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Let's get the obvious out the way: yes, I bought the new iPhone 3G. Max PC's ex-podcast producer Jeremy Williams and I waited outside the Stonestown Galleria mall in San Francisco for three hours this afternoon to get ahold of Steve Job's latest shiny gadget. Both of us were existing iPhone owners and have no shame about it.
The wait was about three hours long, and we had to do most of the waiting outside the mall to prevent clogging up foot traffic in front of the Apple store. Every half an hour, 10 to 15 people would be led inside to stand in another line before finally making it inside the store to make their purchase. Maybe it was because I was wearing an ironed buttoned-down shirt and carrying a laptop, but many people passing by stopped to ask me what the line was for. More than a few of them had no idea that a new iPhone had been released when I told them, which was pretty shocking for me to hear. Even my tech-phobic parents who couldn't send email if their lives depended on it knew about the iPhone; I genuinely could not imagine being so out of the tech-news loop. Then I decided to just start lying. Here's what I told the next ten people who asked what we were standing in line for:
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TacoT
June 27, 2010 at 3:21pm
Speaking of waiting in line for the iPhone... Check out what these people in Phoenix did. Hilarious! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXxmzGiUROE
IFLATLINEI
May 07, 2010 at 10:32am
You Apples Clones crack me up. You used to be a proud bunch but now that the cats out of the bag so to speak you all first begin your talk about Apple products you own with something like having no shame. Which leads me to believe you actually do. Its starting to sink in now many of you realize how closed up Apples products are and how counter productive this severe seperation from other mainstream tech is. Theres nothing wrong with being different but if you have to jump through hoops to get your work done or make compromises and end up using services that are over priced and a pain to use whats the point? Your all Addicted to the dream. I dunno what dream that is but I want what you guys have been smoking to get it.
winmaster
December 16, 2008 at 5:10pm
Nobody cares about Will Smith's autograph. All he does is stop Gordon from telling subscribers to "fuck off." But Gordon, boy would I love to have his autograph. I would definitely stand in line for that.
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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
tkid124
March 04, 2009 at 11:28am
Yes I'm sure that Editor Will Smith is the 1st person someone who had no clue that the iPhone was comeing out thoguth of. Or maybe it was a movie star, who knows?
kumaran
September 01, 2008 at 5:04am
I'm using a wonderful iphone theme in my Pocket PC, you can also get this one at http://www.iphonethemeforpocketpc.com/.
Feels like now i'm having a new iphone
Itz really amazing....
eric_c11
July 17, 2008 at 7:17am
If they haven't heard of the new iPhone how would they know anything about a video card? or even a Zune?
fake gordon mah ung
July 14, 2008 at 10:12am
If everyone waiting in line for the iPhone received a complimentary vasectomy, we could wipe out this fanboy problem in a couple of generations.
nedwards
July 16, 2008 at 5:14pm
I'm not convinced fake gordon mah ung isn't the real Gordon Mah Ung.
JonPhillips
July 13, 2008 at 9:27pm
Jon Phillips, editorial director, Maximum PC
I was there as well, (gulp) returning a bday present from Williams-Sonoma... couldn't believe it was two days later, and the store was still queing up lines.... waiting patiently until IT gives me my phone....
nedwards
July 13, 2008 at 8:01pm
What Norm isn't telling you is that these are all things he has or would actually stand in line for.
horzo
July 13, 2008 at 6:30pm
Sorry, but no one standing in line to buy his SECOND iPhone has the right to get all smart-assy. :)
Mathewpb
July 13, 2008 at 6:07pm
Modern Society is making leaps and bounds further into the exciting tehnological breaktroughs being made in the electronics world. Already in high schools teachers assume students have computers to do assignments on. Already our lifestyles are intertwined with computers and cellphones(blackberries and (iphone, hehe) ) that I cant wait to see what the world will be like 20 years from now. So for those people that dont even know that the Iphone is coming out is unbelievable. Think of this all you cavemen, in the future not having a cellphone will be akin to be not having a car.
TheDuck
July 13, 2008 at 3:48pm
Those lies were the craziest I have ever heard of! I'm not sure who hasn't ever heard that the iPhone 3G wasn't going to be released that day... those tech outsiders should be put in a computer 'boot' camp and be forced to learn about computers 24/7. Plus...it was on the news! How could anyone not get info on it?
Great lies Norman... Great Lies!
Wildebeast
July 13, 2008 at 12:24pm
What possible reason could people have, to think of Apple Store shoppers (and/or people whose lives revolve around their phone) are jerks??????
People probably asked the guy in line who looked least like an ass --I guess this proves why they would do that. Sure proved those "judge a book by its cover" people wrong.
Here I'd thought that my nephews' standing hours in line for a Wii was an adventure in stupity and wasting time. I guess Apple decided to improve on that model.
Oh, and I could not possibly care less about the release dates of the next 50 Apple products, or countless countless new phones. Are they really anything but the newest, pricy flavor-of-the-month gimic?
A phone w/service plan that works anywhere there's any [non-emergency] cellular service --that might be something to wait in line for...
winmaster
December 16, 2008 at 5:06pm
Don't diss the Nintendo Wii.
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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
borisdblade
July 13, 2008 at 5:23am
Great idea with the lies in line. Long lines with a friend waiting with you can be fun. I've made up some really strange comments in line that makes people turn around and give a look like "what are you talking about?" or "Could that be really true?"
Personal faves (anyone can have these):
So the cat was hanging from the ceiling fan for how long?
There I was in the middle of New York City facing an escaped Saber Tooth cat and I was fresh out of dental floss.
Now how does a badger actually eat a dog?
Heard about the health code violation at *name a famous resturant*?
Dostovel
July 13, 2008 at 3:34am
Tell ya what Will, sign the cover of a MPC mag every month and throw the bitch up on eBay and I gurantee you, you would be able to either finance a 2008 Corvette Z06 or give a generous amout of worldy currency away to a charrity to warrant a ticket into Heaven. In fact I am so sure my ideas are so 1337 that you should bring me on as a consultant.
Next up, Gordon signings with free CHICKEN Caesar Salads.
vistageek
July 13, 2008 at 1:51am
That is awesome!!! I would totally love to meet you guys someday. That would be SO cool.
Magaliiiii
July 17, 2008 at 6:09pm
totally not all it's cracked up to be. trust me.
well, except butters. he's dreamy!
winmaster
December 16, 2008 at 5:08pm
I thought you were into Dave (the Murph) Murphy. Now Butters?
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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Caboose
July 13, 2008 at 1:48am
Editor in Chief Will Smith signing autographs?I'd love to get one!
Where can I get my grubby fingers on one?
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
blackzarg
July 13, 2008 at 1:47am
Haha...Norm you are hilarious. What was the audience reaction? You didn't tell us about that!
