Already in KLCC. The shopping center, not the convention center. Waiting for the text from my brother already roaming inside the showfloor for the green light for the general public to go in.

No hurry. The doors only open at 1800.

Heading there now, to record the hilarity....oooops, I mean festivities.

Already bad news for those who aren't prebookers. They are ushering prebookers first, walk-ins are held off at the entry arch. Once they've settled the prebookers, the walk-in crowd should be able to enter next.

Snap a few pics, but that's it.

Yup, it's true then. I'm stuck outside here. No confirmation email slip, cannot enter. Not media, also cannot enter. Those still outside and planning to come, stay back. This event is by invitation only, I'm afraid.

RX330 bro, even he can't do much. Don't want to risk his job for just a peek.

Hanxz is inside, and doing a great job covering the event. I hope pics are coming from him as well.

Anyway, they seems to be shuffling the VIPs to the VIP section on the other side of the convention center. The prebookers are still inside.

Yup the launch is over. Now's the mundane procedures of picking up the iPhones by prebookers. Already saw a couple of early ones lining up coming out with their iPhones.

As for tomorrow and Sunday's event and whether non-prebookers can come in, it may depend on who you are with. Harmeet is on his way here, wasn't one of the prebookers but he has 3 prebookers already inside the hall who could come outside and invite him in. Gracious that he offered to get me in, appreciate it bro. But the launch is done, so I'll take a raincheck on that.

Personally I don't understand on the apparent stance of Maxis restricting entrance, is the hall too small? This reeks of snobbishness, I'm sure everyone would agree that the more exposure this event gets, the better. Exclusively limiting this to prebookers only makes it look like the iPhone is only for the select few only.

Take for example the American or even the New Zealand launch. There are no segregation between those preordering and those walking in and just wanting to join the festivities. Everyone was treated as equals.Not with all these panderings and kissing up to VIPs like Datuks or the PM. This device is not just for the select few.

I can hardly call this launch a packed and huge lineup. There wasn't much of a line at all, and the fun and camaraderie is shielded from the general public inside walled spaces. In fact, other than the word of mouth and sprinkles of advertisements here and there, nobody who roams the outside of KLCC would even know there is an iPhone launch at all. We diehards and nerds would of course know about it , but Joe Public definitely would remain oblivious.

This air of exclusivity is worrying. I'd rather have lots more people able to afford and enjoy the iPhone as I have been, than turning it into a status symbol, as what Maxis is implying, intentionally or otherwise.

In any case, I'm outta here catching a movie and dinner. Just saw someone looking like xaw walking past by me. To the new owners, welcome! Congratulations and please make full use of your iPhone.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Mar 20 2009, 07:42 PM

There were sprinkles of cheers when those with confirmation slips were ushered in the line. I would not know because I'm not special enough to go inside.

Hanxz may be able to clarify this.

I'm dismayed by the fact that Maxis panders more to the VIPs than the average folks. The objective is to get the iPhone into more hands of the ordinary people, but they treat it the other way round. The price's atrocious, the plan's restrictive, and the event itself shows how important "the average Joes and Janes" factor into their iPhone plans.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Mar 20 2009, 07:48 PM

I wish I coould do more than just typing words.

Post your experience tomorrow.

I LOLed when I read that. We all know who the REAL first iPhone user in Malaysia....................[b]that douchebag Indian guy who bought his iPhone EDGE from UK, and flaunted and paraded it in Lowyat Plaza, but unable to make a call because it was locked! I still remember that fiasco and still have a chuckle when I hear that from the guys at MacStudio. The poor bugger wants to show off his iPhone, but that thing is essentially just an iPod with every radio component locked out. Douchebag indeed.

Aiyaaaahh, dont worry lah about the call, but I did thought about wanting to pass you the Xacti and ask you to record it in Full HD, since you have the credentials.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Mar 21 2009, 12:26 AM

My apologies to Nokia, body's willing but redtape held me back. Sorry bro.

This is getting OT, but.....

@Hanxz,


I ended up meeting Harmeet (he's done his civic duty of spreading the iPhone love to 3 of his friends and brother), catch up with old times. He's on his way back to Johor now.

I think that's what everyone is doing as well, nobody wants to hang around stuffy packed hall more than they care. But you have to remember, you're not the only one wanting this. Take a number.

@Hanxz
I may have done that already. shhhhhhh!

