5 ms·

It's a hilarious money making idea but I have trouble understanding why people queue up overnight for these things[1] as opposed to buying it the next day or ne

by philk 16y ago

It's a hilarious money making idea but I have trouble understanding why people queue up overnight for these things[1] as opposed to buying it the next day or next week. It's just a phone, albeit a rather lovely one. [1] Although not nearly as puzzling as the people who queued up for Windows 95.

catch23 16y ago
If sales are as strong as the ipad was on release date, it might go out of stock for a month or two.
JacobAldridge 16y ago
When the iPad was released in Australia the queues outside the Apple stores were long with fans who'd been there much / most / all of the night. Other distributors with plenty of stock opened on time to ... no queues, and provided prompt sales all day.
- dagw 16y ago
  People aren't queueing simply to get an iPad. They are there to partake in the experience. The act of queuing and hanging out with like minded people and making the purchase at the actual Apple store is as much a part of the package as actually getting the iPad.
smokey_the_bear 16y ago
I'm not really sure what to do. I'm an app developer and really need the phone, but I had a lot of trouble with the pre-order system, and couldn't get an order through until the ship date was back to July 14. If I don't go camp out, I won't get one for a month.
- yanowitz 16y ago
  Decide what your hourly time is worth and then perhaps buy one on eBay instead?
patio11 16y ago
Because the phone is a part of your identity and if you were a True Believer enough to stay out for several hours to get it, then that is an awesome story to tell people every time you whip it out to show them how cool you are. See also attending movies on opening night, going to the midnight release of Harry Potter, etc etc. I'm not being facetious in the least. P.S. I remember Windows 95 as being a quantum leap over Windows 3.1. Everything about your computer was magic and new after that one.
- megablast 16y ago
  A few people might be like that, some people enjoy the atmosphere and meeting over Apple fans (and seem to have too much time on their hands), overs can't wait for anything, and a few are developers who want to test the apps they have been writing for weeks, on an actual device, and be the first to utilize the new phones abilities. I waited 20 minutes for an ipad in line, got bored and left. It took me two weeks to get one from the Apple store, when they had supplies, despite putting my name on the list. I had produces apps for people, and they were doing strange things, and it was not easy finding out why without the actual device.
  - jonknee 16y ago
    I walked into a BestBuy at lunch time on iPad launch day and was out the door with an iPad in 10 minutes. There was a huge crowd at the Apple store and people who camped out. I slept, had a nice breakfast, got some work done and then got the iPad along with other errands. Priorities I suppose.
- mikeyur 16y ago
  That's a big part of it, but it's also the experience. I lined up for the iPhone 3G when it was released in Canada and the experience was great. I felt like I was with "my people" - and spent most of the couple hour wait talking with the other geeks in line about our Apple products, BS'ing about rumours/news.

by philk 16y ago

catch23 16y ago

If sales are as strong as the ipad was on release date, it might go out of stock for a month or two.

JacobAldridge 16y ago

When the iPad was released in Australia the queues outside the Apple stores were long with fans who'd been there much / most / all of the night. Other distributors with plenty of stock opened on time to ... no queues, and provided prompt sales all day.

dagw 16y ago
People aren't queueing simply to get an iPad. They are there to partake in the experience. The act of queuing and hanging out with like minded people and making the purchase at the actual Apple store is as much a part of the package as actually getting the iPad.

smokey_the_bear 16y ago

I'm not really sure what to do. I'm an app developer and really need the phone, but I had a lot of trouble with the pre-order system, and couldn't get an order through until the ship date was back to July 14. If I don't go camp out, I won't get one for a month.

yanowitz 16y ago
Decide what your hourly time is worth and then perhaps buy one on eBay instead?

patio11 16y ago

Because the phone is a part of your identity and if you were a True Believer enough to stay out for several hours to get it, then that is an awesome story to tell people every time you whip it out to show them how cool you are. See also attending movies on opening night, going to the midnight release of Harry Potter, etc etc. I'm not being facetious in the least. P.S. I remember Windows 95 as being a quantum leap over Windows 3.1. Everything about your computer was magic and new after that one.

megablast 16y ago
A few people might be like that, some people enjoy the atmosphere and meeting over Apple fans (and seem to have too much time on their hands), overs can't wait for anything, and a few are developers who want to test the apps they have been writing for weeks, on an actual device, and be the first to utilize the new phones abilities. I waited 20 minutes for an ipad in line, got bored and left. It took me two weeks to get one from the Apple store, when they had supplies, despite putting my name on the list. I had produces apps for people, and they were doing strange things, and it was not easy finding out why without the actual device.
- jonknee 16y ago
  I walked into a BestBuy at lunch time on iPad launch day and was out the door with an iPad in 10 minutes. There was a huge crowd at the Apple store and people who camped out. I slept, had a nice breakfast, got some work done and then got the iPad along with other errands. Priorities I suppose.
mikeyur 16y ago
That's a big part of it, but it's also the experience. I lined up for the iPhone 3G when it was released in Canada and the experience was great. I felt like I was with "my people" - and spent most of the couple hour wait talking with the other geeks in line about our Apple products, BS'ing about rumours/news.