X

The dawn of the iPad age (photos)

Hundreds wait in line at the Apple Store in San Francisco's Union Square for the launch of the iPad. Outside of S.F., the queues varied.

James Martin
James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.
James Martin
ipad-apple-store-sf-1.jpg
1 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Apple Store SF

I arrived at the Apple Store on Stockton Street in San Francisco around 7 a.m. Saturday, and the line was longer than I expected. Already leading nearly to the end of the block, the line was divided into two--one line for the preorders and one for on-site buyers.
ipad-apple-store-sf-2.jpg
2 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Blacked out windows

At the front of the line, Apple junkies waited in front of blacked out windows, waiting patiently for the iPad's 9 a.m. release.
ipad-apple-store-sf-3.jpg
3 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Coffee and doughnuts

Apple employees handed out free coffee and doughnuts to the patient line-waiters, some of whom had been there since Friday evening. It's urban camping at it's finest, with camp chairs, sleeping bags and makeshift tables set up among a sea of iPhones and MacBooks.
ipad-apple-store-sf-4.jpg
4 of 38 James Martin/CNET

iJustine

Video blogger iJustine live-streams from the iPad launch.
ipad-apple-store-sf-8.jpg
5 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Video the curtain drop

At the front of the line, video cameras were recording the action as the black curtain in the windows dropped around 8:30 a.m.
ipad-apple-store-sf-10.jpg
6 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Face off

Following a countdown from 30 at around 8:30 a.m., the black curtain dropped and the media in front of the store came face to face with the applause of 50 Apple Store employees.
ipad-apple-store-sf-5.jpg
7 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Watching

Some people came to wait in line, others came to cover the launch, and some just came to sit by and watch the scene.
ipad-apple-store-sf-6.jpg
8 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Advertising

The Apple launch events are always an advertising opportunity. This custom Segway, complete with live TV, was a big hit.
ipad-apple-store-sf-9.jpg
9 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Crowds

It's getting crowded at the front of the line, we're getting close now. It's 8:57 a.m.
ipad-apple-store-sf-7.jpg
10 of 38 James Martin/CNET

The line

By 9 a.m., the line had curled to the end of the block and around the corner, halfway down O'Farrell Street.
ipad-apple-store-sf-11.jpg
11 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Apple Store

Outside the Apple Store, moments before the 30-second countdown by the very enthusiastic Apple employees inside.
ipad-apple-store-sf-12.jpg
12 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Doors open

Finally the doors open, the applause from the Apple employees overflows into the street, as the media focuses cameras on the hype from within.
ipad-apple-store-sf-13.jpg
13 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Tent in hand

With his tent in hand, the first person in line prepares to enter the Apple Store on Stockton Street in San Francisco right around 9 a.m. Saturday.
ipad-apple-store-sf-14.jpg
14 of 38 James Martin/CNET

It's time

As the doors opened, Apple employees slowly escorted each person in, one by one, giving each person an individual round of applause.
ipad-apple-store-sf-15.jpg
15 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Rudy Turinay

Among the first purchasers was Rudy Turinay, who emerged with not one, but two iPads, and a big smile.
ipad-apple-store-sf-16.jpg
16 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Organized inside

Inside, the queue was fairly organized, as one by one fans filed in and up the stairs to make their iPad purchases.
ipad-apple-store-sf-17.jpg
17 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Credit card

A swipe of the credit card, and the purchase is made. Prices range from $499 to $829.
ipad-apple-store-sf-18.jpg
18 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Personalized service

Apple employees escorted each person who waited in line into the store personally, giving each a round of applause.
ipad-apple-store-sf-19.jpg
19 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Exit applause

Applause coming in and applause coming out with newly purchased iPads.
ipad-apple-store-sf-20.jpg
20 of 38 James Martin/CNET

First looks

Upstairs, you could get a hands-on look at the new tablet.
ipad-apple-store-sf-21.jpg
21 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Perusing the iPad

Perusing the iPad, up close and personal.

