Comments on: A Walk of the Apple iPhone Waiting Line in SF

By: one19

one19 — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 04:26:39 +0000

#46 (on #44, #26, #24, #20)

Jimi Hendrix comes to town and may not ever come back. So if you liked Hendrix, falling in line was your only option. And yeah, it’s juvenile.

But if juvenile today means standing in line for something that will be available anyway, you start to wonder.

I can get hold of the iPhone, PS3, XBox, etc., without having to wait in line. Except that “I won’t ge first.”

Now if a famous rock band came to the Philippines today, and I were a big fan, I may not have a choice but to line up as I may never see them again. That at least is understandable juvenile behavior (and at 41, if I had to line up, I’d probably use the time to do something else anyway).

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:37:26 +0000

Great video John. It can even be used to play the following drinking games:

1) Spot the Homeless Bums
&
2) Spot the overly-obnoxious gadget-geek/Apple fan boys

W00t!!!

By: Tamara Bahr

Tamara Bahr — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 03:18:05 +0000

I don’t get it — Watching that video (which was an insteresting social vignette btw) all I thought was all those peopel just have $600 + to spend —- on a phone! I need a better job.

By: Christian

Christian — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:38:28 +0000

And Cameo by John’s best friend and iPhone fanboy number one: Scott Bourne!

Where’s Woz?

By: C. Fogg

C. Fogg — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 07:54:01 +0000

Your video is one for the time capsule, Mr. Dvorak.

Hopefully people in the future can figure out how to decode our video formats.. and the physical media itself somehow survives the time.
“See, Timmy: this is how our ‘ancestors’ wasted their time.”

Is this the beginnings of the next Michael Moore ?

Next chapter: people using their iPhones… while driving.

By: Paul In Oregon

Paul In Oregon — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 15:24:27 +0000

Wow! I’m first in line on the 4th of July. Well, I didn’t have to wait in line to be here. Yes, like John I’m over 50. Like John, I’d never stand in line for anything that took longer than the time between meals or that pushed against a good night’s sleep. Never have, never will. There are only so many days in your life- come back Monday for the phone! If it’s sold out, wait a few days! (PS: We have ‘vote by mail’ in Oregon- no one stands in line!)
Being in the industry for almost 15 years there was a time when I always had the ‘coolest’ phone. We were the first ones to sell the StarTac nationwide (joining the other AirTouch dealers who were exclusives. Anyone know what a StarTac was/is today? Today I couldn’t care. I never had to wait in line for any of those phones- they just happened as a dealer for US West-AirTouch-Verizon. I don’t even use or want a smart phone. I really prefer a ‘real computer’ or music player or camera when I need one. Yes, I do carry a 2 meg camera phone for photos when I don’t have my Canon SLR with me but the whole integration thing just isn’t working for me yet. The last figures I saw for the US is that only 5% of those with ‘music capable’ phones were even using those features! Must be frustrating for the carriers who what to make money on those features. We’re pushed to sell add-ons like new car sales people! Maybe in the big cities people use more of those features- and maybe we’re different than other countries. (A lab owner I know in the Philippines gets 80% of the standard size prints that are ordered at her stores from camera phones! Not here!)
So I’ll go buy Tickle Me Elmo at the Goodwill store today for $3- take a walk, listen to the birds, breathe fresh air, go to work on time, spend time with family- and be free of ‘me first’ ism forever! It’s not worth the price/cost of admission, although as a ‘side show’ your video was an amazing insight to the life’s of… what would you call that?!?

By: Brian Ansorge

Brian Ansorge — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 05:14:22 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me how some people seem to be so *incredibly* insecure that they have to do their best to disparage those whose values are different from their own.

Sad. Truly sad. Pathetic, even. If zillions of people are downright jubilant with their new iPhones, why would that bother me?

Even though I can scarecly afford my monthly bill from Verizon on any given month and I don’t plan on getting an iPhone, I have nothing to gain by trying to detract from the joy that others are—apparently—experiencing with their new Apple icon.

Nope. In fact, the reason why I *am* glad new iPhone owners are happy is the same reason why the overwhelming majority of those who are, in fact, buying new iPhones *are* buying them: because I am incredibly secure and know what I can afford (and justify buying) and what I cannot afford (and not justify buying).

Yes, I do have a life and it bothers me not one little bit that Apple makes great products and is building on previous successes with (yet) another successful product launch.

My pity to all the social misfits and Viagra gulpers who aren’t happy when others are happy. It sucks being you, doesn’t it?

iPhone: $599.00
Viagra: $49.99
Self-Confidence and Contentment: Priceless

By: Charbax

Charbax — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 04:50:48 +0000

Here’s one thing I’m looking forward to that a product like the iPhone but with somekind of GPS built-in and clever Web 2.0 apps would bring:

- Organisation in society and among people so nobody needs to wait in line ever again.

