waiting on the iPhone
 

**keep in mind, the store is 3/4 of the way down the block...so in the first pic what u see is a line about 1/2 a block long!



http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/groups/g_10...AL6dIBDpF1pkhg

http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/groups/g_10...AL6dIBuf.sLdC4

now that we can tote 'em...i wonder if the handgun line in DC is gonna be that long?

a repeat of last year
 

In a repeat of last year's problems, it looks like the insane demand for the iPhone 3G has taken its toll on Apple's iTunes activation servers -- that's a picture of iTunes locking up in the Chicago AT&T flagship earlier this morning. We're hearing that the servers are now definitely down after being intermittently active for the past few hours, and that customers are either being turned away or sent home from both Apple and AT&T stores to activate at home using iTunes. That's especially interesting since it suggests that AT&T was insisting on in-store activation to thwart unlockers, but for right now the real news is that lots of eager iPhone 3G buyers are stuck with two useless phones, since upgrading from a first-gen unit disables the SIM. Ouch. We'll keep you updated.

Update: Apple has confirmed to us that activation is down, and that customers are being asked to take the phone home and activate via iTunes later. We're not sure what good that'll do, since the servers are down no matter where you are, but Apple says it's "working on a solution." In the meantime, it looks like the new SIM works in first-gen units, so at least upgraders aren't totally phone-deprived. Oh, and remember that updating a first-gen iPhone to 2.0 requires hitting the server as well, so if you haven't taken the plunge we'd say hold off until this all gets sorted.

Update 2: In related news, those updating their first-gen iPhone to 2.0 are also getting caught in the activation shuffle, leaving some with bricked iPhones. In our test case, the activation servers came back up after about 45 minutes just long enough to get 2.0 running on our first-gen iPhone, but not all have been so lucky. Is your first-gen iPhone stuck in activation limbo from the update? Let us know.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/11/i...ers-being-sen/

Heard a cool story about Eddie Vedder's girlfriend losing hers in a cab and the guy who found it was a Pearl Jam fan and got hooked up.

Hubby has a first generation iPhone he bought last summer and a few weeks ago, some f-er stole it at the move theatre. He is a software engineer and therefore has a lot of use for thing, so he had to get another one. This time, we're insuring it.

One of hubby's friends (also in software; they are both Mac customer beta testers) got this new iPhone a few weeks ago. Some people are MAC people, some aren't. I guess for Mac people, it's Christmas in July.

I was almost able to download version 2.0 on itunes today. When my computer restarted to install it didn't finish the download process.

Got a text from my friends saying the Apple Store at Ala Moana provided Starbucks to customers waiting in line. 250 people were lined up this morning at 7:30, and many say the store and employees were very well organized!

Both my Sister in law and brother in law tried to update their old models and both got a red signal on their phone saying that it was being restored to factory conditions, meaning they would have lost all their pictures, music, phone numbers, emails, etc.

They were both having fits!!! but, it was restored after a few hours.

It was kind of amusing how mad they were! But, I guess I"d be the same way.

So, a big *bump* on this thread...

I'm considering getting the IPhone, but wanted to hear any feedback from members of the board who have one. I would have it purely for personal use (i.e. not used for business).

Is it worth it to buy one? Any serious problems?

I bought mine October 1st. I love it.
The only drawbacks: I don't care for the GPS (thankfully I have my own), I wish it had cut and paste
Oh yes, the ring silencer is easy to hit so you can have a tendency to inadvertently turn off your ringer (and piss your spouse off when they are trying to get hold of you)

other than that, the only way you can have my phone is to pry it from my cold dead hands

Have you thought of the Blackberry Storm? I don't have one, but I like that you click the touchscreen so you have to be pretty freakin' sure you wanna push that button.

ETA: Here's a review with pros and cons: http://gizmodo.com/5060378/blackberr...first-hands-on

Just like with the iPhone, I'm sure eventually there will be hacks you can do to get it to run on any network you want, not just Verizon.

Once I am able to run an Iphone on verizon flawlessly, I will buy one.

Thanks for the comments. My wife is a big fan of the Blackberry (she's had one for work for a couple of years), so I'll probably check out the Storm as well.

I'm waiting to see what Google does with Android. I know there's a T-Mobile phone with it right now, but I really like the idea of an open-source phone OS.

I'm a fairly strong advocate of open-source everything. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Apple's DRM makes it impossible to copy everything I buy to my next iPhone, or to back it up in case of theft or failure? I can't see myself being very interested in a product which I'll invariably load up with applications, only to dump those applications when I replace the phone in 2-3 years.

Yes...DRM is a major killer....however if you have an ipod and need backup....drop me a line and I can point you in the right directions

The thing about it is that this is something I want. I do not need it. Therefore, I'll wait until either my wants are met perfectly, or I'll just continue to use my present phone, a Motorola SLVR, which is a fine phone with a passable MP3 player for the foreseeable future.

Besides.... I'm not sure I want to be 'that guy' at the party who whips out his internet-phone to prove people wrong. I'm pretty sure with an internet phone I'd be 'that guy,' and I think I'd be pretty damned annoying.

Also, wtf with the pricing? You have the full internet, but they still want to charge extra for text messaging?

Restraint is a beautiful thing. Internet phones used for e-mail, directions, even twitter are fine. It's when you're checking twitter when you are out to dinner with your girlfriend when it gets annoying. Not that I'm speaking from personal experience. Scratch that - I'm speaking from personal experience.

ok...

I am one month away from renewing my contract with Verizon.

I am contemplating either sticking with Verizon and getting a Storm (which is ok but I still think is inferior to the iPhone) or jumping ship and getting with AT&T for the iPhone.

