Demand for new MacBooks outstrips supplies
The new MacBooks are hot — and we're not talking about the lap-scorching temperature of their aluminum unibodies.
Apple's (AAPL) online store is currently showing a 7- to 10-day delay in shipping two models of the MacBook Pro — the high-end ($1,500) 13-inch and the entry-level ($1,700) 15-inch.
According to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, who tracks product lead times, Apple has never had a 7-10-day delay in the 13-inch MacBook — the one recently re-named the MacBook Pro. The most significant delay he's seen was a record 5-7 days, set more than two years ago.
In addition to the shipping delays, he says, some Apple retail stores are experiencing shortages of selected 13-inch MacBook Pros. Of the 10 stores his team contacted, seven were sold out of at least one 13-inch model.
In a note to clients issued early Tuesday, Munster wrote that this "sign of strong demand for Apple's most popular computer" gives him "increased confidence" in his estimate of 2.2 million Mac unit sales for the fiscal quarter that ended June 27.
Munster also notes that NPD's surveys of U.S. retail outlets showed Mac sales down only 3% in April and May — considerably less than the 10% he had anticipated. When NPD releases its numbers for the June quarter — which will include June sales — Munster expects them to be up 1%.
We'll learn more when Apple reports its third-quarter earnings on July 21. Tune in here for live coverage of the company's earnings call with analysts scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. EDT (2 p.m. PDT).
Sorry, if you reconfigure either of the MacBook Pros that are listed as 7 to 10 day availability to have any drive other than the 250 GB drive, availability goes to 1 to 3 days (the standard for custom configured orders). Looks like Apple has a shortage of 250 GB drives, not a shortage of MacBook Pros.
Much has to do with the 13" MacBook Pro is easily the best laptop value in the industry right now. Nobody is even close to offering that many features for only $1,199… Backlit screen, backlit keyboard, firewire 800, unibody construction, you get OSX 10.6 for $10, iLife 09, on and on.
Expect Apple to have record sales and profits for the next 3 quarters because of the new MacBooks, iPhone 3G S, and next month the iPod Touch with a camera will be announced.
@dave
"So why then is Apple stock being sold off today, yesterday, etc.?"
The WHOLE MARKET IS DOWN. Or perhaps you are only watching Apple's share price? It is possible for even a great company to be taken down by market conditions and not because of good news on it's information. Either way no end of good news from Apple is conveniently ignored by Wall Street who seem to love to hate on a company that is slowly taking out their bloated cash cow Microsoft.
No, this isn't possible unless the supply is limited to a dozen MacBooks a week. Everyone knows that people are only buying $350 netbooks. It's all they can afford during this recession. Everything that Apple sells is severely overpriced and only idiots would buy a Macbook costing three times the amount of an MSI or Asus netbook.
This is just part of the Apple hype machine to fool investors into thinking Apple is selling any products at all. This is why all analysts and WS wants Apple to sell netbooks at razor thin margins to grab market share.
Analysts are never wrong when it comes to running businesses. Sell your product cheap even if it means sacrificing profit margins and buyers will flock to you because this is a sustainable business model. The Atom 1.6-powered netbook is the way of the future, you can bet on that. 
Demand outstrips supply? Hogwash. Those MacBooks are sitting in the basement of Apple retail stores gathering dust.
Why was my earlier comment rejected,i.e. not posted? Your comments solicitation isn't worth anybody's time. You guys screem freedom of the press, yet you engage in censorship even when not warranted.
How is it that iphones are in short supplies for over a week and so are MacBooks and for about a week Apple stock price is down $2-4 a day on low volume ????!
Time for some real investigative reporting on shortselling and market manipulation practices – Elemer.
How can you be for certain it's a matter of demand out stripping supply and not just because of a manufacturing problem or part shortage?
Anyone who is computer literate would understand you can not compare the price of a 13 inch laptop, Windows based or MAC OSX based to a netbook with an 8" screen.
That is like comparing the price of a scooter to a 10 speed bike. You cannot do it.
Lets realize the biggest reason for netbooks selling is this economy. Battery life, screen size, computer power, memory, OS and what not are all of a lesser standard than a regular laptop.