Apple has delayed the shipment date for the iPad to April 12th in its online store. This is a nine day delay from the promised shipment date of April 3rd. While many Apple fanboys are cheering the news as signs the iPad is a monster hit, it is not actually a good thing if Apple can't keep up with demand. There are rumors that Apple may have sold about 240,000 iPads already. This is a big number but it means Apple did not have very many iPads ready in time for the launch of the tablet. They delay confirms the earlier reports that there would be supply problems with the iPad.
If Apple is slow on the supply end then many orders will be delayed and possibly missed. There are also dozens of competing tablets on the way for consumers to choose from. If people who want an iPad can't get one quickly because of Apple's supply problems, they might decide to buy a competitor's tablet. Chances are good that if the WiFi-only iPad is being delayed, then the 3G iPad date will also eventually be delayed from the late April date Apple is currently promising. Presumably, Apple will have some iPads available for purchase in its stores on April 3rd, but they may not last long if there is a supply issue. Best Buy is also supposed to have WiFi-only iPads for sale on April 3rd.
