Edible Apple

Estimated shipping times for the iPad 2 from Apple’s US online store have thankfully been reduced down to two to three weeks. Shortly after the iPad 2 first launched, estimated shipping times were 4-5 weeks and only recently improved to 3-4 weeks on March 24.

While 2-4 weeks may still leave some prospective iPad owners waiting up to a month for a new device, the drop in shipping times signals that Apple is getting closer to balancing huge iPad demand with supply that by all accounts was not anywhere large enough to handle the avalanche of interested consumers.

From the get go, the iPad 2 launch attracted droves of consumers, with many Apple retail stores in the US selling out of stock within 24 hours. Naturally, this created a profitable market for the device on eBay where some units were selling for well over $1500. iPad 2 demand overseas was just as strong, with stores in the UK completely selling out within 24 hours as well. While there was some talk of the Japanese disasters affecting iPad 2 supply, Apple is reportedly skirting around the problem by paying a premium for component parts to ensure that iPad manufacturing can continue uninterrupted.

This past weekend Apple released its first iPad 2 ad, perhaps signifying that the company is confident it can meet demand for the device as it starts flexing its marketing muscle.