MacBook Air New York Arrival, Requisite Chaos Confirmed

By Ben Leventhal Feb 1, 2008, 2:59pm EST

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After reports yesterday of a premature—you're going to like this one—Airjaculation, this morning, we can confirm that the machines, and their signage (below), have hit the shelves in all three New York Apples Stores. But, not without a hitch: noon phone calls to the MePa and SoHo Apple Stores indicated the uber-svelte machines would not be sold until next week. Yet, by 12:30, both stores had small stock for sale—and oddly uneembellished displays to match (below). More from an early adopting tipster:

I was curious about the new MacBook Air, so I called up the 14th St store around noon to find out if they had any available. After a five minute hold of enduring U2, the girl who answered said that they had four computers on display and a undisclosed stock in the back (she refused to say how many), but that I couldn't buy a MacBook until next week. Dumbfounded, I decided to check out the store myself, only to discover that, in fact, the 1.6 GHz model was available for sale—but not the 1.8. I asked about the discrepancy between the phone information and the reality of the situation, but the sales rep only gave vague, enigmatic answers. Where is Air Jobs when you need him?

According to shoppers in Soho, as few as 10 Airs are currently in the store. And as for the question of whether both versions, the 1.6 GHz/$1799 model and the 1.8 GHz/$3099 upgrade, can be had, the sales associate our man talked to said that he thought so.