Apple's website currently shows a 2 week backorder. I went to the Apple Store in Green Hills yesterday, and they were wiped out. While an employee was checking the back room for me, 2 more customers walked up to ask him about the cable.

I need a second cable. What if I leave mine at home in the morning? What if I lose it? What if the dog eats it?

I didn't complain when Apple changed the dock adapter. 10 years had been long enough. I didn't complain when they invented another proprietary adapter, as it has several advantages over micro USB, like fast charging and reversibility.

But if Apple is going to make the iPhone dependent on a single proprietary cable, they need to be able to produce that cable. It's rubber, wire, and little bit of metal and plastic. How hard could it be to make?

In my eyes, this is a much bigger catastrophe than maps. If I get lost, I can download an alternate map app, call someone for directions, or if all else fails, use the built-in compass and my wits. If my phone is dead, I can't do any of that.