[5:20am] Arrived at the store, and I'm 6th. The man before me arrived at just after 5am, and the one before - a trio of Vietnamese students studying A-Levels here - around 4:30am!! Haven't spoken to the guy at the front yet.
[5:50am] 10 people in the queue. Apple polishing their "new" gigantic iPhone:
[5:55am] Polishing done, testing video:
[5:57am] Turns out they use a MacBook to control one of them big boys:
[6:02am] 14 people now. We've been moved to the other side by security:
[6:06am] Still just 14 of us. By the way, three of us here are from Imperial College London! Oh dear. :p
[6:11am] Spoke to the guy at the front of the queue. He arrived at 3am!! He even took the cab from Hayes, fearing there was already a long queue. (He's also
apparently from Imperial College! HE NEVER TOLD ME!)
[6:18am] A couple arrived, making it a total of 16 people in the queue. How's that, New York? ;)
[6:21am] Speaking to Kyle Wiens, CEO of
iFixit.com in California!!
[6:24am] Kyle enjoying a McDonald's burger. How American. :p
[6:30am] 18 people in the queue. Kyle and co. from
iFixit.com arrived in London at 11am yesterday, considered camping out but then decided it wasn't worth it, and to be fair they had been up for a solid 72-hour period! Scary.
[6:40am] I say 21 people right now. Hi
TUAW!
[6:48am] Hmm... 24 people?
[6:49am] Some guys coming around to give out "B.I.O (Built in Obsolescence) Boycott" leaflets.
[6:52am] Just got a handshake from an Apple employee! Hi Oli! (Any warm drinks in there?)
[6:56am] Security working again.
[6:58am] Should be about 30 people here now. I noticed another member of Imperial College London. :)
[7:02am] Got moved into the store!!! The Manager didn't want us to freeze. How nice. :) How's New York? :p
[7:06am] Boxes of iPhone 3GS being shifted to upstairs.
[7:09am] Headcount: about 40 in the store, maybe some unfortunate ones outside.
[7:13am] Apple guys coming around telling us how to pay: if paying by cash you pay at ground floor tills, put the money into a gift card and then buy the iPhone with it upstairs (apparently it's easier). Most of us should be going upstairs anyway.
[7:21am] Very busy upstairs.
[7:23am] Quoting my friend, Ben: "I am so hungry. I'm gonna eat my iPhone when I get it." Count me in.
[7:24am] Actually, count me out. It won't be pleasant on the other end.
[7:27am] Stewards being briefed. Reflective coats without the Apple logo. :(
[7:34am] Just heard the guys clapping upstairs when the other staff walked up. Must be practising the welcoming. LOL!!
[7:37am] More shuffling going on upstairs. Staff walking around.
[7:45am] 15 minutes to go!!
[7:47am] VIP buyers get to go upstairs now! *booo* *hissss*
[7:49am] Upstairs now! Early!
[7:53am] Ned is serving me. :) If you don't have a contract SIM, you need to top up £10 first. I don't need that obviously.
[7:58am] Rumour (not from anyone particular here, told a while back): Apple is working on iPhone/iPod Touch based money till thingys to replace the Fujitsu Windoze CE ones.
[7:59am] Preparing for activation. Had to pay by debit card, should have warned Lloyds TSB about my credit card. :(
[8:01am] DONE!
[8:09] My first iPhone 3GS uploaded to YouTube featuring Kyle from iFixit.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkR6pi2bvE0[8:12am] Chatting with Kyle's lovely wife, Jen. They are travelling together, all the way from California! How romantic. :)
[8:18am] Okay guys, Kyle's invited me to go to
Macworld UK office to help him dismantle the iPhone. Bye!
(follow me on Twitter for the iFixit experience)
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