I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Some people are totally clueless, or at least unappreciative, of what it takes to get a new product thought of, designed, engineered, tooled, production/supply lines set up, packaging designed and produced, pricing, marketing/advertising, logistics, etc., etc.,—over literally YEARS!! No, none of that matters if one's precious holiday shopping season is ruined because Apple cares enough NOT to release a product until it's really as good as they can make it.
This will most likely be yet another shining new product to add to Apple's ever-more-attractive ecosystem of products, which continues to attract more and more customers every year. This next trip around the sun will bring us yet another holiday shopping season before you know it.
Why did Apple announce them in September with end of October shipping if, other than for a handful of people, they wouldn't be available until the new year? If this was any other company people here wouldn't be so generous.
If we knew the actual reason why they were delayed your question would be answered, but we'll probably never know other than speculation. I don't think Apple intended on shipping these that late. Obviously something came up pretty important that delayed the shipping of this product. Would you rather they rushed it out and had a flop of a product off the bat? Then, people would be all over Tim Cook about shipping products before they're ready now just to make a few extra bucks for the holiday season. You know people would have done that. There are people all over these Mac sites just waiting for Tim to screw up so they can call him out on it. Plus, you typically only get one chance to make a first impression with a new product and if they would have shipped these with known issues they might not be very successful.
A million times this. There is a group of people who complain if they get it, and complain if they don't. They won't be happy unless they can complain.
I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Some people are totally clueless, or at least unappreciative, of what it takes to get a new product thought of, designed, engineered, tooled, production/supply lines set up, packaging designed and produced, pricing, marketing/advertising, logistics, etc., etc.,—over literally YEARS!! No, none of that matters if one's precious holiday shopping season is ruined because Apple cares enough NOT to release a product until it's really as good as they can make it.
This will most likely be yet another shining new product to add to Apple's ever-more-attractive ecosystem of products, which continues to attract more and more customers every year. This next trip around the sun will bring us yet another holiday shopping season before you know it.
Why did Apple announce them in September with end of October shipping if, other than for a handful of people, they wouldn't be available until the new year? If this was any other company people here wouldn't be so generous.
If we knew the actual reason why they were delayed your question would be answered, but we'll probably never know other than speculation. I don't think Apple intended on shipping these that late. Obviously something came up pretty important that delayed the shipping of this product. Would you rather they rushed it out and had a flop of a product off the bat? Then, people would be all over Tim Cook about shipping products before they're ready now just to make a few extra bucks for the holiday season. You know people would have done that. There are people all over these Mac sites just waiting for Tim to screw up so they can call him out on it. Plus, you typically only get one chance to make a first impression with a new product and if they would have shipped these with known issues they might not be very successful.
No I'd rather they just wait and not ship until they had sufficient quantity. Shipping to only a handful of people just so they can say they got these out in time for the holidays is no good imo.
Your premise is flawed. You claim they shipped them now "just to say" they did. But that makes zero sense -- what is the financial gain? There's isn't any. There's only gain from selling units, and they fixed their problem and sold them. Now they have to make more.
With your logic Apple wouldn't sell new iphones in September because they don't have enough inventory to fulfill every order until November! That would be an insane way of doing business. You sell what you have.
I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Speaking of slant, though. When you say only a "handful of people" will luck out and get them for Christmas. That's pretty slanted when your "handful" is really millions of people around the globe having them in time for the holidays. You are also ignoring the millions who will be able to buy them starting on Monday. Yes, some folks will be disappointed and have to wait a couple of weeks longer, but many millions will have the Airpods to enjoy around the holidays.
I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Some people are totally clueless, or at least unappreciative, of what it takes to get a new product thought of, designed, engineered, tooled, production/supply lines set up, packaging designed and produced, pricing, marketing/advertising, logistics, etc., etc.,—over literally YEARS!! No, none of that matters if one's precious holiday shopping season is ruined because Apple cares enough NOT to release a product until it's really as good as they can make it.
This will most likely be yet another shining new product to add to Apple's ever-more-attractive ecosystem of products, which continues to attract more and more customers every year. This next trip around the sun will bring us yet another holiday shopping season before you know it.
Your comment is rather unfair. If your 'years in development new product' is not ready for prime time, then don't announce it, much less give an eestimated ship date.
