iPhone 3G queue forms in Manhattan

The line for the Apple iPhone 3G began to form Friday--an entire week before the device goes on sale.

Frankly, one shouldn't encourage such behavior by actually covering it. But if I were in Manhattan--instead of Austin, Texas--I, too, would have interviewed them in person by now.

The queue outside of Apple's Fifth Avenue store, covered first by GearDiary and then Engadget, apparently hasn't been formed by iPhone co-dependents, though.

It is instead made up of a group of people who may want to 1) set a world's record for standing in line to buy a product and 2) have a social-agricultural-political message they want the world to hear. However, it was difficult from the video interview on Engadget to determine what the group actually stands for.

On Saturday, the Apple 2.0 blog seemed to get further with the group's agenda. The group, which started off with about 10 on Friday and was slimmed down to 5 by Saturday morning after a night of rainfall, apparently supports organic farming and sustainability for the planet. According to Apple 2.0, they may be interested in turning the White House Lawn into an organic garden and they may be planning to buy iPhones for the presidential nominees.

The seemingly ad hoc group is certainly savvy in deciding to use the iPhone 3G to garner some publicity. However, to be perfectly honest, most mainstream journalists feel more comfortable interviewing gadget nuts rather than alternative souls hoping to use the media to change the world.

[ThreeMilesNorth]

Tell them to get a life, if you do fly to Manhattan to interview them!

[iRhapsody]

Maybe they are getting paid well for making such a publicity for Apple...

[iJuleguy]

Organic: BS!!!!!!

It's a stunt that they're doing.

[MCOjerry]

People are crazy...no one will remember whatever statement they are trying to make 3 hours after 8am Friday morning. That aside, I have been thinking. I don't plan on upgrading to an iPhone 3G, I like my iPhone just fine. Do you suppose that when all these people switch from old to new that the EDGE network will speed up? I doubt there are a lot of phones out there that still operate (assumption) on EDGE, but don't know if EDGE is significantly affected by number f users. Anyway, i don't find EDGE to bee too awful slow. I may have to stop at the Apple store just to see how much faster 3G really is. I can tell you, unless it's SUPER fast, it's really not worth $10 extra per month, plus the cost of a new phone and loss on the purchase of my old iPhone. I'd like to hear some comments on this...

[tobypast]

Okay, here's a comment....you're a HUGE DORK!

[moonbeard]

This set of tests implies 3G will be from 2x to 4x faster, depending on what you're trying to load/download. Specs: http://www.pocketables.net/2007/12/mobile-web-spee.html

I don't use teh interwebs on my mobile phone (even though it has the capability)...I'm always pleased to leave them at home.

[h4rk573r]

To answer your question, yes, the EDGE network slows down or speeds up depending on number of users just like any other network. However, the 3G network currently only covers major cities leaving you and your old iPhone on EDGE along with all of the new iPhone users outside those areas along with those on other EDGE enabled phones and notebook computers. So, it may speed up a tad, but probably not significantly.

[lrmanfre]

Is it just me, or does it seem that the authors of this article did not even try to figure out what that group might be about?
Nice work guys (girls).

[h4rk573r]

I couldn't agree more, this article basically said that the group probably had some kind of cause possibly dealing with organic farming and that they perhaps may be buying them for political candidates. Obviously the level of research put into this article was sketchy at best.

[gerrrg]

Proof that there is no recession...or that there are a handful of really stupid people in this world, many of whom have congregated outside an Apple store.

[gsmiller88]

Really stupid.

[Mam00th]

iDiots

(Credit to Hamixda on engadget for this one)

[Mary_Pozo]

This is a marketing strategy. Small production for high demand. Creates an illusion of "prestige product."
Mary Pozo
mary pozo

[jag0]

Who said there was a small production of iPhone 3G models? The original iPhone had the same type of lines and people were able to walk into just about any story and pick them up without waiting in line.

[moonbeard]

If these people have a week of their lives to waste, big deal. If they're trying to promote this organic farming thing, they're extra weird. If they're selling their places in line, then I admire their entrepreneurial spirit, however, they're probably "working" really cheap. Let the games begin!

[jaspal.m]

i am sure they are paid by steve job...

[SeizeCTRL]

That's what the iSheep do... they group up in nice little hip herds to buy anything Apple puts out. Tech nerds who write blogs love the iSheep because they are fodder to write about, but it stopped being interesting several years ago... it's just the same rehashed crap about the same group of trendy sheep willing to waste a week of vacation for a fracking phone.

[cnetcensorssuck]

"That's what the iSheep do... "



What do dipsh1ts like you do?

[jag0]

So what if they want to 'waste' THEIR vacation time...it is THEIR vacation time they they earned. What do you care?

[SeizeCTRL]

I get under the skin of the Macintards because you guys are so easy to troll

[jag0]

You're an idiot Seize...do you have anything better to do then sound like a complete and utter brainless tool?

"Frankly, one shouldn't encourage such behavior by actually covering it."

HUH? What part of being a member of the press don't you get? You're profession CREATES this kind of celebrity pursuit.. To say that you regret encouraging it is press heresy.

Revel in your power!!!! Cast the scorn of the populous upon the monster you have created... Rack up those readership figures as only a true cynic can..... After all, you deserve it. Don't you?

Christ! Please don't tell me the press is actually getting a conscious!!!!!! How un-American!

[Composer_1777]

LMFAO this comment made me Laugh out loud literally

[davzap]

maybe they're going to make a phone call from their organic farm.

[riodejaneiro2007]

If you want one, can afford it, can take off work all week, go for it! I have an iPhone. It?s the best phone I?ve ever had. Can it be improved, yes, it can. I will purchase the next model. However, I will not stand in line for a week to get it!

[Seaspray0]

Is is just me, or are the editors of Cnet publishing anything they can just to hype the iphone? Didn't Cnet even post an article on how much free advertising apple gets from the media because of this? I T I S A P H O N E, and there are plenty of other phones that are great but don't get a fraction of the attention, even if it's a STUPID story about people queueing up to buy one just to set a record.

[Perry_Clease]

Talk about needing to get a life, how long did the trolls wait in queue for a story like this to be posted?

[ksolo03]

PEOPLE PEOPLE relax, its just a PHONE and from what I have seen there are other PHONES even better YES BETTER THAN AN IPHONE, WHERE DO THESE PEOPLE WORK AT, THEY NEED MATES IN THERE LIFE'S

[Papa G]

Huh, interesting. I might do something similar (not exactly) like this if I had the time.

[Mbostick01]

I love my iphone however I don't get enough battery life, I found a lot of apple assecories to give my moble 3g iphone plenty of juice at www.batterygeek.us. I don't think that people realize that the 3g iphone needs even more juice than the other iphones. I found internal and external batteries for all my mobile needs.