Taking iPhone 5 by storm (pictures)
Waiting in line in New York for an iPhone 5 has meant suffering through a rain storm and being poked away by a policeman. Is it worth it?
Taking Apple by storm
The iPhone 5 goes on sale Friday and the first people in line are all waiting it out, at least in part, to attract media attention to one company or another. Still, hundreds of consumers without any marketing agenda are expected to get in line behind them soon. As of Tuesday morning there were about 20 people in line at Apple's Manhattan flagship store on 5th Avenue.
Some of the people have waited in line since Friday. While these events often start out with a party-like atmosphere, it was obvious that the rain from a storm that hit early Tuesday was adding to the discomfort. Marathon line-sitting can be torture.
Some of the campers tried keeping the rain off with cardboard boxes, trash bags, tarps or umbrellas. A few even banded together to pay for a rental car that they parked nearby so they could take turns getting out of the rain. We will be updating this gallery leading up to Friday (This gallery first appeared on September 17).
Read CNET's hands-on review of the iPhone here.
Rain pounds iPhone 5 line
Hazem Sayed, the founder of social networking app Vibe, was the first person in line. He has survived on fast food, slept little and is now suffering from a cold.
'It's like a long plane trip'
He said he tries sleeping at night on his folding chair rather than on the ground but he concedes it's uncomfortable. Photographed is someone in line who doesn't seem to have any problem sleeping in a chair.
Viva Apple!
Shhhhh. Please allow me a few iWinks
Those in line say employees at the Cube have been gracious. They let them get water, charge their laptops, and use the store's bathroom.
Photographed is the line at Apple's 5th Avenue store, also known as the Cube, Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET.
Up and Adam-12
Here, an officer with the New York Police Department starts waking line-sitters in front of Apple's 5th Avenue store.
If that seems a little humiliating, consider that the cop can't find it too much fun to be an alarm clock for a bunch of gadget hounds.
Yes, there are rules at Apple events
Marketers love Apple
He and his brother Josh arrived on Friday with the intent to stake out the front of the line and was told that Apple hadn't sanctioned the line yet, so people would not be allowed to wait. By the time he returned, the line was formed and he was well back of the front.
Chinchilla is the founder of Refundo, an online financial services company, and he says he's there to promote the company as well as get his hands on an iPhone. He is unapologetic about his marketing or his love of Apple products. When asked if he heard a passerby call the group pathetic, Chinchilla joked: "What isn't pathetic is my Apple stock."
Stand-in line sitters are cheap
The iPhone 5 and body paint
Mellow acknowledges accepting a free iPhone from the company that sponsored her, electronics reseller Gazelle. But she says she's no iPhone-y. According to her, she loves iPhones and the adventure of camping out and would have done it had she not found a sponsor. I'll leave it up to readers to decide.
What is undeniable is that Mellow has interesting pursuits.