Should you decide to announce it, then have to delay, be aware that you will face some flak, more so if your product is the perfect accessory for another product you announced jointly with it.
If the delay is really due to something that just came out of the blue, then come forward and explain it.
Let's not be fooled, they announced the product knowing the risks. They took the risk because Xmas is a key shopping season and just announcing the product would have people holding their cash back, waiting to order.
If in the end you screw up, just accept the blame.
What does accepting the blame mean to you? It's a new product so they delayed it, there's nothing more to be done. They don't need to take a full page ad out and apologize. Perspective, people.
Who said anything about full page ads?
If you announce something (especially for the Christmas run-up), provide a time frame and then don't deliver on what you said, just come forward and be open about it.
It's called communication and goes with both the good and the bad.
How about an official statement that basically says 'we have hit some problems and had to reschedule the launch'. Then give an official revised time frame on availability and if the numbers will be limited.
No full page ads, no nitty gritty details on exactly what went wrong, just basic communication for your potential buyers.
As I said before, when Apple announces a product like this which will generate interest from Apple users and non Apple users (the people that don't even know whay Air Pods are but are interested because it appeared on someone's Christmas list) will earmark that expense.
No one is asking for the impossible, just the basics: If you announce and don't deliver on your announced availability, own up and revise the info for the people who may be interested.
I was walking past the local Apple Store (Canberra) this morning, and there was a brief scrabble as half a dozen people rushed in to grab AirPods off the shelves. They still had plenty there.
I didn't buy any, but I could have walked out with them on the spot. I expect this will be the same story around the world as the stores open.
Anyone else track there's mine says picked up Ontario , CA then went to la, CA then to Memphis , tn , in in freaking Santa Barbara , CA what sense does that make ? Still says Tuesday delivery by 430 . Just weird . It was only by chance I woke up early and checked this site and saw the report they were up for order . So thank you AppleInsider
I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Some people are totally clueless, or at least unappreciative, of what it takes to get a new product thought of, designed, engineered, tooled, production/supply lines set up, packaging designed and produced, pricing, marketing/advertising, logistics, etc., etc.,—over literally YEARS!! No, none of that matters if one's precious holiday shopping season is ruined because Apple cares enough NOT to release a product until it's really as good as they can make it.
This will most likely be yet another shining new product to add to Apple's ever-more-attractive ecosystem of products, which continues to attract more and more customers every year. This next trip around the sun will bring us yet another holiday shopping season before you know it.
Why did Apple announce them in September with end of October shipping if, other than for a handful of people, they wouldn't be available until the new year? If this was any other company people here wouldn't be so generous.
If we knew the actual reason why they were delayed your question would be answered, but we'll probably never know other than speculation. I don't think Apple intended on shipping these that late. Obviously something came up pretty important that delayed the shipping of this product. Would you rather they rushed it out and had a flop of a product off the bat? Then, people would be all over Tim Cook about shipping products before they're ready now just to make a few extra bucks for the holiday season. You know people would have done that. There are people all over these Mac sites just waiting for Tim to screw up so they can call him out on it. Plus, you typically only get one chance to make a first impression with a new product and if they would have shipped these with known issues they might not be very successful.
No I'd rather they just wait and not ship until they had sufficient quantity. Shipping to only a handful of people just so they can say they got these out in time for the holidays is no good imo.
Your premise is flawed. You claim they shipped them now "just to say" they did. But that makes zero sense -- what is the financial gain? There's isn't any. There's only gain from selling units, and they fixed their problem and sold them. Now they have to make more.
With your logic Apple wouldn't sell new iphones in September because they don't have enough inventory to fulfill every order until November! That would be an insane way of doing business. You sell what you have.
No not if they had been able to get these out in October as they originally targeted. But they clearly don't have sufficient quantity to meet demand so what other reason is there to ship only a handful now other than being able to say they got them out in time for the holidays? Immediately after they went on sale they were delayed. First 1-2 weeks which quickly expanded to 4 weeks and now currently says 6 weeks. I would rather have had Apple put out a press release saying they had some unexpected manufacturing issues and these would be available in the new year. Either way it's a clusterf**k. It one thing if this happens with something like the Mac Pro which is a low volume product. But a product that could sell in the millions and would be a great stocking stuffer delayed 6 weeks?
