How will ipad reservations work?

[hp200lx]

Im really sorry if this has already been asked but I wanted to know well before Saturday. I didn't reserve an iPhone 3GS, I had one delivered on launch day so I didnt see how everything worked on that day.

How exactly are the ipad reservations going to work on launch day? Do we need to print out the reservation emails we received? Are they going to run out of reserved iPads and not have enough for everyone who reserved for the 3rd and got a confirmation email?

Any help and guidance would be much appreciated, especially if you reserved a 3GS on launch day. Thanks!

 

[matticus008]

Im really sorry if this has already been asked

It has, several times, and searching the iPad forum shows results even for a query as simple as "reservation".

How exactly are the ipad reservations going to work on launch day? Do we need to print out the reservation emails we received?

Need to? No. Lots of people do, just for a security blanket, though if you're not on the store's list, you're not getting one from the reservation line because they won't have one set aside for you, and no amount of waving an easily-forged piece of paper is likely to change that.

Are they going to run out of reserved iPads and not have enough for everyone who reserved for the 3rd and got a confirmation email?

Probably not, but there's always a small chance that a few stores will end up being a few units short.

 

[melman101]

Im really sorry if this has already been asked but I wanted to know well before Saturday. I didn't reserve an iPhone 3GS, I had one delivered on launch day so I didnt see how everything worked on that day.

How exactly are the ipad reservations going to work on launch day? Do we need to print out the reservation emails we received? Are they going to run out of reserved iPads and not have enough for everyone who reserved for the 3rd and got a confirmation email?

Any help and guidance would be much appreciated, especially if you reserved a 3GS on launch day. Thanks!

I don't remember if they had exact "reservations" for iPhone 3GS but they had like a pre-registration or something. It really didn't seem like anything as they made everyone do it, even if you just arrived at the store.

1. Print out your email. Why wouldn't you?
2. No, they will have plenty of iPads. The last thing they would want is people saying they reserved and didn't get one. That would be bad for business.

 

[matticus008]

2. No, they will have plenty of iPads.

You have got to stop saying that. For one, you have absolutely no basis to make such a statement, and more importantly, people will take it completely the wrong way if there do end up being shortages and will be extremely upset because of the false security you're spreading.

It's a reservation. Things go wrong from time to time. They usually don't, but stop trying to put words into Apple's mouth and enforce the crazy notion that there is some sort of guarantee involved here. There isn't.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

You have got to stop saying that. For one, you have absolutely no basis to make such a statement, and more importantly, people will take it completely the wrong way if there do end up being shortages and will be extremely upset because of the false security you're spreading.

It's a reservation. Things go wrong from time to time. They usually don't, but stop trying to put words into Apple's mouth and enforce the crazy notion that there is some sort of guarantee involved here. There isn't.

Just the same you have no facts to support stores won't have plenty of stock. But by implying they may not people may take it the wrong way and unnecessarily camp out all night or assume its a lost cause and not show up at all. If the poster you are chastising is offering "false security," then you are offering scare tactics.

Yes, it's a "reservation," but Apple isn't doing any CYA action with the might asterisk saying "a reservation is not a guarantee iPad will be available." No. Apple is saying if you reserve come in between 8a-3p and pick it up. After that there is no guarantee.

It also appears though that Apple will have additional stock for people who did not reserve. That seems like a good number of available units. So I fail to see what your beef is.

 

[melman101]

You have got to stop saying that. For one, you have absolutely no basis to make such a statement, and more importantly, people will take it completely the wrong way if there do end up being shortages and will be extremely upset because of the false security you're spreading.

It's a reservation. Things go wrong from time to time. They usually don't, but stop trying to put words into Apple's mouth and enforce the crazy notion that there is some sort of guarantee involved here. There isn't.

Yeah, really, I don't have to do anything. Freedom of speech.

Just the same you have no facts to support stores won't have plenty of stock. But by implying they may not people may take it the wrong way and unnecessarily camp out all night or assume its a lost cause and not show up at all. If the poster you are chastising is offering "false security," then you are offering scare tactics.

Yes, it's a "reservation," but Apple isn't doing any CYA action with the might asterisk saying "a reservation is not a guarantee iPad will be available." No. Apple is saying if you reserve come in between 8a-3p and pick it up. After that there is no guarantee.

It also appears though that Apple will have additional stock for people who did not reserve. That seems like a good number of available units. So I fail to see what your beef is.

Thank you Chupa Chupa. My thoughts exactly.

matticus008 - It doesn't say, "Get there early, or else we will run out." It says: "Please note that your reservation will be held only until 3 p.m. on April 3. After 3 p.m., iPad will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last."

So after 3p.m. there will still be non-reserved units. And if they can say that in an e-mail, then I'm pretty sure they will have plenty of units for us reservists.

I'd bet they stopped reserves on Saturday in order to correctly ship the proper numbers to each Apple store + more for the non-reservists.

