-
The new Apple iPad wasn't due to go on sale until Friday, March 16 but that didn't stop a queue from forming outside the Sydney Apple Store on George Street the night before.
I suppose this isn't particularly surprising. It IS an Apple product after all. Fans just go crazy.
Meanwhile, across the road, Telstra was preparing for its own midnight iPad launch. -
The end of the queue the night before launch.
-
Lucky the weather was great that night.
-
Front of the queue at the Apple Store Sydney.
-
The morning of the Apple iPad launch, I popped down again to experience the pandemonium.
-
It wasn't quite bedlam but the line had grown significantly since last night.
-
In fact, the line was calm and orderly...
-
The same couldn't be said for the Apple Store staff. They were cheering and chanting just before the doors opened.
This is a picture of them before they began to drum up some excitement. -
News crews - Crouched and ready to attack... I mean, ready to record all the action.
-
Stephen had been lining up since Monday morning.
While he was genuinely interested in the iPad, he was lining up as part of a challenge set by outsourcing website, Airtasker. -
Stephen preparing for his triumphant moment.
-
He becomes the first person to enter the Apple Store in Sydney for the new iPad launch...
-
But he wasn't the first person to come out with the iPad.
-
The honor goes to Jonathan Hakim from Carlingford.
He was in the queue since 4.30pm yesterday afternoon.
This is his first iPad. -
"I really loved the retina display once I saw it," Hakim said. "I'm a wedding photographer on the side so I thought it would be very helpful in my line of work. It's something really good that I can use."
-
Hakim getting a lot of attention for his achievement.

Women in ICT Awards