Gene Munster: Don't expect long lines for iPad 2

The iPhone 4 was available at BB, AT&T, Radio Shack and there were still HUGE lines at Apple Stores.

I would camp out, but I have school... :(

And he didn't even touch on the fact that there were no other Tablet alternatives back than. Now, if someone wants a tablet they didn't have to wait for the ipad 2 but may have already picked up a Galaxy Tab or Motorola Xoom.

The big rush is gonna come from all the people who skipped the original ipad and have been waiting a long time. Outside of tech bloggers I don't think a big percentage of current owners will be there on day 1 for a ho hum upgrade. Outside of some camera's, this upgrade is pretty much behind-the-scenes stuff.

Yes, I'm still mad there's no better screen, 3 sec movie transfers via Thunderbolt connectivity, or < 1lb weight.

Even though they seem to generate a lot of great hype for Apple products, the lines seem like something that everyone wants to go away. It's a nightmare for Apple stores in malls (since the mall needs to coordinate crowd control and gets little benefit from the deal).

Apple must not like them too much, as they give people the impression of a shortage that may not actually be present (someone might not buy a new Apple product because they think doing so means standing in a line with a bunch of smelly nerds).

Since they're not coordinated, they can lead to other problems. For instance, if a retailer doesn't carry a certain iProduct, but a rumor gets out that they do, they might open their store one day to an unexpected gaggle of angry hipsters.

Even once doors open, it can be a nightmare for crowd control and customer service. Nothing like waiting 8 hours to buy an iProduct only to be wisked through the checkout process like just another head of cattle. My personal experiences with Apple store staff have been wonderful. But I completely understand how frustrating it could be to hear about someone's excitement for their new iProduct for the 3,000th time that day.

I think everyone would be happier with launches similar to the Verizon iPhone 4 launch. Minimal lines. Minimal waits. Minimal hassle.

Personally, I love participating in the community that is the iProduct line-waiters. It's always a good time. But I can completely understand why Apple et al. might want the phenomenon to go away.

I'd vote against long lines occurring - since it is not a totally new product people will not need to play with it as much before deciding to purchase or what size/model they want. Even if the same number of people purchased them from the same number of locations, the lines may move so much quicker that they would not stack up into the huge size lines on the initial purchase. Add in more locations, plus speedier customers, the lines will be brisk.

If the product was totally redesigned, then you'd get the whole, "I want to play with it first" syndrome again. I think for this launch, people will come in, ask for it, get it, and leave happy.

They are called analyst because more than half the time they are just pulling this kind of stuff out of their 3rd point of contact.

Time when you started lining up:

Friday mid-day: somewhat ok
Monday: you need help