So I ventured out to an Apple Store yesterday hoping that since the iPhone 3G was a couple days old that I could easily grab one. No, not for me. For the girlfriend and my sister. I could have gone to the AT&T store only a few blocks away but whenever Apple releases a new product I prefer the full Apple experience at an Apple Store (Brea, CA); it’s just more complete that way. Expecting to get some hands on time with the iPhone 3G and pick up the Macbook Air again, I was pretty excited to get to the store.

As I cheerily walked through the mall eagerly anticipating the iPhone 3G, I stopped dead in my tracks. There was at least a 100-person line that stretched multiple storefronts! The Apple Store Employee ‘in-charge’ estimated the line to be a 5-hour wait! This was a Monday afternoon, didn’t people have work to do?

But it gets better (read: worse).

Read on for the rest of this very weird Apple Store Experience!

The iPhone 3G line wasn’t the only line! There was a ‘Mac-line’ for people who weren’t interested in the iPhone 3G but wanted to buy a Mac, play Frisbee with the Macbook Air, get free WiFi, or just do whatever you do at the Apple store. That line was at least a 30 minute wait—to just get into the store! This Apple Store was making potential customers willing to spend thousands of dollars on the iPhone 3G wait outside. Two different lines to get into an Apple store—just crazy!

Adding to the ridiculousness of it all, an Apple Store employee served as a ‘bouncer’ complete with a ‘guest list’ that presumably had genius bar appointments on it. I felt like I was in Hollywood trying to get into an exclusive club, not buy a computer at a computer store.

How is it good business making people wait to buy a Mac because of the iPhone 3G? Won’t it cannibalize sales of their other product lines if Mac customers have a difficult buying process? A few people in the Mac-line were already getting quite antsy and angry at having to wait. The Store employee gave me the excuse that the lines served as a safety precaution but the Apple Store looked pretty empty. I mean Apple Stores are almost always crowded, where are the safety measures then?

I understand a line for iPhone 3G customers, as insane as a 5 hour wait is, if you want to buy an iPhone 3G you have to wait your turn, that makes sense. But having a Mac line just to get into the store? That’s a little too exclusive, even for Apple. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I was ready to buy a Mac but had to wait outside the store because of the iPhone 3G. Just let me in the store! At least I’d be able to play with my future purchase.

What do you think? Is the iPhone 3G bad for the rest of Apple’s products? Is this Apple’s way to Store different? Can Apple focus enough energy on all their products? Is two lines ridiculous or what?

Photo Note: The line on the left side is the ‘Mac Line’ and the line on the right that stretches all the way down is the iPhone 3G line. Picture taken with iPhone.

Here at the Providence, RI Mall, the halls are filled with lost souls as of 5:45 am, wandering in a state of limbo, unable to queue up because of a short security guard with delusions of importance. Nevertheless, Randyman was kind enough to kick our local line off with the following photo, Will was here at 3:45 am, and the other 6 us are alternately sneaking around the halls or sitting here in the parking lot, waiting for the overzealous security guard’s wristwatch to read 6am.

How’s your line going?

5:58: Well now, we managed to get lined up a whole three minutes early! Mr powerful is claiming I can’t take photos in front of the stores and is now hovering about our line of 20 people to make sure we don’t start a pre-iPhone-riot. We’re a dangerous-looking bunch, I tell ya.

6:20: Mall Security hijinks continue, we’ve moved a full three feet to get in line within between stanchions. More photos from the rest of the TiPb team coming soon!

6:35: Gentle Apple Employees give us RI line waiters free water:

6:40: Chad reports that the Kentwodd Towne Center in Cincinnati, Ohio has the same sort of overzealous security guards that I encountered here. They haven’t opened the mall doors yet and there are around 50 people milling about outside. Chad, though, he’s a TiPb’er, which means he found the back way in. WTG Chad!

6:50: They’re handing out cards now detailing all the stuff we already all knew about what we need in order to be able to activate in the store. Apple store employees are chatting us up regularly now, they seem as excited as we are. My favorite security guard has read the writing on the wall as our line approaches 100 people and disappeared. OOH, they’re giving away coupons for free coffee at the local shop — though said shop isn’t open yet.

7:15: The official count as of this time per the Apple guy with the clicky widget: apparently classified. We’re guessing around 175, with a side of a dozen or so at the Mall’s AT&T store.

7:20: DANG! Chad reports that that the Apple folks at his store have brought out demo units and are letting folks play with them as they wait in line.

7:30: Ocala, FL checks in with around 30 people in line:

7:40: Cinci’s getting long!

…Alright, folks, my line is getting restless, time to close up the laptop, stand up, and pace a bit. Our unboxing, hands on, and much MUCH more coming up soon!

Here’s a bit more: Jeremy says the Michigan Avenue line (Chicago, we presume) is only about 80 people (he’s 35), not bad at all. Update: This is what happens when you assume things, Jeremy updates:

• Chicago is blocks long! Sorry for confusion. Orland park store where I’m at is about 200-250. I’m 35 here*

Frank writes in from Chelsea:

This is about 1/4 of the way in! Line stretches one full city block (ave to ave) and there’s the maze setup amusement park style just before the entrance to the store. Developers are solicting the line with postcards for their apps – pretty cool vibe but it could very well be a four hour wait!

And lastly, yes, even our neighbors to the north are in on the action, though clearly all the Rogers brouhaha has dampened numbers. Rene — all alone!

The “Final Update” means that, yes, I’m back in my room and mixing down an unboxing video and photos right now!

Alright, we can’t resist one more. Here’s Brian’s view from Salt Lake City:

Who’s first in line for the iPhone 3G at the Apple Flagship glass cube store in New York City? Exactly. TheWhoFarm, to be even more exact. Why the irony? Seems they’re hoping to use the media attention around a decidedly less-than environmentally friendly iPhone 3G to draw attention to their causes, which are sustainability, affordable housing, energy security, locally-grown food (and multi-touch, desk liberating, universe denters for every child?)

Check out their wish-list from their open letter to Steve Jobs, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Mayor Michael Bloomburg among others, after the break.

Waiting for Apples in the Big Apple

• We will spend a lot of time in a great public space, around the clock.
• We will use mobile solar power from Solar1.
• We will drink NYC’s renowned tap water.
• We will have local healthy food (especially Apples) delivered by our community gardener friends, Greenmarket farmers, and locavore restauranteurs via bicycles and pedicabs.
• We will compost our foodscraps, to help sustain our fragile soil.
• And most importantly, we will talk to whoever happens to stop by about local organic farming as a critical element to sustainable healthy living, food security, youth education, and climate change mitigation.

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