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Unexpected delays slow delivery of custom-built MacBook Pros, Apple says

Users who have purchased Apple's new 15-inch MacBook Pro models with build-to-order options have been notified that their shipments are delayed.

A number of customers who ordered new MacBook Pros the day they were released were originally quoted ship dates within a few weeks. Now, those customers have told AppleInsider, those orders have been pushed back to early May.

One customer ordered a custom configuration MacBook Pro with the antiglare screen and extra memory on the day the hardware was released. While it was originally scheduled to be delivered between April 20 and 26, it has now been pushed back to between April 30 and May 6. Another customer who ordered a Core i7 15-inch MacBook Pro with antiglare and 8GB of RAM saw their shipment delayed to May 3.

Standard configurations of all the new MacBook Pro models, without the antiglare screen or other custom options, are still listed on Apple's online store as shipping within 24 hours. Any custom 15-inch MacBook Pro appears to have a wait time of 5-7 days, while adding the antiglare option to the 17-inch model results in a wait of 1-3 days for shipping.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro now has three display options, with the standard model carrying a 1440x900 pixel LED-backlit glossy screen. That can be upgraded to a 1680x1050 resolution for another $100, and the antiglare option at a higher resolution will cost customers an additional $150.

The antiglare display for the 17-inch MacBook Pro costs an extra $50. Both it and the glossy display are 1920x1200 pixel LED-backlit LCD screens.

Apple's new MacBook Pros equipped with Intel Core i7 and Core i5 processors were released earlier this month. They feature new, proprietary automated graphics switching technology that maximizes battery life.

Neither the antiglare display nor the Core i5 and Core i7 processors are available on the low-end 13-inch MacBook Pro. That model features Nvidia's 320M GPU, an integrated graphics chipset made especially for Apple. It does not utilize the graphics switching featured on the high-end notebooks.

MacBook Pros

Initial demand for the machines was said to be strong, particularly with the low-end 13-inch model, which one analyst noted sold out in some locations on the first day of availability.

Pricing and availability for Apple's new professional line of notebooks can be found in AppleInsider's Mac Pricing Guide, included below: