With holiday signs and ads starting to appear, people are thinking about gifts. And, as usual, hot items from Apple are in the mix.
But reports of seriously tight supplies of the just-released iPad mini have people wondering if they'll be available as stocking stuffers this Christmas.
PCMag.com software analyst Jill Duffy said the shortage seems to trace to Sharp, which makes the Retina display.
The supply issue will also help keep up the hype around Apple products, she said.
"The response to iPad Air has been incredible, and we're excited for customers to experience the new iPad mini with Retina display," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing. "We think customers will love both of these thin, light, powerful new iPads, and we're working hard to get as many as we can in the hands of our customers."
Meanwhile, the HP Chromebook 11 tablet has been pulled from store shelves after overheating issues were discovered with use of the charger included in the package..
Duffy said Chromebook 11 owners can swap in any micro-USB charger to address the problem.
Are the Chromebooks in high demand?
"Not as much as iPad minis," Duffy said. "They're great for using in the home with a reliable Internet connection, but don't reliably and consistently work offline in my experience."