# What is your strategy to score a new iPad on Friday? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 14, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765 "2012-03-14T18:48:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WPA-Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WPA-Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WPA-Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/1 "2012-03-14T18:48:44Z")
This Friday at 8am the new iPad goes on sales in retail stores. Since I live in the boonies, the closest Apple store is 60+ miles away; I can either go to Pittsburgh or Cleveland. I’ve hit two dead ends–the guy at the Apple store says I can’t order one online and pick it up at the local store (which is what I wanted to do since I have to work until 4pm), they won’t reserve any over the phone, and he has no clue how long the amount they are going to get will last (It could be just an hour). Since Radio Shack will be selling them also, I called the local store. They can order me one starting Friday, but if I want one in person, I would have to travel to either Youngstown or Erie. I’ll probably just order at the online Apple Store and wait, but does anyone want to share their wisdom on the best way to score an iPad over the weekend? (or even a funny story at this point to pass the time.) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/2 "2012-03-14T18:50:02Z")
Buy an iPad2? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/3 "2012-03-14T19:03:31Z")
What does the new one do that the old one won’t? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/4 "2012-03-14T19:09:52Z")
If I decide I want one, I’ll wait a month or two when I can walk into a store and buy one w/o hassle. seriously, what’s the attraction to lining up for hours/days to get one on launch day? You’re not going to be the first person to get one, and they won’t be scarce. Apple will be selling the iPad 3 for at least a year. **eta:** > [@Ellen Cherry](#): > > What does the new one do that the old one won’t? not a heck of a lot, but I’d imagine the higher density display might make reading e-books more pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/5 "2012-03-14T19:11:14Z")
If you must be a day-1 adopter, you must be there when they open. That would entail calling off work. If you’re not willing to do that, then you might have to settle for being a week-2 adopter. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/6 "2012-03-14T19:48:50Z")
Tell my procurement guy I have to have one by Friday afternoon and wait for him to post here about his crazy boss and asking how to get a new iPad on Friday. ---
**Author:** ![heigugu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eb8c5e/32.png) [@heigugu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heigugu)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/7 "2012-03-15T12:48:04Z")
now ipad 3 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/8 "2012-03-15T12:52:28Z")
My younger daughter is home on Spring Break this week, so if I really felt the need to gain these Geek points I woud have her camping out already. But I have gotten too damn old to play the “I got one before you did” game. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/9 "2012-03-15T12:54:53Z")
Wait in an alley near apple store with baseball bat? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/10 "2012-03-15T12:57:34Z")
Wait, you mean \*you \*don’t have the iPad27 yet? _Luddite_. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/11 "2012-03-15T13:36:27Z")
I ordered mine online when they were announced. According to the status page it shipped today and will arrive on my doorstep tomorrow morning. The kids got our iPad 1’s when we upgraded to the 2’s and our parents are getting the 2’s later this month when we’ve finished setting up the new ones. See it’s not that _I_ am spoiled, it’s my family! ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/12 "2012-03-15T13:39:08Z")
> [@heigugu](#): > > now ipad 3 Excellent point! Joe ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/13 "2012-03-15T14:33:43Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > What does the new one do that the old one won’t? I don’t know that it does anything _new_ so much as it does the old stuff better. Newer/better processor and much better screen. I’m not shilling mind you. I’ve got an Android tablet and no interest in going Apple. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/14 "2012-03-15T14:47:44Z")
So should I get one with 3G/4G or just wireless? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/15 "2012-03-15T15:57:20Z")
If you want bleeding edge, I’m sure your local drugstore already carries them, by the carton. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/16 "2012-03-15T16:10:34Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > So should I get one with 3G/4G or just wireless? That’s a question only you can answer, really. How often will you need to use it for internet access (either through a web browser, for e-mail, or in one of your various apps) at a place where there is no WiFi access? If you get one with 3G/4G, will you have to sign up for a monthly plan? If you get one with 3G/4G and sign up for a monthly plan, then add the monthly plan cost to the cost of your device. e.g. I am buying an iPad for $730 and a $20 monthly fee contract for two years for 3G/4G means that my iPad is costing me $970. I plan on being a new iPad (my first one) because of the new interactive textbooks that Apple is publicizing. [http://www.apple.com/education/ipad/](http://www.apple.com/education/ipad/) My dream is that my two kids will use it as a learning device, and not just as a bigger screen for playing Angry Birds or Plants vs. Zombies. 🙂 I won’t try getting one in the first week. I’ll buy it online (my wife gets an educators discount) and go pick it up in the store as soon as the production has caught up with the initial demand. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/17 "2012-03-15T16:12:07Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > What does the new one do that the old one won’t? Better built-in camera, better display, better 4G connection. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/18 "2012-03-15T16:12:32Z")
My strategy: 1. Get a job. 2. Earn money. 3. Locate Apple store. 4. Give some money to Apple store. This will take some time, especially Step 1 and 2. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/19 "2012-03-15T18:07:06Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > If you get one with 3G/4G and sign up for a monthly plan, then add the monthly plan cost to the cost of your device. e.g. I am buying an iPad for $730 and a $20 monthly fee contract for two years for 3G/4G means that my iPad is costing me $970. It should be pointed out that you do not need to sign up for any locked in two year contract if you get a 3G/4G ipad. It’s all month-by-month. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765/20 "2012-03-15T21:08:44Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > It should be pointed out that you do not need to sign up for any locked in two year contract if you get a 3G/4G ipad. It’s all month-by-month. Is that true in other countries as well? I thought jjimm was in the UK. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-strategy-to-score-a-new-ipad-on-friday/615765.md?page=2)