iPhone Launch @ The Grove, Los Angeles, CA

Home Sweet Home

2007-07-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

From the Salinas, Californian

I made my hometown paper!

TG Video: iPhone launch – Los Angeles style - UPDATED

2007-07-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Mariano entered the room to the cheers of hundreds and the blinding flashes of cameras snapping away, but he isn’t a sports or movie star, he was the first person to buy an iPhone at the Grove mall in Los Angeles.
Update - We've updated the video. The first version was a bit choppy and had some interlacing problems.

Inquirer Bloggers

2007-07-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

From InquirerBloggers.net

This one shows John Mariano, who was first in line at the Apple Store at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles, California, being surrounded by onlookers and media as he came out with his newly purchased iPhone.

Breitbart.com

2007-07-06T10:45:00.001-07:00

From Breitbart.com:

First in line John Mariano, 27, is surrounded by ownlookers and media as he leaves the Apple Store with his newly purchased iPhone, 29 June 2007 at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles, California. The future of Apple's much ballyhooed and eagerly anticipated iPhones is finally in the hands of devotees of the iconic company's culture-altering gadgets.

Macy Gray interviews me!

2007-07-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

A Moment of Celebrity

2007-07-02T05:17:00.000-07:00

I felt like a celebrity! For mere seconds, I was a celebrity! But the true celebrity is the team behind the iPhone. What a r/evolutionary device! Whoever you guys/gals are up at Apple: You rock!

iPhone Countdown

2007-07-02T05:12:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I have ever been first in line for anything of this caliber. A corridor of Apple Employees awaited my entrance. Cheers and applause erupt at Launch. I was in and out in less than 2 minutes!

Blogging the Blogger

2007-07-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

Dave put me up on his blog on CBS2.com. In turn, I am putting him up on my blog.:)

Into the World

2007-07-02T04:50:00.001-07:00

Greg Joswiak, Vice President of Product Marketing, from Apple, was saying that they spent 3 years on it. He also said that is was quite an emotional day, in that it's similar to raising a kid and sending him/her off to college. For 3 years, it was just theirs. Come 6PM, their baby was welcomed into the real world.

Questions from Interviewers

2007-07-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

Popular Questions

What time did you get in line?
4AM although the line didn't officially start until 7AM. I scoped the place out since 7PM the night before.

What is the big deal about the iPhone?
Many "phones" have a phone, music player, and browser, but none do it as elegantly as the iPhone. It has a simple touch interface, and the "real" internet. Not the scaled down mini mobile version.

How many are you buying
Two 8GB. One for me, one for my girlfriend.;)

Interesting Questions
Whose gonna be your first phone call?
My girlfriend

What do you call a person that wants the latest and greatest gadget?
technophile?

If a technophile were a superhero, what would he wear?
Black fitted long sleeve shirt and jeans.;)

So Secretive!

2007-07-02T04:31:00.001-07:00

The Apple Store covered up the front windows with black. They changed the setup of the store to accommodate the large crowd. They also posted a countdown clock on the enlarged iPhone.

Extra Extra, Read All about it!

2007-07-02T04:12:00.000-07:00

I had soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many interviews, it was insane. The pix are with G4 talent and the Extra talent. They both tried to cut in line! How rude.:)

A sample list of interviews throughout the day that I can remember: (An interview does not guarantee publication)

Television:
KTLA
KCBS
KCAL9
BBC
G4
EXTRA
FOX11
A German TV Station

Newspapers/Online:
LATimes.com
Tomshardware.com
Iprong.com
Reuters
Associated Press
EricRey.net

and much much more! Let me know if you find more!

The Line

2007-07-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

I thought the line started at the Apple Store until American Girl. BUT, it went around the corner towards 3rd Street. The vid was taken around noon, but I heard the line was on its way to the backside of Nordstroms near Launch.

Need some Shade?

2007-07-02T03:50:00.001-07:00

The Grove was kind enough to give us umbrellas to help shade us from the sun! The Grove rocks too!

Apple Store Manager

2007-07-02T03:42:00.001-07:00

The Manager at the Apple Store rocks. She runs a tight ship over at her store in The Grove. They offered us complimentary water, as well as fruit bars. And it was he expensive water too, Smart Water. Nuts!

First Dibs

2007-07-02T03:22:00.001-07:00

The Cyber Guy had first dibs on the iPhone! He needed some crowd reaction about the iPhone, so he let me play with it, hours before the official launch. I also had a live interview on a KTLA and a couple syndicated stations.

First Demo

2007-07-02T03:15:00.000-07:00

Taking a slight detour from one infinite loop, "Joz" from Apple headquaters in Cupertino, CA demos the iPhone to the Cyber Guy.

Cyber Guy

2007-07-02T03:04:00.001-07:00

When the Cyber Guy and his crew started setting up for their story, I was finally able to plant myself towards the front of the line, alongside with Mav and his wife.

Mav was gracious enough to let me have the numero uno spot, although we both arrived at the same time. He also did not want to be interviewed throughout the day, I didn't mind it, so I guess it all worked out there.

Kicked Out

2007-07-02T02:26:00.000-07:00

The Grove did not allow overnight camping for the iPhone. Keep in mind, the Grove is an Outdoor Mall. I was scoping the place out since the night before, to see if people were actually trying to form a line. On Thursday evening at 7PM, it was fairly normal at The Grove, around 11PM there were some folks walking around with backpacks, but no line. I checked back once more around 12:30pm to find two people waiting by The Apple Store. They said that security allowed them to stay, but not form a line.

I went back home to try to catch some shut eye, but could not sleep, I was too excited over the iPhone. Funny thing is, the night before, I dreamt that I was actually running across a mall to beat everyone else to the Apple Store.

I went back to The Grove a little before 3:30AM, and to my surprise, no one was outside The Apple Store. I take it they got kicked out. A few more folks showed up, including the famous Mav from MacRumors.com. (Mav was the guy who posted all the details of how each the Apple Stores in Century City, Beverly Center, and The Grove were going to run the iPhone launch.) However, security kicked us out.

I didn't want to go back home, and had nothing to do. I talked to the security outside The Apple Store, and asked if there was anything open this late/early, but to nothing except a local cafe was open. Mav and his wife came in to join in on the conversation. Likewise, the security still kept folks from forming a line.