Monday, December 14, 2009, 09:05 am

Apple responds to, apologizes for iMac shipment delays

By Katie Marsal

Apple has acknowledged that it is working to fulfill orders for its new 27-inch iMac, though the hardware maker has not officially addressed reports of screen flickering for some users.

While Apple did not respond to claims of hardware issues causing the delays, numerous threads (1, 2, 3) on the Apple support forums have reported screen-related issues on the new 27-inch iMac. A number of users in particular have claimed to experience screen flickering on the hardware.

When reached for comment, Apple offered an apology in a statement Sunday to Jim Dalrymple of CNet:

"The new iMac has been a huge hit and we are working hard to fulfill orders as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience or delay in delivery this may cause our customers."

When it first launched in October, the new iMac was the best-selling desktop machine for the month. The 21.5-inch iMac came in first place, while the 27-inch iMac took third in overall sales. Overall Mac sales in October were up 7 percent, suggesting the company could sell as many as 2.9 million systems for the quarter.

But issues related to the new hardware cropped up in November, as some systems showed up with cracked screens or just did not work. Flash video playback issues were also reported soon after the systems debuted.

This weekend, authorized resellers noted that their 27-inch iMac shipments had been delayed, as reports of screen flickering have grown. The resellers have been notified of delays of around two weeks.