Two Australian Apple fans wait 50 hours in line for an iPad 2
Alex Lee can cross another item off his bucket list: waiting in line for 50 hours to be one of the first people in Australia to own a shiny new iPad 2.
Actually, the 28-year-old IT consultant from Canada is already one of the first people in Australia to own an iPad 2; Lee bought one while visiting Boston, Massachusetts, two weeks ago. Now, for a bit of fun, he's first in line at the Apple Store in Sydney, Australia, to pick up a second iPad 2 for someone special.
"I was backpacking in Asia, and I already have my iPad 2, but my sister needed one so I said, OK, I'll come down," Lee told news.com.au. "And if I can, I'm getting one for a charity auction for Japan tsunami relief."
When current.com.au asked Lee why he was choosing to endure a two-day wait for a product he already owns, he replied, "I want to break my own record."
His record? Lee once spent 32 hours in front of London's Regent Street Apple Store to buy an iPhone 4. He's also lined up in Dubai for the original iPad and endured the crowds for both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS launches in Canada.
"I'll probably break the 50 hour mark," said Lee, whose wait started shortly after noon on Wednesday.
Like any well-traveled expert at camping in line for Apple products, Lee knows the experience is more fulfilling when enjoyed with a buddy. Second in line is Marius Eilertsen, a friend Lee made while attending university in Australia. Eilertsen, a 29-year-old from Sydney, isn't quite as experienced at waiting two days in line for a product to launch, but he doesn't seem worried about his comparative lack of preparation.
"I brought a chair and a blanket, and that's about it. I'll get more supplies when I need them," Eilertsen told news.com.au. "Hopefully my wife will bring me stuff."
Lee is also joined by Louis Franklin, who is first in line for the iPad 2...at a store half a world away in London. Lee and Franklin use Apple's FaceTime video conferencing technology to commiserate over hecklers and celebrate the iPad 2's global launch while waiting patiently outside their respective Apple stores.
"One of the best things about lining up is you get to meet a lot of different people from all walks of life -- we all share a common interest and there is camaraderie," said Lee to The Sydney Morning Herald.
The iPad 2 was greeted by sell-out crowds when it launched in the United States on March 11. Apple's device goes on sale in 25 additional countries at 5:00 PM local time this Friday.
Continue to the full article to see a video interview with Alex Lee. Sadly, Lee never mentions how to apply to become his adoptive sibling.
