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`Copyright 2004 Associated Press
`All Rights Reserved
`Associated Press Online
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`December 18, 2004 Saturday
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`SECTION: FINANCIAL NEWS
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`LENGTH: 369 words
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`HEADLINE: Apple's IPod in Short Supply for Holidays
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`BYLINE: MAY WONG; AP Technology Writer
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`DATELINE: SAN JOSE, Calif.
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`BODY:
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`Retailers expected Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod music player to be a hot item this holiday season but are still
`struggling to keep up with demand.
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`The colorful 4-gigabyte iPod Mini and the 20-gigabyte iPod are sold out at Amazon.com. Supplies at Circuit City
`stores are running out as soon as new shipments arrive every few days.
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`Shoppers at Best Buy Co. Inc.'s online store are also out of luck on most iPod models, but that's because Best Buy
`is giving priority of the inventory they do have for shoppers at retail stores, said Brian Lucas, a spokesman for the
`nation's largest electronics retailer.
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`Most of the chain's physical stores should still have iPods in stock, though maybe not the exact color or model
`shoppers want. He recommended consumers call around to first check which stores may have the models they're
`seeking.
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`"It's one of the most in-demand electronics gift for the holidays," Lucas said. "So if you're thinking about getting an
`iPod for somebody, don't wait till Christmas Eve."
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`The iPod, introduced in October 2001 and the No. 1 selling portable digital music player, has grown to represent
`about a quarter of Apple's revenues. Sales, which have reached a lifetime total of more than 5.7 million units in the last
`quarter results, have consistently exceeded expectations.
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`Apple has not said how many iPods it expected to sell this holiday season, though some Wall Street analysts have
`projected sales of 4 million units, about double the amount sold in the last quarter.
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`"To try to meet the high demand, we're making and shipping iPods as fast as we can," the Cupertino-based
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`Apple Exhibit 4461
`Apple v. SightSound Technologies
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`Apple's IPod in Short Supply for Holidays Associated Press Online December 18, 2004 Saturday
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`company said in a statement. "So, if one store has run out, you may find iPods in another authorized iPod reseller."
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`Company officials refused to comment further Thursday.
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`Booming iPod sales have also spurred purchases at Apple's online iTunes Music Store. The two are designed to
`complement each other: the only portable player that supports songs downloaded from iTunes is the iPod.
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`Apple reported Thursday it has sold more than 200 million downloads, which cost 99 cents apiece. That's an
`increase of 50 million songs from just October, said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of applications.
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`LOAD-DATE: December 19, 2004
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