Apple iPad launches globally: lines form to the left, gauche, izquierda, hidari... (updated)
By Ross Miller 
posted May 27th 2010 10:04PM
posted May 27th 2010 10:04PM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: We've got our first queue pictures popping up and are adding them in after the break. Keep them coming, guys!
Update 2: We've heard direct from Best Buy that the iPad is today on sale in its Thurrock branch, and also in the brand new Hedge End outlet, which opened today in Southampton.
Read - AFP (Australia)
Read - Reuters (Japan)
Manchester, England, in the early hours of the night. Thanks, Manas.
Zurich, Switzerland. This is what the Apple Store's looking 90 minutes after opening. Thanks, Alexandre.
Outside London's Regent Street Store. Thanks, Richard and Matthew.
Toronto, Canada, just before the doors opening. Thanks, Daniel.
@cornelp well for starters...I think Android is HORRIBLE for tablets...absolutely horrible...
I think iPhone OS is eh, when it comes to tablets...again, it seems so crippling, like I feel Google should develop an independent OS based off Android but made more powerful for tablet or netbook use I feel Apple should do the same...but that's just me...
@GmanC
Touche...I dunno, perhaps it's just not for me...(obviously I suppose) maybe the G3 or G4 iPad will be more suitable. I don't get the hype though...then again I also don't get why girls scream for Lil Wayne or Justin Beiber...hype always confuses me.
@AbsoluteDesignz
"My major gripe is that when Apple announce a tablet I pictured a modified OSX in a convertible tablet form, thin as the macbook air...THAT would've been a wonderful useful device."
I think you hit on an important point there, and I think your views are echoed by many in the tech community who were looking forward to an Apple tablet based on OSX. Maybe this is where a lot of the hate comes from, disappointment at what it could have been, rather than viewing it for what it is.
Thinking a little deeper, consider they did simply follow what tablet pc makers have done for many years, and they did do a dumbed down version of OSX and put it into tablet form, how successful do you think it would have been, given the poor success rate of other windows based tablets following the same format? The fact would remain that the experience would be inferior to the desktop variant as the OS is not designed for touch.
As things are, I think it's genius to take an immensly popular platform and increase its size in order to take advantage of the many ways people currently do as a matter of convenience on their iPhones, and turn it into something as convenient but more practical on the bigger version.
Like you say, it's not for you, and you certainly wont be alone in that statement and that's fine, but just because techies like yourself don't see the point, doesn't mean there isn't one...
@GmanC
My little girl is just 10 months old and she loves it too.
@Nezarules
Have you tried the dora colouring app?
It's perfect for young children.
Only challenge is showing them to only touch the screen with one finger at a time, otherwise it will zoom!
@Newwales well the answer is that your definition of 'fundamental hardware' and that of Apple's is vastly different. Perhaps because they didn't design the ipad for you and folks like you but for a more general audience. that based on sales, is embracing what is in the ipad rather than what is not
@AbsoluteDesignz I personally feel that OSX is a little overkill for a hand-held device. iPhone OS suits it perfectly, although I can see it becoming more advanced as time goes on, but not in a desktop kinda way, but in a hand-held way.
@GmanC
Kind sir...I stand defeated...I agree with each and every one of your points...
touche.
@AbsoluteDesignz "crippling", "crippled", "tyrannical" "fascist"
You guys have really grown attached to these terms when discussing anything about Apple/iPhone.
But you are the only ones who see it that way.
I don't get those lines...
@loocas
Yeah that line in Outside London's Regent Street Store is freaking long...
Ive never seen a line like that, even when the 3G iPhone first came out.Watch the numbers go nuts from all the Apple Sales...
I just got past the Apple Store in Zurich - no more lines, and some bloke outside said they're sold out
@yankdez Then why did you buy it dumb ass?!!
@yankdez the title has google translate printed all over it...
Yay, first pic is the Trafford Centre! :)
Another question - if people are so fanatical about the iPad, why queue up for it when they could just pre-order the damn thing?
