Availability - or sellout on first day

[Rambler358]

It seems they'll be available just about everywhere here in CA on March 11th @ 5pm - Apple stores, Best Buy, Walmart, Sam's Club, MacMall, etc. MacMall is supposed to call me when they come in, but maybe I'll just leave work a bit early and check out the closer Walmart first. If there's a crowd there, then just head over to MacMall.

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[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

Is there a particular reason, why the sellout starts at 5pm?

Will the Apple Stores be closed beforehand, or run normal throughout the day, but just not selling iPad 2's? If so, how do they separate the queues?I would assume people just go inside the store beforehand if it is open.

The only reason's I could imagine are, that
a) Apple doesn't want people to camp overnight.
b) Stocks won't last all day, so to avoid customer disappointment, they open in the late afternoon.
c) While people wait for the iPad 2 release, they will have plenty of time to try other devices and may end up buying more then just the iPad.

[Rambler358]

When I called MacMall, they stated that 5pm is the time Apple authorized them to start selling. And I understand all the stores will be open before then, but it'll be a first come, first serve at the 5pm time.

[ajneuman]

I talked to a guy at the Apple store and he said they will be closing the store a few hours early to get all the displays set up and get ready for the sale. But like the iPhone 4 sale they will most likely have a line specifically for the iPad and other people can just go shop for everything else.

[Zmanga]

Now the decisions are even getting harder.
INITIALLY, I had heard a rumor that Walmart and Best Buy wouldn't have the iPad 2 until Apple had been selling them for several months.

I have a Walmart and a Best Buy only a few miles away...but the Apple store is an hour away. I'm still leaning toward the Apple store as I think they will have a bigger supply. I'm wondering if I get there at 3 PM if that will be early enough.

[jhood2323]

will hit up my walmarts(4 with a 15-20 mile radius) @ 11:10 pm once i get off for a 16 gb. Theres no way all of them will sell out of both colors . I really want white though

[Fifi1992]

I will be a first time iPad owner. I'm gonna order mine online at 5:00pm. I've waited thus long I can wait a few more days.

[Mtnmedic]

I will be a first time iPad owner. I'm gonna order mine online at 5:00pm. I've waited thus long I can wait a few more days.

Ditto. I may end up doing that. The nearest Best Buy is a half hour from here, the nearest Wally World is 50 minutes and the nearest Apple Store (the one where I got my iPad from) is 1.5 hours away. But then, if the weather is nice and I've got nothing better to do, it'll be nice to go get in line and socialize.

Michael "Spam, spam, bacon, eggs and spam. Hold the bacon and eggs." Sent from my iPad using iPF