In this society of consumerism, some people simply don’t question the fact that some coorporations are making a lot of traffic on them waiting in line. When you wait in line, you are generating frenzy around a product or service, like a magnet, the line tells passer bys that they should also stand in the line if they want to be normal. Normality today is to shut up, not care about politics, but stand in line a buy new products from large coorporations.

The iPhone is all about the feeding of consumers with a flashy piece of gadget that has a flashy interface. But is this interface the best way to do consumer electronics? Or is it just a flashy animation that does not improve any aspects of usability, and a product that does not provide any new features.

By: pedro

pedro — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 03:19:40 +0000

You’re right, that was james hill. But, since you agree with him in this one…

By: JimR

JimR — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 23:23:05 +0000

I don’t recall ever quoting a PC Mag article… ever. Can link me to the post? You seem to remember it so well…

By: pedro

pedro — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 20:34:09 +0000

#57 I only brought up pcmag because you quoted an article on pcmag that was “of your liking” regarding the iPhew.

So, pcmag is only good if it writes what you like?

And battery life s not as everything on the market. And I know, because my phone last a lot longer than that iPhew.

#59 Yeah, because another bulky device affixed to your iPhew is the same as an extended battery that goes in the same place as the original. Oh, I forgot, mac doesn’t allow you to open their boxes, they trsut their own cusotmer so much…

I wonder what will happen to the poor guy that made the open iPhew video.

And again on #60? you seem to be in a roll. Sure, I fail in life, that’s why I spent $3,000 and 5 days in a line to wait to buy a phone that would make me feel good with myself. Bad phone audio quality and poor battery life notwitstanding.

By: James Hill

James Hill — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:32:36 +0000

Pedro fails at life. Thankfully Apple has a product called iLife that can help you with that.

Honestly junior, your knocks against the iPhone are fading. It’s a better device than what you use. Don’t hate it, just accept it.

By: Podesta

Podesta — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:00:50 +0000

I know that Pedro rarely gets anything right, but will respond anyway.

The reviewers have generally hailed the iPhone battery, saying they watched multiple movies or television shows. Furthermore, I expect to see third-party extender batteries for the iPhone, as there are for the iPod.

I’ve seen only one reviewer who is a naysayer overall regarding the iPhone, Matt Something at ZDNet. One problem with his review is that he makes several mistakes, including believing that there is no way to send full resolution photos from the iPhone. Another is that Nokia has a habit of giving reviewers free phones, in hope of getting a good review compared to the competition. I wonder if he paid for the phones he touts.

I would recommend the N95 to people who mainly want a better quality camera on their cell phones and don’t mind spending $750. But, the iPhone is the better complete convergence device.

By: meetsy

meetsy — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:00:00 +0000

Waiting in line for a telephone…..hmmm. I can’t see it. Are that many people so insecure that they MUST have IT FIRST? Seems like a pretty poor way to gain self esteem, by buying it. Great, wait in line for hours (days?) to buy a piece of junk so that you can brag about it to friends for..what 5 minutes (if your friends are tolerant)? In the grand scheme of life — a big nothing.
The phone will get lost, get broken, wear out, become obsolete…in a few months, few years. Unlike waiting in line for TICKETS to a concert…or to see someone much admired, or to be at an event, this has no soul. No heart. No lasting benefit. I mean, if you did stand in line forever and did get to see Hendrix at his last concert, (or Elvis, or the Beatles, or any one of a thousand other “events”) then you’d have something. You’d have the tickets, the event to look forward to, to go to, then the memories of that event for a lifetime. “I saw that…” If you were AT the docks when the ships came in at the end of WW2, that must have been something. That’s a feeling of community and connecting.
But, to stand in line to buy a trinket….what community? You get to talk to the person ahead of you, and behind you. MAYBE two away, but after that, nah. You mostly just stand and wait by yourself. This isn’t an event…its just standing there, like you’re waiting for a bus. Bleah. The line looked like a well-heeled refugee camp.
I feel for the people who try and push the concept it was something big, something special, something important to spend that much time doing. In reality….the need to be FIRST is over rated. The desire to consume is programmed into us. The need to be special because of what you own…is morally bankrupt. Are we really that shallow, selfish and dimwitted?
Apparently, so.

By: JimR

JimR — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:07:57 +0000

I would expect a crappy review from PC Magazine on anything Apple. That’s why I read a variety of sources. Battery time is as advertized and is better than anything on the market. Of course you wouldn’t know that because you only suckle from the PC Mag teat.