5th Ave. iPhone Who Farm campers leave store lacking iPhones, dignity

Heavily featured in the news leading up to the iPhone 3G launch, the Who Farm campers -- who hunkered down a full week early at the Fifth Avenue Apple store in Manhattan to promote organic farming or something silly like that -- seem to have fallen off the face of the earth after the Cube's doors were opened. None of the five hippies were seen emerging from the store with iPhones, and their leader's little apple-dropping "accident" (video is after the break) might have something to do with it. He was later seen being taken into the store with a police escort, according to David Jr., but wasn't seen from again. We're not trying to imply that these five organic farming nuts are currently tied up in a dark store room miles below the Fifth Ave. store, awaiting Steve Jobs' wrath, but we would like to know what happened to them, and if they ever got iPhones, so if you have any idea please let us know.

[Dominick @ Jul 13th 2008 11:25AM]

I was one of the first people on line, and I saw him being escorted in after I went in. He went up to get an iPhone at the register... so I'm guessing he did. But, that was crazy!!

[David @ Jul 28th 2008 6:40AM]

http://www.treehugger.com/WHO%20farmers%20got%20their%20iphones%20photo.jpg

He Got One.

[Ryan @ Jul 13th 2008 2:38PM]

They probably just took him somewhere else in the store. you can't buy or activate the iphone at the fixed registers. It can only be done using the Symbol devices you see the employees carrying around.

[mymaclife @ Jul 13th 2008 4:49PM]

Punish the lot of them by making them endure the sign-up and activation process.

[Dominick @ Jul 13th 2008 8:46PM]

Yeah I know they walk around with the little handheld devices.. but they were all over the store.. at the registers, the genius bars, etc. Should've made that clearer I guess.

Well, I love my new iPhone.

[Flashpoint @ Jul 13th 2008 11:26AM]

Engadet needed an iphone story so badly that they bring up a bunch of turkey tree huggers?

[Khris @ Jul 13th 2008 12:15PM]

Nope, they just want to make sure they post stories where your stupid fucking comments are applicable!

[ZeroCorpse @ Jul 13th 2008 12:29PM]

I just wanted to inform you that, despite your apparent belief to the contrary, turkeys do NOT grow on trees.

[mike @ Jul 13th 2008 2:57PM]

have you seen how big around turkey trees are? there's no way you can hug them!

just watch out for the gobblers... no one wants to take that unexpectedly to the face!

[OneLove @ Jul 13th 2008 3:33PM]

I want my 5 minutes back! wtf?

[quandmeme @ Jul 13th 2008 7:00PM]

Perhaps
1: Advertisers support sites that generate a large number of page views.
2: Engadget exists because it makes money from advertisers.
3: Engadget will post stories on topics that historically generate many page views.
4. Both haterz and fanbois visit iHype stories, generating page views
5. Both haterz and fanbois post in iHype story comments and then keep coming back to see responses to comments, generating still more page views

Prediction 1: Engadget will be willing to take a hit to its reputation around WWDC, iPhone launch days and MacWorld in order to generate page views

Prediction 2: Haterz will continue to perpetuate this by viewing and posting anyway

[phanbouy @ Jul 14th 2008 4:32AM]

i keep imagining ways that you could be more of an assmunch, flashpoint, but it's beyond my imagination.

[jorvay @ Jul 14th 2008 9:40AM]

I always click on Apple-related stories. I couldn't care one way or the other about Apple, but the comments are always gold!

[Blastar @ Jul 13th 2008 11:27AM]

No more about I Phone 3G PLEAAAASSSEE..!!
No more iphone-3G commercials !!

[Isaac @ Jul 13th 2008 11:29AM]

You don't have to click the story. You know that, right?

[aard @ Jul 13th 2008 11:38AM]

@isaac: true, but due to all this iHype, there's barely any news BUT the stupid phone... what, did the rest of the world just stop?

[boss-hogg @ Jul 13th 2008 12:40PM]

Has anyone ever seen the movie Idiocracy?

[Sora @ Jul 13th 2008 1:14PM]

You mean iDiocracy?

[JohnTitor @ Jul 13th 2008 3:01PM]

is it just me or have all the apple fanboys started to rate and comment?
we knew you existed cause you drove all the apple articles to the top of last years ranks

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 13th 2008 3:07PM]

Yes, the "idiocracy" future would include those who use the word "iTard" and other nonsense... If you don't want to hear about Apple products DONT CLICK ON THE FUCKING STORIES MORONS

[Blastar @ Jul 13th 2008 4:00PM]

Dear loosely_coupled
Moron or not the post is there either I click it or not.
The fact is that almost every time I read the engadget blog I see a post about the iphone in the first page no matter what and when.. and I am probably not the only one that things that they engadged is overwhelmed with iphone news..
Some days seems like its all about iphone in this site or nothing is more important than that.
If you dont believe me just take a look in the previews pages of the i-engadget...

