Journos jump line to become first iPad buyers

APPLE fans who queued overnight to be among the first to get their hands on an iPad were this morning pipped by impatient journalists.

Journalist Alex Zaharov-Reutt, who pushed ahead of fans, buys the first iPad at Apple's new store in Bondi / Charles Brewer

APPLE fans who queued overnight to be among the first to get their hands on an iPad were this morning pipped by impatient journalists.

People began waiting outside the new Apple Store Bondi as early as 9pm last night to secure their place for the launch of the iPad at 8am (AEST) today.

But when doors opened at the store in east Sydney, two men from the media pack jumped in first.

The arrival of unlimited downloads
The first 10 apps you must buy
iPad's 10 most likely rivals
Will Apple's store be ready?
iPad fashion — the iTee, iSkirt
 

Alex Zaharov-Reutt and Peter Balyck had been waiting at the store for about half an hour before deciding to sprint inside ahead of dedicated fans.

Those they pushed past included famous Apple Store enthusiast Gary Allen from California, who has attended dozens of store openings and was first in line.

Second in line was Pyrmont man James Polley, who began camping out at 9pm last night.

"A couple of guys I think from the media beat me into the store. But I got my iPad. I wasn't that upset about it," he said.

Mr Polley said he hadn't been intending to buy an iPad at all until "a couple of days ago" when he changed his mind.

Then, he said: "It was either queue up or miss out for another month."

Zaharov-Reutt is the technology editor for industry publication iTWire.

iTWire editor in chief Stan Beer said he wasn't surprised by Zaharav-Reutt's behaviour.

"Alex is a bit of a free agent," he said.

"I don't know what Apple's view on what he did is, but I can tell you he is a very avid gadget guy so he would have been very enthusiastic to get his hands on one."

Beer said the second man to jump the queue, Balyck, was not employed by iTWire.

Mr Polley bought two 64GB 3G and Wi-Fi iPads for himself and his partner.

And it seems Zaharov-Reutt wasn't the only journo in trouble on the iPad's big day.

Alan Pryke, a photographer for The Australian, said he was "roughed up" by security guards looking after Apple's own PR team.

Read the story at The Australian

Apple's seventh megastore in Australia, at Bondi Junction, was announced earlier this week to capitalise on hype surrounding the iPad.

The store was scheduled to open its doors for the first time this morning at the same time as the iPad launch.

However it was something of a last minute affair, with the site still looking like a construction site yesterday afternoon.

Mr Polley said workers were still polishing the Apple logo at the front of the store at 5am this morning.

At Apple's central Sydney store near Martin Place, a queue formed last night jumped in size early this morning.

At about 6.30am the queue extended down the street and around the block.