iPad 3 launch, Manchester Arndale

[MasterHowl]

Hello,

I sold my iPad 2 a couple of hours ago and have just under a month to save £100 for the iPad 3 (which is doable), so I'm going to be queueing for an Apple product launch for the first time!

Is anyone else going to be queueing at the Manchester Arndale centre? What time should I/we start queueing?

As I say, this is a first for me so I'm not really sure what to do!

(so excited.)

 

[iJD]

I'm tempted to go to the Arndale store this time too. I've never queued up for a launch before so I'm also interested in any info.

I do have a colleague that I will ask who went to the iPad 1 launch at the Arndale. I think he turned up maybe 30mins - 1 hour before opening and he was in a queue of about 100. I will double check with him though.

 

[MasterHowl]

I'm tempted to go to the Arndale store this time too. I've never queued up for a launch before so I'm also interested in any info.

I do have a colleague that I will ask who went to the iPad 1 launch at the Arndale. I think he turned up maybe 30mins - 1 hour before opening and he was in a queue of about 100. I will double check with him though.

Ah nice! I'd like more info too... don't fancy staying out all night because I've got lectures every morning hah.

If you get back with some info from your colleague that'd be great

 

[iPad-Lover]

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Hey guys, I expect you to be there very early depending on what time they start to sell the ipads, both my ipads have been on launch and have sold them for the next gen,
1st ipad- went into trafford centre- 2mins later came out with one.
2nd ipad- qued up for 3 hours for ipad and got there at about 4:30-5:00,
I really think you should start queing a few hours before they acctually start buying the ipads. I am not taking the piss guys im being honestly serious, im not sure it will be the same in the manchester arndale, im not too sure.
Im alsO thinking of going to the manchester arndale, oh yes and when I qued up at TC the apple employees said there was close to 2000 people queing at one point... Pretty scary.

 

[MasterHowl]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Hey guys, I expect you to be there very early depending on what time they start to sell the ipads, both my ipads have been on launch and have sold them for the next gen,
1st ipad- went into trafford centre- 2mins later came out with one.
2nd ipad- qued up for 3 hours for ipad and got there at about 4:30-5:00,
I really think you should start queing a few hours before they acctually start buying the ipads. I am not taking the piss guys im being honestly serious, im not sure it will be the same in the manchester arndale, im not too sure.
Im alsO thinking of going to the manchester arndale, oh yes and when I qued up at TC the apple employees said there was close to 2000 people queing at one point... Pretty scary.

2000 people?! better get there early then... wonder where we'll queue since the Arndale its-self will be shut, we'll have to queue at one of the entrances.

Need to figure out which entrance is closest to the Apple Store

 

[Macman45]

I refuse to do line standing...Will order through my Apple Sales guy as soon as I can. Looking forward to a 128GB wifi (Hopes)

 

[MasterHowl]

I refuse to do line standing...Will order through my Apple Sales guy as soon as I can. Looking forward to a 128GB wifi (Hopes)

It could be fun?! I guess I'm only doing it so I can say I've experienced it...

 

[iPad-Lover]

The experience is truly amazing, I know waiting in a line doesn't sound that great but you meet nice people there, and there intrests are most likely similiar to your's, and sorry guy's ive decided to go to Trafford Centre.

 

[MasterHowl]

The experience is truly amazing, I know waiting in a line doesn't sound that great but you meet nice people there, and there intrests are most likely similiar to your's, and sorry guy's ive decided to go to Trafford Centre.

Shame! Never mind. Maybe see you at a future launch xD

 

[JUiCEJamie]

I queued up for the iPad 2 launch, and for the 4S launch too.
Last years launch was at 5:00pm. If I remember rightly, I got there at 2:30pm, got a Starbucks, then started queuing. I was perfectly opposite the Apple Store.

Now, for the iPad2 launch, the queue started at the Apple Store, went by Adidas, then to where the now Hollister/YoSushi is, then along the back to Waterstones/Bose is.
But for the 4S launch the queue again went by Adidas, but then cut along the back creating a much shorter queue.

This year, who knows where the queue will form... but I'd aim getting the 2-3 hours before open. That's what I've done. - And from speaking to customers who went in after me, they got them for quite a while.

But, times change.. demand changes, we'll see.

 

[spamfish123]

I'll be queueing if they don't do preorders. I hope if they don't do preorders they do a 5pm launch, don't fancy queueing from 4am

 

[iPad-Lover]

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I really hope they do a 5PM launch, otherwise there will most likely be none there when me and my friend get there to que up. I hope apple does a 5PM launch, I really do.

 

[MasterHowl]

Looks like it'll be an early morning start if they don't do a 5pm launch!

 

[pward]

But when you will go? Is iPad 3 really released on March 7th?

Released on 7th March? Most probably not. All we actually know is that there will be an announcement on 7th March. Everything else is speculation but on past experience expect availability to be a week or two later.

