New York Daily Photo Analytics

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Whoopi Too

Yes, that's Whoopi Goldberg (two photos bottom left) getting her highly coveted iPhone a few minutes after the release of the new, heavily promoted device at the Apple Store in SOHO at 6 PM, Friday June 29th. People had camped out in line around the block outside the store as early as since Tuesday. Some had paid others as much as $150 to wait in line for them. This scenario was played out in Apple stores around the country. Two guys had set up a ping pong table to pass the time (upper right photo). There was cheering when UPS made their delivery in the morning. All manner of press was there with reporters doing interviews. The whole scene was sheer lunacy, since iPhones were readily available just hours later with no lines whatsoever. Apple employees assured me there was adequate inventory - an estimated 2,000 phones were delivered to this location alone. Also, the phones were simultaneously released at AT&T stores, where I understand the lines there were negligible. Apple's ability to inspire a cult following and religious zeal among their customers - (as documented by Guy Kawasaki in The Macintosh Way) and their ability to create buzz and hype for a product is remarkable. An iPhone search on Google brings 96 million hits. The actual product has received very favorable reviews, however. David Pogue, in an article from the New York Times - The iPhone Matches Most of Its Hype, refers to the product as "amazing." He also reports that over 11,000 articles have been written on the iPhone in just the six months. I'll find out good this product really is this weekend with some hands on time - a friend purchased one last night when we visited the Apple Store at 10:30 PM ...

9 comments:

Doug said...

I decided to wait for second generation as I usually do for Apple products. Where I live in Dayton, Ohio the lines didn't start so soon. One reported AT&T store didn't have their first person waiting until 5:30.

twilite said...

Hi! Cool pics of life in NY -- i-phone hype, mania or insanity?

Your posts on NY ceases to amaze me. Wonderful city to live in...full of excitement (from your photo postings)! Lucky you! Hoping to browse more in days to come...thank you.

Anonymous said...

Amazing to see what people do for a phone! I-phone that is.. Truly amazing. I suppose it was the ultimate bet for Apple to put this phone on the market and they seem to have won the jackpot over Nokia!

I doubt people will ever go as crazy for a Nokia phone as for what I have seen they do getting their I-phone

I-Couldn't believe mI eyes.. lol

Anonymous said...

Nice pictures.

Abraham Lincoln
—Me as Moses—

Zannnie said...

woooh....whoopi! ;)

a great shot on NYC life

jeremyDP said...

I've seen on TV the people who were waiting for th I-Phone since 1 week, just to say : "I'm the first one to have it !". Whoopi looks tired, she have been waiting for days too ? ;)

CareShare Network said...

Great photos and narration!

Carlos Lorenzo said...

Great capture and wonderful writing as usual.

Anonymous said...

ooh, a true paparazzi moment! :)

yes, I love the writing too.