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Hundreds queue for today's Vancouver Apple iPad 2 launch
Hundreds queue for today's Vancouver Apple iPad 2 launch
VANCOUVER — Colin Lochhead arrived at 11 last night at the downtown Apple store and by noon he had been joined by hundreds of other buyers hoping to get the new iPad 2 when it goes on sale at 5 p.m. today.
Apple staff handed out hot coffee to customers huddled under sleeping bags and bundled against a cold and rainy Vancouver day, while inside at the Apple store in the Pacific Centre, staff prepared to close at 3 p.m. to get ready for the launch.
Lochhead was there to get a spot for friend Clayton McKee who arrived at midnight, but after 12 hours in line, Lochhead was ready to buy, even though he already has the original iPad.
"I wasn't actually intending to upgrade I came for moral support for Clayton more than anything else but the more I stand in line here the more likely I am to buy one for myself," he said.
McKee lined up to buy an iPad 2 for his girlfriend Catherine Nielsen.
"I camped out overnight but it's for her," he said.
The pair, joined by Nielsen and Lochhead's girlfriend Suzanne Rushton were well prepared with chairs, sleeping bags and snacks.
"We got a couple of hours of sleep, only disturbed a couple of times by drugs who wanted to poke us, shake us, make fun of us," said McKee.
By midday the lineup stretched down Granville Street, with similar lineups at other Apple stores and some consumers opting to try Best Buy, Future Shop, London Drugs and Simply Computing — all stocked with iPad 2s for today's release but with stores not releasing numbers.
Asked if stock would meet the demand if hundreds lined up outside, a clerk at the Apple store downtown said they store has "hundreds" of iPads.
Early buyers who wanted to ensure they would get an iPad 2 went online at 1 a.m. When Apple's Online Canadian store started taking orders. Shipping was promised for April 16 for those buyers, with an expected delivery date of April 22. |
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發表於 2011-3-26 00:57
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