From what I recall Steve Jobs was the reason for the delay because the shade of white wasn't perfect in the first production run. In general, launches have been smoother under Tim Cook. However, the Watch and MacBook rollouts left much to be desired. The iPad Pro seems to be supply constrained, as well.
I give no fault to the Apple Watch rollout. There were over 40 SKUs at launch and the prices compared to the size, as well as being a wearable, meant that many things were very different. I'm sure they would have done certain things differently in retrospect, but we can say that about all products.
The biggest flaw I saw was that they didn't seem to think that the black SS model would have 1) been more popular, and 2) been popular even without a black SS link bracelet. Perhaps that's part of the marketing plan, or perhaps that's just a shortcoming on their part, but I think it's safe to say that the Apple Watch is an amazing success for the smartwatch market.
In truth, there was little pressure to get the accessories into the stores ahead of the iPad Pro, so in some places they arrived together and in some places they didn't.
Got that right, even Apple didn't have any to sell/ship at launch.
Horse trader... "I know I said I had a saddle - I can git you one in a few weeks. Let me help you load up that horse... See, this will give y'all time to walk around and get used to each other."
There were plenty of issues and delays under Jobs. For starters, the iPad WiFi launched before the iPad WiFi+3G, and the iPad's keyboard dock accessory didn't ship until weeks later.
Not to forget the White iPhone 4, which didn't ship for months after launch.
Quality of the product doesn't mean it can be made quickly. If they use a different tier facility it could simply take longer because they have considerably fewer people working on it.
Bad choice of words on my part.
Should have said something like "production expectation"
If they have one guy making one widgit, they should have known prior to September he would need to take off for lunch - at some point.
The pencil and keyboard were delayed the minute they went on sale. Not every store had demo units or demo units with keyboard and pencil. I think it's completely fair to question why. Everything Ive read from those who were able to use the pencil it appears to be really amazing. It's certainly deflating when you go online to order the device and see a 4-5 week delay for the pencil.
Right... 20 times the expected demand.... "failure"... Yup...
The pencils weren't available from day one. Hardly any store has them (other than demo units) and the online store was quoting a delay (now 4-5 weeks) the minute they went on sale. I have no doubt there will be demand for the pencil but that's not what's causing the delay right now. I hope the delay in accessories doesn't cause people who would have purchased iPP to change their mind.
These items are out of stock because Apple wanted them to be out of stock quickly. The company constrained the supply chain on purpose in order to build demand. Just think about it. iPad sales in general have been falling lately. Introducing an iPad that starts at $799 isn't going to boost sales when people aren't buying the ones that start at $399 and $499, unless you make the iPad Pro seem like it is a must have item that everyone is buying. It's the same clever marketing tactic the company used with the watch.
Anyone whose ever been involved in a new product launch understands that features are often delayed for numerous reasons. The business then has to decide whether to go ahead with the release anyway and get the supply and distribution channels flowing, get inventory going out and revenue coming in or sit on everything until every feature is ready. It's highly likely that Apple knew during the ramp-up to launch that some of the accessories would initially be in short supply. I'm certain that with the numbers and timing involved the decision to start shipping iPad Pros with a light supply of Pencils was a very easy one to make. You can huff and puff and virtually exhume the late great one, but you'd all make the same exact decision if placed in the same set of circumstances with the same resulting business impact.
As far as storage goes, I am actually disappointed that iPad Pro doesn't offer a 256GB option. I already own two 128GB devices, iPhone6+ and iPad Air, and they are both down to having only about 13GB available, with 50 apps on one and 63 apps on the other. The "Pro" moniker alone should imply a max storage capacity greater than what's offered in any of the non-pro versions, at least in my opinion as a potential customer. Whether anyone beyond me really wants or needs that much storage has less relevance than clearly defining the product mix and differentiating the top end tier of the product line. Seeing 128GB as max on the Pro doesn't feel right, like they stopped 10 feet from the finish line and said "that's far enough."
These items are out of stock because Apple wanted them to be out of stock quickly. The company constrained the supply chain on purpose in order to build demand. Just think about it. iPad sales in general have been falling lately. Introducing an iPad that starts at $799 isn't going to boost sales when people aren't buying the ones that start at $399 and $499, unless you make the iPad Pro seem like it is a must have item that everyone is buying. It's the same clever marketing tactic the company used with the watch.
That's ridiculous. People can't buy something that doesn't exist. And there's a far bigger chance they'll either buy something else or buy nothing at all. Having the Apple Pencil delayed 4-5 weeks basically the day it went on sale isn't creating demand it's just pissing people off.
As far as storage goes, I am actually disappointed that iPad Pro doesn't offer a 256GB option. I already own two 128GB devices, iPhone6+ and iPad Air, and they are both down to having only about 13GB available, with 50 apps on one and 63 apps on the other. The "Pro" moniker alone should imply a max storage capacity greater than what's offered in any of the non-pro versions, at least in my opinion as a potential customer. Whether anyone beyond me really wants or needs that much storage has less relevance than clearly defining the product mix and differentiating the top end tier of the product line. Seeing 128GB as max on the Pro doesn't feel right, like they stopped 10 feet from the finish line and said "that's far enough."
This is gen 1. If iPP becomes really popular my guess is Apple will up storage with gen 2. I'm seeing reports that 128GB model is sold out in many places. That could be a function of supply at this point but I get the feeling iPP will be more popular than expected. Both John Gruber and Federico Vicitti said they've heard that Apple is working on a version of Xcode for iOS. I'm actually very excited for next years WWDC. iOS 9 wasn't a big release in terms of features or UI changes, except for iPad. I have a feeling iOS 10 is going to bring even more welcome changes for iPad, changes especially taking advantage of the iPP larger display.
The Apple case for iPad Pro does not include the front cover. Total price for front and back pieces is $138, a significant increase from the $79 iPad Air Smart Case. I guess it's just a coincidence that the Smart Keyboard happens to cost "only" $31 more than buying iPad Pro Case and Smart Cover separately?
Absolute insanity.
Wil soon be able to buy a 3rd party solution on Amazon that protects front and back for less than $20.
But the purse strings are a bit tight at Apple these days I guess.
That sounds very reasonable except for one thing. I ordered my iPad pro minutes after they became available and the fact that I received the iPad in less than two days indicates that I was in the front part of the line. So they did not have any Pencils or Smart keybord for the people at the beginning of the line? What was their inventory? Maybe it was zero because they gave all they had to reviewers. Too far fetched?
That I don't know. Perhaps they had a certain amount set aside for each region and someone else got the last one while you were ordering your iPad. Does seem strange though. As someone above mentioned Apple doesn't seem to correlate the amount of accessories to the main products. Why they don't is anyone's guess.
These items are out of stock because Apple wanted them to be out of stock quickly. The company constrained the supply chain on purpose in order to build demand. Just think about it. iPad sales in general have been falling lately. Introducing an iPad that starts at $799 isn't going to boost sales when people aren't buying the ones that start at $399 and $499, unless you make the iPad Pro seem like it is a must have item that everyone is buying. It's the same clever marketing tactic the company used with the watch.
That fallacy has been trumpeted for every Apple product shortage. Why would they want to make less and sell less of something when their goal is to get one in as many hands as possible? The demand is outstripping the supply, simple as that. It is not an artificial scarcity created by Apple for hype.
So an iPad Air smart case is $79 but with the mini 4 you have to buy the case and cover separately and the two together cost $98. An iPP Smart Cover + smart case is $139. So basically Apple broke the Smart Case into two products and raised the price so they could upsell you to the keyboard (I mean why spend $139 for a Smart Cover + Caae when for $30 you can get the keyboard). That's ridiculous. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Sigh.
Apple obviously has info that we do not, but I can't think of any solid reason for this stepping except that impulse buyers willing to pay over $1k for a new product that will decide not to buy it iare so few and far between that they make no difference to their bottom line. From a production standpoint, could these accessories be made at some 2nd- or 3rd-tier facility which is why it takes longer to ramp up after the announcement, even though the accessories are considerably less complex to build?
Personally, if they are going to step products, I wish they would do so by having a major product announcement and release for each season of the year. It's a bit of a gadget overload to have so much stuff dropped on us at one single event.
