iPhone Day (2007): Pls Sign Me Up for a 12-Step Gadget Program

2007-06-29, Costa Mesa CA. I was there in January at Macworld when Jobs’ introduced iPhone to the world, so it only made sense that I should visit an Apple store on the day they would be released. I swore that I was just going to check out the line and then go to the movies. The following are my Tweets & text messages from the event:

2:00pm – heading 2 the apple store in Costa Mesa 2 gawk @ the iPhone sycophants. i’m waiting 4 v2.. I think
4:30pm – very mellow line @ costa mesa applestore. We’ll see if it stays mellow once the doors open in another hour & a half
4:40pm – I think i’ll go back 2 my car & get the book i’m reading…
5:30pm – They covered the store windows in black at two and just now opened a rectangular section revealing a countdown clock
5:50pm – Loud shout coming from inside the closed store. Guess they’re getting revved 2 kick ass. black sheets coming down

I watched iPhone hopefuls being ushered into the store, to the sound of cheering by Apple staff and left after about 30 minutes to go to the movies (“Evan Almighty”… very cute movie). As i was leaving the mall, an Apple rep. was going down the line thanking the crowd for their patience and letting them know that they had a very good chance of getting their phone. Onward and upward. jbb

So, i previously told my brother and friends that I was going to wait for version 2 before succumbing to the infamous Steve Job’s Reality Distortion Field… Alas, I decided after the movie to swing by the store to see if there was still a crowd (stores were going to be open ’til midnight). When I got there the place was buzzing but there was no line outside. When I came in I was asked if I was there to buy or to browse. When I said “browse” I was told to go to the right side of the store, the left side being used for those buying to line up in. I roamed around, played with an iPhone that they had displayed in the front of the store. Then I roamed around some more… and lingered… and checked out some accessories… Then found myself having a hard time leaving without one. Damn.

At 10:33 I sent the following text message to friend: “I should’ve know ‘resistance is futile’ I watched happy iPhone owners @ 6, went 2 the movies, came back @ 10 & bought an 8Gb iPhone. Ack”

I think I need a “gadget 12-step” program. I succumbed to the gravitational pull of a new Apple gadget, a fate that I would “suffer” many times for many years, until this day (2024-05-31!)

Here are images from the unboxing of my very first Apple iPhone: