iPad queues worldwide

St Vincent Street, Glagow. Thanks to Martin Duggan. Brummies lovin' it too Rather less ecstatic in PC World, Warren Street where staff outnumber punters Meanwhile in Milan, Italy. Sent to us by this Italian blog. The iPad will change your life

[Underachiever]

Early adopter - and proud of it..

I got mine by pre-order and am pleased so far BUT there are a couple of niggles. (1) it arrived with a small ding in the brushed metal frame. This is annoying rather than a show-stopper, but my wife was understandably outraged I am paying £429 for a device packed by some out of work juggler. (2) registration was alarming - would not recognise my apple id. Having heard of hackers cracking apple ID accounts and making off with ££ of Kate Melua downloads, I panicked, but itunes still recognises me. I can only assume the registration is forwarded to USA itunes store by mistake. A bit basic. Anyway, until this get sorted I had to register and enter all my details (including phoney tel number) all over again. For the third time this year. pish. (3) Nothing has instructions! Come on, it is not THAT intuitive. How do I know what features progs have if no one writes them down?

Yes I am keeping it, and no I do not regret getting one but is Apple resting on its laurels?

[blackworx]

@Underachiever

Nobody here cares about your iPad ding/setup niggles so why go into them in such boring detail?

(Of course I'm only assuming the detail is boring because I stopped reading after the second line. My apologies - and indeed my loss - if you managed to slip a stellar treatise on the human condition in there.)

[Anonymous Coward]

The kool-aid is strong in this one...

Wow! You paid £429 for damaged goods and you are not returning it to the shop?!

Still, by not bringing this to their attention you are at least saving the poor employee that was responsible from being 'suicided'. Take some consolation in that.

[Anonymous Coward]

So very sad...

...look at those losers standing in the queue, waiting for their sad little holy tablet...

..

..

..

..

...should have ordered on-line like I did.

PS - it's joke - get a sense of humour downvoters.

[Paul Naylor]

Phew!

Had me going there, you cheeky scamp you!

[Anonymous Coward]

Downvoter...

What's even funnier is the guy who down-voted me...he's basically and openly admitted he has no sense of humour. He's either a muppet or a loser (or both), I can't decide.

[James Hughes 1]

Amazing

People have even downvoted the down vote comment. Awesome People, Awesome. Way to make yourself look dumb.

[Anonymous Coward]

So lets see...

...what's that up to now?

As of 28/05 20:39, 15 people in one thread openly admitting to have no sense of humour, irony or clue. Even JH 1's comment about DV'ing the original JOKE and the follow-ups have been down-voted.

As the original poster, I might have accumulated 12 downvotes in the process, but at least my faith in Humanity has been restored. In particular in it's ability to survive this long, when terminally infected by what appears to be Darwin Award contestants.

Kudos.

[Anonymous Coward]

Proper fanbois

The proper fanbois are obviously using their iPhones. The pictures are sharp and crisp. I really must chuck out my Nikon

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: pics

You really think so? My iPhone takes crap shots usually.

[richard 69]

listen, i love macs but...

...even i wouldn't queue up to buy an apple product. it's a great, niche device but my ipod touch does the job fine thanks.

and queueing up all night? it's either sad or i'm getting older and more cynical...

[Anonymous Coward]

I live by the fairly simple rule that

if the queue reaches out the front door, I walk away.

Can't think why people find these product launches so compelling. If they've never used the item before, 1 more week without it isn't going to kill them.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why is El Reg covering this?

The iPhad isn't a computer, it's a fashion accessory. It's *bling*. It's a shiny toy. Like new car, it's something with which to impress your mates - if you're a sad, shallow and most of all technically illiterate materialist. It is not, however, relevant on an IT website.

(Yeah, of course I can see why El Reg is covering this. Don't miss the point)

[richard 69]

wait, wait i can see them!!!!

amanfrommars and websterphreaky - there in the queue....each with a handful of cash.....the cheeky buggars...

[Anonymous Coward]

I see them too!

There's phreaky...crying & nerviously shaking, in that psycho conflicted & denial-ridden way he does....aw ain't it sweet...

[Anonymous Coward]

One sentence perfectly illustrates

just how sad REG reads seem to be. Well done for that.

[Anonymous Coward]

@ Obviously

That sound you're hearing...that's the whole joke flying over your head...

Seriously. People post JOKE in the title...use the JOKE icon....put JOKE in the body text...and other - like this one - post a transparently obvious "in" joke, but some people still take it seriously?

[Anonymous Coward]

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

*waits patiently for the "OMFG MY IPAD RULES"*...let the douchebaggery commence!

[SuperTim]

that poor bloke on the bottom pic...

Walked out happy, but has now been exposed to the world as a lonely geek....

He will no doubt cry himself to sleep in his mothers attic/basement surrounded by his beloved apple products.

Maybe i am being to presumptuous.

[Anonymous Coward]

Pot, meet kettle...

And here you are on a computing blog being a judgemental nerd...

[blackworx]

@sbuk: Learn the difference

Between a blog and a news site

[Anonymous Coward]

My last attempt at a response got rejected.

Possibly because I had a dig at Cade Metz and called El Reg a magazine--what was that about Apple's draconian censorship? Anyhoo blackworx, I'm fully aware of the differences between a blog and a news site, hence calling this site a blog! I mean its closer to ZDnet (which, by their authors definition is a blog) than BBC News.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: My last attempt at a response got rejected.

You want to use our forum to abuse our journalists...and other commenters... and when you don't get your way, you cry "censorship!".

How silly.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Drewc: "Abuse our journalists..."!?

"You want to use our forum to abuse our journalists" Not really, calling Metz's articles inane is hardly abuse, is it? If, as 'journalist', you find that upsetting, you're in the wrong game. It's a bit like a bully not liking it when they get it back! "...and other commentors...", I know I've had a comment rejected recently and on reflection it totally warranted it, I've got no complaints about that, but your moral high-ground is lost somewhat when this publication uses headlines with words like "fanbois" in a derisory way. Anyway, how exactly was I being abusive to other commentors in ?the post in this discussion! "Stick your fail up your arse?" Oh come on! there have been a lot worse from others! Exclaiming that quality in these pages has gone down hill? Surely that's an opinion that I'm entitled too express, even here. Heck, The Register is styled on Private-Eye, which satirises the news and occasionally actually reports it. Or was it pointing out the irony of SuperTim's posts, yes he was being judgemental and a wee bit nerdy. If you are going to satirise, the expect a few people to throw it back at you. Now there is a voting system, do what Cade wants Apple to do, be open and let the consumer decide!

Admonishing a reader for holding this publication to the same standards that it wants others to be held too, how arrogant.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: @Drewc: "Abuse our journalists..."!?

Your last two comments on this matter have been accepted.

The Register is privately owned and operated. It is our website and we are responsible for our comment pages.

We allow more mud-slinging than most, but commenters who make ad hominem attacks are more likely to have their posts rejected. It is that simple - how is this censorship?

All commenters are free to make their comments elsewhere.

[RyokuMas]

Damn...

it makes me wish I'd planned a day off in Brum. I'd have opened a stall up next to the Apple store and sold lives...

I'll get me (fireproof) coat...

[Nathan 13]

I am genuinely shocked

Im trying to honestly answer the question: if it was free would I get up at nothing'o'clock and queue for a few hours to get an Ipad.

I would answer NO!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh dear

That's about all I can say, really.

[nigel 15]

If Jobs took dump....

...the mactards would buy it. and be just as excited.

it's difficult not to find them annoying.

[Jon Whiteoak]

re: If Jobs took a dump

mactards buying macturds... what a though...

[batfastad]

turd

Multi-touch macturd

[Anonymous Coward]

@nigel acts 5

Resorting to excrement jokes - well, you're a poopie head too, now it's my turn to play on the swing, so get off or I'll tell the Mrs. Jones on you.

Please at try and be original in your slams.

[LinkOfHyrule]

I heard

I heard that Steve's turds have the Apple logo embossed into them. Nobody knows how it happens.

[blackworx]

Hmmm

These queues all have one thing in common: far too many manbags.

Paris likes man bags too, just the more manly kind.

[Stefing]

"The iPad will change your life"

You can stop sucking now, Steve Jobs wants his cock back.

[DrXym]

Peep peep

All aboard the sad train.

[Anonymous Coward]

I queued, though not for one for me.

Oh no, mine arrived on Thursday because I pre-ordered, I had to queue for someone elses.