 

[MasterHowl]

I hope it is released on the 7th March... I live just outside Piccadilly train station so I'll be pegging it across Manchester to get there before they sell out!

 

[iPad-Lover]

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I very much dought they would sell on the day of announcement, they can't anyway the press conference starts at 6PM gmt ;P

 

[pward]

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I very much dought they would sell on the day of announcement, they can't anyway the press conference starts at 6PM gmt ;P

Agreed; March 7th is the announcement of the next iPad and that's pretty much all we actually know, but for iPad 2 UK availability was around three weeks after announcement. It's likely that the next iPad will follow a similar pattern.

 

[Steve121178]

Hello,

I sold my iPad 2 a couple of hours ago and have just under a month to save £100 for the iPad 3 (which is doable), so I'm going to be queueing for an Apple product launch for the first time!

Is anyone else going to be queueing at the Manchester Arndale centre? What time should I/we start queueing?

As I say, this is a first for me so I'm not really sure what to do!

(so excited.)

Pre-order it online once it's available & get it delivered on launch day. Much more convenient.

 

[yegon]

I've often wondered where people have started queuing up outside for the Arndale Apple store in the past, on launches that have started earlier than Arndale opens. Which exit/entrance generally? Is it then a mad dash free for all to the Apple store when the Arndale security open the exterior doors?

99% certain I'll be ordering online the moment it goes live - got the iPad 1 a day early this way, admittedly that was when there was preorders. So long as I get hold of one within a couple of weeks of launch I'll be happy.

Queued up early at my local o2 store (Ashton U Lyne) for the iPhone 3G (first in the queue!) and the iPhone 4 (about 5th iirc). It was a good laugh, but tbh I'd be happy to just get it through the post this time. Same goes for when we get the iPhone 5, made simpler as I'm going contract free straight off the store this time around.

 

[MasterHowl]

Pre-order it online once it's available & get it delivered on launch day. Much more convenient.

I've never queued for an Apple product launch, so it's something I want to tick off my list of things to do before I die! Thanks for your input anyway.

I've often wondered where people have started queuing up outside for the Arndale Apple store in the past, on launches that have started earlier than Arndale opens. Which exit/entrance generally? Is it then a mad dash free for all to the Apple store when the Arndale security open the exterior doors?

99% certain I'll be ordering online the moment it goes live - got the iPad 1 a day early this way, admittedly that was when there was preorders. So long as I get hold of one within a couple of weeks of launch I'll be happy.

Queued up early at my local o2 store (Ashton U Lyne) for the iPhone 3G (first in the queue!) and the iPhone 4 (about 5th iirc). It was a good laugh, but tbh I'd be happy to just get it through the post this time. Same goes for when we get the iPhone 5, made simpler as I'm going contract free straight off the store this time around.

I wonder this too... maybe I'll take a skateboard with me and get there really fast if it's a free-for-all once the exterior doors open!

 

[yegon]

I've never queued for an Apple product launch, so it's something I want to tick off my list of things to do before I die! Thanks for your input anyway.



I wonder this too... maybe I'll take a skateboard with me and get there really fast if it's a free-for-all once the exterior doors open!

As much I could likely be as quick and strong as anyone in that context (within reason and barring Usain Bolt types!) I'd hope there'd be some order to it, as I'm big on fairness and would be disgusted to see people literally pulling and pushing people out of the way.

 

[MasterHowl]

As much I could likely be as quick and strong as anyone in that context (within reason and barring Usain Bolt types!) I'd hope there'd be some order to it, as I'm big on fairness and would be disgusted to see people literally pulling and pushing people out of the way.

I agree. I'm guessing the Arndale would prepare for the event... maybe have extra staff on that night, and have the place signposted so all the Apple fans go to the same entrance, then maybe let people in slowly so there's not a mad run...

 

[yegon]

I agree. I'm guessing the Arndale would prepare for the event... maybe have extra staff on that night, and have the place signposted so all the Apple fans go to the same entrance, then maybe let people in slowly so there's not a mad run...

Yeah, that'd be better. Hopefully someone with experience of it at the Arndale will chime in at some point.

Dunno why, but I find the thought of a load of excited people being led by the nose in an orderly fashion, everyone a little tense that they're walking too fast/too slow and fearful that everyone's going to break ranks and charge...quite amusing for some reason

 

[Saturnine]

In the past the queue entrance has been the one at the back next door to the Birdcage - just outside Greggs. The problem is though that, once security open the doors, it's then a mad rush to then requeue outside the Apple store itself.

 

[vito]

In the past the queue entrance has been the one at the back next door to the Birdcage - just outside Greggs. The problem is though that, once security open the doors, it's then a mad rush to then requeue outside the Apple store itself.

For the iPhone 4S they had security outside, and Apple store made sure everyone coming in did so a few at a time, with a further queue inside the walkway then again upstairs, watch over for the last part as some folk tried to jump the queue however we all had "tickets" so it was to find out who was where kind of!