Pointless to go to applestore on march 16?

[aipod22]

Hello is it pointless to go to the apple store around 5 pm to buy an ipad on the release? I was gonna go to Fashionfair in Fresno California. Will it mostlikely be sold out? black 32g wifi

[ericrwalker]

order it at apple.com

[falcora]

if you are planning on going at 5pm it might be pointless. As far as i'm aware, iPads will go on sale as soon as the store open monday morning. Try to call in sick to work or something, or work extra thursday evening.

[aipod22]

Originally Posted by ericrwalker

order it at apple.com

Cant only have cash and it costs me 50 bucks to put it on my account since i have a foreign Visa

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by aipod22

Cant only have cash and it costs me 50 bucks to put it on my account since i have a foreign Visa

Good luck to you then. Maybe you can go to the Apple store now, purchase an apple gift card...then order it online with that gift card?

[aipod22]

Originally Posted by ericrwalker

Good luck to you then. Maybe you can go to the Apple store now, purchase an apple gift card...then order it online with that gift card?

Good point! Gonna try that

[JUiCEJamie]

Originally Posted by ericrwalker

Good luck to you then. Maybe you can go to the Apple store now, purchase an apple gift card...then order it online with that gift card?

Wow. Good thinking!!! I never wouldn't of though of that!
Dammit, I wanted to purchase online, but I had a similar problem with my bank!

Oh well, I'll know for next year!

[slippery-pete]

Depends. At 5, plan to wait a while. Apple stores usually have plenty of stock, but there is no way to tell for sure.

Good luck

[JUiCEJamie]

Originally Posted by aipod22

Hello is it pointless to go to the apple store around 5 pm to buy an ipad on the release? I was gonna go to Fashionfair in Fresno California. Will it mostlikely be sold out? black 32g wifi

No one really knows until Apple post the launch time.
Is it a 9:00am launch, or will it be the 5:00pm launch like last year?!

I'm just not so sure this year, I know that a heck of a lot of people got iPad2's for Christmas. So, demand (unless I'm completely wrong).. I've just got a feeling that the hype for this product isn't as big!

It's worth a shot! Because if you didn't go, and you read that people turned up at 5pm and got one... You'll be annoyed.

[mulholland13]

Originally Posted by slippery-pete

Depends. At 5, plan to wait a while. Apple stores usually have plenty of stock, but there is no way to tell for sure.

This is going to depend on the store. For the iPad 2 launch, I had a friend call me shortly after I purchased my iPad 2 and asked me if I would pick one up for him. I had left the Apple Store but was still in the mall so I swung back by to ask if they thought they would have enough for me to pick up a second. The employees there told me they wouldn't have enough for everyone who was already in line, let alone for anyone who decided to join the queue anew.

Originally Posted by JUiCEJamie

No one really knows until Apple post the launch time.
Is it a 9:00am launch, or will it be the 5:00pm launch like last year?!

Spoke with the guys at the local Apple Store and they said it will be a morning launch that they open early for. The only thing they didn't know is *how* early they would be opening.

[Laserawesome]

Originally Posted by aipod22

Hello is it pointless to go to the apple store around 5 pm to buy an ipad on the release? I was gonna go to Fashionfair in Fresno California. Will it mostlikely be sold out? black 32g wifi

I would suggest calling the other big box chain stores like best buy or target before you both going to the apple store. I doubt that you will be able to find one at the apple store at 5pm if they go on sale at 8-9am, and calling them to check may not work either since they will be so busy. (I don't know if its even possible to call an apple store direct.) Best buy and the like will probably not be as crowded.

You could also try ordering it online from one of those stores (Best Buy etc.)- as they are likely to start selling on the 16th without any preorders, so its possible you could snag one online from them in the morning of the 16th.

If you order from apple online you aren't gonna get one for a month at this point, and by then you probably could have found one at a physical store already.

[noles200]

Couldn't you just order via the iPhone app for store pick up or do you think they won't allow that?

[Eriden]

Originally Posted by slippery-pete

Apple stores usually have plenty of stock

Two months after launch, when demand dies down, this is certainly true. However, from two previous years experience suffering through an iPad launch in retail store lines, I can tell you that Apple stores almost never have enough stock for launch day. At least not enough for everyone to get the model they want.