[Fozzy Bear @ Jul 13th 2008 4:21PM]

i'd like to see engadget do a study comparing those whining about iphone/apple posts and their ability to actually own one... whether it be poor credit, poor cash flow, locked in a contract with an inferior carrier, sufferers of pc inferiority complex...

i bet there's a healthy correlation between the have-nots/cannots and hate.

[Decoy @ Jul 13th 2008 8:42PM]

@ Fozzy

To show a relationship between smugness, wealth, and owning Apple products?

[Nippon @ Jul 13th 2008 9:35PM]

@ Fozzy Bear

Hey man, I hate to break it to you, but I could easily afford the new iPhone if I wanted to, and I could also go wait in line like a loser to get one if I wanted to... however, I DO NOT want to have to carry around a phone that is 3x bigger and heavier than my current one. Our regular phones here in Japan have television viewing capabilities (that are much superior to the crappy viewing options the iPhone comes with), 5.2 megapixel cameras, and are SMALL!!! Not only that, they don't cost $70 a month to carry around a giant phone either like the iPhone 3G does. We can use our regular phones as our train tickets, credit cards, and all kinds of other stuff. I would much rather have all that in one rather than being able to use two fingers to enlarge my photos on an iPhone. I have a computer for picture viewing, computer/PS3/Wii/xBox 360 for game playing. I do not want/need an iPhone, not "cannot get one."

I am upset about seeing nothing but iPhone news when I view this site because I come here to see news about other new technology - which has been a little drowned out by the all the iPhone hype recently. This is why me (and other like myself) are a little upset by the focus on even the stupid details of the iPhone 3G's release.

[Fozzy Bear @ Jul 14th 2008 1:30PM]

@nippon, et al.

are you done?

the one thing your cell phone doesn't do is compensate for your level of whining that the rest of us have to read.

so i guess we're even.

oh and 2+x megapixels doesn't equal quality... it just means you have more space taken up by noise... just like the space you take up with your posts.

kthxbai

[Jacques Auef @ Jul 13th 2008 11:32AM]

It's actually pathetic that people camped or waited hours for a phone. It's just part of the dumbing down of America that people give a frickin electric device such cult status. SErves them right that they got screwed when they couldn't get the phones activated! HAHAHAHAHAH

[peekinde @ Jul 13th 2008 11:38AM]

1. its a world phenomena fool!
2. bad karma

[Bad Beaver @ Jul 13th 2008 11:52AM]

He's got a point. I find the devotion these people put into making a purchase a wee bit disturbing. Nobody say's "don't make things a party if you feel like it" but this is all pretty much out of proportion. One would think people had something better to do. Their time though, they can waste it as they wish.

[Craig @ Jul 13th 2008 12:27PM]

I think he makes a point; however, it is all of the Americans falling for it. I was watching the iPhone line while I was eating lunch at the mall and most of the people in line were playing with there original iPhone. It is like they cannot resist Steve's marketing. Besides, if they waited 6 months, Apple would probably just release another version.

[Bunson @ Jul 13th 2008 1:05PM]

It's worldwide. Not just America.

[Greg @ Jul 13th 2008 1:10PM]

I waited, it was worth it lol. I only spent 2 hours though waiting, killed some time since I have no school now.

[ozzzy @ Jul 13th 2008 1:33PM]

If you really believed in freedom and liberty, you wouldn't care how other people spent their time. Some people enjoy being the first to have an exciting new product. It's in our social nature to fit into the mainstream culture as quickly as possible.

Would you like to force everyone waiting in line to work on a cure for cancer or create the next artistic masterpiece?

That being said, the reason there are these six hour lines is due to the forced in-store activation.

[Tom G @ Jul 13th 2008 1:40PM]

Personally, i believe its just because its something people can come together about, the world in general is so depressing and boring nowadays its easy to find something and get overexcited about it because it distracts you from the other bad things happening in the world and gives everything something to do and come together for.

[metal @ Jul 13th 2008 2:00PM]

@ ozzzy

Acutally, if someone believed in freedom and liberty, watching this sort of behavior would be especially disturbing. I always find it amazing how quick some of the more fanatical apple fans are to put down other devices regardless of whether they have tried these devices or not. Or how quick these people are to purchase an item merely for the fact thats its an apple product, knowing next to nothing about its capabilities. This sort of blind devotion should be of concern to anyone who is interested in freedom, althought I'm sure I'm blowing this out of proportion a bit ( then again, I'm not the one who pulled the red herring of freedom and liberty into a discussion about iphones ).

Some of these apple fans are the Al Qaeda of the electronics world. If you dont believe what they believe or like what they like, you're wrong. They then proceed to attempt to assasinate your character with insinuations about your intelligence, your taste, and of course your sexuality.

And no, your reasoning for the lines doesnt hold any water, given that there were similar lines at the iphone 1 release. I was personally at walmart the day before the first iphone release when the person in line in front of me was buying equipment to make his camping stay more comfortable.

