The lines for the iPad 2 have been long and dragged on for weeks the launch. Many have lamented that they haven’t been able to get one, despite the wait .
Cult of Mac founder Leander Kahney was interviewed by NPR on the iPad 2 shortage and how he went about getting his hands on one just hours after launch.
CHACE: Do you have an iPad 2?
Mr. KAHNEY: Yup. I picked one up on opening day.
CHACE: How did you do it?
Mr. KAHNEY: Well…
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. KAHNEY: I cut in line.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. KAHNEY: I hate to say that.
CHACE: No.
(Soundbite of laughter)
CHACE: Here’s the thing, though, you can order this product online and it will come in a few weeks. Or you could walk down the street and buy a tablet from a competitor.
Mr. KAHNEY: Well, I don’t think there’s any chance of that at all. And I don’t think people are going to get to the competitors, because they can’t get an iPad. I think it just makes them more determined.
NB: Cult of Mac is not responsible for any injured mandibles or wounded pride as a result of following this advice.
Did the lines make you more determined to get an iPad 2?
How did you score one?
Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco freelance writer who heads up Cult of Mac Magazine, our weekly publication available on iTunes. You can find her on Twitter and Google+. If you’re doing something new, cool and Apple-related, email her.
70 responses to “Cult of Mac Reveals How to Get an iPad 2”
Walked into Best Buy the Sunday after the launch – they were taking unadvertised pre-orders for the iPad 2. 1 week later, it was in and ready to pickup. Not sure if they are still doing it but was a great and quick way to get one. No lines to stand in either!
I won my iPad 2 in a work video contest. WINNING! It’s a Wi-FI / 3G model. But I was in Best Buy last night and they did have one 16 gig Wi-Fi left.
Maybe I’m overly traditional here, but what kind of a**hole cuts in line in front of people who’ve been queuing for hours? Essentially, that means you’ve deprived someone towards the back of the line of an iPad for which they lined up, which I think is pretty despicable.
In case anyone thinks this is sour grapes – I picked up an iPad 2 on the Tuesday after launch, but I did it by watching the forums for rumours of stock arrivals, and heading to an Apple Store at 8.15am; I got pretty lucky I think, I only queued for about 2 hours, and got essentially the model I was looking for (64GB AT&T).
Sadly, I chose to order online, which *used* to be overall the fastest and most reliable way, but now clearly is not. According to Apple, a month from now, it *might* arrive.
I just walked into Best Buy at 9:15 PM the day of the launch.
They had lots of iPads and the line was just about 7 people deep.
It took me 10 minutes to get mine.
I heard that lines at the local Apple store were ridiculously long.
Most people who went there left empty-handed.
So, I guess the best bet is not to go to the Apple store.
I just ordered it online and waited. I had the first iPad so the excitement was built up for that one. Just got the new one because it comes in white. Just got it yesterday and I ordered the day it went on sale but didn’t order it till late in the evening.
Is it REALLY all of that time and worth $300 more for a 2?
I was able to walk into my local AT&T and get an iPad 1 … top of the line 64GB, 3G for just $529.
So far I am a happy customer!
I walked into target at 8am on launch day,grabbed a ticket for the model i wanted a white 64gig wi-fi and 3g went back at 5pm and grabbed it.I gave my Ipad 1 to my wife instead of selling it.My advice to anyone that is trying to get one is go to the apple store and ask what time they open and release the Ipads to customers.I asked a worker there and he said that they hold the stock for the shipment the day before and sell them the next day.I went there 2 different times last week and I saw people picking them up with no line on a weekday.I was even asked if I was there for one.I live in the san jose bay area if that helps anyone also the store I went to was the valley fair apple store.
Showed up at 8:30 and was 19th in line. I got in at 5:05, and was out just a few minutes after that :]
In fact, someone who cut behind us got thrown out of line.
I will forever refer to him as Leander the Cutter. Hope to see you at disneyland, I’ll be in front of you…
For 99% of folks they aren’t going to get something else because everything in their opinion blows monkey chunks. Sure the lines are annoying, waiting for online is annoying but it is still better than going home today with crap.
Apparently they are not at most stores because their lists are too long already.
I paid this asian guy 100 dollars to stand in line at a US Apple Store (I’m from Niagara Falls, ON) then met him in a Mc. Donalds and gave him the money for everything. Didn’t have to wait, and still got one on launch day.
Got in line at 1 PM launch day. Bought iPad. Not so hard.