For the iPad 2 launch, I wanted a 32 or 64GB AT&T model. I was number 35 in line at my local Apple Store. The first 20 in line were scalpers. They all ordered as many high end AT&T iPads as they could for resale on the international market. When I was finally able to order, ALL of the AT&T models 16,32,64 in both colors were gone. As were the 64GB Verizon models and the basic 16 & 64GB WiFi. Scalpers claimed over half the stock at that Apple Store after the first 30 minutes.

Unable to get my desired model, I walked away with nothing and began a two week odyssey to find a 64GB White AT&T iPad 2 which involved a backend stocking script on Target's website. Ultimately snagged the one I wanted, but I vowed not to be a part of launch day craziness again.

Thus, the moment it was reported that New iPad pre-orders would be accepted for delivery on launch day, I started refreshing the Apple Store site until I was able to make the purchase.

Good luck getting one on launch day. Hopefully with the wider international rollout, the demand from scalpers will be lessened.

[MS2083]

all Apple Stores are opening at 8am this Friday! not 5pm...

[dieburnbot]

Wow I was just about to come here and look at launch meetups in Fresno and look at what the first thread is about. Crazy.

I preordered a 32 GB LTE and it's showing up on Friday, but I want a 64GB LTE now and I was planning on going to the Fresno store to do a swap since I'm down here visiting my sister. I don't know if it will be worth my time to go there or just wait and do a swap through apple online.

How fast do the iPads normally sell out in store? How fast does the line normally move?

[St8kout]

Mine just left Anchorage Alaska at 3pm today. Why stand in line with they will deliver it to your door? Of course, if you haven't preordered it's your only way to get one on the 16th.

Apple says that they will show each customer how to get their ipad up and running. Imagine all the time you will spend waiting for that after standing in line all day. No thanks.

[dieburnbot]

Originally Posted by St8kout

Mine just left Anchorage Alaska at 3pm today. Why stand in line with they will deliver it to your door? Of course, if you haven't preordered it's your only way to get one on the 16th.

Apple says that they will show each customer how to get their ipad up and running. Imagine all the time you will spend waiting for that after standing in line all day. No thanks.

Yeah that is stupid they should just sell it and if you need more help they should make you come in at another time with an appointment or something lol. That would probably piss people off that wanted to use it that day, but are clueless. I don't understand why a clueless person would go stand in line at launch day though. I would assume all the geeks and freaks would be there.

[sparkomatic]

Originally Posted by Eriden

Two months after launch, when demand dies down, this is certainly true. However, from two previous years experience suffering through an iPad launch in retail store lines, I can tell you that Apple stores almost never have enough stock for launch day. At least not enough for everyone to get the model they want.

For the iPad 2 launch, I wanted a 32 or 64GB AT&T model. I was number 35 in line at my local Apple Store. The first 20 in line were scalpers. They all ordered as many high end AT&T iPads as they could for resale on the international market. When I was finally able to order, ALL of the AT&T models 16,32,64 in both colors were gone. As were the 64GB Verizon models and the basic 16 & 64GB WiFi. Scalpers claimed over half the stock at that Apple Store after the first 30 minutes.

Unable to get my desired model, I walked away with nothing and began a two week odyssey to find a 64GB White AT&T iPad 2 which involved a backend stocking script on Target's website. Ultimately snagged the one I wanted, but I vowed not to be a part of launch day craziness again.

Thus, the moment it was reported that New iPad pre-orders would be accepted for delivery on launch day, I started refreshing the Apple Store site until I was able to make the purchase.

Good luck getting one on launch day. Hopefully with the wider international rollout, the demand from scalpers will be lessened.

I remember waiting in line last year and didn't get the exact model I was looking for either. I'm hoping the international launch will negate some of the people who were scalpers this year but we'll see. I think last year, the first launch was US only, wasn't it?

[noles200]

So I could go to an Apple store and get 10 iPads if I choose (or more)? That's what's being implied about people buying and selling to others/overseas market. Why wouldn't they limit the number you could buy (like they do online when you pre-order)?

Also, there are a good deal of other markets getting the new iPad on launch day (pictures up already from at least one person who got theirs) so maybe this will allow for more to be available, no?

[sparkomatic]

I think they limit you to two per person. The problem with my line (and I'm sure others as well) was that I thought I was like 50th in line but as the time came closer to the store opening, the line ballooned by 20 more people. People holding places for others that showed up later. It happens...