Apple’s iPad 2 goes on sale today at 5 p.m. local time across the United States and lines are already forming.
UPDATE: 5:30 pm ET: Readers tell us of huge lines at Apple Retail Stores. For example, one MacDailyNews reader counted 700+ people in line at Apple Store Crossgates in Albany, NY just before the doors opened at 5pm.
If you’re in an iPad 2 line, please send us a photo (webmaster@macdailynews.com) and please note your location and we’ll post them below!
Note that the iPad 2 line for Apple Store Bellueve Square passes right outside the Microsoft Store located in the same mall!
Apple Store Alderwood Mall – Lynnwood, WA (Thanks, David L.)
Apple Store Bellevue Square – Bellevue, WA (Thanks, Larry L.)
Apple Store Twenty Ninth Street – Boulder, CO (Thanks, Tim B.)
Apple Store Brandon – Brandon, FL (Thanks, Brian G.)
Apple Store Briargate – Colorado Springs, CO (Thanks, Cord P.)
Apple Store Crossgates Mall – Albany, NY (Thanks, Michael M.)
Apple Store Bay Street – Emeryville, CA (Thanks, Paul H.)
Apple Store Ala Moana – Honolulu, HI (Thanks, Terry & Jeanne G.)
Apple Store Ala Moana – Honolulu, HI (Thanks, Terry & Jeanne G.)
Apple Store Keystone – Indianapolis, IN (Thanks, Frank C.)
Apple Store Smith Haven – Lake Grove, NY (Thanks, Randy H.)
Apple Store Smith Haven – Lake Grove, NY (Thanks, Ross P.)
Apple Store Tysons Corner – McLean, VA (Thanks, Adam J.)
Best Buy Tropicaire Mall – Miami, FL (Thanks, Hugo L.)
Apple Store Green Hills – Nashville, TN (Thanks, Shaun L.)
Apple Store Twelve Oaks – Novi, MI (Thanks, Steve W.)
Apple Store Millenia – Orlando, FL
Apple Store Palo Alto – Palo Alto, CA (Thanks, Kevin E.)
Best Buy – Patchogue, NY (Thanks, ob1spyker)
Apple Store Ross Park – Pittsburgh, PA (Thanks, Ray M.)
Apple Store Crabtree Valley Mall – Raleigh, NC (Thanks, Chad H.)
Map of line at 3pm at Apple Store SoHo – New York City (Thanks, Mmm)
Apple Store Tyson’s Corner – McLean, VA (Thanks, Pat F.)
Apple Store The Woodlands -The Woodlands, TX
Apple Store Walden Galleria – Buffalo, NY (Thanks, Anthony J.)
Apple Store St. Johns Town Center – Jacksonville, FL (Thanks, Steve A.)
Apple Store Fifth Avenue – New York City (Thanks, Victor P.)
Apple Store Providence Place – Providence, RI (Thanks, John B.)
Apple Store Short Pump Town Center – Richmond, VA (Thanks, Hayward T.)
Apple Store Short Hills – Short Hills, NJ (Thanks, Michael S.)
I highly doubt the credibility of any story which says that a woman sold her place in line for $900. That makes no financial sense at all. $50, OKAY. $100, MAYBE. But $900? The cost of 2 iPads? Sorry, this is just a made-up story for the press.
I believe it. The person *behind* me in line was offering $300 each for up to 8 people. She may have gone higher. She needed 16 iPads. These didn’t have to be first in lines, just front enough to get one early. This is in Palo Alto.
Believe it or not, it actually happened in NY. The buyer is a developer. He considered it an investment to promote his products (Apps) thru free media publicity that the offer will generate. And he certainly got his money’s worth. I for one has downloaded a free version of his “Vocalive” app.
Here is more result of that little $900: http://www.businessinsider.com/college-kid-sells-spot-in-ipad-2-line-2011-3
Apple orders started out at 5 am EST. with a 3-5 day shipping timeframe. If you were to place an online order now, you would get a 2-3 week shipping timeframe delay.
Apple expects that by the end of the day, shipping timeframes will be 3-6 weeks, due to huge influx of orders and demand- this from a conversation I had a few minutes ago with an Apple manager in Cupertino.
At this rate they’ll have no more units left for the European launch. They’ll probably have two display units to play with in the Athens store but that’ll be about it. The average Greek is unemployed and can hardly afford an iPad.
Aaron, that was Gene Munster stating to not expect waiting lines for the iPad 2.. Everybody seems to love Gene. F him! He intentionally made that article so people would be unprepared and he’d have first dibs for his iPad! I bet he’s already in line, and MDN has yet to correct him with an iCal as appropriate.
