Special Report: iBook Delays

Before we dive into the details of the current holdup on iBook shipments, we must reiterate the fact that the iBook was not completed when it was announced, and had yet to be finalized as of its original intended ship-date of early September.

The units were recently finalized, and Steve Jobs announced on September 15, in France, that the iBook was "now shipping." On September 15th Apple shipped a total of 200 iBooks, according to sources, and have not shipped a single one since that date.

The majority of these 200 units were shipped to selected retail locations. Certain CompUSA venues noted receiving one of each flavor, and being instructed by Apple not to display them until the 26th of September. So Steve Jobs' statement that iBooks were now shipping wasn't a lie, but it certainly was misleading.

Recently new troubles have risen due to the devastating earthquake which crippled the central western region of Taiwan. As some may or may not know, Apple has out-sourced iBook production to AlphaTop, which resides in the Hsinchu Industrial Park area of Taiwan. While there appears to be little if any structural damage to the facility, the entire area is suffering from a widespread power-outage, sources said.

The power-outage is expected to last between 3 to 4 weeks. In the meantime, the facilities are receiving one to two hours of power each day. Apparently, AlphaTop is petitioning to receive 20% power in the meantime. Obviously these events will all but completely halt iBook production at the facility for the duration of the outage.

More information will be published when it becomes available.