# Supply and Demand:  Apple, You Could Do Better!



## King Shrek (Dec 16, 2003)

You know Apple, we all want to see your stock price go up even higher.  It did take a BIG jump this year, but lately it seems to be wavering around $20 and not really going anywhere.  Doesn't Wall Street expect you to sell more computers in order to bring your stock price higher?  Don't they expect your marketshare to increase?  This would I believe get Apple stock on a roll if your computer market share began steadily increasing instead of slowly, but surely decreasing.

This could be turned around quite easily me thinks.  How so?  Do better on meeting supply and demand!  MUCH BETTER!!!  Apple I think that you guys have what it takes to increase your market share right if you could just meet supply and demand.  I mean it really sucks sometimes when your customers start ordering new computers and they have to wait 1-2 months or longer just to get the product in the mail.  I imagine many potential PC-to-Mac "switchers" just get tired of waiting and end up canceling their orders, while the already-Mac faithful will patiently wait for their computers to arrive, and I bet this causes you guys to lose a lot of new customers.  And when you lose new customers like that word gets out how terribly you guys do business and you just end up with a bad name.  I think that it should take no longer than 1 week for all new orders to reach your customers.  Yeah, that's what I said, Apple:  *ONE WEEK AND NOT A DAY LONGER!!!*

You guys are only shipping out close 800,000 computers per quarter.  I'm speculating you could do at least twice that if you just fixed this problem!  I know that you guys don't manufacture your own computers.  And if I'm not mistaken it is IBM and some computer manufacturing company in Taiwan that does this for you.  I think your biggest problem here Apple is labor.  There is just not enough manufacturing labor available with your current contractors to get the job done in the needed amount of time, and this means that you need some expansion done in this area.  Also, part supply is another problem.  I know that you guys have had part shortage problems in the past.  Perhaps it would be wise of you to contract with more reliable suppliers to get the needed parts to you when you need them most.

Amen.  I rest my case.   ::angel::


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## Arden (Dec 16, 2003)

I think the demand has to increase before the supply increases.  It would be nice for Apple to ship more computers, but people have to order them; they can't just ship computers to random addresses or weird stuff like "The Eiffel Tower" or something.

They need to get out there and get people to want Macs.  If more people order Macs, Apple will ship more computers.


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## King Shrek (Dec 16, 2003)

Arden said:
			
		

> I think the demand has to increase before the supply increases.  It would be nice for Apple to ship more computers, but people have to order them; they can't just ship computers to random addresses or weird stuff like "The Eiffel Tower" or something.
> 
> They need to get out there and get people to want Macs.  If more people order Macs, Apple will ship more computers.



Arden, you missed my point completely.

My point is that Apple seems unable to keep up with the number of orders they are already getting.  In other words the demand is already there, but the supply is NOT.   ::evil::


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## Arden (Dec 16, 2003)

How so?  I know a few people haven't gotten their computers on time, but many get them within a couple weeks.  It's not like there aren't other companies that take a while to ship.


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## King Shrek (Dec 16, 2003)

Look back into the past, Arden.  Almost every time Apple updates one their computer product lines, such as the PowerMac G5 for example, it takes 1-2 months or longer from the time the product is available for ordering until the time it reaches the customers.  Not to mention that Apple also seems to get plagued with part shortages a lot, too.


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## hulkaros (Dec 17, 2003)

I remember the 1st generation "new" iMac, the 1st generation 17" PowerBook and G5 PowerMac Dual 2GHz to have 2-3 months delivery problems... Other than that the usual Apple business is from a few weeks and up to a month!

Of course I would like Apple to deliver things "yesterday" too, but still...

What I think that the real problem with Apple is that they don't make an el cheapo system for the masses... Say, a headless eMac or something for $399-$499 

Come on Apple! Deliver!


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## lilbandit (Dec 26, 2003)

i remember trying to buy my powerbook a while back, it wasn't a new model just announced, it was the low-end 550Mhz tibook that had been out for a long time. I went to several resellers and also tried the apple store online. I was quoted all kinds of ridiculous delivery dates and excuses about part shortages. The laptop was a mature product, free from the hype of a brand new model. I eventually wound up waiting patiently for almost two months for a product that was upgraded to a 667 Mhz model very soon after. I wasn't annoyed about the upgrade, it happens all the time, but the delays did frustrate me.
When I bought my powermac it was a similar story, sorry you will have to wait 6-8 weeks. For a DP 867Mhz MDD powermac??? They were never the most popular, this was the low-end model and I did scratch my head in puzzlement at the excuses about part shortages and high demand. As I needed a desktop to replace my worn out dell pc, I liked os x and decided to buy a mac, but I was beginning to realise that you REALLY have to want a Mac to actually get your hands on one!
  I bought an iPod recently and received similar stories. The reseller told me: "put your name on the list, you will have it before Christmas" My name went onto the list in early November. I got it from a mobile phone shop on Dec 15, I haven't been contacted by the Apple reseller and wonder when, if ever, I will be. To a certain extent, I can understand the shortage of iPods but then again, Apple must have had an idea how many they would need to have ready for Christmas. All of my experiences are taken from an Irish context, we don't have US-style stores or anything like the US network of resellers but it does reaise serious questions about Apple and their logistics. Dell bombard the Irish media market with leaflets, brochures and simple ads that cost about 50 to make, they emphasize pointing customers to their website and also the speed and simplicity of the whole purchasing process. Buying an Apple product can be a tooth-scraping ordeal, remember those poor unfortunates who paid for Panther because they were promised a copy as soon as it was released?


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## Hypernate (Dec 27, 2003)

The problem for Apple is, everytime somebody tells their friends how long Apple took to deliver their computer, it enforces the negative stereotype most people have towards Apple.


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## King Shrek (Dec 27, 2003)

Hypernate said:
			
		

> The problem for Apple is, everytime somebody tells their friends how long Apple took to deliver their computer, it enforces the negative stereotype most people have towards Apple.



Exactly!  Good point Hypernate!


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## lilbandit (Dec 31, 2003)

Is it a stereotype? Three products bought from Apple, three long delays. A friend invested in a pc from dell a few weeks ago, they were apologising to the ends of the earth because it took 11 days to get to him!


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## llyrwy (Jan 8, 2004)

the reason seems simple and deliberate.

apple intentionally leave supply lower than demand to foster the "desire" out there for its products through the longing and pining that we are all familiar with.

one fundamental truth about human consciousness is that we desire what we cannot get.


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## Arden (Jan 9, 2004)

That could be, but some people waited several months to get their orders... ask Fahrvergnuugen about his ordeal for an example.

It could be that Apple doesn't increase supply until the demand is there so that they don't have to eat their own products.  The G4 Cube, for example, lost them about $90 million in expected profits... if they had manufactured 4 million and only sold 500,000, they would have lost a significant amount of money.  If, however, they only produced 200,000, they would have ensured that the demand was there and brought supply up to meet it, which, of course, takes time.


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## Randman (Jan 9, 2004)

It took about 3 weeks to get my G4 iBook and that was a killer wait. But the Book was in earlier, the delay was a few days for the ram and a few days for the airport extreme card. Having it be around the holidays also slowed matters. Just most people want something right now (I ordered iLife but I want it this weekend to play around with). Consumers aren't happy unless it's instant gratification, then they complain when problems develop in rushing products out (see the less than .06% complaining about logic boards.


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## voice- (Jan 9, 2004)

No, consumers start complaining when they order a product, then have to wait for over a month to recieve it, only to watch it going obsolete before it gets to their door.


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