The pros and cons I am looking at seem to be that Verizon has had consistent service and their phones are pretty reliable. Most of my friends are on Verizon so of course calling them any time of the day is free and not killing me in minutes. On the Metro I know where my dead spots are with my phone but it is very rare that I sue my phone underground so I am not too worried about that any more.

I have looked at the Storm and have a few friends and co workers that have it and they seem satisfied. I played around with it and it's ok but it really just doesn't leap out at me.

Cons I guess would be, I don't know too many people who have AT&T and those that do don't seem all that happy. I stress though, it's not that many.

So, I guess, I would like to ask those here who have AT&T's service to give me some advice about making the move if I decide to go in that direction.

Moreso, if you live in or near DC or a big city that sometimes require metro travel, how is your service?

I still would like to see if Apple comes out with an iPhone for Verizon but it doesn't seem like it's happening anytime soon and to me anything else on the market just isn't as good.

i had at&t and it worked fine when i visited DC...and u know Apple would make a KILLING if Verizon got that iphone...i am the impatient type so i just got an ipod touch last week lol, i dont even miss the phone feature!

and that is just it...I have the touch and it feels....lobotomized... don't get me wrong, I love this thing to death for what you can do and how intuitive it feels but there are certain features on it that doesn't work unless you are in a wifi hotspot or have the phone features.

It's just teasing me...

The earliest I hear that Verizon would get the iPhone on thier network if technology goes the right way (or AT&T cancels their contract) wouldn't be until 2011 or 2012

dammit what do you WANT from apple?? lmao! im always around WIFI so it doesnt bother me, and hell i have full internet on my phone, so something is gonna work somewhere! half the time i forget it even has my songs on it lol

u are just SO complicated...typical man...:D

I want apple and verizon spawn the ultimate iPhone.... 64gb SSD, battery life 16hrs on one charge and will stay updated for at least 5 years...that's not asking for much...HA!


Remind me not to tell you about some of the other gadgets I have...hehe!


google Cowon A2

lay off the SciFi channel, mkay? i dont think Spock & Kirk had a device that sweet lmao! and yeah, that Cowon A2 is the hotness...i need to stay far, far away from it...

Just imagine 8 to 10 hrs battery life...no lie...

Just imagine any movie you can get on there.

and did I say music?

The only downside is the bulk but it's more than worth it.

Oh..did I say it had an FM Tuner on it too?

And you can view photos?

Let me shut up.

http://www.pomegranatephone.com/

You need one of these.

An all in one phone....shaver, brewer, galactic translator, laser gun and phone

It doesn't help that it looks like a Swiss army knife either!

The design is cool, too bad it's not real.

Why are you messing with ME!!??!

If you care, I do have an iPhone now. After I got it, my wife got one as well.

The only drawback (and it's a pretty major drawback) is that it doesn't play flash.

Once my two years is up, if AT&T has a good Android phone like an HTC Touch Pro (but those are too thick), that's what I'll probably do. Also, iPhone has compatibility issues with some software which is written for smartphones. In particular, it doesn't work with my law office's docketing software except to synchronize through Outlook which means things are always going to be delayed a bit.

No flash is kind of major... and I just talked ot the ATT rep who stated that supposedly by the end of the year they will have upgraded their network so that the phones will work better underground. That is one of the top things I need in a phone right now...

I have Verizon and Live-in has AT&T and neither of our phones get service when the L goes underground in Chicago.

Well that is the problem here in DC...since Verizon's network runs underground, you can get service but there are a few dead spots. Other carriers can roam on verizon's networks but they would have more issues doing so thus a much poorer signal or just simply have no service at all.

This isn't a big issue for me in OKC.

The only underground we have is "The Underground" which is a series of tunnels which connect our downtown buildings. I use them maybe once a month and my phone works okay down there. I get good reception in the courthouse and state capitol basements. My main complaint with AT&T is even downtown where you'd expect coverage to be spectacular, I still get a lot of dropped calls.

We don't have Verizon here and I'm unwilling to go to Sprint because of their awful customer service. The other companies (TMobile, Cricket, etc.) I've never even seriously considered.

Please don't ever...eeeeeevvvvvveeerr, EVER go to Sprint.

I was so mad with their Customer Service staff I wound up breaking the contract 3 months ahead of schedule.

I've had very little problems with Sprint once they smoothed out the merger madness of 2007. I pay less than most of my friends with more features, my service works everywhere, and I have my parents on my plan and data access, and we're paying less than $75 for the three of us on a shared plan. Even though they gave me the AIDS phone (it was during the merger), they fixed the problems and I have an amazing phone now. The deal was pretty much sealed when I was in nowhere Alaska, where Sprint doesn't even operate, and I had service whereas people with Alaskan carriers didn't and I never paid roaming fees.

I have to agree. If Sprint asked me to be their spokesperson, I'd gladly do it in a heartbeat.

When I got my first cell phone in 1998, it was then called PrimeCo. Then it was bought by QualComm, then bought by Sprint. The only changes I've made to my original plans from 1998 was adding the Vision Pack, which I had to get if I wanted Internet and Text Messaging. Still, it was only $15 extra and I still pay $50 less than what my friends are paying for their fancy iPhones and smartphones. (I have a smartphone too)

Each complaint is taken care of very quickly, and I manage to get some bucks knocked off my bill every now and then. The guys at the Sprint Store near my home are friendly, honest, and knowledgable, and I've never had a problem with them. Unless they royally dick me over with my bill (like AT&T's done with a lot of my friends), I don't plan on ever switching from Sprint to another carrier.

Yup! No underground service with BART in San Francisco