I always say Eddy Cue has too much on his plate but maybe that needs to be said for Jeff Williams too. AirPods 6 week delay, Apple Watch Series 2 and new touch bar Macs don't ship until the new year. He's in charge of Apple Watch and Apple's health initiatives. Perhaps someone else needs to oversee those so Williams can go back to being a proper COO and make sure the trains run on time and products get out the door when they're supposed to.
FWIW early reports suggest worries about them falling out of your ears during runs/workouts are overblown. They reportedly stay in place just fine, and battery life is quite good.
I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Some people are totally clueless, or at least unappreciative, of what it takes to get a new product thought of, designed, engineered, tooled, production/supply lines set up, packaging designed and produced, pricing, marketing/advertising, logistics, etc., etc.,—over literally YEARS!! No, none of that matters if one's precious holiday shopping season is ruined because Apple cares enough NOT to release a product until it's really as good as they can make it.
This will most likely be yet another shining new product to add to Apple's ever-more-attractive ecosystem of products, which continues to attract more and more customers every year. This next trip around the sun will bring us yet another holiday shopping season before you know it.
Why did Apple announce them in September with end of October shipping if, other than for a handful of people, they wouldn't be available until the new year? If this was any other company people here wouldn't be so generous.
If we knew the actual reason why they were delayed your question would be answered, but we'll probably never know other than speculation. I don't think Apple intended on shipping these that late. Obviously something came up pretty important that delayed the shipping of this product. Would you rather they rushed it out and had a flop of a product off the bat? Then, people would be all over Tim Cook about shipping products before they're ready now just to make a few extra bucks for the holiday season. You know people would have done that. There are people all over these Mac sites just waiting for Tim to screw up so they can call him out on it. Plus, you typically only get one chance to make a first impression with a new product and if they would have shipped these with known issues they might not be very successful.
No I'd rather they just wait and not ship until they had sufficient quantity. Shipping to only a handful of people just so they can say they got these out in time for the holidays is no good imo.
Your premise is flawed. You claim they shipped them now "just to say" they did. But that makes zero sense -- what is the financial gain? There's isn't any. There's only gain from selling units, and they fixed their problem and sold them. Now they have to make more.
With your logic Apple wouldn't sell new iphones in September because they don't have enough inventory to fulfill every order until November! That would be an insane way of doing business. You sell what you have.
No not if they had been able to get these out in October as they originally targeted. But they clearly don't have sufficient quantity to meet demand so what other reason is there to ship only a handful now other than being able to say they got them out in time for the holidays? Immediately after they went on sale they were delayed. First 1-2 weeks which quickly expanded to 4 weeks and now currently says 6 weeks. I would rather have had Apple put out a press release saying they had some unexpected manufacturing issues and these would be available in the new year. Either way it's a clusterf**k. It one thing if this happens with something like the Mac Pro which is a low volume product. But a product that could sell in the millions and would be a great stocking stuffer delayed 6 weeks?
I always say Eddy Cue has too much on his plate but maybe that needs to be said for Jeff Williams too. AirPods 6 week delay, Apple Watch Series 2 and new touch bar Macs don't ship until the new year. He's in charge of Apple Watch and Apple's health initiatives. Perhaps someone else needs to oversee those so Williams can go back to being a proper COO and make sure the trains run on time and products get out the door when they're supposed to.
It's beyond outrageous that you want to blame Jeff Williams for the delay, when you have absolutely no knowledge of the cause. As usual, you'd rather snipe at the executives.
Apple is pushing into new technologies at new levels of miniaturization. There will be unforseeable problems. This is a fact of life in this kind of manufacturing, in which Apple is literally alone in the vanguard. No company has combined signal processing for radio, beam-forming microphones and audio into an enclosure like the AirPods, have they?
This fact-free carping at Apple execs isn't helpful, and Jobs, Schiller and Federighi have all shown evidence that the gossip sphere has rattled them.
I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Some people are totally clueless, or at least unappreciative, of what it takes to get a new product thought of, designed, engineered, tooled, production/supply lines set up, packaging designed and produced, pricing, marketing/advertising, logistics, etc., etc.,—over literally YEARS!! No, none of that matters if one's precious holiday shopping season is ruined because Apple cares enough NOT to release a product until it's really as good as they can make it.
