The recently released 12-inch MacBook will be available for purchase at all Apple Stores globally beginning the week of May 25th, according to a memo from Apple to its retail staff issued earlier today. Because of supply constraints, not unlike those for the also recently-launched Apple Watch, sales of the new MacBook have been mostly restricted to Apple’s Online Store…
While Apple hopes to have MacBooks readily available for stores by the end of May, the company also tells employees that “limited” quantities of the MacBook should now be available in “select” Apple Stores in the U.S., U.K, Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, France, and Italy, China, Hong Kong, Spain, and Sweden.
While retail stock to sell has been mostly unavailable thus far, some Apple Stores across the globe, especially in Turkey, have not even had display units for customers to test out the new laptop. Apple also tells employees that this will change by the end of next week. As for the Apple Watch, Angela Ahrendts previously told staff that Apple is aiming to have retail stock by June.
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Wowoo
Crazy, I walked in to a Best Buy launch week and walked out with one. Also, I’ll be disappointed if my “June” delivery of apple watch doesn’t ship before they are stocking them in stores…
I find that ridiculously hard to believe consider NONE of the Apple stores had them instock in launch. This was an online order product launch only.
I personally ordered this laptop on launch day and it didnt ship from Apple (China) until 4 weeks later. I’m guessing you are confusing this Macbook with the larger 13″ models.
No, I’m talking about the 1.1GHz SG 12″ Macbook I got from my local best buy the wednesday after they came out. If you followed this launch closely you would have known that best buy was the place to get it at first.
The launches of both these products have really not gone well.
There’s not much Apple/Ahrendts can say to suggest this has been an ideal implementation of getting their products to buyers, or that this procedure demonstrates an ideal strategy for attracting potential shoppers.
I don’t see the harm. Apple could have waited until it had sufficient supplies before making the announcement and releasing the limited stock available. We’re adults here are we not. Patience!
You “don’t see the harm” of tens of thousands of potential sales that are possibly going to competitors products because of these supply constraints? Take off that blindfold dude…
@ Srgmac
Yeah, right. There’s the Mac and there’s rest. People who buy the Mac buy it for a reason. It’s the best. Were are not going to the competitor because of the wait time. You can take that to the bank.
@SRCMac I don’t understand why all the criticism is directed toward Angela Ahrendts. She doesn’t control the supply chain. Given the constraints (the MacBook and Watch were the first high profile launches handles primarily by Quanta rather than Foxconn) Retail was left with no really good options.
Agreed; both product launches have gone very poorly imho, especially considering Ahrendts’ track record and salary…just goes to show you how difficult it is to get past these supplier constraints and how even one of the most profitable companies on earth still has *major* issues getting their wares into consumers hands. Not sure what the answer is to fix this or if it’s even fixable, but they have to do better than this.
I had been checking the both Apple Stores in Turkey for the last 2 weeks; I gave up eventually. Not even a trace of the new Macbook (nor the Apple Watch). The only thing that was related to the MacBook was the big image of it on the wall. Asked the employees about why the new notebook didn’t arrive, they didn’t know why either, told me that they are shocked.
While I don’t have a use for one, the new MacBook is a brilliant machine: very light and slim, like an iPad Air 2 really, the keyboard is fine although will take some getting used to for serious touch typists (of which I am one), the screen is great and no fan! Amazing machine really, very slick package.
Don’t forget the brilliant high end 480p webcam…I was using one the other day and thought I had been blasted in a time machine back to 2009.
They’ve been in the Apple reseller shops in Singapore for a few weeks now (Singapore doesn’t have an actual Apple Store). Beautiful machine, crazy thin and light. Reminded me so much of an iPad with a keyboard attachment that I felt like the screen should react if I touched it. It’s a machine you want on sight, but the limited performance and single port will no doubt be a factor. In our house we’re still plugging in a printer via usb, using ports to download photos from non Apple devices, charging phones/bike lights and the likes, so this iteration wouldn’t quite work for us unfortunately.
You’re right Mark. The Apple Stores in Turkey, which there are only two of them, still don’t have MacBook, not just for sale but also for demonstration purposes. The funny thing is, they introduced it on March 10, the sale started on April 10 and we’re on 10th of May now. What happened to good old times Apple? Do we get it? Who knows…
They better fill the backfilled orders before stocking the stores or they’re going to have a LOT of very unhappy customers!!
Next headline. All Apple Stores to begin stocking Apple Watch by 2016.
Sonunda amk
I played with a 12″ Mac in my local Best Buy in Columbia MD on Thursday last week. Keyboard is very loud to type on. Pretty kool throwback sound to it.
The launch of the Macbook and the Watch were horrible. This is coming from a person that has the Sport 42mm on wrist as I type this. I would have preferred to buy in store on launch day or even within a week of launch. Apple would’ve done better by their customers by releasing both products once they had enough supply. Even if they postponed the launch date a couple weeks before that would’ve been a lot better than having a launch date with no products available.
As far as the Macbook, I’ve read a few reviews from different sites. At first I was interested because of the form factor, but now I don’t see why anyone other than a frequent flyer or minimalist would buy one. I was in Best Buy on Saturday and a woman asked the Apple Rep about the lack of ports. He had a hard time explaining the rational behind it, but he did mention the new USB port could be used for charging and peripherals. When the woman asked how she would charge and use an external harddrive, USB stick, or connect a camera at the same time the rep reluctantly told her she couldn’t. The woman seemed really baffled, which is understandable. She seemed like she was interested in the MB because of the design, the brand recognition, and the price (affordable when compared to the MBPs); however, she knew it would be a pain to use as she’s probably used to using computers. I’m going to stick with my MBP 13 for now because I anticipate the next generation MBs to have at least one or two more ports.
I visited flagship stores in London around 21st April, Harrods, Regent Street, etc, not one of the main London stores even had a display model of the Macbook, very disappointing and slightly shocking….
Its June… I don’t see any stock in any stores listed online.
As of 6 June Apple is telling customers the new Macbook will not be stocked in stores anythime soon (that is what my local Apple Store sales manager told me anyway). I even called Apple and was told the same thing (only available online and still a 3-6 weeks delivery time). Best Buys around he Washington DC area do have some but not all three; but at least they have it (or have had it).