All photos taken today Saturday, March 17, 2012, around 9AM EDST. Resized and resampled to VGA. Click any to enlarge.
I was not surprised there was a line.
And my past experience should have told me what to expect.
But still.
When I got to the front, I had confirmation.
Ninety-nine point nine-nine percent of that line was Chinese!
They must have a hell of a black market.
And this is what it looked like when I left, after molesting the new iPad, perhaps an hour later:
It went to to across the street!
I might or might not do a post about my encounter with the new iPad. For now, here’s the short version:
Mike Cane’s xBlog 
I hate the new iPad too. The nerve of Apple for making you wait in a block long line for an iPad that you couldn’t pry from my cold dead hands. Every other tablet looks like shit. Even Kindle Books look better with their updated retina app.
Of course you know I hate you now too — for having one! Hahaha.
Yes, the Chinese do have a huge market for new i-devices. Like everywhere else, there are people with deep pockets and no patience who will pay a premium to “get it first” and China’s vast population means the number there is bigger. I’d guess that many of the people in that line are looking at a 50% to 100% profit on the flip, even accounting for the cost of courier shipping to Hong Kong or Shanghai.
Wow. That’s some profit!