We won't really know until someone tears a pen apart, but if history is any guide, the pen is probably complex and requires meticulous calibration for the tilt sensor; i.e., the supplier isn't cranking these out yet.
I will attempt to pick up a 128G LTE in Space Grey, and I have a Jot Touch that will work pretty well until I can get the pen.
Just downloaded Concepts from the store, a sketching app well suited for Architecture and Industrial Design. New products tend to unearth little known jewels in the store; a rebirth for many apps.
I ordered a 128G silver wifi iPad Pro and a smart cover Wed morning with free 2-day shipping. The iPad Pro arrived Thu afternoon! The smart cover is due to arrive Mon afternoon.
It's a great tablet, even without the pen or smart keyboard. (I tried those at an Apple store on Wed---nice products, but not essential.) I'll be using it for music with ForScore, but it's also great for web browsing, email, movies, magazine apps. I read our local paper online, which uses the Olive newspaper app, this morning. It's kind of kludgy on a normal size iPad but works great on the Pro.
Comments
I give no fault to the Apple Watch rollout. There were over 40 SKUs at launch and the prices compared to the size, as well as being a wearable, meant that many things were very different. I'm sure they would have done certain things differently in retrospect, but we can say that about all products.
The biggest flaw I saw was that they didn't seem to think that the black SS model would have 1) been more popular, and 2) been popular even without a black SS link bracelet. Perhaps that's part of the marketing plan, or perhaps that's just a shortcoming on their part, but I think it's safe to say that the Apple Watch is an amazing success for the smartwatch market.
In truth, there was little pressure to get the accessories into the stores ahead of the iPad Pro, so in some places they arrived together and in some places they didn't.
Got that right, even Apple didn't have any to sell/ship at launch.
Horse trader... "I know I said I had a saddle - I can git you one in a few weeks. Let me help you load up that horse... See, this will give y'all time to walk around and get used to each other."
There were plenty of issues and delays under Jobs. For starters, the iPad WiFi launched before the iPad WiFi+3G, and the iPad's keyboard dock accessory didn't ship until weeks later.
Not to forget the White iPhone 4, which didn't ship for months after launch.
Edit: Pipped by @NasserAE
Quality of the product doesn't mean it can be made quickly. If they use a different tier facility it could simply take longer because they have considerably fewer people working on it.
Bad choice of words on my part.
Should have said something like "production expectation"
If they have one guy making one widgit, they should have known prior to September he would need to take off for lunch - at some point.
Interestingly, Staples claims to be shipping the Apple Pencil next week.
Wouldn't be surprised if it is "delayed" next week!
I could have picked one up at my Apple Store, but there were no Pencils and there won't be for over a month. Another Apple launch failure.
Right... 20 times the expected demand.... "failure"... Yup...
The pencils weren't available from day one. Hardly any store has them (other than demo units) and the online store was quoting a delay (now 4-5 weeks) the minute they went on sale. I have no doubt there will be demand for the pencil but that's not what's causing the delay right now. I hope the delay in accessories doesn't cause people who would have purchased iPP to change their mind.
Anyone whose ever been involved in a new product launch understands that features are often delayed for numerous reasons. The business then has to decide whether to go ahead with the release anyway and get the supply and distribution channels flowing, get inventory going out and revenue coming in or sit on everything until every feature is ready. It's highly likely that Apple knew during the ramp-up to launch that some of the accessories would initially be in short supply. I'm certain that with the numbers and timing involved the decision to start shipping iPad Pros with a light supply of Pencils was a very easy one to make. You can huff and puff and virtually exhume the late great one, but you'd all make the same exact decision if placed in the same set of circumstances with the same resulting business impact.
As far as storage goes, I am actually disappointed that iPad Pro doesn't offer a 256GB option. I already own two 128GB devices, iPhone6+ and iPad Air, and they are both down to having only about 13GB available, with 50 apps on one and 63 apps on the other. The "Pro" moniker alone should imply a max storage capacity greater than what's offered in any of the non-pro versions, at least in my opinion as a potential customer. Whether anyone beyond me really wants or needs that much storage has less relevance than clearly defining the product mix and differentiating the top end tier of the product line. Seeing 128GB as max on the Pro doesn't feel right, like they stopped 10 feet from the finish line and said "that's far enough."