In 2007, after AppleTV and the iPhone debuted, Gene Munster predicted that the AppleTV would be a runaway hit and that the iPhone was at best a niche product, given Apple total lack of experience in the phone business and given the power of the carriers. Munster is just an average guy, at best!
Actually, (if you are talking about the main store on Market St) it was FOUR blocks longs. At 5pm, the line went completely around the city block (Stockton, O’Farrell, Powell, and Ellis); the end of the line was back at the store.
As I was watching (not in line for this one), a few minutes after 5pm, a HUGE Fedex semi pulled up along the Ellis side, next to the back employee entrance. I figured they were unloading some more iPads for this key Apple Store, because the line had gotten so long.
“People just don’t seem to be all that excited about it.”
“I get that once you have seen an iPad an improved iPad is far less exciting,”
“I just don’t think more people are going to get excited about an incremental product over one that was magical”
“This is starting to look like one of Apple’s most challenging launches yet. The company has stumbled a bit on timing and execution, and world events seem to be working against them as well. Apple is a crazy capable company, but it just feels like they are off their game at the moment, and clearly with their CEO under the weather, there are good reasons for that. In any case, the iPad 2 ramp-to-market, which I thought was going to be a walk in the park for Apple, is quickly looking like anything but.
This is Apple at it’s most brilliant. Release at 5pm, just before the 6pm news cycle, when there will still be video of a line even if it’s only 30 people long. They get a free commercial on every single news station in the country. And no pre-orders just means more people will show up at the stores to fuel their big PR move. If there were plenty in stock, there would be no frenzy to get one. So they stream them out in waves of inventory, and the must-have factor goes nuts. The fact that the wait is now 3 weeks online sends the perceived value through the roof. You literally cannot buy this kind of promotion, and it’s not costing Apple a penny. Amazing.
The line at Palo Alto store is huge now. Employees as expecting to sell out and are going down the line asking what people are buying so they can tell people at the end of the line that they might not get what they want or any iPad at all.
You realize that’s always going to be true, right? I mean, until Apple stops making new products the next product will make the previous product “obsolete.”
I just wish Apple could make enough iPads to meet demand. I don’t mind waiting in line but it would be nice to be able to actually buy the thing.
Obsolete is only in the mind of the beholder. I have a 2004 G4 Mirror doors that my son is using. To him, that Mac is anything but obsolete. I have a lot of friends that purchased the iPad first generation, and they are sticking with it. I also bet, that if they wanted to, they could easily get 75% of what they payed for it, at lest.
Line at Stonebriar Apple Store in Frisco, TX was easily 500 people deep. I was about 150 in line and managed to buy a 64GB black WiFi model. All AT&T models sold out before I was even in eyesight of the store. And they started with no AT&T Black 16GB or White Verizon 64 GB models.
We had over 500 at Austin Barton Creek when doors opened. The first two people bought 2 32gbs one each was 3G. We were back exchanging one of the covers an hour ago and there were close to 200 people in line and these were new since early arrivals had cleared out. Calling Gene M…there be lines here.
Austin Barton Creek sold out at 8:00 pm and had to turn away several hundred people. All stock in Austin is gone, including the popup store. Thats three Apple stores. Guess Gene M should have checked for lines a little more closely.
I went to the Best Buy in my neighborhood, they had 20 iPads to sell for the Grand iPad debut. Petty ridiculous. I will buy one, but I for one refuse to stand in line for hours to buy a gadgets, regardless how cool it might be.
I went to a Target in Milwaukee, WI. No line at 4:30. at 4:45 4 other people showed up at the electronics counter. 5 people. Only 5 16GB White Wi-Fi iPad 2 were avail. 5 min. Over. A different Target only had 6 32GB Black Wi-Fi. Strange.
Huge lines at Apple Store in Nashville. I wanted a 3G but they were sold out of all 3G models by 6:30. Not wanting to leave empty handed I bought 2 wifi units thinking I’d sell them. I’m not sure I will make it through this night. I hear them calling to me from beneath their cellophane cage.
Should I be strong and wait for the 3G or can I live with a wifi version?
I was about 149th in line and managed to make it inside the Park Meadows Mall in Lonetree, Colorado before the Apple employees came down the line with the bad news that all AT&T 3G iPad’s were sold out…this was like 5:20 MST. Yikes, only 20 minutes to sell out all AT&T 3G models.
