iPad buyers told to wait even longer

More information on the iPad's arrival in New Zealand should be known within the next two weeks, says a local distributor of Apple products.

Yesterday Apple delayed again the international release of the device, saying it would begin taking international orders on May 10. But that date does not apply to New Zealand, where no date has been set.

Richard Webb, chief executive of Apple distributor Renaissance, said the high number of sales in the US - where 500,000 iPads sold during the first week - lay behind the delay.

"Clearly demand has outstripped supply," Webb said.

In January, Apple said the iPad would be sold worldwide in late March.

After analysts reported production delays would limit the number of units available, Apple postponed the US launch to April 3 and delayed plans for the international launch until late in April.

Yesterday Apple acknowledged that international customers would be disappointed by the news of further delays.

"But we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason - the iPad is a runaway success in the US thus far."

While Apple's delay in releasing the iPad internationally may be frustrating for Kiwi consumers, it has spurred online trade in the device.

More than 20 iPads were available on the Trade Me website last night.

A 64GB iPad that retailed for $978 in the US had received bids as high as $1800 on Trade Me. Another website, Tosh New Zealand, was advertising the 64GB iPad for $1499.

Jens Mueller, executive director of Tosh New Zealand, said his company had delivered 400 iPads to local buyers so far, and had another 470 on back order.

The company sources large quantities of Apple products in the US and then airfreights them to New Zealand.

Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, a leading American financial services company, said the supply problems suggested the iPad was attracting buyers beyond the diehard geeks who lined up to buy any new Apple gadget. "It's an embarrassment for Apple to push back the international demand by a month," Munster said.

Tim Renowden, a London-based analyst for Ovum, a technology advisory firm, said the iPad was based on a number of high-end components, which took Apple's manufacturing partners significant time to produce to meet demand. The company was sensible to push back its international launch date and concentrate on meeting orders for the 3G version.

Ovum estimated that Apple would ship 13 million iPads by the end of next year.

- additional reporting by Agencies