March 13th, 2011 1:35 am |
Not me!
The lines were beyond what most people thought. Just here in the OC, iPad 2 lines at the Apple Stores at Brea, Irvine, Mission Viejo, South Coast and Fashion Island had lines with easily 400-650 or more according to reports. Just at the Irvine Spectrum alone, the line had wrapped around all the way to Sur La Table.
I wasn’t able to leave work until about 3:46. Drove by the Spectrum and saw the line by SLT. Then I drove over to Target and there was a line there in the Electronics department that already had about 25 people in it. The clerk working there wouldn’t say how many he had in stock, but according to reports from the East Coast stores like Target, WalMart and Best Buys, those store received minimal amounts, most just to fill their lockable display units which only hold like 15-20 units.
According to reports nationwide, many who were in line for many hours, walked away empty handed.
Online shipping times for the iPad 2 have now been pushed to the 3-4 week delivery window.
UGH.
This is probably one of the few first-day Apple launches that I didn’t walk away with product in hand. I wasn’t interested in any other unit other than a 16GB WIFI model. Not really interested in the 3G model from AT&T or Verizon.
I’m not sure why Apple chose not to do pre-orders or reservations to pickup at a store like their previous launches (iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3x). I should have gotten mine online the early morning hours of the 11th. That way I probably would have one in my hand on Tuesday or so.
So if you’re an Apple Store employee or one of the cute Target employees in red and want to break protocol and let me know that you have a 16GB WIFI model in BLACK, please let me know…I’m on my way! (yes that was one long run-ion sentence!)
Filed under:
Apple, Inc., iPad, Rant