“Around 6 a.m. on April 3, 2010, prospective iPad buyers began lining up at the Apple Store in Durham, N.C., with similar lines forming at other Apple Stores across the U.S. as early as the day before,” Charles Jade reports for GigaOM. “Nearly a year and around 20 million iPads later, it appears history is about to repeat itself with the iPad 2 launch.”
“While the U.S. store does list buying details, the big difference from last year is that there is no pre-order option… The iPad now has a proven track record and a stellar reputation, meaning the pressure on local Apple Stores and retail partners like Best Buy, Walmart, and Sam’s Club will be intense,” Jade reports. “Further, the iPad 2 will not go on sale until 5 p.m. EST, which means the line will be growing over the course of the entire day, with a big push towards the end as people leave work early to get in line.”
Jade reports, “While Apple Stores will have the longest lines, they will also have the most stock. Expect Apple’s retail partners to get shorted on units, and there’s no word on whether AT&T and Verizon stores will have any new iPads at all. Especially if you want the 16 GB Wi-Fi model, which is the most popular model, be at an Apple Store as early as possible.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]