By Jim Melwert

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The new iPad goes on sale today and the usual line of eager Apple devotees were lined up outside the Center City store, early this morning.

This is the third version of Apple’s iPad, known simply as “the new iPad.” But, with its release at 8 a.m., some Apple fanatics started lining up here at the Center City store at 16th and Walnut, last night, for the honor of being one of the first to plunk down anywhere from $500 for the cheapest version to over $800 for all the bells and whistles.

Among them, B.J. Clary from Croydon, who says these releases are as much a social event as they are about being the first, since you could have had the device delivered right to your home today. It’s his first time sleeping out for an Apple release.

“I kind of wanted to experience — my buddy here wanted to see what it was like. Quite the experience with all these people, all like minded folks.”

Many people waiting in line are passing the time on — you guessed it — iPads.

At the head of this line, University of Pennsylvania student Christos Pavlides says he has every iPod, iPhone, and iPad that Apple’s released, but he still got here at 10 o’clock last night so he’d be first.

“It makes you organize yourself, it helps you for your time.

Reporter: “It frees you up so you can wait in line for more Apple products, right?”

Pavlides: “Yes. And I wanted for the first time to be first so, I came first so, I’m lucky.”

People here waiting say the new feature they’re most excited about is the new high-resolution screen.