Stood in line for 3.5 hours and was cheered by Apple staff as I went into the store. The process was pretty painless, set me back $216.66 including tax. It's a nice upgrade to the iPhone, but it doesn't, after a quick first look, seem to rewrite the rules or change the game. Was it worth the wait? Yes, just this once. Now that I've had the experience of waiting in an Apple line, I don't want to do it again. I made a few friends, my back hurt from standing in one place for a long time, it wasn't too hot that early in the morning. I prefer to have products shipped to my home. I think Apple ought to figure out how to eliminate the need for this exercise. Also the people on the other line, the ones without reservations, were about to riot when we got let in. This is not a happy system. PS: Another thing Apple ought to do -- democratize the product rollouts. Use the Internet to get everyone the full experience of the product that you now give exclusively to the tech press. Their first looks are ridiculous gushes of mindless praise. We're the ones who pay your bills. It's amazing how much the users of the product put out for Apple. PPS: It's a pretty great camera. PPPS: They were really pushing MobileMe once the line snaked into the store. I didn't see anyone take them up on the special offer of $69 for the first year. |