This will most likely be yet another shining new product to add to Apple's ever-more-attractive ecosystem of products, which continues to attract more and more customers every year. This next trip around the sun will bring us yet another holiday shopping season before you know it.
Why did Apple announce them in September with end of October shipping if, other than for a handful of people, they wouldn't be available until the new year? If this was any other company people here wouldn't be so generous.
If we knew the actual reason why they were delayed your question would be answered, but we'll probably never know other than speculation. I don't think Apple intended on shipping these that late. Obviously something came up pretty important that delayed the shipping of this product. Would you rather they rushed it out and had a flop of a product off the bat? Then, people would be all over Tim Cook about shipping products before they're ready now just to make a few extra bucks for the holiday season. You know people would have done that. There are people all over these Mac sites just waiting for Tim to screw up so they can call him out on it. Plus, you typically only get one chance to make a first impression with a new product and if they would have shipped these with known issues they might not be very successful.
A million times this. There is a group of people who complain if they get it, and complain if they don't. They won't be happy unless they can complain.
You just described 80% of the population, and 99% of commentary on the Internet.
I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Some people are totally clueless, or at least unappreciative, of what it takes to get a new product thought of, designed, engineered, tooled, production/supply lines set up, packaging designed and produced, pricing, marketing/advertising, logistics, etc., etc.,—over literally YEARS!! No, none of that matters if one's precious holiday shopping season is ruined because Apple cares enough NOT to release a product until it's really as good as they can make it.
This will most likely be yet another shining new product to add to Apple's ever-more-attractive ecosystem of products, which continues to attract more and more customers every year. This next trip around the sun will bring us yet another holiday shopping season before you know it.
Why did Apple announce them in September with end of October shipping if, other than for a handful of people, they wouldn't be available until the new year? If this was any other company people here wouldn't be so generous.
If we knew the actual reason why they were delayed your question would be answered, but we'll probably never know other than speculation. I don't think Apple intended on shipping these that late. Obviously something came up pretty important that delayed the shipping of this product. Would you rather they rushed it out and had a flop of a product off the bat? Then, people would be all over Tim Cook about shipping products before they're ready now just to make a few extra bucks for the holiday season. You know people would have done that. There are people all over these Mac sites just waiting for Tim to screw up so they can call him out on it. Plus, you typically only get one chance to make a first impression with a new product and if they would have shipped these with known issues they might not be very successful.
No I'd rather they just wait and not ship until they had sufficient quantity. Shipping to only a handful of people just so they can say they got these out in time for the holidays is no good imo.
Do you hear yourself? You're saying that no one should get them and enjoy them because you can't?
I really like this news site and will likely always come here for Apple news, but this is pretty bad in terms of positive slant.
Apple missed the holiday season big time with this one. They touted an end of October release and over shot that date by a country mile. You rightfully point that out, but I'd hardly call this releasing in time for the holiday season. A handful of people who happened to order within a couple of hours of a release that was a surprise (December, not October) will luck out. However, there are going to be a lot of disappointed people this holiday season.
Some people are totally clueless, or at least unappreciative, of what it takes to get a new product thought of, designed, engineered, tooled, production/supply lines set up, packaging designed and produced, pricing, marketing/advertising, logistics, etc., etc.,—over literally YEARS!! No, none of that matters if one's precious holiday shopping season is ruined because Apple cares enough NOT to release a product until it's really as good as they can make it.
This will most likely be yet another shining new product to add to Apple's ever-more-attractive ecosystem of products, which continues to attract more and more customers every year. This next trip around the sun will bring us yet another holiday shopping season before you know it.
Why did Apple announce them in September with end of October shipping if, other than for a handful of people, they wouldn't be available until the new year? If this was any other company people here wouldn't be so generous.
If we knew the actual reason why they were delayed your question would be answered, but we'll probably never know other than speculation. I don't think Apple intended on shipping these that late. Obviously something came up pretty important that delayed the shipping of this product. Would you rather they rushed it out and had a flop of a product off the bat? Then, people would be all over Tim Cook about shipping products before they're ready now just to make a few extra bucks for the holiday season. You know people would have done that. There are people all over these Mac sites just waiting for Tim to screw up so they can call him out on it. Plus, you typically only get one chance to make a first impression with a new product and if they would have shipped these with known issues they might not be very successful.
