OMG THE SKY IS FALLING! WHO CARES! get a palm phone, its been doing what a iphone has been doing for years... plus a thousand other things..

ROFL! Doing what the iPhone has been doing for years and yet no one gave a crap about it. No buzz, no world wide enthusiasm, and definitely no long lines wrapping around the block much less stories of someone camping out a WEEK early for a crappy Palm or Blackberry.

But nice try at trolling though, I'll give you 1/2 a star out of 5...

as for your trolling, no stars, no soup for you

and cell phones are just a fad, they'll be out in a couple years, just like the internet :)

Heh...

for a crappy Palm or Blackberry.


"Smartphone" Market Share:

#1 Nokia
#2 RIM (the makers of that "crappy" blackberry")
#3 Apple

Yeah, obviously people would *much* rather have the iPhone.

Keep trying, fanboy.

Palm needs to do something about their new phones. The treos are far from a good phone anymore.

The treos are far from a good phone anymore.

Yeah, sure....

Like, I saw one yesterday....*right next to a blackberry*.

Couldn't have been more than 1/2 a foot apart. You call that far????

;)

I love the attacks on this forum...bah... If you say anything in favor of the iPhone, you're a fanboi, and if you attack them, you are just a flamer - that about cover it?

For one: I've had a Nokia, StarTac, a RAZR, an HTC 8125, and now an iPhone 3G. Favorite so far: StarTac. It was just a clean phone. Couldn't sync or anything..but just worked really well. Battery life was pretty decent too...up to about 4 or 5 hours easily.

All the rest on GSM networks got about 3~4 hours at best. My iPhone 3G gets about 9.5 hours. Chops down to about 7 with wifi and Bluetooth on, in a non-3G area. Great GPS, decent photos (for a phone camera...certainly beats my RAZR), great syncing for Calendar/Contacts.

It's not a perfect device, but I can't name one that is. No matter how you cut it, NO phone will ever work perfectly for 100% of the population - we all have varying needs that can't be met by any one device.

This is just like the CSP flaming wars: Some hate AT&T, some hate Verizon, some hate....etc.

Get over all of it. If the phone works for you, great. Unless you have one and can actually atest to it's abilities, quit relying on the highly biased reviews that are commonly out there.

That's the common sense that is lacking everywhere. Good post. I agree in the fact that after having phones that do it all, and climbing higher and higher in the hype machine, you finally just want what covers your basic needs and cuts with the tech dependancy.
For me: a device that makes calls and sms :) , has a small camera, has an alarm to wake me up and a calendar, allows me to write some reminders/notes for things i might have to do and thoughts and lets me surf with Opera Mini sporadically. That's it.

Everything else is buzz.

Peace.

Yay! it's Apple trash week! oh boy...

The problem is that we with older phones have all been bricked just because we upgraded our software. No option to undo or restore. Now millions of older iphone users are colliding with the new iphone users on iTunes. FUBAR.

I'm sure somebody has asked this question before, but why the hell did Apple chose to use iTunes to activate the iPhone??? Shouldn't they (Apple super developers) create a special activation application (like on Windows) instead? Also, is this server connected to a DSL line or something?

Maybe the edgy Apple dude should ask the fat n' sweaty PC guy for some advice.

Nerds' biggest nightmare. LOL

Which apple servers are they using, apparently they aren't that scalable?
Regards,

A bunch of "me first" sheep that need to be seen with an iPhone to feel any self worth. I still use a RAZR and hide it in my front pocket as opposed to wearing it on my belt like so many losers.

I saw a mullet wearing redneck with three different phones on his hip and a Bluetooth headset (you know the one's that look like you have a d*** growing out of you ear). You can tell he needed to feel important or at least appear that way to other people. He was some greasy fat a** who looked like a fast food employee and had a bad southern drawl (which makes anyone sound stupid).

My favorite is people in the airport who call anybody and everybody in thier phone book so they can look important while waiting in the terminal. I had a loser with an iPhone go down his list one by one, calling everybody for no reason to impress a hottie who was sitting accross from us.

I gave her a smirk look and shook my head, she knew exactly what I was thinking and laughed as this went on for over 45 minutes. He was texting non stop after the got off his high level discussion phone calls.

