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Lines, iPhones, and the universe

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aerog

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Ok now. I don't want to start a discussion about the stupid "iPhone", the hype, apple, or anything of the sort. I really don't. But, I'm fascinated. The Orlando Sentinel has an article on-line talking about the "lines" at the AT&T (ie: Cingular) stores with future iPhone buyers waiting patiently.

Yeah, it's been in the news, and it's happening. But here's something that blew my mind: someone started camping out at a local store on Thursday. A few of the other stores had a couple of people standing "in line" this morning - but this one guy decided to start camping on on Thursday.

So here's where my head starts to hurt: at what point does a person like that decide it is the right time to start standing in line. Or, in this case, actually start a line? I mean...you walk up to the store and there's no line and nobody standing around, so you just stand there and claim you're "in line". The store closes, everyone goes home, and there you are by yourself, "in line".

There have always been rumors that marketing companies start sending these "campers" to stir the hype (ahem, hint hint). Maybe that's the case here...but who knows. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
People do that sort of thing for "video games" all the time. I personally never understood the idea of waiting in line for days to get anything, but people do do it. I can recall last year when some people decided they were going to start waiting in line 1 week before a new gaming console was to be released and all the store managers of the stores involved turned the people away, and didn't let the line start forming until the day of release.

At any rate, I never understood the concept, and never will. My personal preference is to wait till I can just walk in and pick it up without having to wait at all.
 
My cell phone can text and take pictures and many other things, at least that is what I am told. I actually carry it once in a while, maybe once every month on average and then only for a couple of hours most of the time. So, if anyone needs to reach me you can call on my cell phone - now if I could just remember the number!

i am quite comfortable and competent with technology. I just really like getting away from the phone and enjoying where I am and who I am with.
 
Nunyas said:
My personal preference is to wait till I can just walk in and pick it up without having to wait at all.
Click to expand...


Someone on another forum said they might go and stand in line to participate in the "experience". Takes all kinds I guess.
 
I have a cell phone on my hip- haven't turned it on since last Saturday.

I have an iPod- I gotta tell you, if I wasn't married, I'd date that thing. I love it. However, I only listen when I am alone (or watch, in the case of movies).

One oddity- at least odd compared to most iPod users I know- I have hundreds of Old Time Radio (OTR) programs on it. I have a modest MP3 collection of OTR programs.

That being said- you would not find me camping out overnight for a consumer product....excluding power tools of course.
 
Thursday is nothing. The NY Post reported that some loon has been waiting "in line" at Apple's flagship NYC store since Monday. Here's the nutcase himself:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Packer

Umm, people, it's a PHONE. Get a life.


confession: I waited in line at Target a few hours for a Wii for my kids /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/angel.gif
 
aerog said:
Nunyas said:
My personal preference is to wait till I can just walk in and pick it up without having to wait at all.
Click to expand...


Someone on another forum said they might go and stand in line to participate in the "experience". Takes all kinds I guess.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know some people who went to "Hands Across America" in '86 for the same 'reason'....my then girfriend and her family come to mind. My stunned disbelief and uncontrollable laughter did not bode well for the relationship.
 
You're just crass and uncaring, James.

MY KINDA GUY! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
 
lawguy said:
I have an iPod- I gotta tell you, if I wasn't married, I'd date that thing. I love it. However, I only listen when I am alone (or watch, in the case of movies).
Click to expand...

A recent documentary on Discovery talked about how the iPod white earbuds became a fashion item, and to a point people buy iPods (and accessories) to be fashionable and to be part of the crowd. I just can't stand that mentality and swore I'd never buy one.

But then last year I decided to replace my aging .mp3 CD player with a compact player. After a lot of shopping and research I decided to get a 30gb 5th gen iPod. Except that it doesn't play .wma files, certain bitrate files, and you have to use itunes, it's been really super. I use it at home, in the car, and in the airplane all the time. It's a quality product, and although pricey it isn't that much more than the other name equivalents.

