Jun 29, 2007

Holding the line

iPhone enthusiasts camp out for gadget's release

By Kristina Peterson / Daily News Staff Writer

With 22 hours to go before the iPhone's release, the scene outside the Palo Alto Apple store was a cross between a technology convention and frat party.

At 8 p.m. on Thursday, the 60 people officially in line swapped gadgets and snacked on pizza. Around 6 p.m. today, most of them hope to be holding the prize - the latest Apple product, an iPhone.

In anticipation of that goal, many of the people milling outside the store wore shirts happily boasting "I got iPhone" and "iWas There."

The line's first two occupants settled into their bean bag chairs at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. Patrick Scoble, 13, a Petaluma resident spending the summer in Half Moon Bay with his father Robert Scoble clarified the order.

"Well, I'm first in line. He's second," the younger Scoble said.

His father said the pair was planning to buy two iPhones.

"We're not eBaying them," he said. "We're not here for the profit. We're here for the fun and the iPhone."

But later in the day, the line included those with financial interests.

Mountain View resident Nabir Astudillo, 19, and two friends planned to give up their spots at 5 p.m. on Friday to those willing to pay $200 for their time.

"We got more responses on Craigslist than we thought we would," said his friend Mariel Christopher, 17. The group was keeping busy with Monopoly, Uno and Scrabble.

Meanwhile, Stefano Scalia, a student from Fremont, had settled down with $30 worth of magazines from Borders, but said his girlfriend had grown bored sitting around.

"She's shopping on University Avenue," said Scalia, who nabbed the 25th spot in line around 3:30 p.m.

Preceding him, spots two through nine belonged largely to a cluster of tech-oriented co-workers.

Don MacAskill, CEO and "Chief Geek" (actual title) of the photo sharing Web site Smugmug had set up camp with four of his co-workers in the early afternoon.

"Our strategy was to get here early and buy as many as they'll let us," he said. He plans to buy the iPhones for all 26 of his employees.

MacAskill said a generator would soon arrive to supply power for the group's impromptu sidewalk office.

"Just in case the shoe store wants their power back," he said, indicating the line of power cords tracing back to Footwear, Etc.

"We're hoping to ship a new product tonight," he said.

Meanwhile Don Thorson, vice president of marketing for the Web site Ja Jah, passed out company-branded energy drinks.

"Doesn't everybody have their own energy drink?" he asked. "The startups need them."

Stephen Taylor, managing partner at the Palo Alto Consultant Group, explained in an e-mail Thursday the reasons for the frenzy.

Taylor labeled the phone the "have-to-have digital product of the year," in part due to its sleek design, its clever marketing to the "digital demographics" of teens yearning for the latest gadget and also because "it's just so much more advanced than anything else."

Inside the Apple store, customers buzzed around while staff members eyed the line.

According to the Apple Web site, the phones will be available only in unspecified, but limited quantities. Like other Apple stores, the Palo Alto branch will close today at 2 p.m. to get ready for its reopening at 6 p.m. to sell the iPhones.

Apple offers a 4-gigabyte model for $499 and an 8-gigabyte version for $599. Buyers must agree to a two-year service contract, and plans start at $59.99 a month.

Sgt. Sandra Brown said that the Apple store requested additional security from the police department.

"We've been getting calls from Apple all week," she said. But Brown said the police department did not have enough staff to dedicate a special patrol to the store.

"We're doing our regular patrol," she said. "If there's a problem and someone dials 911, we'll be there in under three minutes."

Outside the store, Patrick Scoble used the Internet connection to inform his mother of his whereabouts.

"I just e-mailed her about it," he said. "We'll see what she says."


E-mail Kristina Peterson at kpeterson@dailynewsgroup.com.