By: Aseem Gaurav, March 29, 2011 (New Delhi)
You heard it right. Apple’s highly coveted tablet, the iPad 2, which went on sale in 25 countries on March 25 appears to be selling faster than freshly baked pancakes. Adding to the news that iPad 2 was quickly gone out of stock in London, now there are reports that the tablet is already sold out in countries like Germany, France, Canada and Spain.
In London, supplies were all sold out on March 26 at the Apple stores in Regent Street and Covent Garden, just one day after it went on sale.
Though there was no confirmation from Apple, but the company recently said: "The demand for the next generation iPad 2 has been amazing. We are working hard to get iPad 2 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible."
A report published in the Telegraph UK said they were not able to find a retail location with an iPad 2 in stock.
On the other hand, many shoppers blame Apple for not anticipating the demand and thus turning away many fans empty handed – some who had queued for over 50 hours to get the device.
But then there is some sound piece of advice from retail store employees who recommend that iPad fans reserve the device online so they can pick it up in-store when it becomes available.
As the recent quake in Japan begins to affect Apple’s supply of components, the supply shortages of iPad 2 devices are expected to deepen further.
"While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we've changed the game again with iPad 2," Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, has earlier said. "We're experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the U.S., and customers around the world have told us they can't wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone's patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone."
The massive success of iPad 2 has prompted many rival manufacturers to capitalize on the growing demand for computer tablets by offering their own. Samsung Electronics Corp. launched the Galaxy Tab in Canada last November, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. will bring its Xoom tablet to Canadians in early April and Canada’s own Research In Motion Ltd. will begin selling its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to Canadians on April 19. There will be more than 50 iPad rivals expected to hit store shelves this year.
In Asia, the iPad 2 will be officially available in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and many other countries in April, with sales delayed in Japan.