Was able to reserve a white 64Gb Verizon 3G model at the Verizon store last Monday. Received three calls from the Verizob store throughout Friday making sure I was serious because they had crowds gathering. Arrived at 5:10 and picked up my Precious and a grey neoprene cover. Officially handed off my original iPad to my wife and am enjoying the snappier performance. iMovie app here I come!
A note to Gene Munsters Boss
Whatever you are paying him you need to seriously review it. As an analyst he seems to get it more wrong than right. What betting man would have said no queues at an apple product launch. Halve his salary
Saturday 08;49 Just received e-mail from FedX that my iPad2 has shipped. It does say delivery date of 3-17-2011 but I’m guessing it will be by the 14th. I ordered the $499 black Wi Fi at 03:00 Friday morning. Bam!
It would be interesting to see how many of these buyers
are first time owners as opposed to up graders. For 1st
timers, I say go for it. For others like me. No way!
My main one is the 64GB 3G. Also have the 64GB Wi-Fi.
Both models generation 1. The second one has all my
music (20GB+and growing) and hundreds of comics
for the ComicZeal4 app. Both pads have c8GB free.
The new pad is blazing fast. No reason to up grade
as the old one wasn’t slow just fast. As to the cameras,
they suck (front 640×480,back 720×960). Useless for
stills. Can’t hold a candle to iPhone 4’s camera which is
superb. Max capacity still at 64GB. I would buy if it had
a great camera. I would buy if it had 128GB capacity or
an SD slot in spite of the lousy camera. I’m sitting this
one out and waiting for iPad 3. 🙁
5th ave store had 2 2hr lines, one on each side. If you were thinking about making the line apple aecurity officers were screaming NO ATT 3G models left! ONLY VERIZON!! But not many people were buying into this… Once inside, the sales force had access to whatever was out at that moment, but 3G ATT units were the most sought after, i saw no 16 or 64GB models of any kind while there, only 32GB models, which was weird, and they were going like hotcakes, id say 100 per minute, it was unbelievably how the were getting rid of them… A Chinese man had a small sweat shop working with over 5 kids wit wads of cash going around, he had like 70-100 ipads in 3 huge grocery bags… It was insane… Only store to be open 24/7 and the line is not coming down!
I have an iPad 1:st gen, 64GB-3G. The only single reason why I will upgrade is the 512 MB RAM, twice as much as the previous iPad and as much as my iPhone 4. Several apps, most notably AutoCAD WS (but also others) seems to be memory-deprived on my iPad but works great on the iPhone. I am sick and tired to double-click and stop all other running apps. Those offensive apps works fine in a 512 MB environment and iPad with its much superior screen real-estate works those apps better. Thank you Apple!!!
I ordered mine yesterday at about 7:30 am and got a ship date of 4/1… Just as a piece of personal research, I went this afternoon to 2 Wal-Marts. 2-Targets. 1 Best-Buy, 1 AT&T store and finally to the Apple store here in SOUTH Southern Orange county (CA).. between noon and 1:30 pm pacific time… NOTHING…ALL GONE…NADA… And some VERY irritated folks everywhere…
I walked past the 5th Ave Store at about 11am and there were maybe 200 or 300 people.
Around 1:45 I walked past the SoHo store and the line was 3/4 of the way up Greene Street toward Houston… maybe 500. The odd thing was that the majority of people in line seemed to be Chinese.
Apparently Mr. Munster didn’t take into account that there would be no preorders, and that, while there may be more players this time around, sending Target 5 units hardly qualifies as a viable alternative to waiting on line at Apple or Best Buy.
The other thing, that I assume, he didn’t take into consideration is that this is the model that those who didn’t buy iPad 1 were waiting for. Many people I spoke to about the original iPad complained about the lack of a camera and the apprehension about buying a first gen device. This product served both issues as well as providing a nice (and noticeable) performance boost. When you toss in the original iPad owners who wanted to upgrade or add to their iPad collection you actually had the potential for quite the opposite of Mr. Munster’s predictions.
In all fairness, I can see how he could come to the conclusion he he did, but if you really did some homework and put some real thought into the issue you would see that this prediction would fall flat on it’s face.
If Gene Munsters bosses are reading this they should fire him or at least halve his wages. How could he bet against Apple when they are leading on all fronts
I wonder how many are in line to sell their spots. Some lady just sold hers for $900.
I highly doubt the credibility of any story which says that a woman sold her place in line for $900. That makes no financial sense at all. $50, OKAY. $100, MAYBE. But $900? The cost of 2 iPads? Sorry, this is just a made-up story for the press.