I was determined to get my hands on the IPad2 on launch day here in London, Nicole. So I did a little research and turned up at Albion Computers in the Strand at 1.30pm to find just one person waiting in line. Greetings Alllan if you are reading this. You can imagine the big smile I had on my face, knowing that my research paid off. I’m so glad I did not go to a Apple Store. By 5.00pm about 150 were standing in line and by 5.05pm I walked out of the shop the happiest Black man in the Strand.
Lol.
Mr. Kahney: Did you ever stop to contemplate the fact that you deprived someone, who did the right thing by waiting patiently in line, of his/her ipad2?? Makes me want to puke…
I can’t believe he did that and people actually let him cut in line! Oh well..As for me, I have my beautiful ipad 1 and will keep it until they release the 3rd hopefully with the retina display everybody keeps mentioning. Fingers crossed…Good luck to you all in getting the 2. Hope you succeed!
:)
Arrived at Best Buy in Bangor, Maine at 4pm, was 41st in line, was out the door by 5:30 with my 64gb Wifi/3g. They had at least 70 units of various configurations for launch day.
I asked the girl at my Apple kiosk in Best Buy a week before launch if they were taking preorders and she said they were not! I showed up on launch day and stood in line for about 2 hours….but left a happy girl!! :)
OMG!! This is an article to be written? Are you fricking serious?!!!
On launch day I left work at 4:30 and drove to a nearby WalMart. Only a handful of people were waiting for iPad’s there and I was fifth in line for the six they had in stock. I felt very lucky compared to so many across the nation who continue to look for one or wait for their orders.
Just yesterday I was in that same WalMart (not a place I think of for electronics, by the way) and noticed they had one iPad2 in stock, visible behind the locked case, a WiFi 16GB model. I left wondering if I should buy it and make it available to all those waiting… not as a way to make money, but as a good-will gesture! I’m really enjoying my new iPad, and wish that everyone that wanted one could find one!
Well… I know of one in Lubbock Texas…
The lines make it more rewarding when I got mine on opening day in Canada :)
how did i get one? got very lucky! :)
my wife reserved one for me as a gift through somebody she knows from work who´s flatmate works at an apple reseller store, had to line up friday for launch here cause they weren´t allowed to sell them before 5pm on friday, took one hour to be able to pay and leave with it, they only sold reserved units
the line was twice as long as we left, but at least one of the staff made sure nobody queued up hoping to get one without having it reserved for him/her
very happy, ipad 1 was very good, ipad 2 is a significant improvement from our point of view
good luck to everybody!
its not THAT hard.
1. call the apple store the night before…
2. i found that if they will tell if they are definitely not going to get shipments in the next day or if apple told them to expect a shipment (sometimes they simply won’t tell you… depends on who you get)
3. wake up early. its just one morning. get up early and get in line (i found 4:30 or 5:00 is ok)
4. stores usually get shipments daily except sundays
I got the last 3g verizon ipad on opening day. Someone offered me $120 for my spot in line and i declined. SOOOO glad I declined.
Walked into radio shack when they opened today. 1 guy before me. They had 2. We both went home happy
I love how most apple fans are getting (overly) pissed off on Kahney for cutting in line… while at the same time it seems kind of typical for apple fans to let him cut. There was probably a lot of tutting behind him in line.
Now all I have to do is get the funds for an iPad 2… it will most likely revolutionize my toilet time.
Cutting is the secret? /sigh
I’m waiting for the retina display, too. Hopefully it will be Decemberish.
did you ask him why he was asian?
Got in line at best buy @ 3 on launch day, was the 2nd person in line.
Cutting a line of people is some disrespectful stuff. Wouldn’t bother me a bit if this guy got his beat in and ended up in a hospital bed. Childish punk.
I went to an Apple store, here in Toronto. I arrived at 5:15 on the day of the launch (15 minutes after it had gone on sale). I had initially planned to just check out the iPad 2s on display as I was not able to line up since I worked that day till 4:00. Turns out, they were still admitting people into the line. They gave out tickets for specific iPad models so that you knew when it became your turn to purchase, Apple would have the exact model you want. All the Wifi/3G models were sold out at 5:15 but I was looking for a 64 GB white Wifi model anyway. Thankfully, that model was still available. After 2.5 hours, and lots of fun Apple store line conversations later, I got my iPad 2. I was surprised with how well prepared Apple was for the Canada iPad 2 launch, given the huge demand for the product. Thanks Apple!
Decent people turn into such pigs over these things, it’s disheartening.