One of the two iPad 2s I've ordered has actually shipped, however there clearly does appear to be a backlog at FedEx in Hong Kong on Lantau Island (which is where the HKG airport is located). Typically I should have awakened to see at least one new line scan in the FedEx tracking showing movement, but none at this point according to FedEx. The upshot people is this -- the on-going horrific events in Japan can and will have a broader impact of the movement of goods through the region similar to when weather on one coast of the U.S. impacts the entire country, eventually. Chalk it all up to logistics in this case global logistics. As anxious an I am about to receive my new iPad I'm attempting to step back from this -- eventually FedEx will get the obvious backlog due to both the deeply tragic events in Japan as well as the crushing demand for the device both of which are contributing factors to a slow down in the shipping process.
Nobody saw any of this coming and all of the people involved are doing the best they can -- clearly as the saying goes they are bigger fish to fry right now than having a singular focus on getting hundreds of thousands of the iPad 2 to a whining, anxious American tech. hungry audience.
No joke -- lets all just take a deep breath and perhaps donate some more money to our friends in Japan who need our help, not even slight murmurs of Americans complaining that their disasters, plural are slowing down the iPad 2 making its way to America.
We'll all eventually receive your shiny new iPad 2, engraved or otherwise. FedEx, Apple and anyone else involved are all doing whatever they can and we need to remember that there are, sometimes more important issues to be dealt with than waiting for our latest high tech gadget.
