Thats assuming the sales are spread out evenly throughout the day. Most likely there will be a surge of people within the first two hours and I'd imagine it would taper off by the afternoon.
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How big do you think the crowds will be at the Apple stores?
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Thats assuming the sales are spread out evenly throughout the day. Most likely there will be a surge of people within the first two hours and I'd imagine it would taper off by the afternoon.
I thought about ordering it through an Apple Store, but I have to drive quite a long way so chickened out and went with delivery to where I work.
For me, part of the fun of the experience of getting a new Apple device (iPhone, iPad) is being there at the store on Launch Day, waiting in line....
I am sure that the lines (reserved, non-reserved) will move more swiftly than they did at any of the iPhone launches since this, the iPad, can be activated and set up at home, no need to go through that at the store.
I am sure that the lines (reserved, non-reserved) will move more swiftly than they did at any of the iPhone launches since this, the iPad, can be activated and set up at home, no need to go through that at the store.
I, too, think the lines will be comparable to those of the original iPhone. That's why I decided to have mine ordered. I'll stand in line if I can get the day off work, but if it's on a Saturday I'd rather sleep in. 
P.S. I'm really freaking unnaturally excited. K thx bai.
P.S. I'm really freaking unnaturally excited. K thx bai.
Same thing but went with Home Delivery. It would have been 50 miles (to the closest
Store). What about you?
big enough that I picked delivery just to avoid the lines. I will enjoy being at home on the 3rd and reading and seeing all the pictures and articles that describe the chaos from the comfort of my couch using my ipad.
I just took the plunge and ordered my iPad. I was really contemplating going to the Apple Store (about 45min from me) but opted for home delivery. Id like to see what its like but at the same time I would hate to stand in line forever even with a pre-order.
Yeah I was just playing with averages to see if 700 was achievable. No doubt the zombie attack will not be evenly distributed. I'd sure hate to be the guy/gal that shows up around 9AM to see a line stretching around the block. Or the poor schmuck that gets to the front of the line at 2:55PM to be told "sorry we sold the last one to that guy in front of you".
Believe me, you'll see it on local and cable news reports. Enjoy the broadcast on your iPad from the comfort of your couch.
Hey, if Fed Ex does come early you can take your brand new iPad to the Apple Store with you . . . . then stand casually by while others are waiting in line to get one
If i wasn't 2 hours away from the closest Apple Store, I would SOOOOOO do that!
Question: the lines that everyone is saying will be at the retail stores... will there be lines just to get into the stores, or will there be lines only if you are trying to buy an iPad?
as I remember from the past 3 iPhone launches, Apple closes the store for regular shoppers and only allows people buying an iPhone (iPad, Mac OS X Leopard) the day of the release, at least until the lines go down.
I doubt someone will be waiting in line at 9am for Apple to open just to buy an iPod nano or an outdated MacBook Pro
, the people waiting are their for one specific reason.Mayhem! absolute MAYHEM! People tackling people. Old ladies and kids being pushed out of the way. Some will fight - others will fall in love. iPads will be flying haphazardly over the throng, with cardboard and styrofoam stomped underfoot. If I manage to keep my 1983 rainbow apple t-shirt on my torso, I'll be amazed. I'm bringing gloves, a helmet and diapers... can't take any risks.
You can only buy what you have reserved unless you wait in the walk-in line instead (or have the patience to go through both lines).
Nobody knows how they're handling the walk-in stock. Stories have indicated that there will not be many unreserved units per store, so they may sell out early in the morning and you'd have to wait until 3:00 when the unclaimed reservations are released. They might also release them at a set pace. If you change your mind about which to buy, it'll be far easier just to order it online and have it delivered.
I can't imagine the line at our local Metairie store will be anywhere near as insane as NYC, Florida or California (I'd love to see some video on the day at the SF or Cuppertino stores...yikes.)
