iPhone 4S lottery in Hong Kong squashes scalpers

With its new iPhone 4S lottery system in Hong Kong, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is trying to defeat Chinese scalpers. Now you can't just walk into the Central District and pick up the latest pomaceous shiny. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers take a number.

Your humble blogwatcher (@richi ) curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention: The World Isn't Getting Any Better...

    Christian Zibreg reports:

A newly set up page on the Hong Kong Apple online store has a lottery system..for iPhone reservations. .. [C]ustomers are now required to provide..a government-issued photo ID matching the name and ID number. .. Those who “won” a reservation spot will be informed by email.

...

Apple specifically said it will not be selling iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S to walk-in customers. .. Perhaps Apple [will] implement..this system in Mainland China..[where] scalpers are pretty organized, hiring migrant workers to stand in the line.   

Gary Allen adds:

Economic conditions and demand..in China has created throngs of paid line-sitters who squeeze out ordinary buyers. .. [Then] gray market dealers..sell the handsets in small cities..and wholesale them to dealers in other countries.   

And Mark Rabytells us what else was wrong before:

Previously, the online form..allow[ed] bots to ping the server all day and [take] all the reservation spots in a matter of seconds.   

Joe White calls it "a great idea":

[At] Apple’s Beijing retail store..scalpers meant the initial launch of the iPhone 4S descended into chaos. .. Apple is desperate to avoid a repeat situation.

..

I just wonder if Apple has plans to launch this worldwide, or if it’s only going to be used for emergenc[ies].   

But Chris Rawson ain't hopeful:

Time will tell if this will..give everyone else fair and easy access to iPhones. .. It's a fair bet that the scalpers are already looking for ways to defeat or exploit the lottery system.   

Meanwhile, Dan Moren offers this obscure Shirley Jackson reference:

[The] winners get a chance to buy an iPhone, and the losers get stoned.   

And Finally...
The World Isn't Getting Any Better... or is it?
  
 
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Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. He's the creator and main author of Computerworld's IT Blogwatch -- for which he has won American Society of Business Publication Editors and Jesse H. Neal awards on behalf of Computerworld. He also writes The Long View for IDG Enterprise. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com. You can also read Richi's full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.