Good gravy, Apple has done the impossible: somehow the company has escaped the clutches of the Great Portable Delay Curse. Think about it; when was the last time Apple introduced a new PowerBook or iBook that actually shipped even remotely near its expected availability date? Wall Street, Lombard, and Pismo were each scarcer than hen's teeth for months after their already-delayed introductions-- and does everyone remember how tough it was to get hold of an original iBook in the fall of '99? Even the PowerBook G4 just barely shipped "on time," and most orders were still pushed back for weeks.

But with this latest iBook, finally it seems that the curse has been lifted. Check it out; the mighty mite was introduced on Tuesday of last week and Steve indicated that it would be shipping in mid-May, right? Well, some early-bird Apple Store customers who had placed their orders as soon as possible (and who were given estimated ship times of "3 to 5 weeks") received shipping confirmations by the weekend. Some of them had their new portables in hand by Monday-- and the 15th is still five days away. Yes, Apple actually beat a reported portable ship date by a full week; make your peace, because the end is nigh.

Moreover, here's the really scary part: these new iBooks are already showing up in retail outlets! You've probably already seen faithful viewer Dan Deering's reports at various other spots on the 'net; Dan's with an outfit called Diversified Computers in sunny (and tax-free!) Keene, New Hampshire, which, coincidentally enough, just happens to be the city where the AtAT staff bought its first iMac back in '98. Anyway, Diversified got its first shipment of new iBooks yesterday, and they have the photos to prove it. And unless Dan has some kind of blackmail scam that lets him get Apple gear long before anyone else, we figure we might even be able to check out a display model up close and personal at our local Micro Center this weekend. Here's hoping.

Given how hot a seller we're expecting this iBook to be, the fact that it won't be plagued by production delays ought to mean great things for Apple's next quarterly earnings statement. Imagine; people who want to give Apple their money in return for goods and services are actually being allowed to do so, without delay. Are you sure this is Apple we're talking about?