Over 400 Apple enthusiasts lined up Saturday morning -- some queueing since Friday night -- to be among the first customers at the opening of China's first Apple Store in Beijing.

For Beijing's Apple users, the opening was the end of a wait that began when Apple first launched dedicated retail stores in 2001. David Feng, head of the Beijing Macintosh Users Group, began camping out at 9 p.m. local time Friday night, putting him sixth in line. About 50 people waited overnight, with a few hundred more arriving before the opening, he said.

"Apple brings with it a young, creative spirit," said Zhang Youdai, a Beijing radio DJ and Apple user, who arrived not long before the store's opening.

Local Apple buyers face higher prices than their overseas counterparts. Some items, such as the iPod touch's 32G byte model, sell for 30 percent more than in the U.S. online store. Feng said Chinese customers were unfazed. "This is what we pay for Apple quality," he said.

Source: IDG News