27-inch iMac in short supply at Apple Stores

There have been persistent reports from a number of sources about shortages of the 27-inch iMac at resellers; now MacRumors is reporting that Apple's retail stores are experiencing short supplies of the popular all-in-one desktop computer.

A survey of stock at the 249 Apple Stores in the U.S. through the "Personal Pickup" program shows that the two standard 27-inch configurations are out of stock at just about half of those stores. 120 stores are out of the 27-inch base model, and 135 stores have no current supply of the high-end 27-inch iMac. Most stores are showing pickup dates in the September 4 - 7 range.

What's odd is that the shortages are limited only to the 27-inch iMac; the 21.5-inch model is still in stock at most stores. Apple is expected by many pundits to be working on updated iMacs containing the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processors, to be launched in the October timeframe. Although the blogosphere seems to favor a Retina display on any new iMacs, manufacturing constraints make that a possibility for next year, not 2012.