I was looking through pics snapped by Harmeet, and it does not look comfortable inside the waiting hall. Stuffy and packed with bodies. Perhaps that's why they limit the number of people going in. Dont want people to suffocate.

As a consolation, I get a T-shirt though, from my bro.

I'm curious on that as well. On the subject of space, Maxis has done a terrific job on the launch venue though, KL convention Center does that professional-look and wide space, relatively wide spaces compared to the launch at NZ for example, at the smallish Vodafone store downtown. That was hellish, and crazy!

But I'll be lying if I didn't tear up a bit when I saw the banners from the ceiling on the iPhone3G. All this while, been seeing those at Apple stores overseas, seeing it here sort of affirms the position of Malaysia as a country not missing out on this. Yes, late by 21 months, but better late then never. Now, let's see if the upcoming June/July "extravaganza" here stays on time with the rest of the world.

Better hurry, Machines was packed today when I was with Harmeet. They ran out of lots of accessories for the iPhone.

Hmmm. What pic did Harmeet show me?

I'm curious though, did anyone who attended the event asked questions about the iPhone, and were the crew competent enough on answering your questions. This applies more on those who had the iPhone3G before and was asking questions to test the knowledge of the staff there. Harmeet's iPhone3G was jailbroken, and he got "interesting" looks and "answers" when he push these staff further on more advanced queries on the iPhone.

---

Added on March 21, 2009, 1:12 amThis is individual taste. Mine is white, and I used the black Neo case and it looks fine by me. It is naked now, and permanently slipped onto the Mophie Juice Pack. Never worry about running out of power anymore.




This post has been edited by stringfellow: Mar 21 2009, 01:12 AM

Most definitely does. You can opt not to have it plugged in all the time, and use it whenever your iPhone is running out of charge, the Juice Pack will drain its charge into the iPhone, acting like a charger.

www.mophie.com. USD99. Crxr got mine for me. But this is later, once you start drawing out your activity pattern with the iPhone and see how long you can make it last. First of all, get protection! Either an Invisible Shield, a Bodyguards, or bare minimum, a screen protector. Purchasing a case usually comes with a screen protector bundled together. Search the forums.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Mar 21 2009, 01:28 AM

But it does not negate or confirms the notion that Malaysia may be the dumping ground for unsold Singaporean sets. How does that tell you, with regard to the fact that dumping material being sold at price higher than where they are not wanted?

The "price reduction soon" thing may not come from the notion that they may be leftovers at all, but from what's possibly "coming soon" this June/July.

Notice the wordplay....with phrases like "may" and "possibly", as disclaimer of what may or may not arrive this summer 2009.

It's not going to happen SOON. Otherwise, these early adopters who had no choice but to choose the most "affordable" plan to them, will hound them to Hell with this. It took AT&T 8 months to revise their plan even when their stock of iPhones are not flying off the shelves, and it's not going to happen here.

Imagine if a plan revision happens merely 2-3 months after the launch, there will be riot at hand! Bear in mind, the launch audience also includes powerful/influential figures in Malaysia, so screwing these folks are not of best interest to Maxis. When you are tied for 24 months, you have no choice but to serve the 24 months sentence.......I mean term, with no chance of parole........I mean revision. That is what a contract plan is all about. And changing your said plan too early in the game will only look bad, both on you the telco(meaning you never had confidence in your product by flip-floping in your decisions) and to your customers(you are screwing your early adopters, who are the ones most willing to take the brunt of the damage, rather than those on the fence, or bystanders who are observing the situation.)

If it does happen, and Maxis does offer a revised plan, I'm just gonna grab popcorn and a lounge chair,sit back and watch the hilarity as riot breaks out on the street, and mobs of angry Maxis iPhone early adopters storm Manara Maxis, demanding their "jail sentence" to be lightened or made equal as the revised plan. Nobody likes being in jail longer than they should, and if there is a chance of "parole", everyone takes it....with Malaysians being who they are.

.......Unless Maxis themselves takes it in their collective asses and begrudgingly comply and reduces everyone else's plan to a suitable level. If that happens, then there will be the other groups of disgruntled people, ........the Maxis people themselves. when push comes to shove, everyone here knows (even reflected here among the authorities here) that you "take care of your own kind first" rather than the other. And whose kind will Maxis take care first, if not their own?

You signed an agreement, and it is lawfully binding, no amount of complaining, disgruntling or rioting can you weasel your way out of it. That is why you read the fine print and terms of service and conditions before putting down your signature on a piece of paper.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Mar 21 2009, 06:24 PM