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"Don't buy the iPhone now! - wait a couple of weeks..." - useless advice from pundits

Queues outside Apple stores today reflect the urgency felt by the Devoted - those for whom Apple is not just a provider of tech, but a style and lifestyle guide. But what's the rush?

Much American comment is crystallising around the idea that "actually, you'll do better to wait."

AP Technology Writer Peter Svennson observed: "The level of hype and demand for Apple Inc.'s phone is reminiscent of the debut of the PlayStation 3 game console in November, when minor riots broke out at some electronics stores. However, eBay prices for resold PS3s quickly fell, and two months later the console was in ample supply."

It's advice which, however good, is falling on pretty deaf ears. Jeffrey Kelley at Times Dispatch quoted Mac worshipper Mike Rancka, 53, a longtime lover of all things Mac, for whom the iPhone is worth the cost and represents the epitome of what Apple has become: the intersection of technological innovation and ease of use:

"I've been waiting for years for a product like this," he said. "I feel at home with it, and I don't even have one yet."

See also "The Wait Is Over