Well, optus have said they are just opening early in the day and not at night - but I would certainly prefer a midnight launch. I don't know what I would do if Vodafone decided to have a midnight launch while optus where doing the morning. Would the matter of 7hrs be enough for anyone here to switch to the other carrier? I'm guessing yes.

Seriously, the Optus store in the city is so hideously small as to be a joke.

I can't imagine how they are going to accommodate any large number of people queuing in or outside (given that it happens to be on one of the busiest corners in the city), or how their one-person service desk and minimal number of staff is going to be able to hold (let alone process) the volume of stock that would be required.

I'm taking my chances at whatever is the nearest local 7am-er to avoid a cold, long wait and avoid having to take more time off work. It is, after al, just a phone.

Not me, if I get an iPhone on the 11th, I'll be happy. I'd rather be warm in bed after a nice meal at home than to get an iPhone 7 hours earlier than someone else.

Hey I'd still go with Optus then! Cuts down on *my* queue if all the real lunatics queued the night before

Reminds me of an old "How Green is my Cactus" episode, with George Bush and his "Ear Pod".

"I ain't sticking nothin in My eye!........

its not being first that im worried about, its missing out and having to wait a month that will kill me

Yes , thats soo tru , and i like 99 percent of peopleare thinking that ...i dont give a fuck if im first or w/e or if im on tv ... I just care that i have an iphone 3g black 16gb on july 11th in my hand...or else ill rob anyone in the cbd for theirs ..

I see you point, I guess if noone else is at the Optus store I'm going to, I'll be first in line. If there are others but they didn't pay a deposit, then I'll still be first in line.
It's a win win situation

The impression I'm getting is that most of the problems will be people-related: a number of stores will have far fewer iPhones than the number of people that will turn up; some people buying the iPhones probably won't know the full details of the plans they are signing up for; at least one carrier will have trouble getting the phones on the network (Sod's Law dictates it) and not all the staff will be clued in about the product.

Pre-ordering for the expected second batch in August will probably be the least stressful option. But good luck to all those who must have it on day one. At the very least your stories will be entertaining.

but if you the only one going, would they stock it at that store?

*taps nose*

Good point, good thing I called them and confirmed it all today.......

Why can some Optus World stores confirm stock, and others can't?

Some have their finger on the pulse. Some don't have a pulse.

I went to the Optus store @ Southland next to Big W (Melbourne SE Suburbs) today and asked the young guy there about it. He gave nothing away, couldn't confirm any different opening hours or stock. He just said "first come first serve".

damnit thats where i was planning on going