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Hurricane Sandy Fails To Stop Line For iPad Mini Launch
Nerval's Lobster writes "Hurricane Sandy may have plunged part of New York City into darkness, drowned its basements and subway tunnels in saltwater, and even set part of a neighborhood on fire, but it couldn't stop New Yorkers from standing in line for hours to purchase the iPad Mini. Hundreds of people lined up in front of Apple's Fifth Avenue store for the chance to get their hands on the 7.9-inch device. According to CNET, which was on the scene and running a live-blog ahead of the store's 10 AM EST opening, 'many people in line are not fluent in English and are either Asian immigrants or visitors.' That opening was originally supposed to take place at 8 AM, and likely delayed because of the obvious citywide transportation issues. But for those in New York City who manage to get their sweaty hands on a new iPad Mini, there's an unusual wrinkle in the situation: power is still out below 39th Street in Manhattan, as well as portions of Brooklyn and Queens. (Apple's Fifth Avenue store is well above that power line.) While some private homes and businesses in electrified areas have set out power strips for strangers to charge their phones, it's hard to imagine a crowd of New Yorkers standing idly by while someone spends a significant amount of time charging a new tablet. Fortunately, many of those without power have found refuge with friends and family, if they haven't left the city altogether."
First in line
rewriting history since 2109
According to The Reg, the reception in the UK was a little more lukewarm:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/02/ipad_mini_queue/
"UK iPad Mini FRENZY: Queues stretch SEVERAL FEET from till" (till = checkout).
You can't stop progress?
Contrary to what the good doctor maintains Apple, like Mormonism is a cult, not a religion.
That is all.
My house has been destroyed. I don't have power. My dog is dead. There is a oil tanker where my front yard used to be. And I haven't bathed since Monday.
But dammit, I *will* be hip for one brief, shining minute!
That is the only possible answer.
I came, I conquered, I coredumped
America doesn't "fall back" an hour until this upcoming Sunday morning, so EST is correct since EDT isn't in use right now. Had they launched it next week, however, you'd have been correct.
of the next super-storm.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Actually EDT is currently in use. Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, after which EST will be in effect.
You have that backwards.
http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/na/edt.html
EDT is 4 hours behind of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) Note that EDT is a daylight saving time/summer time zone. It is generally only used during the summer in the places listed below, during the winter EST is used instead.
EST starts Sunday.
IIRC EST is eastern standard time. We are cyrrently still on daylight savings time (EDT). I like to think of it as "dumb time" is standard time, and "smart time" is daylight savings time. Though dumb time is nice for the 4 or so months we still use it otherwise the sun is completely down before 5:00 pm.
Life is actually fairly normal in Manhattan north of 23rd Street, so I'm not surprised.
In fact, lack of power is the only thing keeping the rest of Manhattan from normalizing; MTA even has the subways ready to go, they just need juice.
Hopefully it'll all be fixed before I visit in a week!
is all I'm sayin'
I've got a feeling apple is going to sell these by the truckload this xmas season.
It's popular for posters to badmouth apple products today, but this device fills a previously empty niche in the apple product line.
It's an ipad. A fully functional, supported iOS ipad.
It's 7-8 inch formfactor that's been popularized with e-readerized tablets (Kindle/nook) and low cost andriod tabs. (Some people just like the smaller size in their hands)
And it's cheaper. I've got a feeling that the lower price point is going to be the tipping point for a lot of buyers. Honestly, most tablet buyers want an ipad. (Sales/usage statistics support this) They, however, settle for an andriod device because they price point is too high. While more expensive than the crop of 7 inch andriod tabs, I think a lot of buyers would pay the difference to get an apple device.
Think about kids too. Smaller hands, lower price point.
I know a lot of you are going to bring up the Nexus 7 - Yeah its a great product! For geeks and the technically minded. The average user, however, is going to want the ipad.
Yeah, cause everybody is enduring right now 80mph winds and rain to get their hands on an ipad.
A few days ago, the only one in line would have been Chuck Norris, not to buy an ipad, but to punch Sandy in its very soul.
"many people in line are not fluent in English and are either Asian immigrants or visitors" - doesn't this apply to a very large percentage of NY population?
While some private homes and businesses in electrified areas have set out power strips for strangers to charge their phones, it's hard to imagine a crowd of New Yorkers standing idly by while someone spends a significant amount of time charging a new tablet.
A) They'll come out of the box fully charged.
B) They don't particularly take longer to charge than a cell phone.
Actually, it's the cult controls kicking in.....they can't help themselves.
And how are they supposed to fix New York without the latest in technology to help them? What are you saying, they should use an ANDROID TABLET or something?
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
This is happening in all the affected states. Considering all the damage done by Sandy, it's great to see how people are pulling together like they are in this time of crisis.
Not trying to troll, but is there anything the average city dweller can actually do to help repair the infrastructure? Standing in line and out the way might be the best thing for a lot of them.
I approve this message.
The sheep will queue at the wolfs doorway for the latest IPoo, sickening.
