Apple users laughed at the Cupertino-based company when it released the Apple Pencil, a stylus destined for the iPad Pro. The tech giant also faced ridicule after the launch of its external keyboard.
However, the iPad Pro got great reviews and a very short supply of dedicated peripherals, which caused some enterprising people to resell the Pencil and Smart Keyboard on eBay for intimidating prices of up to $650.
The two gadgets started selling on Nov. 18, but the online stock exhausted quickly. Now, users who want an Apple Pencil or a Smart Keyboard need to wait between four or five weeks for them.
According to some Reddit and Twitter reports, some people are so determined to own an Apple Pencil that they end up stealing the demo styluses from the Apple Store.
The tech giant did not comment on the alleged thefts.
"We have a limited supply of Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard in Apple Retail stores," an Apple spokesman told CNNMoney.
The standard price of an Apple Pencil is $99 on Apple's online store, but eBay users sold them for as much as $500. The Smart Keyboard has an official price of $169 on the manufacturer's page, but an eBay package including the Keyboard and the Pencil was spotted at $650.
At the time of the writing, scalpers who posted the two pricey offers marked them as "ended."
Until the stock of Smart Keyboard replenishes, iPad Pro fans may turn to other options. Logitech, for instance, offers an external keyboard that is iPad Pro compatible. It should be noted that customers who rely on Logitech's online orders have to wait one or two weeks. Apple's own accessories for the iPad Pro should become more readily available as well.
"The good news is that they're apparently coming to the stores in quantity now. The eBay scalpers' time to make any profit is VERY limited," Tumblr co-founder, Marco Arment pointed out in a Twitter post.
The iPad Pro maxes out its potential with the help of the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, virtually transforming from a tablet into a mobile workstation for designers or visual artists.
Considering how hard Steve Jobs rejected styluses, it was surprising to see the Pencil released by the Cupertino-based company. One of the rants that Jobs is famous for is the one where he bashed styluses for being a nuisance.
A lot of time passed since then, and the iPad Pro's peripherals prove that even big names in the tech industry can shift their approaches when the time is right.
We just hope that they plan their stocks better at the next release.