 

[Clix Pix]

I did print out the confirmation email that I received about my reservation and I am still keeping that particular email on my iPhone, too, so I'll definitely have proof of my reservation! I don't think it's going to be an issue, but it's certainly a good precaution to have something with you that verifies your reservation.

 

[Slip Jigs]

Just the same you have no facts to support stores won't have plenty of stock. But by implying they may not people may take it the wrong way and unnecessarily camp out all night or assume its a lost cause and not show up at all. If the poster you are chastising is offering "false security," then you are offering scare tactics.

Yes, it's a "reservation," but Apple isn't doing any CYA action with the might asterisk saying "a reservation is not a guarantee iPad will be available." No. Apple is saying if you reserve come in between 8a-3p and pick it up. After that there is no guarantee.

It also appears though that Apple will have additional stock for people who did not reserve. That seems like a good number of available units. So I fail to see what your beef is.

It's not scare tactics because he's not saying there will be a shortage the same as the other poster said there will be plenty.

I made a reservation stating that if I get to the store by 3PM an iPad will be waiting for me. Sure, something can go wrong there - it could be the store will dip in to the reserves to supple the people in the store. It could be not enough are shipped to begin with whatever whatever. But I'm not planning on camping out, just making sure I get there well before the deadline.

 

[Revelation78]

It's not scare tactics because he's not saying there will be a shortage the same as the other poster said there will be plenty.

I made a reservation stating that if I get to the store by 3PM an iPad will be waiting for me. Sure, something can go wrong there - it could be the store will dip in to the reserves to supple the people in the store. It could be not enough are shipped to begin with whatever whatever. But I'm not planning on camping out, just making sure I get there well before the deadline.

That's right, something CAN go wrong. I reserved a 3GS on launch day, guess what I wasn't on their reservation when I arrived. Go look at the iPhone forums, happened to a lot of people.

Apple will "try" to have an iPad for everyone that reserved one and a stock for walk-in's. You'll see two lines on the 3rd, one for reservations that moves pretty quickly and another for those without.

By COB, I'm sure iPad stocks at all locations will be rather slim. Take your reservation with a grain of salt and save your email. I made the mistake with the 3GS of not saving my email and I had to wait in the "have-nots" line.

 

[melman101]

That's right, something CAN go wrong. I reserved a 3GS on launch day, guess what I wasn't on their reservation when I arrived. Go look at the iPhone forums, happened to a lot of people.

Apple will "try" to have an iPad for everyone that reserved one and a stock for walk-in's. You'll see two lines on the 3rd, one for reservations that moves pretty quickly and another for those without.

By COB, I'm sure iPad stocks at all locations will be rather slim. Take your reservation with a grain of salt and save your email. I made the mistake with the 3GS of not saving my email and I had to wait in the "have-nots" line.

But, you still were able to get one that day, right?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

It's not scare tactics because he's not saying there will be a shortage the same as the other poster said there will be plenty.

He's not saying it, but can be viewed as implying it by refuting the idea there will be plenty. In either case it's still opinion and guesswork. However, the fact we do know is that nothing official from Apple says anything to suggest there will not be adequate stock for people who reserved or walk-ins where as Apple explicitly states if you order online today it won't ship for a couple weeks. Given that I think its more likely there will be plenty than not.

Sure, Murphy's Law happens. Planes get delayed, Customs holds shipments, crates fall onto the tarmac (ouch!), but in general Apple is going to be well prepped. But those are all one-off random issues, not an endemic shortage. Apple doesn't want to create long lines of resentful customers and seems to be warning customers where delay is certain.

 

[matticus008]

He's not saying it, but can be viewed as implying it by refuting the idea there will be plenty.

I'm not refuting any such idea. In fact, I've lost count of the number of times I've said that there most likely will not be problems.

The only thing I am refuting is this utterly asinine tendency of people to "guarantee" or state that there definitively WILL be NO problems. Apple made no guarantee of that fact, and spreading it around serves no legitimate purpose but stirring the pot in the unlikely event that there are shortages.

In either case it's still opinion and guesswork.

Which is exactly why no one should be throwing around words like "definitely" and "guarantee" and "I'm sure".

Just the same you have no facts to support stores won't have plenty of stock. But by implying they may not people may take it the wrong way and unnecessarily camp out all night or assume its a lost cause and not show up at all. If the poster you are chastising is offering "false security," then you are offering scare tactics.

Hogwash.

Yes, it's a "reservation," but Apple isn't doing any CYA action with the might asterisk saying "a reservation is not a guarantee iPad will be available."

They don't need to. The fact that it is a reservation and not an order is all the CYA they require.

After that there is no guarantee.

There's no guarantee at all, either before or after 3:00. Zero.

That seems like a good number of available units. So I fail to see what your beef is.

Clearly. The point is obvious: stop promising people things beyond your control.