>> 'many people in line are not fluent in English and are either Asian immigrants or visitors.'
Right, because New Yorkers are naturally a compassionate people, without the usual morons (e.g., http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/11/02/madison1_610x407.jpg) found elsewhere in America.
>> While some private homes and businesses in electrified areas have set out power strips for strangers to charge their phones, it's hard to imagine a crowd of New Yorkers standing idly by while someone spends a significant amount of time charging a new tablet.
You do realize that the power is on at the Apple store, and all around it, right? From TFA: "The Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, like most of upper Manhattan, did not suffer any flooding or power outages due to Hurricane Sandy."
Indeed, many places in Manhattan don't need volunteers. Most people don't have cars to deal with, or yards/trees in need of cutting. The biggest problems are the areas without electricity and the fuel shortage, neither of which are things individuals can do much about.
Exactly what do you think the average "wait in line to buy an ipad buyer" has too offer in terms of getting back on track?
Even in Palo Alto, the Mercury News reports that reaction was "meh". No big lines. Someone showed up at 2AM expecting a line, and no one was there.
On standard time, sunset happens 1 clock hour earlier than on daylight time. If the sun sets at 5:00 on Saturday, then it sets at 4:00 on Sunday.
Not even the so called "Frankenstorm", that could potencially cause 26 nuclear meltdowns across the country, could stop the human stupidity? Or maybe that was just a crapload of FUD from the anti-nuclear power advocates?
The article is focused on power and transportation - we're heading for 100 dead as a result of Sandy. The plurality of those deaths occurred in New York City. Last night they added a few more dead to the list, including a pair of toddlers that were pulled away from their mother by a sudden wave -- while she was trying to run down the street fleeing her burning home. That one is haunting me.
It's not every day something as innovative as an 8" tablet comes out.
The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity.
You know, if Armageddon or the Zombie Apocalypse come to be, Americans are so very screwed.
[cue video of slightly overweight and under-fit dude puffing and running from a shambling zombie hoard]
He's just about to escape when he passes by a dessicated corpse with an iPad clutched in its hands.
"oooo" iPad mini
As he reaches for the mini, the corpse reaches up and grabs his arm, holding him in place as the shamblers catch up and have a nice meaty snack.
Looking at the specs of the iPad Mini: crappy dual-core CPU, crappy screen, 0.5 GB RAM, glued battery etc. and the fact that it's basically the iPad 2 shrunk, I came to the conclusion that this is a product on which Apple spent nearly 0 engineering and it is made from super-cheap components. In other words, at US$ 330 for the cheapest model and a whopping US$ 530 for the 32 GB model, Apple is going to make a fucking profit genocide! This goes beyond printing money, this is like stealing candy from toddlers, except the candy is made from platinum.
From a purely profit POV, this might very well be Apple's most successful product, ever.
Sadly!
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
Buying lines mini.
Apparently, being overdrawn at the bank didn't stop them either.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Hundreds of iSheep lined up in front of Crapple's Fifth Avenue store for the chance to get their hands on the 7.9-inch device.
Indeed, many places in Manhattan don't need volunteers. Most people don't have cars to deal with, or yards/trees in need of cutting. The biggest problems are the areas without electricity and the fuel shortage, neither of which are things individuals can do much about.
Individuals can't haul fuel and generators, can't get ahold of the Red Cross and see what needs to be done?
To quote the folksy wisdom of my hillbilly father, "Can't" is a lazy bastard, who never accomplished a damn thing.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
From a purely profit POV, this might very well be Apple's most successful product, ever.
Only if the lame specs don't kill the Christmas market. Granted, this will likely be the most successful Apple product ever at driving away customers after they compare their new overpriced toy to the Nexus tablet everybody else got and learn the truth.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
many people in line are not fluent in English and are either Asian immigrants or visitors.'
Are we getting a start on next weeks complaints from the Tea Party vote suppression brigade? 'Oh, theres a bus of voters that aren't the same color as us.' 'Oh theres a bus of votes who don't speak english.' I bet when the bus of voters from the church comes, and their minister tells them vote for the anti-christ or go to hell, the tea party people aren't going to be complaining. I understand that this statement was put in to make people believe that no one except scalpers are buying the iPad, but that is simply not true no matter how much one wants it to be true. Facts are not based on personal beliefs. I am sure if you went into any major shop many of the people purchasing would be visitors. That is what NYC run.
Second, if one is without power, a tablet is the way to go. This is from someone who spent two weeks without power back when all we had was an iPhone. A full size computer is not going to charge quickly or be usable for a long time. A computer with 8-10 charge is very useful. Charge it every couple days, use it sparingly, and you can still get all the news and information and email. After a huge storm the cell connections are not reliable for synchronous communications, but are often ok can be used for light browsing and text and email.
And life still goes on after a disaster. UPS is delivering to home, so ordering online is a possibility when local stores are not available. Some restaurants are up on a limited basis, so go and get food and charge the phone. A solar powered battery can also recharge devices.