Precisely why I've come to the conclusion that it's the reason why there is no voice dialing on the iPhone. Apple wants you to use the phone to dial... other people have just gotta see that Apple logo.

After all, it's cool and trendy to be a walking billboard.

When consumers pay you to advertise your products for you, that's success.

man I thought I was the only one who was like me in regards to cellphones...at least in my state...

whatever else we may or may not agree on in this anon internet world...I like your comments :D

sigh all this hoopla over a cell phone, doesn't everybody know cell phones are just a fad and will be out within a couple years, just like the internet :)

Fix for Text Messaging:

Buy a stamp and an envelope, put the address on the outside of the envelope... and don't forget to put some letters and numbers on the inside pages - it helps if they are in some sort of pre-arranged order to help with decrypting your message, drop in box near the end of road, wait... sooner or later someone will send you a stamp and an envelope back with letters and numbers on the inside pages as well. You may need to tear the envelope open to see the inside pages. Also be careful because you can still catch viruses thru the snail mail.

Good luck to you. :o)

They have to wait more than 10 seconds, and as such, it totally fails the ADD generation test.

Sorry. Not going to win anyone over here. ;)

Besides, the network is down every Sunday in addition to federal holidays.

Not very reliable in my opinion. ;)

Reminds me of Steve Jobs' remarks about "third party software bringing down the entire network". Only this time, it's their own activation software bringing down their own network.

HAHAHAHA LOL. ROTHFLMAO!!!!

Thats what you get for trying to buy some new technology straight out of the gate! If people weren't so eager to be FIRST, then maybe electronic manufacturers would spend more time to get it RIGHT. Just like that idiot on your bumper and then when they finally do pass you, your still both at the same light! SLOW DOWN AND WAIT! Being first isn't always the best course of action.

A-P-P-L-E

That's how you spell "chaos".

AND...If that isn't enough, having an iPhone can actually help you get laid !!!

http://lifehacker.com/39...-gets-you-laid-and-more

Did I get this right...? This means that people who have an iphone got bigger problems getting laid than others, otherwise why bother buying the iphone?

what? this is obvious lies...as Apple claims on all its products..."it just works"...

sarcasm off, just in case some didn't know, lol

and for the goober who always tries to repeat his obnoxiousness...I don't care about apple products but where does that mean I can't comment on it? I don't buy them...seems normal.

Anyone else not tired of this phone that:

-Does not send MMS messages
-Cannot send contact info
-Unstable WLAN and 3G
-Camera that doesnt even take decent photos, and no video recording
-100% Locked to itunes (yuck)
-No flash support
-Java programs dont work
-Battery life is among the worst in its class

And on top of all this, it doesnt even seem to work properly out of the box. Hopefully apple will fix their servers to handle the load, but its not promising and its not the first time this has happened...

But even that put aside, im so sick and tired of this phone being looked upon as the saviour of mankind. Its a freaking phone and it has its good things and bad things like everything else. But its a PHONE!!!! only apple is capable of making such a fuzz about something like this. Cant wait until its over...

-Does not send MMS messages
-No flash support
-Java programs dont work

I see these as good things, personally. I have never send an MMS message when I can simply do it for free in gtalk or other client program.

Agree with the rest. Battery when browsing on 3G is just about 3 hours.

You think not having a feature is a good thing? That's like saying it's a good thing my computer won't play videos because I never watch them! It's kind of like nipples on men. You don't need them, but they are there just in case!

Unnecessary features introduce security issues. flash and java both have had a rash of security issues, (java, just wow, get your patch this week!). I don't want a scriptable cheap browser on my phone unless I directly control the scripts run...

ah...so it's better to not include a feature at all...then include it with the option of turning it off?? Hm...makes sense!! LOL.

MMS a security risk? I guess if you're worried about your friends sending you something you don't want your gf seeing...?

Apple fanboism at it's finest!

uh, I hate apple. I'm not even defending them, just saying it's not as big a deal as people make it out to be.

I just can't thank early adopters enough. They are the Alpha & Beta testers of hardware. Thanks to them when I buy hardware all the bugs have been worked out.

So those of you that are calling these hero's stupid because they sleep and stand in line for days. Remember they are doing that so higher intelligence people won't have too:-)LOL

its working fine now. Dont get your panties in a twist, haha

Hardy har har har.