I believe it. The person *behind* me in line was offering $300 each for up to 8 people. She may have gone higher. She needed 16 iPads. These didn’t have to be first in lines, just front enough to get one early. This is in Palo Alto.
Believe it or not, it actually happened in NY. The buyer is a developer. He considered it an investment to promote his products (Apps) thru free media publicity that the offer will generate. And he certainly got his money’s worth. I for one has downloaded a free version of his “Vocalive” app.
Here is more result of that little $900: http://www.businessinsider.com/college-kid-sells-spot-in-ipad-2-line-2011-3
CORRECTION:
the guy’s app is called “AskLocal” , a local-only location-based communication app.
Standing outside the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, AZ. There’s no line, but I don’t think they have any 64GB iPad 2s.
crickets chirping
That’s a good one :-). Can somebody snap some pictures of MSFT stores, just for fun? 🙂
Apple orders started out at 5 am EST. with a 3-5 day shipping timeframe. If you were to place an online order now, you would get a 2-3 week shipping timeframe delay.
Apple expects that by the end of the day, shipping timeframes will be 3-6 weeks, due to huge influx of orders and demand- this from a conversation I had a few minutes ago with an Apple manager in Cupertino.
Except i ordered mine at 12:45 PST… or 3:45 EST. (as did others here)
It was 1AM PST when they were to start taking orders online, not 2PST.
Meant 4:00am EST.
At this rate they’ll have no more units left for the European launch. They’ll probably have two display units to play with in the Athens store but that’ll be about it. The average Greek is unemployed and can hardly afford an iPad.
There are no average Greeks!
malikismenos
Feral,
Kala ta les!! Autos o allos einai axristos!!
“When everyone is super, no one will be” Syndrome
As I said the other day “there will be lines”. Too much pent up anticipation for it to be any different.
Apple Store showing 2 – 3 week delivery.
36 people in line at the downtown Portland store at 11:30 am PST.
Didn’t someone predict a “lukewarm” reception for iPad 2 sales wise? MDN needs to check their iCal…
Aaron, that was Gene Munster stating to not expect waiting lines for the iPad 2.. Everybody seems to love Gene. F him! He intentionally made that article so people would be unprepared and he’d have first dibs for his iPad! I bet he’s already in line, and MDN has yet to correct him with an iCal as appropriate.
To be fair, Munster spotted Apple’s ascendence earlier than most, however he’s undershot demand on multiple recent occasions.
In 2007, after AppleTV and the iPhone debuted, Gene Munster predicted that the AppleTV would be a runaway hit and that the iPhone was at best a niche product, given Apple total lack of experience in the phone business and given the power of the carriers. Munster is just an average guy, at best!
Nice big iPad line snakes past the front of the MircoCrap Store
Apple Store in West County Center (St. Louis) just closed; preparing for launch. Line stretches length of mall.
The San Francisco line is 2 blocks long
Actually, (if you are talking about the main store on Market St) it was FOUR blocks longs. At 5pm, the line went completely around the city block (Stockton, O’Farrell, Powell, and Ellis); the end of the line was back at the store.
As I was watching (not in line for this one), a few minutes after 5pm, a HUGE Fedex semi pulled up along the Ellis side, next to the back employee entrance. I figured they were unloading some more iPads for this key Apple Store, because the line had gotten so long.
Anybody waiting at Best Buy or Target or (shudder) Walmart?
I just picked up my 64 gig white iPad @ Best Buy. Line was easily 20 to 30 times longer than for the launch of iPad1!
“Hard data points to sagging iPad 2 hype”
“People just don’t seem to be all that excited about it.”
“I get that once you have seen an iPad an improved iPad is far less exciting,”
“I just don’t think more people are going to get excited about an incremental product over one that was magical”
“This is starting to look like one of Apple’s most challenging launches yet. The company has stumbled a bit on timing and execution, and world events seem to be working against them as well. Apple is a crazy capable company, but it just feels like they are off their game at the moment, and clearly with their CEO under the weather, there are good reasons for that. In any case, the iPad 2 ramp-to-market, which I thought was going to be a walk in the park for Apple, is quickly looking like anything but.
All quotes provided by Rob Enderle.
Yet more proof that Rob Enderle is an idiot.
The biggest idiot of them all.
Thank you for the much-needed levity provided by always-sniveling, always-frustrated Enderle Group of One.
Only 5 units in stock at Smyrna, GA Best Buy. Moving along!
