Corilyn ShropshireBLOGGING THE LAUNCH
Time: 6:12 p.m.
An Apple staffer in a black t-shirt, of course, passes-out coupons for a free coffee at Coffee Tree Roasters, a few doors down Walnut Street.
He starts at the front of the line.
"Hey Ryan, start at the end of the line for once," Apple's crowd control chief, Marty, calls out.
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Reporters continue angling for the best quote as soon-to-be iPhone-ites enter the store.
As the hoi-polloi -- roughly a dozen pedestrians in front of the Victoria's Secret store across the stop to take in scene.
The media gets a bit rowdy and Marty tries to move them away from the doorway to allow more customers in. Apple fans in line look bewildered at the media crush -- as is if they don't know what all the fuss is about.
Time: 5:58 p.m.
Marty, an Apple employee wearing shorts and a black t-shirt that says simply, "Welcome to the iPhone." emerges from the store to manage the crowd.
It's the media that's in need of managing, throngs of cameras and pushy reporters clamor around the door to get a glimpse inside the store.
Not much to see, except a gang of Apple staffers standing around in the same black t-shirt Marty is wearing. They are wearing credentials that have an Apple logo strung around their necks.
Apple-bots is what comes to mind.
The first 10 customers walk in including Jason Ma and Daniel Lin, with faux-hawk and formerly sagging, sleep-deprived eyes, perk up.
The Apple-bots -- there seem to be about two dozen of them, standing by. It's like customers died, then awoke to find themselves standing on heaven's doorstep and the Apple-bots were waiting to usher them in.
Time: 5:20 p.m.
The crowd is simmering.
For now. Chatting casually in hushed voices in a semi-orderly line that stretches almost all the way down Walnut St.
About 100 Mac-lovers and their line-sitters" are awaiting the iPhone's debut in about 30 minutes at the Apple Shadyside.
First Published: June 29, 2007, 11:30 p.m.