Does anyone still think having a phone with an activation scheme like this and also tied to a carrier like this is still a good thing?

Absolutely it is!

Look at the press coverage!
Every news cast tonight will be dominated by pictures of hordes of rabid fans scrambling to get a phone in short supplyu and crying that SO MANY want the phone that they had to wait HOURS (LOL!) to get it activated!!

All this does to the general public is to make them even more aware of the product and to generate even more intrigue and interest into what is causing all the fuss and creating the image that hits thing is so radical and amazing that there must be a reason all of these idiots are running amuck trying to buy it and having to waste several hours of their lives without phone service! Oh the humanity!

The alternative, the stores open and anyone who wants one can get it and it is activated without a hitch.

Story value? NONE!

Duh! And the fact that even the anti-Apple fanbiys are running amuck simply adds to the hysteria as even those who claim not to care are totally focused on something they claim not to care about!

So tell me, suggest another way to create as much marketing hype surrounding a product? a company could easily produce sufficient product for a launch - especially as there is plenty of existing market experience with the product to anticipate the needs - and its not like they will have extras sitting around unsold!

The hype adds to the perception of demand and value.

hehe, love your sarcasm... :D

I guess all the other phone makers should start making Phone vs iPhone commercials, with a "cool, hip dude" with the iPhone at his desk docked repeatedly trying to activate his phone, with multiple people in stodgy business suits, normal soccer moms, rednecks in hillbilly gear all walking by saying:
"Whut? You got dem dere fancy iPhone? It don't work?" or someone whipping out their windows mobile or nokia/motorola/cricket phone and dialing Apple tech support and handing theirs to the iPhone guy saying: "Dude, it just works"

Another moronic post from foxfyre. Try reading the article next time. It specifically says there was _NO_ shortage of phones. The problem lies with activating the device. Your stupid theory of increasing demand by creating an artificial shortage doesn't hold any water.

The real reason the iPhone is tied to iTunes is because iTunes isn't performing so stellar, as much as Steve Jobs would like you to believe, so they need a way to force more people that install that piece of garbage.

Heeeeeeee's back!

The only moron here is the one who claims that I said that Apple artificially created a shortage and who is similarly unable to interpret sarcasm when he reads it.

Try becoming familiar with the business of marketing.

The point is a shortage doesn't hurt them! ...real or imagined! Nor did it hurt Sony with the PS3, nor MS with the XBox, nor Nintendo with the Wii.

It simply creates more media and consumer attention regarding the pent up demand for the device and brings it to the attention of even more folks who them wonder what the hype is all about - and maybe they should check into it too if SO MANY others are fanatically interested in it! So a shortage is not the negative that so many perceive it to be.

And you're right (LOL! ...well, that nonsensical comment is good for a laugh anyway!), the stupid iPod isn't performing well either, despite their literally owning the market segment. ...And iTunes sales are plummeting as well - despite their domination of the online download market.

The irony is that ALL of Apple's competitors WISH they were having such supply problems...in ALL of the mentioned market segments.

So keep talking, it gives us all a reason to laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKsJDLj4nDI

It's a start... :)

iTunes is finally working sometimes. You just need to keep trying, and the device will eventually activate. After about 20 timeouts and errors, it went through successfully.

Oh thank goodness!

I can only imagine the carnage and anxiety that grips the nation today!

Were you anxious or beginning to panic? I am so glad that you were not one of the trillions who might have had a delay in service and the inability to text for several hours!

I worry so much about those poor people whose lives are so absorbed by a stupid phone that they can't function for several hours without it. Just think, Aunt Sally might not have been able to update them on what she thinks of the latest American Idol compilation CD, your bff might not have been able to update on what that person you hate is wearing!, or heaven forbid, after that incredibly horrible July 4th performance of Taylor whatever, - the American Idol flop, you were delayed in downloading his greatest hit form iTunes!

Oh, the humanity.

As who could imagine simply relaxing and actually interacting with your friends or partner or your kids in person instead for a few hours.

;-)

My father-in-law was unable to use his new ipod purchased just yesterday because the apple store wasn't working.

iTunes?