I amused myself by playing 'spot a cute chick' which, let me tell you, in a queue of geeks is pretty tough. In 100+ people I spotted one. She was about 20 geeks behind me and looking utterly bored and seemingly lonely. I was tempted to go and ask if she was buying it for a boyfriend or a brother but then that would have involved losing my spot in the queue and, as a geek, I needed to keep my priorities straight!

[Anonymous Coward]

Losers

Like lambs to the slaughter.

Oh a nice shiny new Apple device, I must pay over the odds for a closed system, that only St. Steve can tell me what to run on it and how I should use it.

SUCKERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rob]

Easy people...

... you gotta remember that for a lot of these people this is a major event and highlights like this probably only happen once every few years for them.

Take the guy in the last pic, that's the sort of smile that says "I haven't been this happy since I saw that picture of a naked lady 4 years ago".

[James Hughes 1]

Bloody Hell

Has Jobs gone so far as to stop Porn on Macs now? That's a serious nail/coffin situation.

[Rick Eastwood]

Why queue ?

Why did these people queue ? I walked into the Apple store in the Trafford Centre, Manchester at 12 O clock and just bought it there and then. They had loads still available. No pre-order, no nothing, just a simple transaction. Yes it's expensive but I know what Ive bought and precisely why Ive bought it so Im very happy with it.

[flibble]

queues in Glasgow? er no...

Not sure when that Glasgow photo was taken, but at 9:30AM there was no queue and you'd be in and out with an iPad in 5 minutes. There were a few bemused looking photographers at the store entrance though.

[JasonH]

Fanbois? Or excellent marketing for a great product?

If the queues were shorter, I would agree they were only populated by fanbois. I'm sure there are some in almost all queues, but the majority of these iPad customers are not fanbois.

People from all walks of life are flocking to buy and find out more about one of the most talked about IT releases in years - this isn't a fanboi masturbation contest, but one of the slickest marketing operations by an IT company we've seen in a long time. Think about the yards of newspaper and magazine column type, the reams of blog entries, and the cacophony of tweets - all covering the iPad. During this massive ground-swelling of public comment, feedback and desire, I only saw my first official Apple iPad advert a couple of days ago; this is a very sweet demonstration of how to do mass marketing in the 21st century.

Of course, it helps that the product is pretty decent too: it has a wide-ranging application base, intuitive UI, looks fabulous and 'just works' - it's a typical Apple product and the attention to detail shines through.

Customers (and shareholders, for that matter) love the innovation that repeatedly emerges from Apple. The aspect we need to recognise is that this innovation applies just as much to sales and marketing as it does to technology.

Love them or hate them, Apple and Google are pushing the boundaries of IT and they are making Microsoft look boring, old-fashioned and completely out of touch by comparison. Think about it: iPhone, Android, iPad, GoogleTV, ... versus just another rehashed version of Windows or MS Office. This is why shareholders are flocking to Google and Apple, and are deserting Microsoft.

ObDisclosure: I use Apple products, own Apple shares, but I don't consider myself a fanboi. And no, I don't have an iPad.

[blackworx]

Anybody here work in marketing? Kill yourself.

@JasonH

"this is a very sweet demonstration of how to do mass marketing in the 21st century"

So they are slick at selling their stuff, whoopdedoo.

The whole "user experience" thing - yes, I can give them that. Taking ideas and innovations other manufacturers have come up with and making them work better for the user? Yes - I can give them that too. But true innovation? "Pushing the boundaries of IT"? No. No they don't get that. They might push the boundaries of what your dad thinks is IT, but that's all they get on that one.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Fanbois?

"ObDisclosure: I use Apple products, own Apple shares, but I don't consider myself a fanboi. And no, I don't have an iPad."

Your post makes you sound very much like a fanboi, just like an addict that refuses to admit to his addiction.

[JasonH]

Re: Re: Fanbois?

"Your post makes you sound very much like a fanboi, just like an addict that refuses to admit to his addiction." - My post does sound that way, and I understand your reply, but I can assure you I'm trying to be as level-headed as possible here.

Put it this way, thousands of people bought an iPad today in the UK, and many thousands more will buy one tomorrow, and thousands more again over coming weeks. Within a couple of months, Apple will have sold more iPads this year than the company has sold MacBooks and iMacs.

