Apple opening pop-up store at SXSW for iPad 2 launch

For all you South by Southwest Interactive attendees distraught at the prospect of missing out on the Apple iPad 2's launch at 5pm on Friday, you're in luck. According to an Austin newspaper, Apple is opening a pop-up store tomorrow just for you.

A leasing agent told Austin's The Statesman that Apple is retrofitting a 5,000 square foot temporary store in the Scarbrough Building on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin. Apple is said to have leased the space for two weeks. Construction apparently began on Wednesday, and the windows are still covered with black vinyl.

"They came in town on Monday, did a quick tour, found a spot, and they're in there working and will open by Friday," Rance Wilemon, a partner at Plat.Form Real Estate told The Statesman. "We would have loved to have had them" in the Second Street District. "They're just a great draw."

Wilemon added that Apple's pop-up is not about testing the market as it is about being a part of the conference. Apple has two retail stores in Austin that draw in around $30 million in sales a year, the Statesman reported.

Apple is launching the highly anticipated iPad 2 on Friday at 5 p.m. The second-generation tablet will be in Apple stores, Best Buy, and Target. Wal-mart said it will offer the iPad 2 in the future.

Unlike last year, Apple is not offering a pre-sale period. Get ready for some long lines.

This article, written by Sara Yin, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc.