Tech queues do a good line in enthusiasm Fans queue outside an Apple store waiting for the release of the iPhone 5s. Picture: Bill Hearne Source: News Corp Australia WE'VE seen them on TV and mocked them, but it's time to admit that we need the tech fangirls and boys who line up for things (even the crazy, unwashed ones who camp outside for days). These are the early adopters, those willing to make an idea or a product successful before it really deserves it, giving the company that makes it the confidence to improve and the install-base to make it worthwhile. As a journalist I have covered many lines for things, from iPhones to Wii Us (yes, people actually lined up for that), from games to operating systems. But before I was paid to write about it, I used to do it myself. So, as much as I may stand back now and mutter, "Why don't you just order it online? It could be being delivered to your house right now," I understand the motivation. Many people do it so they can be first, even though there are dozens of other stores that open at the same time with people lined up outside them. Some do it for the fame, like Ben, who lined up outside the Sydney Apple Store for 17 hours so he could unbox it on YouTube. I did it because those lines are like a fan convention: everyone is a little odd but interesting and we're united by our passion for something. From those lines I made friends with whom I've kept in contact for years. And for a girl who hates camping, sleeping in a warm sleeping bag in a shopping centre with convenient facilities was probably the most enjoyable camping experience ever. It helps that the store employees were all nice, excited and treated you like a rock star just for buying a phone. I wouldn't do it now (I don't even line up at conventions for more than five minutes, unless it's for a Buffy or Xena cast member), but I'm glad I did it then. Besides, back in those days you couldn't preorder and definitely have it show up. I was in my first queue for more than eight hours, was seventh in line and the store sold out of the phone in the colour and size I wanted before I got to the front. Everyone is a fan of something. It could be a band, a TV show or insurance, but there is some thing that we love more than any of the other things like it and that makes it special. The things that we're passionate about are what make us interesting. Those who hide what they love are generally boring, and sometimes it's nice to be around people who share your passion, even if they can be a little weird. Last Thursday, people around the country lined up for their new Xbox One as soon as the clock hit 12. One guy I spoke to had pre-ordered his two years ago, before the product was announced. But he loved his original Xbox, and his Xbox 360, so he had faith that Microsoft, which disappointed so many with Windows Vista, wouldn't let him down. No one in Melbourne or Sydney spent days camped outside a store because, frankly, there was no danger of anywhere running out of Xbox Ones and nearly everyone had pre-ordered and paid off their consoles by earlier that day. But there were a few diehards who lined up for seven hours at Knox and one guy flew from Gladstone to pick up his console in Sydney. Microsoft had made sure there were no supply difficulties, so there are still a few to go around. The same, however, can't be said for Sony's PlayStation 4, launching on Friday. That sold out months ago and anyone who pre-orders now might not see their PS4 until March 2014 (which, coincidentally, is when all the exclusive titles worth owning are released). Despite the fact that those fans ordered months ago and their consoles will be waiting for them in store, and despite the fact that when they get home they will be too tired to actually play (and will have to download a massive Day One patch before they can do so), people will still show up. A guy in New York lined up for 20 hours. We might not be that crazy, but we still have passion. Alice Clarke is a Melbourne writer. twitter @Alicedkc