I liked it so much I bought my dad a 60gb version for Christmas last year. For 6 weeks or so I worked off and on at sorting through tons of OTR files, rewriting the ID3s and setting them up for iTunes so he could open it up Christmas day and have a massive library of OTR (and his CDs) ready to go. I just added almost 1000 episodes of Lum & Abner to it bringing his to something like 5000 OTR episodes.

I still have no interest in any other Apple product, but I do like the iPod /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
lawguy said:
My stunned disbelief and uncontrollable laughter did not bode well for the relationship.
Click to expand...

Dang, that made me laugh! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thankyousign.gif
 
Idiots queuing for:
- I-phones (or pick your own new techno geek device that will be old news very quickly).
- Star Wars (or pick your own new blockbuster "who needs acting when you've got special effects" film).

People with no life living vicariously through so called celebs who are just wasting space and oxygen. I know that this has been going on for decades, but surely so called educated people are smarter than this.

Reality TV shows - what a waste of time and completely devoid of merit. Own up, who likes them and we will send someone around to look for the lobotomy scar. Quality TV can be for the masses, just look at Mash, Cheers (add your own) for examples of quality light entertainment.

Oh for the days of news programs that just report the news without some politically biased opinion and let the viewers make their own minds up. Oh wait, that would require people having to think for themselves.

Modern life - Aaargh - beam me up Scotty.







Thank you Doctor, I feel much better now.
 
People are crazy I tell ya. Ipods are great and I love mine but the Iphone I just don't get. It looks cool but feature wise other phones are already out that does pretty much the same stuff and more for half as much. But I guess the "cool" people will have one to keep being cool.

posted from my uber cool internet tablet pc that is smaller than my hand. :geek:
 
TRDejaVu said:
Reality TV shows - what a waste of time and completely devoid of merit.
Click to expand...

I think I know where you're going with that... and I think (I hope) their time has passed. The "survivor" type shows seem to be dropping away, only to be replaced with equally bad shows like American Idol and their competitors.

We watch a few of the shows on the History, Discovery, and Science channels and very little else.
 
They have proved that they can do when you see a series like Planet Earth in hi-def, but then the lowest common denominator factor kicks back in.
 
Three words: "Ice Road Truckers"

- I'm starting to speak with a Canadian accent.
 
So I've *JUST* heard... Horsemits JUST told me of the "Ice Road Truckers" proggy as I was reading down this thread.

THAT'S WEIRD!!!
 
lawguy said:
I have a cell phone on my hip- haven't turned it on since last Saturday.

I have an iPod- I gotta tell you, if I wasn't married, I'd date that thing. I love it. However, I only listen when I am alone (or watch, in the case of movies).

One oddity- at least odd compared to most iPod users I know- I have hundreds of Old Time Radio (OTR) programs on it. I have a modest MP3 collection of OTR programs.

That being said- you would not find me camping out overnight for a consumer product....excluding power tools of course.
Click to expand...

I know a few people with radio programs on their Ipods. Usually stuff like The Shadow and other sorts of mystery/thriller things.

I've got mostly music, but I do have two short tracks from some sixties album called "Sounds of Grand Prix Racing" or something. One track was recorded at Spa in 1966, and features several of the cars going by the mike on the Masta Straight. The second is from the '66 Italian GP, and features the cars starting and driving through the pits.

I also have the complete CD from the book "Into The Red" on my Ipod. Since I often listen to music at work, and usually set the Ipod to random, it will sometimes pick out one of the car tracks. Lemme tell you, listening to some nice music then having a BRM V-16 drive through your office will wake you the heck up!

-William
 
I'll take a photo of the vinyl jacket that "record" came in for ya Wll'm. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
DrEntropy said:
I'll take a photo of the vinyl jacket that "record" came in for ya Wll'm. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
Click to expand...

Did I get the title of the album right, Doc? I downloaded the mp3s from a link over at The Nostalgia Forum a coupla years ago, and don't remember the title. What all else is on it?

-Wm.
 
I'll either take a photo of it or scan it t'morrow.

Right now my brane is fried. I've been having some permission issues between a Linux server and a Win2K workstation all day. Toss in a retirement dinner for a local friend and I'm toast. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
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