I thought I would stop into the Apple Store in Soho, NY (Prince St.) to pick up a new iPhone 3G on my way to the office. I knew there probably would be a line, but didn’t realize the magnitude. I counted over 135 people in line from just my vantage point but I’m sure it wrapped around the block and I wasn’t motivated to count more people 
Here are some pics from moments ago:
I stood in front of the main entrance and watched as they let batches of people into the store -inside, lined up on both sides of the store were employees dressed in blue shirts clapping as people walked in. It was majestical for the uber-Apple nerd (like me).
I’m going to try and buy my phone from the Apple Store in the Westchester mall this evening - maybe less lines!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!
Digg
Del.icio.us
Stumble
Sphere It
Category: 
Tags: 
July 11th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Can’t you just go to an AT&T store?
July 11th, 2008 at 9:14 am
But isn’t Apple all about the experience? I feel I’m shortchanging myself by going to a vanilla AT&T store.
July 11th, 2008 at 9:18 am
You’re getting a damn phone, which is what you want. It’s not like the difference between going to a concert and buying the live disks. The experience is having an awesome phone. Not waiting outside in NYC heat.
July 11th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I’d disagree. If that was the case, we’d be living in the former communistic Russia.
Companies who match solid products & retail do exponentially better.
Look at Abercrombie & FItch. Their clothing quality is OK at best, but they sell at high prices (for what it is). You go to the store for the experience. That’s just one example.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Was there anyone marketing to the people in line? Seems like the ideal early adopter crowd!
July 11th, 2008 at 11:59 am
The lines at AT&T are crazy too. I am sitting in my office in San Francisco looking at the AT&T store across the street, has had a huge line (70+ people) since 7:30 am.
July 11th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
[...] problem is only adding to frustration in lines at Apple and AT&T stores today. Darren Herman has pictures from a store in Soho, N.Y.Bloggers are understandably irate. “I find it astonishing that you have [...]
July 11th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
To Nate Westheimer:
Too bad it’s not hot here at all today, you ignorant jacka**. Oh, and it is about the experience. Everything here in NYC is about the experience, hence the high prices and long wait. If you were just “getting a damn phone,” then there wouldn’t be a damn line, now would there?
July 11th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Just went back at lunch time and the lines are still super long… going to be waiting until this evening to try in Westchester.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Get in line little sheep…get in line.
The irony is that the anti-establishment type mindset that made apple so popular in the beginning is exactly the opposite of what drives people to stand in lines like this.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Johnathan, you’re certainly right. Remember the days of the Homebrew Computer Club & Apple?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_Computer_Club
July 11th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
wow, didn’t expect a long queue in NY.. Guess we have to wait for the new phone to be launch year end at my country singapore in asia..
so sad. my country’s telcoms still have not reach agreement with apple vendor regarding pricing issues…
July 12th, 2008 at 7:32 am
Calling yourself an “uber-Apple nerd” and looking for an “experience”?? I’m sorry but it’s a phone and an expensive one at that. Is Apple a Tech company or some cult church? You guys creep me out. 3G networks aren’t even set up in my area yet.
July 12th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Hey, in California there is a line with at the least 300 people waiting.
July 13th, 2008 at 12:04 am
I do not believe it was AT&T’s fault, but Apple has had a lot of power saying and telling AT&T what to do, when and how. As a store manager for AT&T, it’s frustrating that Apple supplies us with a fraction of devices to sell. First day the average store received 60 to 70 iPhones but the Apple store had well over a thousand devices. Needless to say, they had in-experienced people activating a device that requires more than basic knowledge. Also their servers, for a second time, they lacked the bandwith to support their customers needs. In my professional experience, I can say the following statement: Blackberry it’s by far’; a much more reliable phone, better signal than an iPhone. A phone that cost that much and you can not replace the battery yourself it’s foolish… Needless to say, I consider MP3 format a more user friendly, better sound quality, more choices where to store your songs than itunes format. Drop a Blackberry on the sidewalk and drop an iPhone and lets find out the results.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
[...] so the iPhone phrenzy has calmed down slightly and every major news outlet or blog has covered their view of the device. [...]
July 14th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
i have the old 8gig iphone and i bought it for 400 dollars and i wish i would have never bought it and just went for the less expensive blackberry also att sucks and i wish i would have went with verizon which has basically the same phone for half the price and u are getting better coverage, more options, and a cheaper plan, all in all the iphone sucks and i wish i would have never gotten it.