Enderle is a douche, always has been
gets paid by msft to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt
Here in the midwest our local channel partners BB, WM & Tgt only have 5 units at the most
…and 5 at Walmart. What the hell, Apple?!
MicroCenter in Marietta was my best bet, 35 units, but only 9 arrived. Plus the 64GB beauties were not even scheduled. I am iPadless.
What did that fool munster say? Shorter lines. Bestbuy in manhattan, the lines snake around the block.
I can’t find coverage of the lucky people who are going in to stores. Driving me nuts looking online for video. Anyone got a link?
Well over 1000 in Nashville lineup. By far the biggest line I’ve seen for anything, and I’ve been to them all.
Calling Gene Munster…
What was that you said about no lines now?
Only 15 iPads at Chicago Best Buy. 20th in line. Hoping most of these people are here to just accompany friends.
And they’re all gone. Most bought by Worst Buy employees. Oh well.
This is Apple at it’s most brilliant. Release at 5pm, just before the 6pm news cycle, when there will still be video of a line even if it’s only 30 people long. They get a free commercial on every single news station in the country. And no pre-orders just means more people will show up at the stores to fuel their big PR move. If there were plenty in stock, there would be no frenzy to get one. So they stream them out in waves of inventory, and the must-have factor goes nuts. The fact that the wait is now 3 weeks online sends the perceived value through the roof. You literally cannot buy this kind of promotion, and it’s not costing Apple a penny. Amazing.
The line at Palo Alto store is huge now. Employees as expecting to sell out and are going down the line asking what people are buying so they can tell people at the end of the line that they might not get what they want or any iPad at all.
This thing will be obsolete in a few months. Waste of a lineup.
You realize that’s always going to be true, right? I mean, until Apple stops making new products the next product will make the previous product “obsolete.”
I just wish Apple could make enough iPads to meet demand. I don’t mind waiting in line but it would be nice to be able to actually buy the thing.
Obsolete is only in the mind of the beholder. I have a 2004 G4 Mirror doors that my son is using. To him, that Mac is anything but obsolete. I have a lot of friends that purchased the iPad first generation, and they are sticking with it. I also bet, that if they wanted to, they could easily get 75% of what they payed for it, at lest.
Line at Stonebriar Apple Store in Frisco, TX was easily 500 people deep. I was about 150 in line and managed to buy a 64GB black WiFi model. All AT&T models sold out before I was even in eyesight of the store. And they started with no AT&T Black 16GB or White Verizon 64 GB models.
Yeah I was #19 in line there
just got my iPad 2 synced! Noticeably snappy
We had over 500 at Austin Barton Creek when doors opened. The first two people bought 2 32gbs one each was 3G. We were back exchanging one of the covers an hour ago and there were close to 200 people in line and these were new since early arrivals had cleared out. Calling Gene M…there be lines here.
Austin Barton Creek sold out at 8:00 pm and had to turn away several hundred people. All stock in Austin is gone, including the popup store. Thats three Apple stores. Guess Gene M should have checked for lines a little more closely.
The 12 Oaks Mall in Novi, MI sold out by 8pm.
I went to the Best Buy in my neighborhood, they had 20 iPads to sell for the Grand iPad debut. Petty ridiculous. I will buy one, but I for one refuse to stand in line for hours to buy a gadgets, regardless how cool it might be.
I went to a Target in Milwaukee, WI. No line at 4:30. at 4:45 4 other people showed up at the electronics counter. 5 people. Only 5 16GB White Wi-Fi iPad 2 were avail. 5 min. Over. A different Target only had 6 32GB Black Wi-Fi. Strange.
my video of iPad 2 release in new jersey 🙂
Since you bought it at an Apple Store, I guess Best Buy didn’t want your “old tech” (from your previous video)… 🙂
All the stores look the same pretty much. Very good retail strategy there Apple!
yea woodlands mall!!!!
I was 50 or so people back, got my 64Gb wifi.
Huge lines at Apple Store in Nashville. I wanted a 3G but they were sold out of all 3G models by 6:30. Not wanting to leave empty handed I bought 2 wifi units thinking I’d sell them. I’m not sure I will make it through this night. I hear them calling to me from beneath their cellophane cage.
Should I be strong and wait for the 3G or can I live with a wifi version?
I am wondering if Apple employees get any discount on iPad2.
I was about 149th in line and managed to make it inside the Park Meadows Mall in Lonetree, Colorado before the Apple employees came down the line with the bad news that all AT&T 3G iPad’s were sold out…this was like 5:20 MST. Yikes, only 20 minutes to sell out all AT&T 3G models.
got 16GB WIFI only at, of all places, Wal-Mart. No line, no nothing.