I feel for these guys though. When a big storm hits it usually is really nice outside for several days after, so sleeping without electricity is no problem, and if one can't get to work we just all hang out and read and play. It is nice. I can't imagine have a storm and then have 40-50 degree temperatures. That sucks.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
On the specs sheet the Surface sounds extremely good. That's why the MS committee designing it will receive fat bonuses. And the /. crowd will buy it up when discounted to 99 USD
And lo, the Heavens opened up, and a great deluge descended upon the earth... and there was great suffering and destruction.
and the people stood in orderly lines while others suffered, awaiting the new mini-bread-and-circus. /s
Never answer an anonymous letter. - Yogi Berra
Interesting analysis. Too bad you're exactly wrong.
> The iPad mini's gross margin is "significantly below" the rest of
> Apple's product line at $329, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said
> on the company's conference call today.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/25/apple-says-the-ipad-minis-gross-margin-is-significantly-lower-than-other-products/
Also, it's $530 for the 64 GB model, not 32.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
you LIKE daylight saving time? i didn't think there was anyone who did. fuck dst.
Hate to get in the way of a good Apple-bashing but I wanted to say two things.
> it's hard to imagine a crowd of New Yorkers standing idly by while
> someone spends a significant amount of time charging a new tablet.
They come from the factory fully charged, or close to.
And, unrelated to the story in particular, mine arrived this morning and I'm very happy with it so far. Ever since tablets were first on the horizon (post-iPhone and Kindle but pre-everything else) I always wanted one the size of a paperback. When the iPad came out, I thought it was too big. Tried it, didn't care for it much. I bought one to do a bit of testing and development on and figured I'd see if I grew to like it. I didn't, and sold it a few months later. (I bought a refurbished iPad 1 shortly after the 2 came out, so it was cheap, and I sold it for not much of a loss -- basically I rented it for like $8 a month which wasn't bad since it was for work.)
I ordered the Mini as soon as I could and it arrived this morning and it's great. It's a great size and very light. The screen, while not retina, is still good -- we were all happy with our old iPhones before the 4 came along, right? :-)
It's not for everyone but for a lot of people it will be very appealing.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
How the hell is this a troll? This is exactly my thoughts. What a bunch of selfish, useless dirtbags.
Interesting analysis. Too bad you're exactly wrong.
> The iPad mini's gross margin is "significantly below" the rest of
> Apple's product line at $329, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said
> on the company's conference call today.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/25/apple-says-the-ipad-minis-gross-margin-is-significantly-lower-than-other-products/
Also, it's $530 for the 64 GB model, not 32.
Do their margins take into account NRE (Non-Recurring Engineering) costs or is it just the MSRP less the BOM (Bill of Materials) + assembly cost?
I'm willing to believe that their margin over the BOM cost is lower, but I suspect that their NRE costs that need to be amortized over each device is also significantly lower because they didn't engineer anything new. All they did was miniaturize and existing design.
Once you factor in minimal NRE compared to the iPad3 / iPad4 / iPhone5... and assuming they sell a decent number of units, I would assume that the poster above you is correct that this will be a cash cow for them.
Of those surveyed, one in five iPhone users said that their main bank account is almost always overdrawn. In comparison, almost half of Android and Blackberry users said they were never overdrawn.
So from this comment, I can deduce the following:
In other news, sometimes men prefer oranges to grapefruit, whereas often women are known to not prefer grapefruit to oranges.
www.clarke.ca
Mobile developer here ...
The iPad mini ROCKS. Until you hold one, you won't know from writeups and pictures. The knock on the iPad is that it is heavy and cumbersome to hold. The iPad mini fits in my left hand with a secure grip, and I can use it with my right hand. The screen is slightly smaller than the iPad's, but not enough to really notice with the eyeballs (you can tell the difference holding them side-by-side). Sure, you give up a tiny amount of screen space, but the iPad mini is lighter and easier to use.
Where Apple went horribly wrong was not doing an 8GB model for the price of a Nexus 7. If they had done that, they'd rule the world and Android tablets would be a footnote to computer history.
I still think the iPad mini will sell like nothing since the original iPod days once people see how nice it is.
Apple hit a home run.
Honestly, I only got an iPad mini for software development. I didn't even want it and thought Apple was shooting themselves in the foot trying to enter the low-end 7" tablet space. I was wrong. A few minutes with the iPad mini showed me that.
Hmmm .... Right. What is now called 6 will be called 5. So we will end up with more light in the morning. Doh. I was trying to correct the parent who said we are on est now.
Yahoo reports "Meet the Only Guy In Line for an iPad Mini in NYC" at the same store
http://news.yahoo.com/meet-only-guy-line-ipad-mini-nyc-pics-151607016.html
Still trying to figure out what the market is. Small and more mobile you have a iphone or ipod. Larger and more functional you have the regular sized ipad. Exactly what niche (or is that the point) is this serving?
that Apple users are fucking stupid!