As the Washington Post writes regarding a similar event in Bethesda, the people in line this morning were “a special type of technology enthusiast who get the first version of every Apple product: the Apple TV, iPhone, iPod, MacBook. They also enjoy the spectacle of first-day releases.” And as Howard Kurtz writes:
The iPad might turn out to be so revolutionary that we’ll look back on its unveiling like Alexander Graham Bell speaking to Mr. Watson. Or not. But Apple and its media maestro, Steve Jobs, are once again reaping what amounts to tens of millions of dollars in free publicity.
How Apple does it is part brilliant marketing, part mystery. Now, we’ll see if the iPad turns out to be as revolutionary as some people suggest, or just another fancy-but-overhyped gadget for $500-%800.