Was able to reserve a white 64Gb Verizon 3G model at the Verizon store last Monday. Received three calls from the Verizob store throughout Friday making sure I was serious because they had crowds gathering. Arrived at 5:10 and picked up my Precious and a grey neoprene cover. Officially handed off my original iPad to my wife and am enjoying the snappier performance. iMovie app here I come!
Anyone got a pic from Phoenix, where the Apple store has a Microsoft store directly opposite?
A note to Gene Munsters Boss
Whatever you are paying him you need to seriously review it. As an analyst he seems to get it more wrong than right. What betting man would have said no queues at an apple product launch. Halve his salary
Saturday 08;49 Just received e-mail from FedX that my iPad2 has shipped. It does say delivery date of 3-17-2011 but I’m guessing it will be by the 14th. I ordered the $499 black Wi Fi at 03:00 Friday morning. Bam!
It would be interesting to see how many of these buyers
are first time owners as opposed to up graders. For 1st
timers, I say go for it. For others like me. No way!
My main one is the 64GB 3G. Also have the 64GB Wi-Fi.
Both models generation 1. The second one has all my
music (20GB+and growing) and hundreds of comics
for the ComicZeal4 app. Both pads have c8GB free.
The new pad is blazing fast. No reason to up grade
as the old one wasn’t slow just fast. As to the cameras,
they suck (front 640×480,back 720×960). Useless for
stills. Can’t hold a candle to iPhone 4’s camera which is
superb. Max capacity still at 64GB. I would buy if it had
a great camera. I would buy if it had 128GB capacity or
an SD slot in spite of the lousy camera. I’m sitting this
one out and waiting for iPad 3. 🙁
5th ave store had 2 2hr lines, one on each side. If you were thinking about making the line apple aecurity officers were screaming NO ATT 3G models left! ONLY VERIZON!! But not many people were buying into this… Once inside, the sales force had access to whatever was out at that moment, but 3G ATT units were the most sought after, i saw no 16 or 64GB models of any kind while there, only 32GB models, which was weird, and they were going like hotcakes, id say 100 per minute, it was unbelievably how the were getting rid of them… A Chinese man had a small sweat shop working with over 5 kids wit wads of cash going around, he had like 70-100 ipads in 3 huge grocery bags… It was insane… Only store to be open 24/7 and the line is not coming down!
I have an iPad 1:st gen, 64GB-3G. The only single reason why I will upgrade is the 512 MB RAM, twice as much as the previous iPad and as much as my iPhone 4. Several apps, most notably AutoCAD WS (but also others) seems to be memory-deprived on my iPad but works great on the iPhone. I am sick and tired to double-click and stop all other running apps. Those offensive apps works fine in a 512 MB environment and iPad with its much superior screen real-estate works those apps better. Thank you Apple!!!
I ordered mine yesterday at about 7:30 am and got a ship date of 4/1… Just as a piece of personal research, I went this afternoon to 2 Wal-Marts. 2-Targets. 1 Best-Buy, 1 AT&T store and finally to the Apple store here in SOUTH Southern Orange county (CA).. between noon and 1:30 pm pacific time… NOTHING…ALL GONE…NADA… And some VERY irritated folks everywhere…
I walked past the 5th Ave Store at about 11am and there were maybe 200 or 300 people.
Around 1:45 I walked past the SoHo store and the line was 3/4 of the way up Greene Street toward Houston… maybe 500. The odd thing was that the majority of people in line seemed to be Chinese.
Apparently Mr. Munster didn’t take into account that there would be no preorders, and that, while there may be more players this time around, sending Target 5 units hardly qualifies as a viable alternative to waiting on line at Apple or Best Buy.
The other thing, that I assume, he didn’t take into consideration is that this is the model that those who didn’t buy iPad 1 were waiting for. Many people I spoke to about the original iPad complained about the lack of a camera and the apprehension about buying a first gen device. This product served both issues as well as providing a nice (and noticeable) performance boost. When you toss in the original iPad owners who wanted to upgrade or add to their iPad collection you actually had the potential for quite the opposite of Mr. Munster’s predictions.
In all fairness, I can see how he could come to the conclusion he he did, but if you really did some homework and put some real thought into the issue you would see that this prediction would fall flat on it’s face.
If Gene Munsters bosses are reading this they should fire him or at least halve his wages. How could he bet against Apple when they are leading on all fronts