In The Waiting Line for an iPhone

Below You’ll find an account of Travis’ experience this morning but here you’ll find the first iPhone 3G S-shot Gear Diary Video.

(We will assume someone else was driving… right?)

Travis got up at 4AM to grab his iPhone. Seems the nearest Apple store is over an hour away.

His account thus far, and some pictures from his soon to be unused first generation iPhone follow…

(Boy that 2MP camera isn’t very good…)

I arrived at North Star Mall at 4:58. I only saw 4 or 5 vehicles so I park in that area of the parking garage. As I walked up to the locked down, dark mall a mall cop asks me if I am here to purchase. He then tells me I have to park across the street and join the line by the bus stop. I follow his instructions and join the other fanboys. I am officially the tenth person in line. I could be number 11 as the last guy in line has an empty chair.
The first guy in line got here just after midnight and sat lonely for 3 1/2 hours. As I talked to him about what time he started the line he was excited to see he now qualified for the lower price on the phone.
Many of the orange shirt concierge have been pulli g up and entering the mall. They look real excited to be entering work before 5am.

7:08AM Update

There are 2 lines. One for reserved phones and one for non-reserved. Some are having big problems. If they are not the primary account holder they cannot buy a phone. Several furious people just left. One girl just called her mother and told her to get here immediately.

8:00AM

The apple people just ran through the mall hollering and screaming.

8:45AM

Travis rubs it in that he has one writing–

On my other phone. No service. This thing is stupid fast. Voice calling worked perfectly saying numbers.

About the Author

Dan Cohen

Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

19 Comments on "In The Waiting Line for an iPhone"

Wayne Schulz | June 19, 2009 at 7:23 am |

Yeah this is all publicity now — as soon as they start taking pre-orders and shipping them directly then what happens at the mall is a show. Good for Engadget to point out that the crowds are MUCH less compared to prior years — which must not make Palm feel so bad.
Dan Cohen | June 19, 2009 at 7:25 am |

Although I hear guesses of over 500,000 selling this weekend which WAY overshadows the Pre launch if it happens.
Michael Anderson | June 19, 2009 at 7:50 am |

I think Apple is smart with that – I mean, they still get to show the 5th Ave store on CNN with the huge line in the rain, and also get thousands of phones out to folks not in stores today. Everyone wins.
Judie Lipsett | June 19, 2009 at 8:06 am |

Travis, be careful! We just got you, and we want to keep you in one piece! 😉

Fabulously clear video, btw…
Michael Anderson | June 19, 2009 at 8:25 am |

Fortunately the video didn’t end with Travis being pulled over by the police …
Dan Cohen | June 19, 2009 at 8:29 am |

I can see it now-
“Officer, I understand you need to give me a ticket. Before you do that, though, would you mind taking my iPhone and shooting a quick video clip of me with it so I can post it?”
Judie Lipsett | June 19, 2009 at 8:42 am |

@Michael – or upside down in a ditch… 😉
Travis Ehrlich | June 19, 2009 at 9:04 am |

I was only half a block from the store doing about 20. I was just holding up my phone and talking. Two eyes on the road! I had to do it to get the first Texas iPhone video up!!
Judie Lipsett | June 19, 2009 at 9:06 am |

Good job! 😉
Michael Anderson | June 19, 2009 at 9:30 am |

@Judie – after yesterday’s scarrification post I’m trying to keep that sort of stuff out of my head …

Cool to see Travis … wonder if they’ll up the processor in the (anticipated) September iPod Touch release?
Judie Lipsett | June 19, 2009 at 9:43 am |

@Michael – good luck with that. I dreamed I had my business card tattooed to my right hand, thanks to Carly. LOL
Michael Anderson | June 19, 2009 at 9:49 am |

… need I remind you who initiated that whole thing … 😀
Judie Lipsett | June 19, 2009 at 9:51 am |

You already know that when I read “Nintendo scarification”, I thought they meant that they were modifying their Nintendo cases…not their bodies! LOL
Carly Z | June 19, 2009 at 10:10 am |

Oh jeez, sorry I triggered such bad dreams for you Judie!

Travis, I am impressed with your mad multitasking skills!
Judie Lipsett | June 19, 2009 at 10:12 am |

LOL No worries! 😉
Michael Anderson | June 19, 2009 at 10:39 am |

I will no longer click anything about ‘extreme fanboy displays’ again … 😀

Back to topic – The video looks really good. It amazes me how nicely this stuff is progressing!
Travis Ehrlich | June 19, 2009 at 10:57 am |

I’m really excited about the video features! I have not played enough yet since I am setting up my wife with my old iPhone. She is pretty excited now. An iPhone family…how sweet! LOL

I wonder what the Zune tattoo guy is thinking right now?!?
Michael Anderson | June 19, 2009 at 11:14 am |

“I wonder what the Zune tattoo guy is thinking right now?!?”
… he’s glad not to be the Wii fanboy …
Christopher Spera | June 19, 2009 at 1:02 pm |

Awesome coverage, y’all! Way to go Travis! Great job!!

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19 Comments on "In The Waiting Line for an iPhone"