Dumb question about buying iPad upon launch

[alba-ny]

I have a gift card and have been waiting for the iPad 3 launch rather impatiently. Like many people, I am anticipating a March 7th release, but I was just scheduled for surgery that very day. D:

Not to mention I don't know the best way to to buy an Apple product upon launch. It sounds like first come, first served? Presumably certain locations have more units in stock but it is a matter of timing and luck? Since I have a gift card I must go through Apple.

With the surgery I'm pretty much screwed that day and some days after (which sucks since it would be a nice thing to have during recovery, eh?) The nearest Apple store will be an hour+ away. Perhaps it makes sense to buy online and wait? If I recall that takes a while.

I apologise for not knowing how Apple handles sales when releasing new items, but I'm curious and would like to use the fastest reasonable method of purchase assuming release day is as rumoured. Basically I just want to know what the options really are. If I can only afford or only want one particular configuration am I likely screwed for a while until the rush is over? I never paid attention before, but I'm hoping that is won't be weeks after release to finally get what I am waiting for.

 

[VinceDae]

Hi

Where do you live? (maybe NY stands for New York? )

- But you say you're gonna get surgery on the 7th? - Remember its only the pressrelease of the iPad on the 7th, so maybe you'll be out when it goes into sales? - thats prob. gonna be a week or so after the PR

- hope its nothing serious with the surgery and you recover fast

 

[Night Spring]

If you cannot make it to an Apple store the day of product launch, the best way to ensure getting the model you want as fast as possible is to order online the minute online orders open. That time will be either announced during the product keynote, or be posted to rumor sites like this one. Just keep on alert for that info, then start trying the Apple online store about half hour before the scheduled order opening time, because online orders have been known to open early. For both the original iPad and iPad 2, I was able to secure the earliest possible delivery by this method. Good luck on your surgery.

 

[Macman45]

^^

That's what I do, my sales guy will email me, then phone for my order...No standing in line to be the very first, and I like dealing direct with Apple...I've specd all my Macs on the phone..It's just more personal and they really do give excellent service.

 

[neutrino23]

Things sometimes change, but I recommend ordering online. Last year each store got limited numbers of iPads but they didn't have every version. So even if you were at the front of the line (no small feat) you might not get the ipad you wanted. By versions I mean memory capacity, wifi only or some sort of 3G. If you order online you are guarrenteed the flavor you want.

Maybe this year will be different. Maybe Apple has stockpiled more iPads for the launch than last year. We'll see.

March 7 is a Wednesday. Maybe we can start ordering online 12:01AM on Friday?

 

[ThatsMeRight]

I expect the iPad to launch exactly 1,5 week after the announcement on March 7th.

Good luck with your surgery.

 

[Night Spring]

Last year each store got limited numbers of iPads but they didn't have every version. So even if you were at the front of the line (no small feat) you might not get the ipad you wanted.

I suppose it depends on which store you go to. I've always lined up at the Fifth Ave Store in NY, and never had trouble getting the version of iPad/iPhone I wanted on launch day. You do need to get there at least several hours early, but as long as you get there before the line starts winding around the block, you could get the model you want. Not sure how it is at the smaller stores, but if you are going to line up, I've always felt the best thing to do is to go to the biggest store you can get to.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

I suppose it depends on which store you go to. I've always lined up at the Fifth Ave Store in NY, and never had trouble getting the version of iPad/iPhone I wanted on launch day. You do need to get there at least several hours early, but as long as you get there before the line starts winding around the block, you could get the model you want. Not sure how it is at the smaller stores, but if you are going to line up, I've always felt the best thing to do is to go to the biggest store you can get to.

I've always felt you can better go to the least popular stores. They will still get a few units of every model, but there are rarely lines and you can practically still walk-in hours after the product officially went on sale, and still get the model you want.

 

[Blorzoga]

Waiting in line at an Apple store is probably the worst idea of all. There will be limited supplies and the line will be filled with resellers and their extended families waiting to buy everything in sight. Hopefully Apple learned its lesson with the iPad 2 release and they will only allow online sales with home delivery or instore pickup. That way they will cut out all the scumbag resellers.

 

[Redrum509]

SO when the line is so long and there is a limited amount of Ipads at the store what happens when they sell out? Does a employee tell the remaining people in line they are sold out? or do you have to stay in line and find out for yourself when you get into the store?

 

[maclook]

Waiting in line at an Apple store is probably the worst idea of all. There will be limited supplies and the line will be filled with resellers and their extended families waiting to buy everything in sight. Hopefully Apple learned its lesson with the iPad 2 release and they will only allow online sales with home delivery or instore pickup. That way they will cut out all the scumbag resellers.

Apple Stores have the most supplies but you deal with the longest line because of it. I went to the 5pm launch at like 6:30pm and waited in line (for a long time) and got one. Resellers and people buying as many iPads as they can is a problem but that's another argument since Apple allows 2 per person. I think a plus about going to Best Buy or Target is that their supply is smaller and you'll know faster if you can grab the model that you want.

Some notes of my experience last year:

-Best Buy told people before 5pm that there was already a line and they ran out of stock so the people waiting in line were guaranteed an iPad.

-Apple gave out cards at the end of the line and when you got to the front of the line, you told them which model you wanted and they wrote it on the card to prep your order. They had run out of models by the time I got to the front and only luckily had the one I wanted. The card guarantees that there will be an iPad when you get to the front but doesn't guarantee you that it'll be the one you want. Employees walked down the line yelling out which models had just sold out. ATT 3G ones went fast.

 

[M87]

It's really unlikely it will be released March 7th, most likely they will just announce it and set a later date for preordering/in-store availability.

Good luck with your surgery!

 

[matbook101]

Good luck with surgery.

 

[alba-ny]

Wow, thank you for all the friendly replies.

It's been really helpful.
Hmm, I guess my impatience distorted the supposed announcement date into release.



The surgery is nothing major, and I'll be all set to try the queue by the time it is out If I don't just order online as suggested. (Being back at home I'll have a bunch of store locations nearby.)

 

[Buckeyestar]

I stood in line at Best Buy last year. I got there about 3:30 PM, an hour and a half before launch. I was about the 25th or 30th in line. When 5 PM rolled around, they would ask you before you entered ( we had to wait outside so as not to clog up the store, near 200 people) they asked which one you wanted and handed you a sheet that guaranteed you that model, they had printed a sheet for each one they had. By the time I got to the register, I had changed my mind from a 16GB wifi to a 32GB. The girl with the sheets still had several and I just swapped out right there.