We Thought "Sold Out" Sounded Better Than "Awaiting Delivery"

Apple investors unsettled by reports claiming the Asus Transformer tablet is co-opting iPad demand can rest easy. The threat here appears to be a bit less than what it’s been made out to be. While it’s true that the device sold out quickly online at retailers like Amazon.com and Best Buy, the reason for those first-day stockouts seems to be more a case of piddling inventory than a surge of overwhelming demand.

To wit, J.P. Morgan’s Mark Moskowitz’s informal survey of Best Buy and Target outlets, which found that most hadn’t received any Transformer tablets yet. “All stores we spoke to had not even received the Transformer tablet,” Moskowitz says. “The general read was that supply would not reach most stores until mid-May. As a result, we ask how the Asus tablet can be sold-out when it did not arrive in the first place.”

Good question. “ASUS Transformer Sold Out” makes for a great headline, but a lousy story if there weren’t that many out there to sell.