Any chance of getting order BEFORE 4-5 week?

[boxster99t]

I really doubt that the devices are being shipped by plane,

They are coming by plane.

Per the Fed Ex tracking mine left Hong Kong just around 8pm local time there on the 14th, went through Alaska and then Memphis and then onto Atlanta and got delivered to me at noon on the 15th. Plus with Apple stores getting them every few days, hard to imagine they are coming on boats.

Here's the full FedEx tracking info.

Mar 15, 2011 12:24 PM Delivered ATLANTA, GA
Mar 15, 2011 8:09 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery ATLANTA, GA
Mar 15, 2011 7:45 AM At local FedEx facility ATLANTA, GA
Mar 15, 2011 6:05 AM At dest sort facility ATLANTA, GA
Mar 15, 2011 4:10 AM Departed FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
Mar 15, 2011 12:58 AM Arrived at FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
Mar 14, 2011 3:38 PM Departed FedEx location ANCHORAGE, AK
Mar 14, 2011 11:51 AM Int'l shipment release ANCHORAGE, AK
Mar 14, 2011 10:33 AM Arrived at FedEx location ANCHORAGE, AK
Mar 14, 2011 12:46 AM In transitLANTAU ISLAND HK
Mar 14, 2011 12:46 AM At local FedEx facility LANTAU ISLAND HK
Mar 12, 2011 11:04 PM Picked upSHENZHEN CN Package received after FedEx cutoff
Mar 12, 2011 9:11 AM Shipment information sent to FedEx

What he said--in fact, that is almost the same time frame that my 64 GB Wifi iPad 2 took, except my delivery date in Dallas was Wednesday March 16.

Also, for those looking for hope, when you actually get a tracking number that shows an estimated delivery date from FedEx, that is pretty close.

Ironically, when I placed my order online, at 1:14 AM PST on March 11, it said the Smart Cover would ship in 1-3 business days, and the iPad in 3-5 business days. The Smart Cover took longer than the iPad, to get to me. The Smart Cover was originally estimated to be delivered by March 16, but literally never left HK until 3/16 but FedEx status still said delivery by Friday 3/18. I would have bet real money that was not possible considering it left Alaska after 4 PM on 3/17. But it did get delivered Friday, 3/18.

And the iPad which was supposed to take longer, was quicker--I got its shipping # on Saturday morning 3/12, showing expected delivery by 3/18 and it got here by 3/16, same route as the Smart Cover took. It just got processed for shipment and actually cleared to leave HK faster.

Bottom line is, who knows if the 3-5 weeks is what it will be; it could be sooner or later. I would not doubt at this point it will be 3 weeks, however. The advantage is that until you hit preparing for shipment, you can cancel the order, should you be able to find one at a local retailer sooner.

I'm thinking for most people who cannot camp out daily in the wee hours of the morning at the local Apple Store, an online order is the option that will get the iPad 2 the quickest and I don't think that will change for quite some time. Waiting is never fun, and it's best to think about something else and live your life until you get an email from the Apple Store with the shipping acknowledgment. Then you can obsess (or not) for the ensuing 4-5 days until it arrives.

 

[grobbyjibbers]

i ordered my 64gb today with wifi and the site says it will take about a month. pretty shitty but oh well. every store i went to was sold out

 

[Amok]

Oh the tough choices in life. I ordered a 32GB wifi black iPad2 online through the Apple Store on Mar-15 with ship date on Apr-19 to arrive on Apr-22.

Much to my delight, I found a 32GB wifi white iPad2 today at Target. Stopped in at lunch and there were still a few of these babies under the counter (not on in the locked cabinet...be sure to ask!)

The issue is that I'm fairly sure I'd prefer having a black one. I've researched a few threads on this, but most opinions came from folks without first hand experience. From you white iPad2 users, whadda you think?

Prevailing theory is that black is nicer for watching movies as the letterbox bars are black and the bezel just becomes an extension thereof. The white might be favored for book readers / magazine readers given the display brightness blending into the bezel.

I've resisted ripping off the shrink wrap for several hours now trying to decide if I want to keep the white one or return it ... waiting for the black one which is still on order.

 

[HKWrite12]

3-4

Do they give out the 4-5 weeks number to give themselves more room and then deliver early? or is it actually a realistic time-frame?

Also, how do you check on the status of your order? Is it through the Apple site?

I know you and I have discussed issues on other posts, but for the rest of them... Umm...I really hope that 4-5, 3-4 is a general estimate for apple. As mentioned, I re-ordered my pad from Apple on the 21, and it said 4-5. By Friday, it changed to 3-4 weeks. But that was officially 10 days ago, which means I am 1.5 weeks in. My delivery date was EXACTLY 5 weeks. From these post, it looks like orders are continuing to pile up, in addition to the international orders coming in as well. I am optimistic, and I hope that we receive ours by the 21, which would put us at the tip of the 4 week mark. I just can't say that I wouldn't be aggravated if people that order one week after me get theirs at the same time or GOD-FORBID before.

Report says they are working on the back-lighting issuess, but I could get over that as long as I have the choice to have it and exchange it when the buzz dies.