[tekdroid @ Jul 13th 2008 2:00PM]

Jacques Auef @ Jul 13th 2008 11:32AM
SErves them right that they got screwed when they couldn't get the phones activated!
---------
Subliminal Sony Ericsson (SE) advertising?
*dons tin foil hat*

[seanchk @ Jul 13th 2008 2:58PM]

For flucks sake... if you dont care then dont comment there are some (many) of us that do want us to know about the new iphone.

If you dont like it fine, but dont blame those of us that do.

[Justin @ Jul 13th 2008 4:24PM]

@ metal

I've used a whole host of other phones... plam, WinMo whatever... None that I have tried have had the fluid, easy and painless use that my iphone has. It just works. Oh, and if people grouping together to do what they want (whatever it may be) is un-American then this country truly is in a terrible place and I would wager to guess it's people like you that put it there.

[lukas88 @ Jul 13th 2008 5:44PM]

while your comment was mean spirited, I agree that the attention that the iphone gets makes me worry about our society.

I could understand it better if there was some sort of innovation on the iphone. GPS and faster download speeds are great and all and no one can argue that the iphone isn't an amazing device in several different aspects, but is it really that much better than the iphone that was released last year? Is it really worth standing in line for?

The amount of attention and importance that we put in this device is way out of proportion, but I suppose that is what you can expect from a consumer-driven society.

[metal @ Jul 13th 2008 6:01PM]

@justin

I dont expect you to get this, but you just proved my point by attacking my character for saying that apples products arent inherently superior. I mean, MY GOD! SOMEONE WHO HATES APPLE MUST BE A COMMUNIST RIGHT?!?!?!?! I mean god forbid someone else have a different opinion. You're exactly what I'm talking about when I say fanatical apple user. If you were an apple user who could respect other peoples opinion and could just accept that maybe someone else finds windows mobile good enough, then I wouldnt have a problem with that. But with people like you, its always the whole my way or your wrong attitude. And if anything, thats the most unAmerican thing in this discussion.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jul 13th 2008 9:07PM]

I'm not trying to be biased or anything and I may be a bit off track, but...

I'm fairly certain the iPhone was made for those that are righteous in the eyes of the omnipotent being in the heavens while the other handsets are, well, made for those that follow the unspeakable demon with horns who rules over the fiery pit deep in the bowels of the earth.

That's just my $.02.

[tekdroid @ Jul 14th 2008 8:45AM]

Steffen Jobbs @ Jul 13th 2008 9:07PM

I'm fairly certain the iPhone was made for those that are righteous in the eyes of the omnipotent being in the heavens
-----------
Oprah? Oh I was confusing righteous with self-absorbed.


while the other handsets are, well, made for those that follow the unspeakable demon with horns who rules over the fiery pit deep in the bowels of the earth.
---------
Bono?

Devil has all bluetooth profiles and doesn't need to download maps as he travels. I'm with him! Where's my Zooropa album and spare batt, not that we'll need it...

[roach @ Jul 13th 2008 11:32AM]

Apple Lemmings

[Tom @ Jul 13th 2008 2:43PM]

I like that, yes, lemmings. I wonder why Microsoft or PC manufacturers never did a counter-commercial to those annoyingly arrogant Mac ads. Like "so you can communicate with the MAJORITY of the world". I remember working at the Pentagon and some mac fanatic IT guy came in and decided he wanted his entire department to have macs. Then the rest of the Pentagon had problems opening up their Word and Excel files, etc, etc, etc, etc. It was a huge mess, and it came out of your tax money to train them, etc.

Macs are fine, just don't overly tote Apple products. I have an RCA Lyra PMP and it does more than an IPOD, more compatibilities, more functionality, more storage, you name it.

[Christopher Dillon @ Jul 13th 2008 11:33AM]

How about we stop with the 3g and give the music listeners 120 gig white classics?

[Mike10010100 @ Jul 13th 2008 11:46AM]

Well, mostly because they don't come in that variety.

Try 160 GB.

[Arjun @ Jul 13th 2008 11:33AM]

Wow, that is one of the most useless videos I've seen.

[Alberto @ Jul 13th 2008 12:14PM]

That's right totally useless. Am a Mac Fan but please iphone is a turd dress in prada shoes. Am really ashamed at apple bringing out such a sub par phone and claiming it revolutionary.

I admit the Apple's UI is by far the best out there...but Apple still can not seem to get some of the basic features of a modern phone right. Bluetooth (not limited), camera, searchability within contacts (you can only search within address book and maps not in contacts)...and the now feature in current touch screen phones... touch feed back.

At least am not part of the folk of sheep out there that settle for less. I demand a great phone...one that does all the basic functions perfect and all average gimmicks great and all it's new features well, Apple seems to have that backwards.

[Thomas @ Jul 13th 2008 12:53PM]

So what phone do you use Alberto?

[Blaktornado @ Jul 13th 2008 1:13PM]

You're doing it wrong, Alberto.

[C. Paris @ Jul 13th 2008 11:39AM]

"Organic farming, or something silly like that." Yes, because we all LOVE the taste of carcinogens in our food. Sigh. It's so easy to write for Endgadget. Be jaded about EVERYTHING.