Best place to get an iPad on Friday?

If you want my opinion from past experiences, go to Best Buy.
Depending on your dedication/or if there is 1 set model you want.

I'd get to Best Buy around 6-7am (They open at 10)

Last year I waited at Best Buy from 10AM until 5PM
7 hours and I was still 3rd in line. However then you get to ensure yourself an iPad and the choice of any model

 

Can't say what it is like in your area, but I went to Best Buy for the iPad 2 an hour and half before launch and was 20-something in line. They did a ticketing system and had limited quantities of each flavor. With AT&T and Verizon being on the same unit this time, it should increase quantities for all models. The Best Buy I went to wasn't too far from an Apple Store so I think that had alot to do with the small crowd (about 50 people). Compare this to another Best Buy in town that had over 200 people in line.

 

I went to a local Wal-Mart last year about 1 hour early (4 PM) and was second in line. A lot of the employees weren't even aware they would be selling them that day. At 5 PM they rolled out the iPads. They only had 12 of them and they were all wifi models (both black and white) YMMV.

 

I went to the Apple store in NYC last year and it was actually pretty harmless - only had to wait in line about 2 hours. The bottom line is I think the Apple stores generally have longer lines, but also have larger quantities and the lines move very fast (at least it did for me last year - the store opened at 5 and I was out of the store by around 6). It also may be easier this year b/c last year there were no pre-orders so everyone who wanted it on launch day had to wait in line. Also, the diff between the iPad 1 and 2 is a lot more than the diff between 2 and 3 and so it's possible it may be easier to get one this time, but you really can never tell.

 

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Better to go to an Apple Store. They probably won't run out of them. The line shouldnt be that bad. Most probably preordered...Apple must have had a lot of preorder stock.

 

Sounds similar to my experience. I got to my Best Buy an hour an half early before launch and was somewhere between 25-30th in line. We wound up having around 200 people in line by launch time and everybody got one. In fact, the girl was still standing by the service desk with a fistful of tickets left over. I called her over and swapped my 16 for a 32 GB.

 

I agree that going to the Apple store is best, but you're dreaming if you think the lines are not going to be long. I'm predicting this to go down as the craziest launch yet. I would get there very early if I was going to wait in line at the store.

 

2 hours isn't that bad. Which nyc store did you go to??

 

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I'm over from the UK staying in NYC this week and I think I'm going to try my luck and queue at one of the Apple stores.

 

I'm debating which one I should go to this year. Last year I went to Best Buy at about 2:30 in the afternoon and was 14th in line which was more than early enough to get an iPad 2. I live in Oklahoma City and there is only one Apple store here, which is probably about a 5 minute drive from the Best Buy I went to last year. I figure if I get to the Apple Store around 5:30-6:00am, I should be more than fine, but I know it will be packed. Any thoughts?

 

I got to my Best Buy around 4 hours early for the iPad 2 and was something like 25th in line. If memory serves they had 5 of each model, perhaps 10 on the wi-fis. Got mine fine.

Given the morning launch, available online pre-orders and what seems like is a little less rushed a launch so hopefully a few more units I'm hoping 2 hours would be early enough if not less.

 

No way! The Best Buy I went to last year was a clusterf---! They didn't organize a line, just had a waiting area with chairs, and were very rude to the customers. No tickets. People waited all day and they wouldn't even tell them how much stock they had. 15 mins before 5PM, they come out and say they only got 10 and none were 3G. Plus, there are only 10 chairs so whoever is in a chair gets one (they had been changing the number of chairs during the day but never told anyone why). As the 3G hopefuls got up to leave I grabbed a chair and got the last black 32 wifi. I'll never shop there again.

Apple store is your best bet if you weren't nimble enough to pre-order. Just go really early and stand in line. At least you know Apple will be honest about what stock they have and will likely have the most stock. All the other stores have horrible customer service in comparison.

 

My bestbuy had a line and gave out tickets 30 minutes before, so fine at mine. Im sure that varies store to store based on whoever is in charge.

They did give us absolutely no info at all prior aside from the time they'd give the tickets though.

One positive of selling them as they open: No mid day shopping people gawking at the line. Just us buyers. I'd go to an Apple store but its 30 minutes further away than Best Buy, eh.

 

If you don't mind waiting, go to an Apple store

 

Lines at Apple stores tend to be longer. On the other hand, launch day supplies are better. Once that sells out they appear in smaller numbers.

The availability of preorders may ease the line a bit. On the other hand, because many countries won't get the new iPad yet some people show up just to buy them to export them. The Apple store usually only allows two per person to reduce this effect. Still, if ten people show up at midnight for this purpose that sucks up twenty units.

If you know you want an AT&T or Verizon version it might be better to go to one of those stores. If you go somewhere else they might be reduced to only models you don't want when you get to the front of the line.

Last year when the iPhone 4S came out the line at the local Apple store was crazy, but the line at the AT&T store 3 miles away was not to bad. I showed up about 7:30AM and easily got my choice. I'll probably try this again this year.

 

At around 4:30 they make out handing out tickets to specific models to us in line. The Best Buy I was at had about 400 people in line, my friend was near the end of the line and still got an iPad (granted he was forced to buy one of the most expensive ones)

 

With 4 1/2 years of all the iOS device launches, the apple stores in my area had stock for 3 days (through the weekend).

That's your best bet IMO

If you go there though be prepared to spend more money on accessories

 

My front porch.

 

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So if I wanted an AT&T 4G 64 gig (to use in the UK), I could just go to an AT&T store and buy one outright?

 

I suggest an AT&T store in a small rural area. They were almost begging people to take the 4S's on launch day here.

 

All Target stores will receive at least 5, they ship in case packs of 5. Most stores will have more then just the 5, some will have over 100, on average there will be 20-30 per store. Obviously with on average 4-6 cases per store, the selection of model configurations will be scarce. I know my store is receiving white only, no black in any configuration.

Now the question is timing...most will be delivered via FedEx, and on a commercial route that can be anytime, though if they are delivered by 8 they will go on sale when the store opens. There are some stores that will have theirs shipped from their distribution center, which means they should be on the shel when the store opens.

 

Thanks for posting. I have a couple questions if you don't mind:

By any chance do you have the DCPI's for the new iPads yet?
Also, would the folks at the electronics counter know what quantity and models their store is receiving yet?

 

AT&T and Verizon are not on the same unit this time.

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If you're going to only use it in uk, it doesn't matter if you get AT&T or Verizon.

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I don't think the difference between 1 and 2 was so dramatic. 2 to 3 seems more significant.