“The snow flurries ended, the sun went down and the temperature began to drop again just before the grand opening of the West 14th Street (NYC) Apple Store,” Gary Allen reports for ifoAppleStore.
“The crowd of about 800 on the 14th St. sidewalk began to spill over onto 9th Avenue, and eventually led all the way west onto 15th Street. Crowds of passersby began to form about 5 p.m. as the crowd grew, as workers who were headed home noticed the crowd and stopped to watch and take pictures,” Allen reports.
“At 6 p.m. the security team motioned in the crowd with the admonition, “Slow…slow,” and we went inside to a deafening roar–clapping and yelling and music–to grab our T-shirts and poster tubes. Three stories above, staffers crowded the rail and rimmed the staircase to provide applause and excitement. The crowd mostly made for the third floor where you redeemed any prizes, or hung out on the ground floor. And then everyone spotted Mary J. Blige on the second floor, palling around with Whoopi Goodberg. They both signed autographs and Blige posed for photos,” Allen reports.
“By the time I left at 7:45 p.m. the line reached substantially west on 15th St. behind the store–I hand counted over 1,600 in line,” Allen reports.
Full article here.
The iLife has posted a video of the Apple Store, West 14th Street grand opening via YouTube:
Direct link via YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM9YxV58-MU
The iLife’s full article is here.
There is an ENTIRELY different account at
http://www.powerpage.org/2007/12/w_14th_street_apple_store_riots.html
Propagando or hype?
You be the judge.
Apple stores have been open for what, over six years now. And they are STILL pulling in line-ups on opening day.
Amazing!
I’m a huge Apple fan, but was disappointed that the line was managed so poorly. We waited a couple of hours only to realize that the line we were in was barely a line, and people were just jumping ahead of us at the corner. I feel bad for those that were 2 blocks behind us! They should have done a better job of crowd control because what started out as fun and exciting – waiting for the event – became a little scary as there was a bit of a stampede by people jockeying for position. We gave up and left feeling like we wasted a lot of time in line for nothing.
“rimmed the staircase”
Sounds painful and unsanitary.
F1Mikal,
Except for the difference in numbers of people in line the two authors cite, the article you link to is not significantly different than the one MDN is reporting on.
???
Obviously over at Powerpage what they REALLY mean is “There were more black people than I’ve ever seen at an Apple Store opening” The word RIOT is only used for page hits as you notice it never appears in the actual text of the article.
I was there early enough to have been one of those standing in line for over 12 hours… I think I would have seen a riot.
These two sophomoric ‘reporters’ pretty much says it all about the image we Apple faithful portray to the parts of the world that will always believe Steve’s toys are for the boys and PCs are the serious technology.
@Cubert
I guess I should have more direct in pointing out that the powerpage choose to make multiple references to black people standing in the line…and of course the mention of ‘fear’.
Was there a need for this? I am glad I moved to America, but sometimes you gotta take the bad with good, correct?
I do agree with “Realist” in the description of ‘sophmoric’ reporting.
Guinan sux
Diverse ethnic groups? Blacks? ‘Fear’ isn’t the right word to describe what sounds like a terrifying day of abominable horror.
I pray that everyone who attended this Apple Store opening is alright. Thank you, Powerpage for sounding a clear warning to others who might attend Apple Store openings in the future and might encounter people who are different than themselves. That’s why I stick with the Dell kiosk in my suburban mall, safe and secure as can be without all of that troublesome diversity. Dewey’s Hot Dog Experience next door to the Dell kiosk started selling smoothies which is awesome too.
Your potential. Our passion.™
ZT,
I know that you are a Colbertesque parody of a Windroid, but can I just point that there would never be a queue for a Dell store even it was opening in a phone booth.
A truly transmorgifying and downright insegrivious video that blows away the competition.