Two things spring to mind:

1. That's a lot of fanbois. Are the other posters suggesting that Apple fanbois somehow become fanbois before they buy an Apple computer/device? Are they replicating in the dark and only come out for these events? Why not for a new release of Mac OS/X, surely that's what a fanboi would do? Sorry, I don't buy it - one of the world's defining IT moments is happening under our noses: smartphones and PDAs are properly replacing/augmenting traditional PCs for many users. (Not all, and there are many limitations in these devices, but for the 80% of the masses who only need 20% of the power of the PC, this is an elegant solution)

2. Margin = profit. I expect that each iPad provides Apple with more margin than the sales of two or three iMac/MacBook products. The success of the iPad further strengthens not only Apple's revenues but profits as well. This from the company that has a tiny share (8% in 2009) in the worldwide phone market, but accounts for almost a third (32%) of that market's profits.

I'll leave you with a final thought - if it were just down to fanbois support, why haven't other companies that copied this model had the same success?

[Richie G]

Of course...

... the reason that PC World was empty of queues could well be that people are put off by the name? After all, 'Apple' and 'PC'* are not quite synonymous with each other (and the cynic in me says 'yet'...). That's what I thought when I read Reg's subheading...

*PC in this context being Personal Computer; Political Correctness may fit here but am not sure; Police Constable definately doesn't.

[Dave Bell]

Maybe I should watch more TV?

OK, I know PC World sells Apple products. But it's not the place I think of for anything innovative. I saw your mention of them selling it, but obviously I don't watch any of the TV where they place their advertising. I wonder if they're trying to sell it to the right people.

[el-em]

Would you keep an iPad

if you won it in a competition, at a tradeshow or were given it by a vendor?

How insulting would getting one as a birthday present be?

Probably the only way I would get one would be if I wasn't parting with my own hard earned cash :))

[Ian Ferguson]

I'm very pleased with mine

Here it is in all it's glory: http://twitpic.com/1rsflg

[Jim_aka_Jim]

I say let them be...

It's better them be standing outside an Apple store all night rather than pestering the general public.

I say Apple is doing us a favour by rounding them all up in one place: at least we know where not to be.

[blackworx]

Wasn't biking in today

Otherwise I would have relished this morning's commute past the local <strike>Apple Store</strike> Jobsian Gompa, which would have been marked with a passing BAAAAAAAA!

[Chris Miller]

Worldwide? No queues in France!

http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/lancement-de-la-tablette-ipad-les-francais-ne-se-bousculent-pas-28-05-2010-940531.php

For non-francophones, Google Translate is your friend :)

[Anonymous Coward]

So close!

Oh really? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gallery/2010/may/28/ipad-apple-worldwide-launch?picture=363135624) seem's to refute that claim!

[Anonymous Coward]

Newcastle Eldon Square

Apparently had a queue outside this morning, and the Starbucks guy was hanging around hopefully, but by the time I got there at around 10:45, they still had plenty of stock, but seem to sell ~5-10 of them while I was in (or, rather, they had that many people go through the genius bar with new ones for the free setup).

As an added bonus, when I went to one of the little coffee outlets in Eldon Square to grab a cup of real coffee, and said iPad sparked a conversation with the attractive young lady behind the counter who was apparently going up during her break to have a play with one... AC, obviously. Don't want wifey to find out (about me buying and iPad or talking to another woman)

[Chris 35]

How many of the downvotes

have been the same Apple fanboi with a grudge against anybody with differing views?

Was listening to BBC Radio1 at about 5 this morning and the DJ called everyone who was in a queue for one of these "a nerd."

Hmm... Out of all of the people who are going to buy one of these (whether they were in the all-night-queues or not) would be actual nerds?

I for one will stick with my linux-running laptop thanks.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Chris missed a 15 year old's understanding

Do you only come on here once an eon? Apple fanbois downvoting, what planet do you live on? The vast majority of downvotes on this site related to anything to do with either Apple, Steve Jobs, Microsoft, Linux, or any other subject that idiots can link to Apple, Steve Jobs, or any of the Apple products, are immediately downvoted by a herd of ignorant sheep. Hell, I've seen posts, completely agnostic about anything but downvoted because the poster said nothing negative about Apple, and didn't want to eat Steve Job's testicles for dinner that night.

Either you don't understand (which I've just explained) or you haven't been paying attention. Either way, read the posts on here and just imagine for a second what it must be like finding joy in something and having someone berate and belittle you for that happiness. It paints the most sickening portrait of this world in which we live, and I'm sure there will be downvotes to this post immediately upon the first evil sheep reading it, and all the lemmings with their noses embedded in their arses.