That's ridiculous. People can't buy something that doesn't exist. And there's a far bigger chance they'll either buy something else or buy nothing at all. Having the Apple Pencil delayed 4-5 weeks basically the day it went on sale isn't creating demand it's just pissing people off.
This is gen 1. If iPP becomes really popular my guess is Apple will up storage with gen 2. I'm seeing reports that 128GB model is sold out in many places. That could be a function of supply at this point but I get the feeling iPP will be more popular than expected. Both John Gruber and Federico Vicitti said they've heard that Apple is working on a version of Xcode for iOS. I'm actually very excited for next years WWDC. iOS 9 wasn't a big release in terms of features or UI changes, except for iPad. I have a feeling iOS 10 is going to bring even more welcome changes for iPad, changes especially taking advantage of the iPP larger display.
a 4-5 week wait for the Pencila and keyboard is a huge screw up. Really unacceptable.
And no doubt the 128 GB moels are selling well. I mean, 32 GM in a "Pro" model. Thats just sad.
Love Apple but I don't drink the kool-aid.
I will call them out when I think they need to be.
Oh, I picked up my iPad Pro 128 GB at the Apple Store Wed. night after ordering it online that morning.
Took it home and opened it up.
Beautiful screen.
Pretty light considering the size.
Really good sound.
Fast as all heck.
But...............
It was just to big for me and was even more awkward for the wife.
Returned last night.
Going to get a 64 GB iPad Air 2 thru T-Mobile today.
Wanted to like it. The Apple Pencil was a big draw for me.
I suppose if its being used a lot in a creative and work like manner, its great.
But for more casual usage, the size may be an issue. It was for us.
Still a pretty kick ass product.
The Apple case for iPad Pro does not include the front cover. Total price for front and back pieces is $138, a significant increase from the $79 iPad Air Smart Case. I guess it's just a coincidence that the Smart Keyboard happens to cost "only" $31 more than buying iPad Pro Case and Smart Cover separately?
Absolute insanity.
Wil soon be able to buy a 3rd party solution on Amazon that protects front and back for less than $20.
But the purse strings are a bit tight at Apple these days I guess.
That I don't know. Perhaps they had a certain amount set aside for each region and someone else got the last one while you were ordering your iPad. Does seem strange though. As someone above mentioned Apple doesn't seem to correlate the amount of accessories to the main products. Why they don't is anyone's guess.
That fallacy has been trumpeted for every Apple product shortage. Why would they want to make less and sell less of something when their goal is to get one in as many hands as possible? The demand is outstripping the supply, simple as that. It is not an artificial scarcity created by Apple for hype.
Apple obviously has info that we do not, but I can't think of any solid reason for this stepping except that impulse buyers willing to pay over $1k for a new product that will decide not to buy it iare so few and far between that they make no difference to their bottom line. From a production standpoint, could these accessories be made at some 2nd- or 3rd-tier facility which is why it takes longer to ramp up after the announcement, even though the accessories are considerably less complex to build?
Personally, if they are going to step products, I wish they would do so by having a major product announcement and release for each season of the year. It's a bit of a gadget overload to have so much stuff dropped on us at one single event.
We won't really know until someone tears a pen apart, but if history is any guide, the pen is probably complex and requires meticulous calibration for the tilt sensor; i.e., the supplier isn't cranking these out yet.
I will attempt to pick up a 128G LTE in Space Grey, and I have a Jot Touch that will work pretty well until I can get the pen.
Just downloaded Concepts from the store, a sketching app well suited for Architecture and Industrial Design. New products tend to unearth little known jewels in the store; a rebirth for many apps.
I ordered a 128G silver wifi iPad Pro and a smart cover Wed morning with free 2-day shipping. The iPad Pro arrived Thu afternoon! The smart cover is due to arrive Mon afternoon.
It's a great tablet, even without the pen or smart keyboard. (I tried those at an Apple store on Wed---nice products, but not essential.) I'll be using it for music with ForScore, but it's also great for web browsing, email, movies, magazine apps. I read our local paper online, which uses the Olive newspaper app, this morning. It's kind of kludgy on a normal size iPad but works great on the Pro.