Apple iMac Release: Consumers Waiting Weeks or Longer for Apple iMac

Apple iMac Release: It has been more than a month since Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) released the new iMac to the public. With demand at such a high level, the company is no longer able to ship website orders within 7 to 10 business days. Along with this, resellers are unable to get their hands on fresh inventory.

On Monday, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s online store updated its shipping times for the new 27-inch iMac. At the present time, this model is available to ship within 3-4 weeks.

Simply put, Apple is unable to meet customer demand. While never ideal, it is a good problem to have.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Press Info

AppleInsider shed some additional light on this topic:

“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.”

Shortly after Apple began to sell the new iMacs (21.5 inch in November and 27 inch in December), shipping times increased as the company realized that the demand would be too much to handle.

This is not the first news of a shortage in iMac inventory, however. The AppleInsider article adds the following:

“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.”

While the general public may not have wanted to believe it, according to AppleInsider, Apple CEO Tim Cook attempted to warn everybody of a “significant shortage” come December.

“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.”

Why is the redesigned iMac selling so fast that the company is unable to keep up? In addition to a new display that is designed to reduce reflection, the aluminum frame is super thin with an edge of 5 millimeters.

What are your thoughts on the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iMac delay? If you have been waiting for your unit to ship, we would love to hear your opinion.

Check back here for more updates on Apple iMac Release.

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