When the new 13” MacBook Pro was announced, it didn’t take a genius to guess that it would sell well. Apparently though the little MacBook is exceeding all expectations. Some stores are having trouble keeping the notebook in stock. Gene Munster, an analyst for Piper Jaffray, notes that the faster version of the 13” MacBook is showing 7-10 day lead times.
This is a very substantial delay, and Munster says that it is the longest lead time ever for a 13” Apple notebook. In a phone survey of 10 Apple stores the analyst found that seven of them were short on at least one model of 13” notebook. He states that this shows MacBook demand is outpacing production, and that it may be several weeks before things normalize.
Some of the increased demand is likely due to Apple’s back-to-school promotional, which offers students a free iPod Touch if they buy a Mac. Summer Mac sales usually see a boost as a result of the deal, and the 13″ Pro comes in at the low end of the cost spectrum. At least for an Apple product. Hopefully we’ll see another drop in prices next year too.