Eleven people line up for Palm Pre’s big debut at Sprint’s flagship Manhattan store

“There were eleven customers huddled under umbrellas in a steady rain when the doors to Sprint’s flagship store in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village opened at 6 p.m. ET Friday night — the worldwide retail debut of this week’s hottest smartphone,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune.

MacDailyNews Take: “This week’s.” Raining on Pre’s big parade; stealing their Christmas; how could you, Phil?

You’re a mean one, Mr. Elmer-DeWitt. You’re a nasty, wasty skunk. Your heart is full of unwashed socks. Your soul is full of gunk. Mr. Elmer-DeWitt.

Elmer-DeWitt reports, “The tech press has been obsessed with the Pre since it was unveiled in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas… But in the weeks before its debut, Palm’s PR team sought to lower expectations, telling the press not to expect the hysterical employees and snaking lines that have accompanied the launch of every iPhone to date.”

“Palm’s day in the sun — or rather the rain — may not last long,” Elmer-DeWitt reports. “Apple is expected to announce a new iPhone some time before the end of June. Perhaps as early as Monday.”

Full article, with a photo of the eleven lined up at the Sprint store, here.

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