AppleInsider Staff
More than a month after the launch of the new iMac, Apple still cannot provide adequate supply of its redesigned desktop, as resellers remain completely barren.
Apple's online store was updated on Monday to reflect shipping times of between three and four weeks for new orders of its redesigned 27-inch iMacs. Previously, orders were advertised to ship "in January" — a change that was made last month to let customers know their orders would not ship before Christmas.
With three-and-a-half weeks left in the month of January, the change in estimated shipping times may not represent an outright delay, but the continued wait is yet another sign that Apple is unable to produce enough iMac units to meet customer demand.
AppleInsider can also confirm that Apple's reseller channel is completely out of 21.5-inch iMac units. The 21.5-inch model is advertised at Apple's online store to ship in 7 to 10 business days, while resellers are feeling the squeeze as Apple struggles to meet its own demand.
The 21.5-inch iMac became available in late November, while the 27-inch version saw limited availability in mid-December. Estimated shipping times through Apple's online store quickly slipped after sales began.
In fact, iMac inventory has been in short supply at resellers since September, as Apple began to draw down production ahead of its update. Some major resellers had completely run out of stock of the iMac months before the new models debuted.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook signaled in October that his company would face a "significant shortage" of iMacs in the December quarter. And analyst Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities said in August that the new screen lamination process used in building the new iMacs is particularly difficult with the larger 27-inch model.
The redesigned iMac has an aluminum frame that's 5-millimeters thick at its edge, and also features a reengineered display which reduces reflections by 75 percent. It also features new quad-core Intel Ivy Bridge processors, and Nvidia GeForce graphics processors with up to a 60 percent boost in performance.
Last week, Apple began offering its new hybrid Fusion Drive on entry-level 21.5-inch iMac orders. Previously, that option was limited to the 27-inch model and high-end versions of the 21.5-inch model.
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104 Comments
They are amazing machines.
Sounds like Apple cuts its safety net inventory too drastically year after year on new products to save supply chain costs. They've been doing this long enough to where it is now a cost savings strategy, and not a by product of huge consumer demand. For a long time Apple enthusiast, its gotten to a point of aggravation. I won't be upgrading to the new iMac due to the lack of an optical drive. That savings is not passed to the consumer, but to the bottom line, as the consumer must go out and buy one in addition, as a $60-$100 add on. The tarnish is starting to wear a bit on Apple. I hope that they have something mind blowing in the pipeline for 2013-2014, or its going to be a long bus ride to $300. Only a cable channel revolution similar to what Apple did with the music industry will do. But its a much harder nut to crack, so I won't be holding my breath. I bought in at $44 a few years back, and sold at $612. Nice ride, but I won't be getting back in anytime soon until they pull the curtain back for the final time.
Resellers are out of supply but what about Apple. Are they out of stock, what are wait times on new units And why the waits. Is it because half the parts are crap and are rejected. Is it because they are taking extra time putting these together because they aren't as easy to fix so they want to avoid DOA units. Is it the hand calibrating of the screens. Is not impossible to believe that Apple could be taking more care with this units or that the first 9 of every 10 is going to their own channels. Articles like this that fail to give a rounded view are just hit fodder and stock games. Call me paranoid but it feels like either someone is trying to make money by lowering the price to buy cheaper or they are jealous that Apple was still succeeding and are trying to 'bring it down to size'
The three apple stores I went to in the UK didn't have either model in display - london's covent garden had the old models, Bath had the old ones, and the third I can't remember where it was - but it was out. That as people were soon Christmas shopping
Sounds like Apple cuts its safety net inventory too drastically year after year on new products to save supply chain costs. They've been doing this long enough to where it is now a cost savings strategy, and not a by product of huge consumer demand. For a long time Apple enthusiast, its gotten to a point of aggravation. I won't be upgrading to the new iMac due to the lack of an optical drive. That savings is not passed to the consumer, but to the bottom line, as the consumer must go out and buy one in addition, as a $60-$100 add on. The tarnish is starting to wear a bit on Apple. I hope that they have something mind blowing in the pipeline for 2013-2014, or its going to be a long bus ride to $300. Only a cable channel revolution similar to what Apple did with the music industry will do. But its a much harder nut to crack, so I won't be holding my breath. I bought in at $44 a few years back, and sold at $612. Nice ride, but I won't be getting back in anytime soon until they pull the curtain back for the final time.
You =/= all users.
Then, even a well informed monkey would do a better work than you.