[Chris 35]

The sad truth...

...is that I don't manage to look through the comments as often as I would like but I do understand what it is like (my comment was intended more as an ironic statement to see how many downvotes in 24 hours I could get). It is pathetic that people won't open their eyes and try to see the other side of things but there always will be a fair majority that believe all of the propaganda that is thrown at them.

(The downvote wasn't me by the way...)

[rcdicky]

PC World

Bought mine from PC world this morning when it opened, no queue's or anything.

Actually, I think other than the dozen PC world staff and the Apple guys, I was one of two people in the store, and that person wasn't there for an iPad.

Can't believe people have been queueing so long for them when they're readily available

[Jim Morrow]

pissy world

wtf? something is very, very wrong here.

i would have hoped none of el reg's readership would be seen dead in pissy world.

[Anonymous Coward]

Downvoting

I just went through and downvoted every post in here using my iPad. It was almost as exciting as queuing in the freezing cold at 6am to get it. Boy, am I spent now. More excitement and low grade coffee than one fanboy can handle in a day.

[David McMahon]

Yay!

Don't worry more Jobsian bling on it's way soon. We will get first unfounded stories in a few weeks and eventually details of what it cant do.

[Anonymous Coward]

SAD SAD SAD lonely, ugly people....

....have you seen the state of those munters?

Gullible children will do anything you tell them if you promise a bit of bling.

[Anonymous Coward]

Lets just hope

The fanbois will STFU for a bit now.

[Anonymous Coward]

don't forget...

...the haters too. Maybe they'll go away, nurse their denial for a while and STFU too. Haters/bois...they're as bad as each other.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Marcus obvious

Let's just hope that for a moment, just for a moment, that assholes who enjoy berating, belittling and just plain taking the joy from others stops for just a moment. That's all I ask, just a moment.

Let's start with you.

[Anonymous Coward]

Come on folks

How often have you said, "I love my iPhone, but I REALLY need one that doesn't fit in my pocket".

The wife who loved her iPhone took one look at these and asked me what the point was. I tried to explain that the point is effectively the same as a Bluetooth Headset, or wearing sunglasses inside. It'll help you spot the wankers without them having to open their mouth.

AC, because I fear the boss!

[Stuart Halliday]

Always wait for the Service Pack...

I'll reserve judgement and my purchasing decision for iPad OS 4.0 when it comes out in the Autumn.

[sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD]

Let's be positive here...

Whenever an iTard buys an iThingie, an ARM moves.

Not an ATOM.

lol...

[Anonymous Coward]

Still selling on Sunday in London

Went to London yesterday to enjoy the sun (or what there was anyway)..

Anyway went to the Apple store to have a play, and there was a small queue outside before they opened, (I went past I wasn't queing to go play on it!). 30 minutes later after opening there was a small queue to buy one but it looked like they were selling reasonable well, so either Apple shipped enough to the UK, or there isn't as much demand as they expected.

Had my play, and quite liked it as a device, but it's just a big iPhone, I can't see how it's this new category of device. Yes it's nice to play with, but all the apps on the demo ones were really just iPhone apps scaled up, I just can't see my self wanting one, in fact after 10 minutes playing I'd pretty much decided I didn't want one.....

Every potential use seemed to have a drawback, I'm sure it'as a great travel wifi based web/email reader, but if I travel I want something to load my pictures on for backup, and I can't (yet) so I'm still better off with a laptop, even though it is heavier and not a cool, it's jsut som much more practical.

[Ed Gould]

IPAD at PC World?

This is just about like attempting to see liquor at a religious meeting.

Sure it has to be done but to expect a lot of sales?

It was pure PR and I am sure people would buy one even with the hatred of the Mac people that is spurred on by MS.

The only reason why the Mac people put up with the MS side is that MS is still the only real word Processor program available for the Mac. I use a Mac and it does have a lot of good points over the MS world. But there are points on the MS side as well. Overall the Mac side does win, though and is gaining steam as MS just loves to put out bug ridden OS's and hole's that virus's seem to make a living off of.

As to the IPAD I bought one and its gathering dust in the corner as all the ads say MACOSX what they do not tell you it is OS X 1.5 (and higher). Those of us that are stuck forever at 10.4 we will have to sell off the IPAD to some other sucker.