Didn't Pre-Order the New iPad? You're in Trouble

If you thought that the iPad pre-order campaign guaranteed that everyone would get one at launch, guess again.

According to

, iPad pre-orders are completely sold out. While no pre-order numbers were provided, the tech publication quoted an Apple

spokesperson, who said, “Customer response to the new iPad has been off the charts and the quantity available for pre-order has been purchased.” At the time the aforementioned report was published, Apple.com still promised to ship the new iPad by March 19 to additional customers who pre-ordered the tablet. Now iPad buyers won't get the device for two to three weeks from now (basically one to two weeks after launch). Officially unveiled on March 7, the new iPad features the highly-anticipated Retina Display – which just happens to contain more pixels than a high-def TV – 4G LTE, 1080p video recording, and a

. With a base price of $499 (for the 16GB Wi-Fi model) and a high-end model for $829 (64GB, Wi-Fi and 4G LTE), the new iPad maintains the pricing structure of previous models, obliterating analyst expectations that new features could guarantee a price increase. “I think that's the issue – where is the cost?” James D. Ragan, Senior Equity Analyst at Crowell, Weedon & Co.,

before the new iPad was unveiled. “Maybe they offer more bells and whistles at a higher-priced model, but that's generally not the way they like to do it.” There have been rumors suggesting that Apple could ship as many as

when the iPad arrives this Friday, March 16. But even if Apple shipped two million units, the company may not be able to satisfy demand. As I have noted many times in the past, the tablet market is young and thriving. Even if Apple couldn't get a single iPad 2 owner to upgrade, it would still have enough new buyers (i.e., people who don't yet own a tablet) to ensure that the new iPad would sell out within the first few days of release. Considering that many iPad 2 owners will inevitably upgrade, the demand is going to be enormous. Without any specific shipment numbers provided, we don't yet know how or where the iPad units will be divided. America should receive the largest shipment, with the $499 model leading the charge. But if you're looking for an AT&T

or Verizon

model, you could be in for a battle. Whatever happens, we do know one thing: when the iPhone 4S was released, Apple managed to

across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Japan and Australia. The popular device went on to sell another 33 million units in the quarter, making it the world's fastest-selling smartphone. Tablets aren't as popular as smartphones, so the new iPad isn't likely to sell four million units in three days. But tablets also require more materials than smartphones and are more expensive to manufacture. Thus, if four million consumers end up wanting the device at launch, there's little chance that Apple will be able to satisfy that demand.