[HHogan]

Amazon.com has sold out of Apple Computer's 20-gigabyte iPod digital music player and Best Buy is in short supply amid surging holiday demand. Amazon, the world's biggest Internet retailer, said it ran out of the $299 model, which holds 5,000 songs, as well as the $249 iPod mini in four of five colors, spokeswoman Molly Ingle said. Best Buy, the world's largest electronics retailer, said it won't get more 20-gigabyte iPods to stores before Christmas. "We're making and shipping iPods as fast as we can," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said without providing specifics.

When isn't the iPod sold out somewhere lately ?

[torifile]

Originally Posted by HHogan When isn't the iPod sold out somewhere lately ?

I was at the Apple Store in Southpoint mall and they had a whole slew of iPods in stock. They were flying out the door but they had bunches.

[Mac+]

Down here in .au some Apple resellers are selling 40GB iPods for only Au$75 more than the 20GB iPods. I presume this is b/c they are running low on the 20GB models and/or want to clear out the 40GB models before Christmas.

[EMAGDNIM]

Most big box sotresin my area are sold out of both the iPod and the mini...I got my gf one a while ago (2 months ago). I knew that a lot of people would be asking for a iPod for Christmas...

It was even on the news that Apple is having a hard time keeping up with the demand for them...

[Brad]

I heard on the local radio last week that the iPod and iPod mini are the ultimate hot item for this holiday shopping season, akin to the Tickle Me Elmo and Furby of years past. It's my understanding that a number of retailers have been selling out but have also been restocked just as quickly.

I guess they've got to run out sooner or later.

[DMBand0026]

It's gonna be really hard to keep up with the demand, considering every teenager, heck...everyone, in the free world wants one.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, and that's pretty cool, really. I love hearing stories on regular, non-tech news about iPods and Apple stuff. Just the other night on our local ABC affiliate here, on the local news, they had a reporter out at the Best Buy store, doing a live report on the shopping crowds. But she actually had an iPod that she held up and said "but this is what many folks are coming to get...the Apple iPod, the hottest gadget since..." and she went on to list its features, and why people are wanting them. She mentioned iTMS, the fact that they work with Macs and PCs, mentioned the iPod photo model and talked about the minis. It turned into about a 15-20 second ad for Apple, live on Channel 9.



Cool. When they cut back to the studio, one of the co-anchors said "I've got one...they're awesome!"



Apple got more publicity and praise in Chattanooga in those 30 seconds than they could ever buy.

Last I checked (night before last), my Best Buy had plenty of 40GB iPod photos and boxes and boxes of the U2 iPod. But I didn't see a 20 or 40GB regular one at all, and certainly not a mini. In fact, the display models were missing for all three. They just had a U2 and iPod photo tethered to the display, with missing slots beside them where the others usually sit.

And in a hilarious turn of events, my 83-year-old grandpa has recently taken a liking to them. I brought my 3G model over to him, set it on the country genre, gave him a 1-minute tutorial on how to play/pause, forward, reverse, change volume, etc. and he was off and running. I left it with him for two days, and now he can't stop talking about it.



"That beats all I've ever seen, Paul...and you have HOW many songs on there?"

If these iPod flash rumors bear fruit in the next few weeks, I think I'll buy one for him and load it up with all my country and bluegrass and give it to him for his birthday in late January.

[The Return of the 'nut]

that's cool pscates


i was in the apple store roosevelt field mall last night. they had stacks of the iPod mini just handing to customers. the line was straight to the door of the store where it curved to remain in the store. every single person in line had an iPod. Many with more than one. One guy with 6 pink iPod minis.

Simply unbelievable. They must have been selling at least a couple hundred a day there

[Bill M]

Just wanted to add a little on this topic. There are 6 iPods under our Xmas tree... 1 photo (60), 2 regulars (40) and 3 minis... and no, I didn't buy them all, but I do have a large family coming over for Xmas this year... at least I did buy mine early.

[Brad]

Some people have too much money.

You, Bill, are one of those. Yes, I saw that you didn't necessarily buy all of those.

Time to die and repay your debt to society.

[BenRoethig]

This is the kind of shortage you want to have since everybody's buying them.

[Bill M]

Brad,
Does helping Apple stay profitable count towards paying my debt to society?

But I don't want to die just yet... I still have to convert a few PC users in my family to the Mac side. And, according to our Xmas tree, the iPod is certainly making in-roads on that subject. Only the 60gb iPod photo is mine (for my wife), the other 5 are from my brothers and sisters to their kids and spouses, with only one of those families owning Macs in their households.

And, as I said on another thread, one of my most PC-stubborn nephews, got his first iPod about a year or so ago; he now has ditched his Dull™ PC and is the proud owner of an iMac G5. And I do think the iPod had a lot to do with it.

I am sure this will be one of the best Xmas seasons for Apple in a long time, if not the best ever. And, on that note, I would like to wish you and all the gang at AppleNova a very Merry Christmas!

[ast3r3x]

So your whole family has too much money. Don't like the PC and want to try a mac, go out and buy a new iMac

I was just at the Apple Store in Santa Monica, CA and they had plenty iPods especially the 20gb model

[DMBand0026]

I was at a Best Buy today around Chicago and they had 40 gigs, but only a handful. They had been out of Minis for weeks and the 20s had recently sold out.