WIRED Staff
Gear

Slideshow: The Waiting Is the Funnest Part

The grand opening of Apple's latest store draws Steve Jobs, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and thousands of eager customers. Leander Kahney reports from San Francisco.
Image may contain Human Person Audience Crowd Indoors Furniture and Table
Shoppers jostled for the coveted lucky bags, which sold out in minutes. Most considered the bags a good deal, even if they didn't contain an iPod.Leander Kahney

See related story: The Waiting Is the Funnest Part

Image may contain Human Person Crowd Audience Logo Symbol and Trademark

As well as Mac fans, the opening attracted a sizable crowd of curious tourists and shoppers, who wanted to know what the fuss was about.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Face Hair Clothing Apparel and Tom Crean

Early birds Ulan McKnight and Steve Cocks at the head of the 1,200-strong line. To secure his place, McKnight arrived 36 hours earlier, spending two sleepless nights on the streets. Friday was his 40th birthday.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Audience Crowd Interior Design Indoors Malcolm X and People

A gantlet of cheering Apple employees greets the first customers.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Paparazzi Crowd and Police

The crowd outside the store just before opening. Rumors that Apple CEO Steve Jobs was attending circulated, and every time anything moved, the cameras came out.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Gavin Newsom Drink Beer Alcohol Beverage Tie and Accessories

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom chats with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Newsom joked he might be working at the store if he gets run out of City Hall for allowing gay marriages.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Coat Jacket and Electronics

Jeremy Castillo of San Jose, California, celebrates winning an iPod mini.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel and Pants

To celebrate the opening, the store sold about 200 "lucky bags": $600 worth of Apple goods for $250. About one in six also contained an iPod mini.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Electronics Phone HandHeld Computer Computer Mobile Phone Texting and Cell Phone

Colin Kinlud, 20, and Dessiree Green, 20, of San Francisco, check out the iPod mini. The pair were passing the store when they saw people leaving with lucky bags. "We were, like, seeing people with them, and we were suckered into getting in line to get one," said Kinlund. But the bags were all gone by the time the pair got into the store. "We're bummed out," said Green.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Crowd Audience and Hair

Steve Jobs barricaded himself in a corner of the store to talk privately to an unidentified woman. As they talked, a crowd of several dozen circled them, watching and taking pictures.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Baseball Cap Cap Hat Coat Jacket Sunglasses and Accessories

of Apple's store in Tokyo.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Pedestrian Path Tripod and Bus Stop

About 1,200 people lined up for the store's grand opening. The line snaked along all four sides of a city block. At 10 a.m., the tail met the head and stretched even farther down Market Street, the city's major thoroughfare.

Leander Kahney
Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel and Indoors

magazine. "I've been waiting 20 years for this," said Kreuger.

Leander Kahney