Even though the holiday season is still a little ways off, retailers are already reporting that shortages of Apple's uber popular iPod mp3 player are very likely. As has been a problem with iPod's, especially with the popular iPod Nano being released and the video enabled iPod hitting shelves, is that there simply aren't enough of them. Apple can't make them fast enough to meet the ridiculously high demand.

As Businessweek reports, ""All iPods are in very tight supply, and Apple isn't filling 100% of its orders from us by any means," says Charlie Tebele, president of Manhattan-based RCS Experience. And Crutchfield's Anderson says Apple typically ships less than 30% of what the retailer requests each week. The Charlottesville (Va.)-based company put in an order for $3 million worth of iPod nanos after the product was released, and the order still hasn't been nearly filled. It currently has $4 million of all iPod models on order."

The question of where there will be shortages isn't really a question at all, predict most analysts. Shortages are practically guaranteed. The only question at this point is how bad the shortages will be. No one knows how many stores will sell out and have barren shelves when shoppers walk in looking for an iPod to buy as a gift for the holidays. Needless to say, it would be well advised to head out and buy that gift as soon as possible rather than wait until the holiday rush.

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