Correction at 4:40 p.m.: This image had incorrectly identified one of the men as an Apple executive.

ipad-apple-store-sf-22.jpg
22 of 38 James Martin/CNET

After purchase

After purchasing the new iPad, Apple employees helped set up the devices and gave short introductions to the App Store, which already has more than 1,000 new Apps design specifically for the iPad.
ipad-apple-store-sf-23.jpg
23 of 38 James Martin/CNET

New users

After an almost immediate set-up, customers were already sending e-mails and tweets from their new devices.
ipad-apple-store-sf-24.jpg
24 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Dom Sagolla

Dom Sagolla, co-creator of Twitter and author of "140 Characters," tweets a self-portrait of himself and his new iPad.
ipad-apple-store-sf-25.jpg
25 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Stack of iPads

iPads are piled up in the Apple Store, waiting to be purchased by the hundreds waiting in line outside.
ipad-apple-store-sf-26.jpg
26 of 38 James Martin/CNET

Andrew Mager

ZDNet blogger Andrew Mager shows off his new iPad at the Apple Store in San Francisco.
DSC_2097_1.jpg
27 of 38 Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Palo Alto Apple Store shoppers line up

Palo Alto Apple Store shoppers line up to get their iPads. The first folks in line camped out overnight in what was an unusually cold, but dry spring day.
DSC_2150_1.jpg
28 of 38 Josh Lowensohn / CNET

Apple's Scott Forstall makes guest appearance

Apple's senior vice president of iPhone software, Scott Forstall, makes a guest appearance before the store opens. He snapped some photos of the crowd and chatted with Apple employees before heading inside to watch.

DSC_2220_1.jpg
29 of 38 Josh Lowensohn / CNET

First in line

Tech blogger Robert Scoble emerges with one of his two iPads. Scoble showed up at the store on Friday and stayed there overnight.

DSC_2232_1.jpg
30 of 38 Josh Lowensohn / CNET

Smule demos 'Magic Piano' to line-goers

Smule's "mule" gives those in line a chance to play with the iPad, and with the developer's new Magic Piano app.

DSC_2234_1.jpg
31 of 38 Josh Lowensohn / CNET

Doctors without iPads

E.R. doctor Kathy Corby shows us one of several pages of the medical apps she has installed on her iPhone. She plans to use her new iPad to access them as well.

DSC_2237_1.jpg
32 of 38 Josh Lowensohn / CNET

Lots of stock

An Apple Store "genius" stands in front of a wall full of iPads at the Palo Alto Apple Store.

DSC_2241_1.jpg
33 of 38 Josh Lowensohn / CNET

Opening one up

Ganesh Kaveripakkam has his shiny new iPad opened up by a Palo Alto Apple Store employee. While users could buy their iPad and keep it wrapped up, Apple was offering to help users boot it up and get going.

dalycityipad.jpg
34 of 38 Ina Fried/CNET

Best Buy in Daly City, Calif.

The iPad display at the Best Buy in Daly City, Calif., had a lot of onlookers, but the store still had nine in stock as of 11:30 a.m. PDT, including at least one in each capacity.

Here, the Lopez family of South San Francisco checks out the iPad.

"It's nice. The price is good," Gonzalo Lopez said while checking out a car racing game.

Still, he wasn't yet sure if he would buy one. He already has an iPod Touch.

Best_Buy1.JPG
35 of 38 Marguerite Reardon/CNET

Best Buy near Columbus Circle, NYC

On the other side of the country, interest varied as well. The flagship Apple store on Fifth Avenue had hundreds in line.

By contrast, at 9:55 a.m. EDT Saturday--10 minutes before the store opened--only a handful of people were lined up at the Best Buy store near Columbus Circle in New York City.

Jason Haber, 33, first in line at this store, lives only a few blocks from the Best Buy on West 62nd Street and Broadway. He said he came to the Best Buy store at 8 a.m. to find no line.

Best_Buy2.JPG
36 of 38 Marguerite Reardon/CNET

Best Buy near Columbus Circle, NYC

Inside the Best Buy store near Columbus Circle in New York City Saturday morning, customers played with the new iPad in the Mac section of the store.

Some shoppers said they were just looking and would wait for the second-generation devices to be released. The store manager said the store had plenty of iPads in stock. She doesn't expect the store to run out of the first shipment until at least the end of the day. She also said she expects the store to remain well stocked throughout the coming weeks, which means anyone wanting an iPad won't walk away empty-handed.

uwsipadlaunch.JPG
37 of 38 Marguerite Reardon/CNET

Outside Apple store on Upper West Side, NYC

By 6:30 a.m. EDT, Drew Niehaus saw customers lined up around the block at Apple's Upper West Side store in Manhattan.

Niehaus, 29, said he waited till 8 a.m. and then headed to the Best Buy story near Columbus Circle and became second in line there.

UWSiPad2.JPG
38 of 38 Marguerite Reardon/CNET

Apple store Upper West Side, NYC

The Apple store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan was packed Saturday morning as eager consumers played with the iPad.

At 10:30 a.m. EDT, Apple representatives said the store still had plenty of iPads in stock.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos