I hate Apple’s new policy of first-come-first-served iPad distribution. It’s a Darwinian survival of the fittest business model which discriminates in favour of younger buyers and the infinitely patient and all pervasive grey marketers. We older people don’t stand a chance. We’re not about to camp outside an Apple store overnight on the off-chance that morning will bring a new delivery and we’ll get to the front of the line before stocks run out.
The system introduced for the launch of the iPhone 4—pre-ordering against an Apple ID—was infinitely fairer to all customers, not just the fleet of foot and the young in body. It also prevented the growing menace of the grey market spiriting off a large slice of the available stock to foreign climes. Apple owe their faithful and regular customers a bit more consideration and I hope this will be last time we experience such a free for all.