By AppleInsider Staff
Published: 03:35 PM EST (12:35 PM PST)
After struggling to meet consumer demand for the iPad since it launched in April, estimated shipping times for new online orders have improved to within 24 hours, suggesting any production problems have been resolved.
New orders for the Wi-Fi-only and 3G-capable iPad, in all available storage capacities, now ship within 24 hours when purchased from Apple's official online store.
For months, customers had to wait an estimated 7 to 10 days for their order to ship. A few weeks ago, iPad shipping times
quietly improved to between 3 and 5 days.
The estimated 24 hour shipping schedule would suggest that Apple has managed to catch up with consumer demand for the iPad, which has been a multi-million seller in its first few months on the market. Apple struggled to meet demand, as various
component suppliers could not get orders to the company fast enough.
In its first three months of availability, the iPad sold
3.27 million units. Officials with Apple admitted that they were
caught off guard by the high demand for the product.
Strong initial demand for the iPad even forced Apple to
delay the international launch of its touchscreen tablet by a month. Instead, the device launched in a number of overseas countries at the end of May.