No I'd rather they just wait and not ship until they had sufficient quantity. Shipping to only a handful of people just so they can say they got these out in time for the holidays is no good imo.
Your premise is flawed. You claim they shipped them now "just to say" they did. But that makes zero sense -- what is the financial gain? There's isn't any. There's only gain from selling units, and they fixed their problem and sold them. Now they have to make more.
With your logic Apple wouldn't sell new iphones in September because they don't have enough inventory to fulfill every order until November! That would be an insane way of doing business. You sell what you have.
No not if they had been able to get these out in October as they originally targeted. But they clearly don't have sufficient quantity to meet demand so what other reason is there to ship only a handful now other than being able to say they got them out in time for the holidays? Immediately after they went on sale they were delayed. First 1-2 weeks which quickly expanded to 4 weeks and now currently says 6 weeks. I would rather have had Apple put out a press release saying they had some unexpected manufacturing issues and these would be available in the new year. Either way it's a clusterf**k. It one thing if this happens with something like the Mac Pro which is a low volume product. But a product that could sell in the millions and would be a great stocking stuffer delayed 6 weeks?
The online shipping delay was based on the number of customers adding themselves to the waiting list. First there was no queue and people are opening theirs now. Then there was some wait based on orders, and now there's more wait time based on orders. Just like iphones on launch day.
So you're honestly suggesting that Apple should have sat on the first batch of good product, until....when, exactly? Until they made lots more? Why would they want to do that and not sell the inventory on hand now? Thats profit lost in this quarter. That's rent paid for warehousing a bunch of inventory. Why do that?
No. It makes zero sense for a company to sit on the limited inventory until they can produce more, rather than sell what they have. Zero sense.
Comments
Your premise is flawed. You claim they shipped them now "just to say" they did. But that makes zero sense -- what is the financial gain? There's isn't any. There's only gain from selling units, and they fixed their problem and sold them. Now they have to make more.
With your logic Apple wouldn't sell new iphones in September because they don't have enough inventory to fulfill every order until November! That would be an insane way of doing business. You sell what you have.
Ordered the second I saw the news hit.
If you announce something (especially for the Christmas run-up), provide a time frame and then don't deliver on what you said, just come forward and be open about it.
It's called communication and goes with both the good and the bad.
How about an official statement that basically says 'we have hit some problems and had to reschedule the launch'. Then give an official revised time frame on availability and if the numbers will be limited.
No full page ads, no nitty gritty details on exactly what went wrong, just basic communication for your potential buyers.
As I said before, when Apple announces a product like this which will generate interest from Apple users and non Apple users (the people that don't even know whay Air Pods are but are interested because it appeared on someone's Christmas list) will earmark that expense.
No one is asking for the impossible, just the basics: If you announce and don't deliver on your announced availability, own up and revise the info for the people who may be interested.
I didn't buy any, but I could have walked out with them on the spot. I expect this will be the same story around the world as the stores open.
I always say Eddy Cue has too much on his plate but maybe that needs to be said for Jeff Williams too. AirPods 6 week delay, Apple Watch Series 2 and new touch bar Macs don't ship until the new year. He's in charge of Apple Watch and Apple's health initiatives. Perhaps someone else needs to oversee those so Williams can go back to being a proper COO and make sure the trains run on time and products get out the door when they're supposed to.
Apple is pushing into new technologies at new levels of miniaturization. There will be unforseeable problems. This is a fact of life in this kind of manufacturing, in which Apple is literally alone in the vanguard. No company has combined signal processing for radio, beam-forming microphones and audio into an enclosure like the AirPods, have they?
This fact-free carping at Apple execs isn't helpful, and Jobs, Schiller and Federighi have all shown evidence that the gossip sphere has rattled them.
So you're honestly suggesting that Apple should have sat on the first batch of good product, until....when, exactly? Until they made lots more? Why would they want to do that and not sell the inventory on hand now? Thats profit lost in this quarter. That's rent paid for warehousing a bunch of inventory. Why do that?
No. It makes zero sense for a company to sit on the limited inventory until they can produce more, rather than sell what they have. Zero sense.