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Standing in line -- new to it and need advice
- Thread starter msduncan
- Start date
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Buy online. Or, find a local university/college that sells Apple products and buy from there. Most don't require you to be a student or staff or faculty to purchase.
I imagine this is different for each store and location.
The biggest consideration is that your store has enough stock, so if there are several Apple Stores in your town, make sure it's a decent-sized one.
I went to the second biggest Apple store in my town and the lines were a bit shorter than the flagship store and i was able to buy it in a reasonable amount of time. The smallest stores in town were out of stock much quicker, but these were tiny stores.
I didn't care that I was the first or 10th person to get the iPhone or iPad and didn't want to wake up early, so I just went 30 minutes before the store opened at 9:30am. I had to wait about 2 1/2 to 3 hours as about 150-250 people were in front of me in the two times I bought iOS devices on opening day.
If I had to do it again, maybe I would get there one hour before the store opened. The Apple staff will give you a number while you are waiting in line so you will be guaranteed to get an iPad.
It is though, far easier to just pre-oder the iPad as soon as it becomes available online. DON"T WAIT, if you do this as the initial batch will be out of stock soon and you'll have to wait for post-launch shipping dates if you don't pre-order right away. I waffled on the first day that the iPad was available online and missed the launch date shipping date, so that is why I went to the store so I didn't have to wait a couple weeks for it.
The biggest consideration is that your store has enough stock, so if there are several Apple Stores in your town, make sure it's a decent-sized one.
I went to the second biggest Apple store in my town and the lines were a bit shorter than the flagship store and i was able to buy it in a reasonable amount of time. The smallest stores in town were out of stock much quicker, but these were tiny stores.
I didn't care that I was the first or 10th person to get the iPhone or iPad and didn't want to wake up early, so I just went 30 minutes before the store opened at 9:30am. I had to wait about 2 1/2 to 3 hours as about 150-250 people were in front of me in the two times I bought iOS devices on opening day.
If I had to do it again, maybe I would get there one hour before the store opened. The Apple staff will give you a number while you are waiting in line so you will be guaranteed to get an iPad.
It is though, far easier to just pre-oder the iPad as soon as it becomes available online. DON"T WAIT, if you do this as the initial batch will be out of stock soon and you'll have to wait for post-launch shipping dates if you don't pre-order right away. I waffled on the first day that the iPad was available online and missed the launch date shipping date, so that is why I went to the store so I didn't have to wait a couple weeks for it.
Standing in line... did it for 7 hours for the iPhone 4 (only because my reservation was missing and they couldn't give us a definate time - kept delaying us )... I won't stand in line again!
Either ship to the house, or buy later. Might even just get an iPad 1 for $100 off.
Either ship to the house, or buy later. Might even just get an iPad 1 for $100 off.
The Point
The point of standing in line to buy an iPad is not to buy an iPad, it's to stand in line.
If you go with a friend or family member, you get anywhere from 1/2 hour to a couple hours talking about stuff - work, politics, what are you going to do with your life. If not, you can spark up a conversation with a fellow linee (liner?) about iPad, Steve, Windows, or whatever.
Also, free tee shirts.
The point of standing in line to buy an iPad is not to buy an iPad, it's to stand in line.
If you go with a friend or family member, you get anywhere from 1/2 hour to a couple hours talking about stuff - work, politics, what are you going to do with your life. If not, you can spark up a conversation with a fellow linee (liner?) about iPad, Steve, Windows, or whatever.
Also, free tee shirts.
The First Step
The first step is to go to the bathroom before you get in line.
The second step is to relax and enjoy the experience. There may be no line, there may be a three hour line.
The third step is to talk to your fellow line standers.
The two times I've lined up for the release of a new OS X, I've gotten there about two hours before the store opened. That's probably about as early as you'd want to go.
The first step is to go to the bathroom before you get in line.
The second step is to relax and enjoy the experience. There may be no line, there may be a three hour line.
The third step is to talk to your fellow line standers.