You mean people actually pay for songs? Especially ones that are propretary to Apple hardware?

I don't think so. The music industry has been raping us for years, now it's my turn.

Especially ones that are propretary to Apple hardware?

Genius.

I downloaded a track from iTunes on my PC a year or so ago. Amazingly enough, even though *none* of the hardware in my PC is "Apple"...they played.

I understand you seem to think your righteous angst gives you some moral right to free music, but flat-out lying about one of the most popular online music stores?

Yeah...not helping your credibility at all.

There are moments today where if you just tried to play the song on a new machine it would not play, given itunes auth was down. The dangers of DRM are painfully clear now?

What did you do before digital downloads? Did you record songs onto audio cassettes off the radio? Or did you buy the cassettes/CDs/LPs? If you bought, why did you stop buying? Because you were getting raped?

Lame excuse for stealing.

I suppose you don't buy software either?

RIGHT ON!!!! lol

The dangers of DRM are painfully clear now?

Yep. Definitely.

Lucky for me, my *extra special* version of iTunes allowed me to burn the song to CD, at which point, I ripped it back to my hard disk as an ogg file.

...too bad only I got that version.

Oh...wait...

Everybody got that version!

So, no, I don't see the dangers of DRM. I do, however, see the dangers of large groups of stupid people. ;)

*Whispers* Quality loss */whispers*

LOL!

*laughs*

They were at 192 at the time. If I can hack 192, I can handle the marginal loss in quality from a re-encode, ffs.

LMAO

Hey Tool, if you burn them to a virtual CD drive you can a save your CD's and that makes you twice as smart:-)LOL

it is not that hard to convert an apple purchase to a MP3 with no DRM.

Huh.

Never thought about that. Does iTunes allow you to create an ISO image, or do you need your Virtual Drive to support "virtual" burning?

(I don't actually use iTunes....just that once to test it so some of the flamers here couldn't accuse me of never having used it, like I get to accuse El Dingo of any time he posts...)

LOL It would be way to boring without flamers

Use Magic Disc, it does the job.

What quality?

These days, there is practically no such thing anymore (with the exception of a handful of rare gems). With the music industry's philosophy of "louder is better" during the past decade, most albums are destroyed permanently during the post production stage... virtually no dynamics, just an aural equivalent of trying to read a book printed in ALL CAPS.

Next time I lose command of my faculties and decide to ruin my system by installing iTunes, Magic Disk will be at the top of my list to install upon the new pile of crap. ;)

I haven't seen el dingo around here in awhile.

He popped in to defend the lunacy of his mentor not to long ago, but yeah, other than that, he's been nice and quiet lately.

Must be in Remedial Summer School.

Didn't this happen last year with the iPhone? You would have thought they would have been better prepared this time around.

I don't remember what issue they had time around with the new phones.

Congratulations Apple.

You've made piles of money and most of your customers still don't have an operable phone (and some of your old customers don't either).

How about investing some of the mountain of money you made off the sale of the previous generation of iPhone in to the activation system for this generation, now that it can't be done from home.

This would likely have cured the old generation iPhone not activating after the 2.0 update, and the new generation problems.

They will have a activated iphone eventually.
It's such a minor issue in reality - just sucks really hard for someone who got themselves all worked up to get the latest offering from apple.

When you have the slogan 'it just works' you damned well better make it work.

In this case it didn't and they are rightly getting lambasted.

Ya think????????????

It is an extremely minor and very transitory issue!

The only ones who seem worked up are the idiots here bashing Apple who claim to have such a dislike for the company and the phone. And you don't even have to activate it.

That is the truly hilarious aspect of the preponderance of the posts here!

More of the predictable angst from so many adolescents who claim to have no interest in Apple or its products.

Rightio mate.
Think you have lost the plot here....

And you don't even have to activate it.

I missed something.

I'll admit I haven't been watching this too closely, but at one point, didn't Apple claim these new one's couldn't be activated over iTunes and that they had to be activated in-store?

Maybe I'm still missing something...

Did they change that?

Maybe Apple employees simply also think (at least those I know) that people lining up hours or even days in advance to purchase a revision 1.0 product are a sad bunch?

Anyway, if there is a limited amount of resources they better invest it in ongoing service than in one-off events.

