iPod shuffle in short supply; estimated 2 million units moved in week one

What's that – you didn't order your iPod shuffle already? Tough luck, pal. Expect at least a 2 or 3-week wait on the 512MB unit and a 3 or 4-week wait on her 1GB big sister.

Once again, we witness an Apple product in extreme undersupply. Early reports about the rumoured flash-based iPod back in November indicated that

Apple was building a stockpile of 2 million units. If that news is true, Apple has just moved 2 million iPod shuffles in a single week. I know that by the time I got through to the Apple store on the 11th (refresh, refresh,
refresh...) to place an order, my ship date was already pushed back to the 24th. That is one hot pack of Trident, my friends.

Do they underestimate consumer demand on purpose? Is it all part of their strategy to keep the iPod the hottest consumer electronic that is, tantalizingly, always just a little bit out of reach?