The two times I've lined up for the release of a new OS X, I've gotten there about two hours before the store opened. That's probably about as early as you'd want to go.
i was considering buying on line i have school and cant wait in line all day, ill order asap and hopefully get my ipad in the shortest shipping time possible. as for line waiting, for the iphone 4 i went around 3 in the afternoon to do something and figured i ought to see the lines and wow were they large rapping along most of the mall. so i checked my calendar and i have school so il be ordering. i always wanted to stand in a line just foe the experience but apples releases during the year are not on the weekends so i cant.
I hope you are sending this from a mobile device and you are already there
If you're not in line by now wearing your best apple t shirt then I'm sorry you have missed out
But !!!!!
I'm in line and I'm buying 2 so I can sell one at a vastly inflated price
I'llkeep it for you
1) There's No Way To Know.
I don't think there will be the usual madness, but you never know. Apple will have a huge inventory, so no worries you'll get one.
2) The iPad is so simple a monkey could use it.
Nothing else you need to know.
Seems like the complicating factor is that it won't go on sale until 5PM. Late enough that people with a life as well as Apple Nuts will be in line too.
I wonder what time the online ordering will start. Hopefully early enough so that if I can't get online I can get to a store in time to get a place in line.
I wonder what time the online ordering will start. Hopefully early enough so that if I can't get online I can get to a store in time to get a place in line.
i honestly dont think its bad at all to wait in line , its kind of fun actually everyone is in a pretty good mood, just bring a couple fold out chairs and try to go with some friends.
I'm really just looking for a guideline....
Do I get there at dawn on launch day?
Do I get there mid-morning on launch day? (ie 9 or 10 am)
Do I get there several hours before launch?
I'm in Birmingham Alabama and it's the only Apple store in the area.
Do I get there at dawn on launch day?
Do I get there mid-morning on launch day? (ie 9 or 10 am)
Do I get there several hours before launch?
I'm in Birmingham Alabama and it's the only Apple store in the area.
I live in Australia, but I will be in Hawaii from the 7 March to the 17 March so I am thinking of getting in line to buy a white iPad next Friday. Can anybody please advise which store in Waikiki would be best to buy from? The store at Royal Hawaiian (which is just down the road from my hotel) or from Ala Moana?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Very hard to predict what the turnout will be. Dawn seems excessive, but if you can swing by mid-morning, see if there is a line forming. If yes, get in line, if not, go kill time somewhere else and come back later to get in line.
BestBuy has already said they will be selling. My guess is ATT and VZW stores will also have allotment of their respective 3G version. Personally I don't think supply is going to be an issue b/c it's launching simultaneously in multiple markets, something even the iPhone 4 did not do.
There will be attention clowns who line up the moment the mall opens. But 100% unnecessary. I personally will line up at 4pm. Even that is an hour of my life I'll never get back. I got in line for the iPad 3G last year at 5:10 -- 10 min after the doors opened and bought one of the last 32GB models. Of course the iPad was an unknown product last year, but it's not any less expensive this year which I suspect will hold people back from buying by the dozen.
Stood in line once for 9 hours to see the Rolling Stones play in a Bar ... it was worth it ... however to buy an iPad? ... buy it online
Awesome!
Well, this year, there apparently is no pre-ordering in the US. So if you want to get your hands on iPad2 on day one, standing in line may be the only way.
USA only on 3/11 others wait till 25.
Half the people in line will be listing on eBay to sell to those who can't wait.
Trying to figure out if I'm going to wait in line, also. I've contemplated taking a half day and heading over there early afternoon.
Being in Florida, I don't want to wait a week for it to get here from Cali if I were to order online.
Anyone know when the online ordering could go up? I mean, I guess no one knows, but any good guestimates based on history?
Being in Florida, I don't want to wait a week for it to get here from Cali if I were to order online.
Anyone know when the online ordering could go up? I mean, I guess no one knows, but any good guestimates based on history?
3 pm
In my past Apple line-standing experiences, I've arrived about 2 hours before it goes on sale. I'm never first, but there are big groups that show up at 1 hour before, and then at 15 minutes before.
So 3 PM would be fine.
In my past Apple line-standing experiences, I've arrived about 2 hours before it goes on sale. I'm never first, but there are big groups that show up at 1 hour before, and then at 15 minutes before.
So 3 PM would be fine.