@r3loaded
Yeah I thought this too, then I thought maybe they didn't want to pay by credit card and they wanted to pay cash. Oh wait, but in USA you couldn't pay by cash until recently.
Maybe they want to see and experience one before deciding whether to lump down their hard earned?
@yankdez
yankdez is troll in Engadget
crazy seeing them pics in London - I went to PC World, Guildford at 8:10am and walked straight in and purchased with the other 10 people waiting instore. Hoorah!
@yankdez Lol, some japs even put their ipads on their head. Well, I wonder what will these iPad smashers react to that? http://j.mp/ipad-killed-again
@yankdez
lmfao good one
oh and I own a Dell desktop & laptop and always have but since owning my iphone 3g I have become a fan of the OS and ipod feature. I can say that the ipad is the slickest piece of tech I have used to date (other than my PS3). Brings a smile to my face and does everything I want right now, and right now Im using the Korg iElectribe. This device will be THE music tech device of the year.
@jimmy1
er update on my ipad - took it back for a full refund today. Bloody thing took 10 attempts a time to connect via my WPA wifi then if it slept or went to lock screen it would forget my wifi key and Id have to repeat again. Aaaaaaaagh, so now I have my £500 back in my pocket.
Loved the slickness of the device and it was fast but then I would have ended up smashing it with the wifi issues and chucking money on apps to make good use of it.......I sorta miss it. Roll on Dell Streak!
Some years ago people were lining up like crazy for the new Leopard. The next day there was nobody at the Apple store. There's no limit to stupidity.
@StanT
There's also no limit to arrogance, either. Are you the arbiter of what's stupid? Because, given that you've made a stupid statement, I find it hard to take you seriously.
@yankdez
LOL !!!!
being a non-english speaker, I think I find it even funnier :)
@TheLondonExchange Flash on the Android. from what I have seen and heard right now it's more "yeah Steve it does suck"
As for the haters, go ahead if you wish, but this schtick of hitting every blog thread that gives the ipad and/or Apple the slightest praise just to post some hater half ass joke is rather lame. Why give them the time when you could be doing something else. Why give your attention to something you hate.
I'm not the arbiter. Einstein said it!
if you want to wait 5 hours for something you can get the next day for 5 minutes, go ahead! It's ok. I don't take myself seriously either
@Bender Bending Rodriguez Yeah, that would be kinda cool. Wanna help me create it? Lets name it Google. I'm sure that name hasn't been used yet...
@Charlik
Honestly? I'm man enough to admit that I'm an iPad hater, and I'll tell you why people like us post in threads like this:
a) We're sick and tired of seeing stories about a device we think of as really dumb, and we're going to exercise our right to register that fact. We'd do the same (and you'd probably do the same) if there were 100 stories a week here about the Nokia N900 or something.
b) We want you to know that not everyone loves this thing. Owning an iPad does not impress people the way some of you think it does. It's like owning a set of spinner rims on your car. Yeah, other people who own spinner rims might think you're cool - the rest of the world thinks you're an idiot, and we're gonna tell you that. The iPad is the spinner rim of electronic gadgets.
As tiresome as you probably think it is reading a bunch of posts from haters, it's just as tiresome for us to read a bunch of posts wondering why haters would comment in a public discussion forum about gadgets. It's a public discussion forum about gadgets! *That's* why we're posting. Sheesh. It's not that difficult to comprehend. I understand that iPad fans only ever expect to see praise and affirmation for their life choices, but sorry, life's not perfect. There are people who feel differently and we are allowed to express that.
Does anyone know if this is just the wifi version? I'm wondering since I ordered a 3g on on the first pre-order day and it said delivers on may 28 until today. It now says 9-14 of June. Has anyone heard of 3g ipads being sold internationally or is it like the states where it will come out after. I was kindof disappointed when I saw the delay since apple said the 28th the whole time.
@badasscat
"We're sick and tired of seeing stories about a device we think of as really dumb, and we're going to exercise our right to register that fact."
You know what's REALLY dumb??? Clicking on the link to all those stories about a device you think of as really dumb. Now THAT's dumb!!!
@badasscat
Hahaha' lol. Go away. Troll