By 
When the Asus Eee Pad Transformer went on sale to the public last week, stores quickly sold out and many called the tablet an instant success. While we have no doubt the Transformer would move from shelves quickly given the chance, it looks like initial stock problems are actually the result of a component shortage and not overwhelming demand.
Asus has initially aimed to ship 300,000 units per month, but the supply chain shortage has led to a much lower figure of 10,000. The company expects to struggle with low output until at least mid-June. Those looking for a well-priced tablet with top-tier hardware just can’t seem to catch a break.
[via CrunchGear]
Damn you Asus!!
Hey, does anyone know if the docks are being released/sold the same time as the tablets. Just ordered it from Target and didn’t see that as an item.
Been wondering the same thing..
No they seem to be delayed more then the actual tablet. I placed an order for both on the day of release and right now Amazon is saying: “Delivery Estimate: May 17, 2011 – May 27, 2011” for the tablet and nothing known for the keyboard dock.
I’m picking mine up on May 5th from AmericanTV in Peoria, IL. So no, it is not delayed. And i’m typing this from a Transformer.
LOL, me too!
I ordered from target too… they cancelled my order today
I am suppose to be getting the tablet on Wednesday….but I would like to be able to order the dock sometime soon :(
Prime rib: $0.99 a pound! Sold out.
Hahaha fuckers…. is something an asshole would say right about now.
like you, jewigga?
No. I want one just as bad.
BTW… what’s a jewigga?
Oh I see. Jew+nigga=jewigga. He he he clever and cute… its clute! Lets be friends.
youra fag, mister!
Apple’s plan in action:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/apple-creating-touch-panel-shortages-for-tablet-competition/
Apple spent billions of dollars to ensure that no other company would be able to mass produce a tablet. They bought up 60% of the supply chain for touch screen panels.
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20110216PD219.html
I don’t think they are doing it as a strategy to beat competition, they are trying to build up their supply to match the demand.
It’s not even that. They release a tablet device with a 9.7′ capacitive display and it’s selling like hot cakes filled with even more hot cakes. They bought all manufacturers because they actually needed them to meet demand.
iPad sales missed sales forecasts by over a million. Analysts have all lowered their sales forecasts for the iPad.
Apple made these arrangements months before the iPad 2 went on sale so how would they know how much demand there really was?
Do I really have to explain this? The first generation iPad sold over 15 million units in 9 months. Apple was expecting the second generation iPad to perform even better because 1) the first go round sold FIFTEEN MILLION in less than a year, and 2) Many were either waiting for the second generation iPad to come out to buy an iPad or just for more people in general to buy one since they had become so popular and useful. It’s only natural. On top of that, they STILL suffered from iPad shortages, even with all these extra manufacturers, so it’s not like they’re just sitting on factories to laugh at other companies. They’re being put to use. I really don’t understand how you really can’t just see this for what it is.
tl;dr: iPads and tablets in general are becoming more popular and Apple was doing their best to have enough components to meet demand.
Oh, and someone with a name like yours really should know better. For shame.
Naive understanding. Apple bragged that they were doing this in a conference call. “Tim Cook announced during a conference call that Apple had made a strategic move in securing certain components for Apple products.” In his own words this was a “strategic move.”
http://appleheadlines.com/2011/04/07/apple-ipad-2-delayed-the-playbook-release-date-by-a-month/
Nobody can even get an opportunity to compete if a big player buys up all the resources. Other tablets could have extremely high demand as well if they could even have an opportunity to get made. Apple doesn’t give them that opportunity to even get the foot in the door.
And paranoid interpretation. Securing the factories that make the Apple components WAS the strategic move! It’s right there in the sentence.
On top of that, that argument is incredibly pathetic. It’s no one’s fault but their own if their product isn’t in high demand. Apple’s one of the most well known brands in the world and that name carries a lot of weight. The only Honeycomb tablet out right now that can even compete when it comes to recognition like that is the Xoom, which has been plagued with reviews telling people to wait for something else. If these companies want to be in demand like Apple, they’ll need to generate that demand themselves first. If they wan’t screen manufacturers, then they need to do something about it! Go buy what’s out there or they can make their own! This is like whining about not making high school football team because someone was more talented than you were. Phone and tablet manufacturers are more than welcome to buy or make their own component suppliers. The fault lies solely with them if they don’t do anything about that.
This has absolutely nothing to do with talent or demand. Apple didn’t build a better tablet. They used their billions of dollars which nobody in the tech industry (software or hardware) can match to secure exclusive contracts months before anyone else could.
There is demand for plenty of tablets. Every single tablet I have wanted to buy in the past year has been impossible to get your hands on for months after launch. They can’t even make them. No stores can carry them, they are impossible to find. It has nothing to do with demand. Android and Windows tablets jump to the top of the Amazon sales charts as soon as stock comes in, but stock lasts for about 3 seconds.
It is anti-competitive to buy up all the touch screen panels in the industry then claim that there is no demand for any other tablets. It’s bullcrap and the only people who believe that story are hardcore Apple fanboys.
HP Slate, ExoPC, Asus Eee Slate, Asus Transformer, etc. None of these tablets I wanted to buy were available for many months after launch. Don’t tell people they shouldn’t complain when they’re not being allowed to buy devices they want simply because Apple is hogging all of the resources in the industry with their war chest.
Apple is screwing over me and many other people and I’m rightfully angry about it.
Damn! So pre-order is pretty much the name of the game then. I was hoping to wait to pick up the tab and dock together when they finally both came into stock. Guess not. :P
I picked up an Acer Iconia A500 last week. $50 more than the Asus with as good or debatablely better hardware config. I’m thrilled with it. Screaming fast, stable, good build quality. And no ordering hassles…
I had no idea Acer even had a Honeycomb tablet until I was in Best Buy the other day. I picked it up, and it looked exactly like what I thought an Acer tablet might look like, except it felt like it was built like a brick house. It felt great in the hands.
Damn… 10k a month?!?!? Thats re-dunk-ulous!!
I was actually considering getting my mom this for mother’s day since her laptop is slowly, but surely, dying. A tablet would be great for her, and with flash and a FFC, this will be able to do everything she’ll want/need, especially with that keyboard dock. Now that they’re impossible to find, probably won’t happen. Oh, well. Maybe for her birthday.
It does not make sense that they ASUS has component shortage due to Apple…Apple does not make a 10.1 tablet.
If anyone wants to sell me their Transformer to go get an iPad2, let me know.