Really looking forward to the impact this phone is going to make on the industry. Finally it is competitive with other premium phones.

Nope. I don't think a transitory volume issue is anything of great significance.

But I will try to catch a rerun of Buffy and see if they have anything of pertinence to add, Ghost Buster.

But you and the editors of this site are obviously obsessed with the iPhone, to one extreme or the other, so much so that they manufacture crises at every turn with the incredibly long lines (2 people at 2 different locations! LOL!) and the fact that everyone can't activate a phone at once - a situation that would effect EVERY carrier.

But don't confuse the FACT genius, that the CARRIERS activate the phones!!!! That is not Apples responsibility! DUH!

So, how are sales of YOUR fav phone doing? LOL!

"The only ones who seem worked up are the idiots here bashing Apple who claim to have such a dislike for the company and the phone. And you don't even have to activate it."

The folks who are doing the most complaining here (like Ghost Buster) do not like nor have not they bought an iPhone. Thus, they do not even have to suffer the incredible angst of failing to have the phone activated. In short: "(they)don't even have to activate it."

In other words, if someone doesn't have an iPhone, it ain't their problem. And it must be a terrifying several hours to feel so alone. But then, who are you going to call anyway? Ghost Buster? (Sorry, his level of response is contagious - if only in a derisive fashion! ;-)

*laughs*

Well, it was an answer...I suppose. ;)

Your wrong there. Apple have to authorise the activation of the phone not the carriers. The carrier's are having some issues of their own for sure but the final step is still for apple's authentication to give the go ahead.
I took my iphone home to activate it and was very lucky to be able to activate it.

You don't have one do you? Sounds like you drunk off your tit's just shooting off blanks at everyone

Oh no. One of the legion who simply had to run out and buy it the moment it was released.

Be sure to be among the first to whine when you have a problem with it. You will be among quite a bit of company - especially those who would never consider buying one.

Ain't ol' Steve a control freak? LOL!

Yes one of the legion and proud, sad you missed out on your iPhone?
BTW, you are still wrong but nice attempt to try and avoid it.
If you are going to troll you can at least get facts instead of making up lies as you go along to make you somewhat creditable.

A minor issue? LOL, how is that?

"Sounds like you drunk off your tit's just shooting..."

OK, so we are dealing with another who has failed to grasp the concept of grammar and the usefulness of incorporating verbs into one's sentences.

I am having a ball LMAO at the myriad folks who are so concerned about something they profess so loudly not to care about.

And also at the rest who fail to see that they are complaining about one of the most successful re-launches of a product that has garnered national news coverage and the obsession of even those that claim not to be interested...as they stupidly claim that the RE-launch of an Established product that continues to sell at incredible rates and which garners national/international coverage is a failure for Apple!

Can we say we haven't a clue regarding the nature of marketing? Take a bow.

Yup fanboy, Despite even supposed AT&T employees posting for calm here.

Have an iPhone? Are you kidding? I don't have to pay for cell service. But thanks for bragging that you have an extra bill each month for a marginal increase in functional utility.

There are so many ways to circumvent paying an exorbitant monthly bill for local and domestic service when you can have the exact same functionality PLUS worldwide computer and pnone coverage for no charge of very little.

And I didn't have to stand in line or become apoplectic waiting for several hours in a sweat as I was all alone in the big world with my telco version of Steely Dan.

You have hardly done any of what you claim.
You dug yourself in a hole with a lie just proving that you did not actually know what you were defending.
Look at this mini thread of discussion and see what you are responding to. You are the one who turned it into a insulting comp as you did else ware on this page.
Attacking grammar on a forum just truly shows you what you have to resort to.

At least you admit you don't have a clue, that much is clear from the your original claim at least.

"But don't confuse the FACT genius, that the CARRIERS activate the phones!!!! That is not Apples responsibility! DUH!"

LOL...another one of foxfyre's classic "FACTS!". It's hillarious that he goes on such long ramblings to insult everybody but himself, claiming he knows everything and everybody in the world should aspire to be as intelligent as himself...yet, most of the time he's outright wrong...and he's so confident at spitting out false facts it's just hillarious to read if you have the patience to look through his ridiculous posts.

