iPhone Europe invasion
p2pnet news | Mobiles:- You’d think by now most people, Macolytes included, would have been turned off iPhone DRM-ed, as it is, up to its metaphorical eyeballs.
But No. The media biggies are still hyping frantically away as unpaid Apple promoters, and the punters are still punting their money straight into Apple’s pockets.
“Apple’s iPhone goes on sale in the UK and Germany on Friday with thousands expected to snap up the device,” says the BBC.
“The first European handsets were sold at the T-Mobile store in Cologne just after midnight.
“By contrast Apple fans queuing in poor weather in London will have to wait until Friday evening to get their hands on an iPhone.”
Un-phking-believable.
And, “A hardened core of Apple fanatics braved temperatures of 7C (45F) overnight in order to be the lay their hands on their iPhone when it goes on sale this evening,” says Times Online.
“Sleep-deprived, shaken from a early morning encounter with some drunkards, but otherwise buoyant, the five or so who camped out on Regent St, Central London, now have only hours to wait before they can buy the device they have coveted since it was announced 11 months ago.”
One of them, Graham Gilbert, a 22-year-old computing student from Manchester, already owns eight Apple products, including four iPods and two computers, says the story, going on he’d paid £40 (about $84) to cancel his Vodafone contract, “so that he could sign up with O2, the iPhone’s official [and only UK] partner network, just after 6pm tonight”.
But he admitted some of his friends thought he was “a bit sad,” says Times Online.
And things are much the same in Scotland.
“I am Steve, your Online Editor for the last 4 months of news hugging information which we have streamed your way,” says Steve on iPhoneUKLaunch.com, going on:
“We are outside the Apple Store in Glasgow this morning and am bring you updates throughout the day including photographs and stories from the lines. We want to hear from you if you are queuing outside any Apple Stores, Carphone Warehouse Stores or O2 Stores.”
Says the site:
This site was designed and formed for the basis of bringing together the UK iPhone possy to give them all the latest information regarding the launch of the iPhone in the UK.
We aim to appeal to a dedicated user base who enjoy following the latest iPhone related stories, news and rumours.
Our goal is to collate all the news from various sources, with your help, and to share a common goal of enjoyment before, during and after the launch of the iPhone in the UK.
With the kind of brand and media loyalty Apple commands, it can do no wrong —- no matter how much or how often it screws its own customers.
Also See:
BBC – Apple iPhone fever begins to grow, November 9, 2007
Times Online – Apple fans camp out for iPhone, November 9, 2007
iPhoneUKLaunch.com – Welcome to iPhone UK Launch Day – 9th November 2007, November 9, 2007
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November 9th, 2007 at 10:43 am
People should wait for the French one(which is unlocked) as they can then use it with the provider of there choice!
Plus the unlocked French one can legally be sold to any EU citizen and any EU citizen can then resell it to people in the US.
November 9th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
People should just not buy an iPhone and get something that sounds good.
My Buddy has one and it truthfully sucks. The Audio quility is horrid the Safari Web Browser is crappy and hard to use.
The only thing it has thats good is the touch screen.
But wait a minute Palm Pilots, and Windows Mobile Devices have those too and they can also play MP3’s (higher quility ones)
and just to kick Steve’s ass they have good audio cards in them.
Apple did not invent the touch mp3 player, it was either Palm or Microsoft, not sure who had the mp3 software availible first.
November 9th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
the ogg format is far superior technically, and not limited by oppressive patents, like the mpeg layer 3 format.
November 9th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Flac is also very good as a lossless format.
November 5th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
It seems unlikely that he was robbed just for his iPhone. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time maybe.