iPad 2 shipping time hits 24 hours for the first time

For the first time since the iPad 2 began selling on March 11, 2011, the shipping time for the iconic tablet is 24 hours. That's right -- you can order an iPad 2 right now with the assurance that it be shipped from the factory within one day. It will take a few days longer for it to actually arrive at your doorstep, but at least there are no delays in production now.

This is a sure sign that Apple's production of the iPad 2 has finally reached an equilibrium with demand. During the Apple Q3 2011 Results Call last month, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook noted that the company was nearing that critical balance of supply and demand, and it appears that early production issues have been resolved.

Shortly after the iPad 2 release, TUAW reported that shipping times had slipped out to 4 - 5 weeks. By the end of April, those times had decreased to the 1 - 2 week level. Since then, improvements in the yield of critical components have helped the situation.

If the future iPad 3 proves to be as popular as its predecessors, I'm sure we'll see similar shortages for 4 to 5 months, so be sure to order early and often.