Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me snag a 4S

Dear Great-Aunt TUAW,

Hello. I will be 16 on the 15th of October and am getting an iPhone 4S for my birthday. I'm worried that the shops in London won't have any, so I was wondering if you know if they will. Do they sell a certain amount on Friday and then save some for the rest of the weekend, until a new batch arrives? Please help.

Your loving nephew,

Oliver G

Dear Oliver G,

Would your parents seriously consider adopting Auntie? She doesn't make a lot of mess and takes up very little space.

That aside, Auntie suspects that stores will continue getting stock. However, if you can't line-wait at the store, you should pre-order from the website or add yourself to the reserve list, which typically appears a week or so after launch.

Remember the iPad 2's introduction? Customers lined up week after week, hoping for available stock. Banking on a weekend reserve isn't very practical.

Finally, Auntie would like to remind you about wearing warm sweaters and cleaning your room. Please do both.

Hugs to your folks,

Auntie T.