Apple revamps online ordering system to disguise iPad 2 shipment figures

Apple may have revamped its online ordering system in an effort to prevent close-watchers from trying to figure out just how many iPad 2 units have shipped, according to sources speaking to AppleInsider. When the original iPad launched, users from Investor VIllage AAPL Sanity Board were able to figure out the number of iPad sales by comparing the order numbers. This year, however, orders are shipping with a randomly generated number. That means that you can’t look at order numbers to get a ballpark figure of how many iPad 2 units have shipped. That sounds like a logical move for Apple, which probably wants to keep sales figures close to the vest until it can announce an official number on its own. Oddly, though, Apple has not yet released any numbers in relation to how many iPad 2 tablets it has shipped. Analysts have estimated that Apple may have sold 1 million iPad 2s during its opening weekend, but we figure Apple would have made an announcement by now if that was fact. In any case, most retailers sold out of the device immediately, and as of yesterday there were still lines at the 5th Avenue Apple Store in NYC. So one thing is for clear: there’s certainly a large consumer demand. Enough for one Apple spokesperson to claim sales were “amazing.”

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