Midday report from my Apple and Best Buy stores.

[gwynne]

Friend and I got our iPads delivered early this morning. After reading a lot of threads here where folks make it sound like things were moving swiftly at Apple Stores and supplies were plentiful, we decided to brave the suburbs around noon and see if we could score some cases or other accessories. This is in Durham, NC, in the Southpoint mall area. The Best Buy is across the street from the mall.

Best Buy: I asked the greeter if they had any iPad accessories. He said he didn't know. Bad sign. We walked back to the Apple section. There was nothing there but a few tethered display models, which two customers were playing with dejectedly. Nothing else. So either they never got any real stock or they got cleaned out early. No accessories or shelving display setups whatsoever. Apple area of the store was a ghost town except for those two guys.

Apple Store: We didn't even get close--there was still a line out the front door and around the corner of the (outdoor) store. The line certainly didn't appear to be moving, either. We didn't bother trying to find a parking spot and then see if they would let us wait in line to buy accessories.

I suppose I was pretty surprised by this--I really thought the launch was going to fizzle a little and/or that supplies would overshadow any crowds.

 

[BigCanoe]

Weird, they must have sent them all to Cary Best Buy. There were 4 display models, people two rows deep. They had all sizes in stock as well as the Apple case.

 

[JediZenMaster]

The northlake best buy store Here in Charlotte had like a whole bunch of them

 

[crobbins]

A best buy I went to in Indianapolis had only sold 5 at noon. The Apple Store had a huge line when I left after getting my iPad at 9am..

 

[Robin4]

Or maybe Durham is more techie, you know, Chapel Hill and all. Just joking

 

[StBDawg]

The Best Buy near me sold out of all units and didn't have any accessories (Cincinnati, OH). I went to the Apple Store and there were 2 lines. I asked an apple employee who was standing by the line which line I needed to get in to just go into the store to buy some accessories and he said I could go right on in. I was kinda surprised so I got to walk right past the lines and start browsing around. So I picked up the official iPad case, the Incase Neoprene Sleeve Plus and the dock. I feel bad for people waiting in line because the cases were getting slim so they could potentially sell out of cases to walk ins while the people who reserved an iPad are waiting in line.

 

[Diversion]

I traveled over to one of 5 best buys in my city (only 3 of them actually have the apple kiosk area) around noon time and the sales rep told me they had "plenty" in stock. I was very surprised honestly.