At the time of this writing, Apple’s iPhone availability widget (pictured) is showing shortages of various iPhones at Apple stores across the United States. The device is completely sold out in states like Alabama, Delaware and Kentucky, where Apple (AAPL) has a limited retail presence. In others, its availability varies, though there seems to be higher demand for black phones than white.

An impressive performance, particularly at a time when consumers are inclined to be more frugal than usual.

Interesting thing to say in advance of a product launch on which so much is riding, don’t you think? Unless you’re already trying to foster the perception of excess demand. As Gartner analyst Hugues De La Vergne noted last month, “It’s important to have a success like selling out. The Pre has to live up to the hype or else they’ll lose their momentum to rival products coming out soon after.” And clearly, that’s a very real danger here. Though, to be fair, there are other possible explanations. It could simply be responsible production scheduling. It might also be that Palm’s financial situation has forced the company to temper its launch run-rate in order to retain adequate capital for marketing and customer service. Or it could be that Pre really is the blockbuster device Palm (PALM) and Sprint (S) believe it to be and no amount of supply will be enough to meet the initial and overwhelming demand for it. It could be that the Pre is the next Apple (AAPL) iPhone.

“What the iPhone has shown is that if you really do have a compelling device that is revolutionary then customers will switch to your service,” said Hesse. “We think the Palm Pre stacks up very well against the iPhone.”

We’ll find out come June 6.

Collins Stewart analyst Ashok Kumar claims that his supply chain checks indicate that Palm has “drastically reduced its production orders” for the Pre. Kumar says “multiple hardware and software issues” have forced Palm’s hand here and that he doesn’t expect the company to meet its expected goal of one million units shipped in the second half of 2009. He even goes so far as to describe that figure as “highly unrealistic.”

And that’s only the beginning of the company’s troubles, says Kumar, who was apparently wronged by Palm (PALM) in some previous life. It may face significant carrier issues as well: “Sprint is the only major carrier that has signed on to sponsor the Pre platform. Sprint, which has only a third of the subscriber base of either AT&T or Verizon, has been losing customers due to structural problems,” he writes. “In our opinion, it is highly unlikely customers of AT&T or Verizon will switch to Sprint. Across the pond, carriers are taking a wait and see attitude given the high platform cost and lack of conviction on sell through. If Sprint does not match or beat AT&T’s subsidized iPhone price of $199, which translates to a subsidy in excess of $200, the Pre is DOA.”

A decidedly more jaundiced view of the Palm’s position than we’ve been hearing. That said, it’s best considered with at least a portion of the skepticism it brings to the Pre’s prospects. Certainly, supply chain checks don’t always provide the most reliable data. And the Pre is generating quite a bit of interest in advance of its forthcoming launch–whenever that is.

In a research note, McCourt says RIM’s BlackBerry Pearl is pretty tough to find these days–online and off. And Palm’s Treo 755p has disappeared from Sprint’s shelves entirely. Customers looking for one must either settle for the Palm Centro or wait until the company releases the next iteration of the Treo 755p or the Treo 800w.

As McCourt notes, shortages like these are bad news for RIM and awful news for the downtrodden Palm. “The abrupt disappearance of the Treo 755p at Sprint is somewhat concerning,” observes McCourt. “This product was selling reasonably well and, although we expect its contribution to be marginal following the 800w’s launch this summer, the 755p’s absence at Sprint clearly means Palm is foregoing some near-term sales opportunities.”

It’s worth noting here as well that Apple is still dealing with a pretty lean inventory of iPhones. McCourt says about half of the Apple stores he contacted had the device in stock. Said McCourt, “While we believe this is related to a product transition, current iPhone shortages are almost certainly causing some degree of missed sales opportunities.”

Unable to keep store shelves stocked with the highly sought video game console, Nintendo today said it will issue a raincheck to customers who aren’t able to purchase one in time for the holidays. Rainchecks, which can be purchased from GameStop, are available for the full $249 price of the system. “The system has remained a sellout virtually everywhere in America nonstop from the day it launched,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo’s U.S. business. “There was no way for us to stockpile systems over the summer to meet the holiday rush. … [T]his shortfall benefits no one. Enough systems would make everyone, including me, happier.”

It certainly would. Analysts believe Nintendo has lost an estimated $1 billion in potential sales this holiday season because of the Wii shortage. “It’s staggering,” MDB Capital Group analyst James Lin told the New York Times. “They could easily sell double what they’re selling.”