Let me start by saying that I’m not one to camp out. Heck, I’m not even one to line up. I’m the guy mocking that guy. While I thought today could be the day I finally move on from AT&T, if the queue was too long, I figured I’d probably pick up a CDMA iPhone sometime next week.
So I woke up at my normal time this AM, but instead of heading to the Starbucks for some blogging, I swung by the conveniently located Reston Apple Store. It turns out they had erected plenty of barriers, obviously anticipating a crush, yet I was actually the first person to arrive at about 7AM. And I ended up purchasing their very first Verizon iPhone. Unfortunately, that random honor didn’t land me a discount, citation in the paper, or even a free shirt. But I am looking forward to far fewer dropped calls and more hours of coverage per day.
Yeah, I’m sure I’ll regret my purchase on a geeky level this summer when the iPhone 5 is released and I’m contractually trapped on last years hardware. However, this was a practical decision — AT&T coverage, in areas where I find myself, has become a liability.