First, I don't care about cell phones. I don't define myself by the possession of one nor do I need one to function. Go figure.

Two, Apple has an unmitigated market success on its hand that ANY other manufacturer or carrier would LOVE to have.

The delay over activation is nothing but fodder for weenies who can't function for a couple of hours without their phone as well as for fanboys who somehow think that this 'much ado about nothing' issue somehow dampens the popularity of the phone. Apple probably could have made the phone available in a phased regional manner but the fact is they would lose valuable hype over the hysteria that has resulted over the short-lived transitory 'problem'.

And when all is said and done, ALL of the talk about it is nothing but more publicity for the phone.

And anyone who had to run out and stand in line the night before operates on an 8 year old mentality level just as do the fanboys who are concerned about this.

And every article that brings the phone to someone's attention in print or in the electronic media is unpaid advertising.

What is hilarious is watching so many become apoplectic with concern over something they claim to dislike (be it Apple or the phone) or those who think some Steely Dan toy will change their life.

Personally, I haven't gone out of my way you avoid or to get one. Like MP3 players, they don't matter to me.

So, like it or not, regardless of anything you can cite, Apple has hit a home run and is making lots of money from their fanboys.

I think BOTH groups are hilarious and a source of humor. And I'm not sure which group is more ludicrous. But it really doesn't matter, as they are both sources of humor. Deal with it. Enjoy Steely Dan, fanboy.

As I'm sure your misinformation is a source of humor for others.
The very basics of insulting someone requires you to at least be right, which you could not even get down with a very well known basic fact.
You proved Niro right.

Poor baby. You have missed the point that it DOES NOT MATTER that the hordes have experienced a trivial delay in activation based upon exorbitant demand! It has only add to the hype and hysteria surrounding the rollout!

I don't care if the problem was due to little green men from France - oh wait, I guess I should come up with some fanciful excuse yet again. The notion is absolutely absurd that Apple should overbuild their network to accommodate a purely temporary and transient condition! Hell, if someone can stand in line overnight, they can wait to have it activated.

If they can't- then the joke is on them. Serves
em right for staying out in front of some store all night!

If you were capable of reading for meaning, you would know that my entire focus regarding this issue is that of the business aspect, and in particular, the marketing aspects surrounding the hype and how the 'crisis' is anything but a crisis for Apple - contrary to what so many seem to think. DUH!

Bottomline, the hype, good or bad, serves as effective marketing to help push the iPhone.

And thats good for Apple. And as far as the poor weenies crying over not being able to use their new phone for a couple of hours, they should spend the time listening to their iPod. And get a life.

Yes, and the folks who decry Apple, their only real basis for whining is that they wish their pet company/product was having the success with these toys that Apple is.

Enjoy your Steely Dan. I suspect your Real complaint that you could not set it to vibrate to stimulate yourself. LOL!

Dodge ball anyone? You are getting beyond desperate to try and *defend* yourself now. I never claimed otherwise with your new accusation lol.
And you were still CRITICALLY wrong with a claim that even a 5 year old could have guessed right. Still nothing to say about that I see

As if ANYONE should be surprised that the simultaneous activation of so many devices should be problematic. Only a "retard" (to quote the fool below) would be surprised at this.

There is nothing unusual at all about such a situation.

And for the fanboys who only show up to bash Apple (read, the majority on this site) - if only YOUR preferred platform had such a problem! Don't tell me...it doesn't. Gee, we're surprised.

What we are in evidence here is a bunch of mentally adolescent fanboys delighting in others experiencing 'problems' resulting from an overwhelmingly spectacular success.

And I am more alarmed at so many who deride ("detest") other's choices as they Dare to differ from the 'oh-so-open-minded' folks who are more than willing to tell you how everything is better than what those folks happen to choose - despite their oh so advanced alternatives being a failure at the simplest of tasks such as communicating just how cool they are. Can we say "BOZOS"?

So you needn't attend the "church of Apple" or any other church to experience such an "ASWESOME" sense of idiocy. Nope, just watch here, as you experience far too many who might do well to simply attend 3rd grade and learn how to spell before so glibly attacking other's free choice.

So, bottomline, your whiny sour grapes derision simply reflects your sour grapes mentality that others have the audacity to disagree with your erudite and spelling challenged opinions.

