snag an iPod shuffle, but sadly they are
backordered for 2 to 3 weeks and none were to be had at any price (though for you impatient moneybags out there I am
sure many iPod shuffles are available via eBay).
News.com
reports that several people walked away very unhappily without an iPod shuffle in hand. The interesting thing is
that the couple of people they spoke with who purchased a Mac mini were first time Mac users. This seems to bode well
for Apple’s chances with wooing more switchers to the platform.
Now, keeping in mind that I know nothing of Apple’s supply chain, I think it is odd that Apple didn’t manufacture more
iPod shuffles than it seems they did. Was this just poor planning on their part, or is Apple willing to risk some
immediate sales in order to keep the iPod shuffle frenzy in high gear by keeping them scarce?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
dave said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
a lot of Apple's resellers have shuffles in. CompUSA in the Denver, CO area for example has had shuffles for a week, though they couldn't put em out on the floor. A few friends and I waltzed in this morning around 10.. no lines, no rush.. bought 4 of em. If y'all are looking for shuffles, think outside the box like we did. ;)
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Small Paul said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
Planned or no, it's dumb. You can have as much buzz as you want, but companies are all about money. Surely you just want every last bit of demand translated into dollars, cos then you can report higher revenues and higher profits, please shareholders and analysts, and pay for the invention of even more cool new stuff.
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kemck said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
I went to my not so local Apple store yesterday in CT before the snow came... people were buying the Mini by the dozens, and YES that had all of the iPod Shufles you wanted! Picked up two in fact!
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Jack said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
Part of the "buzz" connected with the iPod mini when it was first released was how hard it was to get one. Ditto now with the iPod shuffle.
Yes, Apple themselves could have made more money by producing more. But at the same time, part of Apple's strategy has always been to create an aura around their products. Either the item is cool, hard to get, or both. The whole thing instills demand. And not just with consumers.
One of the biggest problems Apple has had is convincing non-Apple dealers to sell their product. When you have such a demand and surge of people wanting someting, retailers take notice. And suddenly, CompUSA and Target care about Apple products.
Apple will never loose money over having too little stock of an item. Wait a week or so and new iPod shuffles will be in stock. It's not like someone who wants an iPod shuffle will suddenly not want one while they wait for stock to be refreshed. If anything, if you make something slightly challenging to get--but not unatainable--you make people want it more.
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shane said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
Does anyone know of a site/forum where people are posting where they were able to successfully find an ipod shuffle? I've been checking resellers like CompUsa, and while one poster here said he got one there, their website and stores I've called said they still haven't arrived...
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Morgan MacArthur said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
You can get an iPod-inspired car player anytime, no shortages of this crap:
http://gadgetize.blogspot.com/2005/01/totally-awesome-1gb-car-ipod-shuffle.html
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