Purchasing an iPad--final steps

At about 8:30 am the store manager came out to let us know what he actually has today. The first picture shows him running through the list. He has only about half the models (I don't think anything came in in white), and only a few of the models he did get. There are probably about 40 people now, and more keep coming. Fortunately, in the list of what he has is the one I want. Since I'm the 4th in line, I should be able to get it. I am feeling pretty good.

The second picture is shortly before 9 am, when the manager comes back out and admits us one by one, going down the line, each with a salesperson to accompany us to the back of the store. When I get there and ask for the iPad I want, the cheerful young lady says she doesn't have any. She only has the models that are 3G and work with either Verizon or AT&T - and I don't want those models. I insist that the manager said he had what I wanted. She looks through her pile of iPads and reaffirms that she doesn't have one.

Crushed, I am leaving the store but I spot the manager. I ask him what happened--why did he say he had the model when they don't have it. He is very surprised, confirms my spot in line, and disappears into the back of the store. Wonder of wonders, in a few minutes he emerges with MY iPad in hand. They do have one after all! He apologizes for the error, and I quickly make good my purchase, adding a little camera convertor that will allow me to transfer pictures from my camera to the iPad, and the cheapest cover they have. A little over $600 later I am out the door with my prize.

Now I am having fun trying to learn how to use it. So far I have successfully sent an email, done a post to my blog (which next time will have the text with it) and done a Skype call to Guy. That's a lot for one day!

It looks like this little machine will be a great travel companion. It will allow me to check email, finances and get internet information when I have wireless access. I will be able to load my travel pictures that I want to post to my blog, and get those to the blog. It will also serve as an electronic reader for both purchased and library books. I will be exploring those functions next week. And finally it will allow me to do a Skype call to the family. Yippee! I'm a happy girl.

Purchasing an iPad & posting to your blog with one

Some of you will get double messages. Today I successfully bought an iPad and this afternoon have been testing how to post to my blog using it. It can be done--the pictures I posted appeared, but it looks like I have to enter the text ABOVE the picture, not below. I'll do that next time. Meantime, I wanted to share this morning's adventure.

Step 1 Buying an iPad.
The word is that they run out of the few iPads they get each day VERY early. So step one is to bundle yourself up to keep warm and hit the store early. I got up at 5:30 am, fixed myself some food to take with me, and was over at the University Village Apple Store shortly after 6 am. No problem parking!!

The first picture is when I first arrived. Four chairs, the 4th one being mine. The other people are hiding out in their cars or over at Starbucks--I don't know where. I am prepared with a chair, pillow, blanket, water, food, and a book. The store opens at 9 am.

In the second picture, at about 6:45 am, some of the chair occupants have shown up and the line is filling out to my right (they are behind me in line). We are a friendly group, with lots of advice to share about apps and how to use all kinds of products. The man next to me is on his second trip from Bainbridge Island, where he has to take a ferry to get here. He got here about 7 am yesterday and they ran out of product two people in front of him. So he's come an hour earlier today.

The shipment that comes each day (or doesn't come some days) is limited, with a few of the 18 different models of iPad, usually not all the colors or all the memory sizes. Yesterday they did not have any iPads with wireless function, something both my neighbor and I want. The man in the front of the line came at 3 am to be sure he could get what he wanted, if it was available.