iMacs trickle onto e-tailer sites

You might have to search a bit, but you can find Apple Computer's new iMac online--and you might not have to pay much more than the retail price.

Hit with outsized demand and a shortage of 15-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) flat panels, the stylish new computer has been hard to come by online or in stores since its January debut. While Apple is warning customers that orders placed through its online store will take three to seven weeks to ship, a few of the iMacs are starting to trickle onto online retail sites such as Amazon.com and eBay.

However, those iMacs that have made it to auction aren't fetching the same premium as past in-demand hardware such as Microsoft's Xbox or Sony's PlayStation 2. One explanation may be that despite the wait, few consumers are willing to pay a premium for the new machine.

eBay has 339 items listed in its Apple iMac category. But most of the items are for speakers, apparel or keyboards, not the actual computers. A search for "new iMac" turns up less than a dozen of the machines themselves.The new iMacs have been selling for between $1,400 and $2,400 on eBay over the last 15 days. The retail price for the machines ranges from about $1,300 to $1,800, depending on the specifications.

News source: ZDNet