Our iPad Purchase Experience

We all purchased our iPads on day one at the Walden Galleria Apple store in Buffalo, and the experience could not have been better. We arrived at the mall at approximately 8:40am. The store scheduled to open at 9:00am, before the rest of the mall (as usual for an Apple store), but already had everything under control. There were two lines, one for those who had reserved units (us), and one for the incredibly enthused, but less foresighted.

Everything was well in hand, the lines were orderly, and the staff were making sure everyone was in the right line, and up to date on the procedure to follow. Staff members were displaying accessories on a small, wheeled cart, and after a bit distributed some bottled water (fit very nicely in my Scottevest) to everyone. Once we were at the front of the line, each of us was introduced to a staffer (Frank, in my case), and walked through the whole process, including a quick explanation of the AppleCare extended warranty, and the benefits of MobileMe. I don't think the whole thing took more than 20 minutes, including a brief survey of some accessories. Personally, I was set on purchasing a case at the very least, and eventually selected the Apple folding case - I'm big on slim and stealthy (no giggles from those who know me ;-). There were quite a few third party accessories available.

As an aside: There are discounts available at the time of purchase for AppleCare, and if you travel, I highly recommend you go with it. I already use MobileMe for my iPhone, and very much appreciate the ability to track down my device, if it ever goes walkabout.