I reserved my iPad for pickup, since I typically get a (pretty small) discount at the Apple store because of where I work. Hopefully the discount will apply for the iPad, but no big deal if not. This will be my first time at a "launch event", and really looking forard to it - I'll be there when they open
I reserved my iPad for pickup, since I typically get a (pretty small) discount at the Apple store because of where I work. Hopefully the discount will apply for the iPad, but no big deal if not. This will be my first time at a "launch event", and really looking forard to it - I'll be there when they open
That is kinda the way I'm thinking: the waiting experience is part of the fun
As the Apple store is a couple of blocks from where my place, I'll "check the pulse" - so to speak - on Friday to get a feeling for how huge the lines will be. Then I'll set my alarm accordingly
I know that the Brandon, FL store told me (off record of course) that they had reserved over 350. That was a week ago yesterday. I may be skipping my reservation and hitting Best Buy
Anyone could buy the iPhone, not just existing ATT customers. I was with Sprint at the time. Also money was a little more free flowing in 2007 than now so I think that, plus the fact there are more Apple Stores in major cities, plus non-Apple stores will be selling the iPad on launch day will tamp iPad down lines @ Apple somewhat.
350 is nothing. Apple can get that line to zero in half an hour easy. In fact I bet if the Apple Store has a line of 350 and BestBuy a line of 20, all 350 from the Apple Store will be at home w/ their iPad before #20 at BB is even checked out b/c BB is so incompetent and you know they are going to be doing the hard sell on the ext. warranty and crappy generic accessories.
Stories which have zero credibility, and even less now that BB is saying they will have launch stock. If supplies were limited Apple would not be sharing stock with non-Apple stores.
There are lines for getting into the store, regardless of what one is intending to purchase. I remember one time -- think it might have been the iPhone 3G launch -- where some people came along, all set to buy an MBP or something, not aware (?!!) of this being Launch Day for an iPhone. They were told that if they wanted to get into the store they'd have to get in line just like everyone else..... They looked at the lengthy line stretching through the mall, looked at each other, shrugged and walked away.
Right! Yes, in 2007 I was a Sprint cell customer, too, and bought my iPhone, brought it home and made the switchover from Sprint to AT&T at that time. The first year we all self-activated rather than it being done at the store. The line was very long at that first launch, and it was still long a year later when there were not only people buying an iPhone for the first time but people like me who wanted to update to the newer, faster 3G model. Lines continued throughout that entire first week if I remember correctly. With the use of the preorder method last year, it seemed as though the initial line was shorter and that there weren't as many lines during the remainder of that week.
I imagine that due to there being the preorder system as well as there being more Apple retail stores now that the lines for the iPad will be somewhat shorter than what we experienced in the past for the iPhone.
This assumption is based on what, exactly? The stories are no more or less credible than the Best Buy ones--which have not disclosed which locations or how many they'd stock. In large parts of the country, there are no Apple stores, and having a launch partner to triple the number of physical locations selling on the 3rd doesn't mean there's an inexhaustible supply, just like it didn't mean so with the iPhone, where AT&T stores were given only a small number to spread around.
Walk-in supplies are going to be limited, any way you slice it. With about 200,000 reservations (an average of 700 per store), the 200,000 preorders, and just 50 units per Best Buy location and Apple Store, that's just shy of 450,000 units total--already far more than manufactured at the iPhone launch. Even if 250,000 of the 270,000 iPhones sold on day one were sold in person at Apple stores, that's 880 per store (pretending that all 284 stores were open in 2007), which is obviously more stock than Apple stores had, and Apple stores were stuffed with iPhone boxes, which are 3-4 times smaller than iPad boxes. If iPad reservation numbers are anywhere near accurate, there just isn't room to stock a lot of extras.
Remember that with the iPhone launch, there were no reservations. It may be that nearly everyone who actually wants one has made a reservation already, so the competition for walk-ins won't be that tough. It would also make a lot of sense to assume that anyone who wants one on the 3rd placed a reservation or preorder, and therefore there's no need to carry lots of extra stock. There's no way of knowing ahead of time.