It would seem to me that most of you have more worthwhile things to be doing - like running another anti-virus scan, and practicing with your 'reader rabbit' readers and Sesame Street spelling reviews. You might want to review the letter "A". Its a truly "ASWESOME" episode.

LOL!

"As if ANYONE should be surprised that the simultaneous activation of so many devices should be problematic. Only a "retard" (to quote the fool below) would be surprised at this."

Or someone who expected Apple would have known this was going to happen and had taken actions to prevent it? :)

"And for the fanboys who only show up to bash Apple (read, the majority on this site) - if only YOUR preferred platform had such a problem! Don't tell me...it doesn't. Gee, we're surprised."

They don't have this problem because they have a much simpler activation procedure that doesn't end in mass problems across the country.
Even the previous scheme was better than this one.

The problem comes from locking down the phone too much.

The phone itself is a very nice product (yes, I have played with the previous generation one), but the support and activation supplied by the companies involved is utter crap.

oh gee. A delay of several hours to a none peak period is simply overwhelming!

Yup, it surely justifies the allocation at great expense of significantly more resources for a very transient non-critical issue - but then your perception and crying does justify some attention.

And the vendors could have built more stores just for the launch so that the customers wouldn't have to stand in line.

Here's your bottle. Call you mommy to address your diaper issue.

lol oook having a bad day are we?
Re-read my post and try again without the childish insults if you want to be taken seriously

"The problem comes from locking down the phone too much."

"Too much", huh?

We won't bother to waste time trying to figure out WTF this phrase means!

This has to be one of the most asinine statements made thus far. And that is saying ALLOT for this site!

Look Ghost Buster, take a break from watching Buffy reruns and try to come up with a reasonable retort that reflects SOME understanding of the real world of business and technology.

You have yet to post anything that even comes close to an insightful observation.

Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel smart :)
The way things work does not center around you as you have been told before.

"You have yet to post anything that even comes close to an insightful observation."

pot..kettle..black. You have only shared your opinion as others do. Settle down

Mozilla had the same issues, pretty much, when they released FF3.

It could have been solved by allowing more DL partners, but I suppose that would have messed up their "record count".

The Apple issue is harder to fix. They could, for example, allow activation "partners", but I am also sure that would very likely involve Apple having to hand over some control, which they have always been averse to doing (not bashing them for this...it's a good thing...for them).

Really, to retain complete control *and* provide the necessary resources though, you are right, it would involve great expense.

However... Apple has some serious clout. Knowing as long as they did in advance, there has to be something greater minds than ours could have come up with that would have made the expense to them as "transient" as the problem *and* kept the bad PR in check.

As focused as Apple is on marketing and PR, this really does surprise me. I would have thought this would have gone over without a hitch. Not bashing them, just a little surprised by the problems.

Having a single carrier.
Not being able to activate this at home.
Locking down the ability to have it carrier agnostic (except in a few limited countries).
Locking down the ability to have modified firmware.
Bricking those people's phones who have managed to modify the firmware with the next firmware update.
Having to use iTunes to sync it.

The list continues.

Also:
"We won't bother" speaking for other people now, or are you using the royal 'we'?
"a lot", not "ALLOT".

Having a single carrier. Single source, lowered support costs.
Not being able to activate this at home. In store Support
Locking down the ability to have it carrier agnostic (except in a few limited countries). Single source, lowered support costs.
Locking down the ability to have modified firmware. Asinine.
Bricking those people's phones who have managed to modify the firmware with the next firmware update. Asinine.
Having to use iTunes to sync it. Single source or support issues, under 100% control of Apple, Inc. lower support costs.

The list, I am sure goes on, and if it is anything like the previous it all seemingly boils down to one thing Apple has *always* been very aware of.

Support costs.

For many companies, supporting the product costs more to the company than the cost of the parts and producing them. Apple is *smart* to keep these costs to a bare minimum.

If you don't like the product because of these things...there's a simple solution.

I think you know what it is...

If you bought one of the previous iphone releases instead of shooting off at people here about stuff you clearly have no clue about then you would know what 'Too Much' means.

I was a happy person who managed to unlock that too much =)

Its an 'editorial we', just like you can utilize an 'editorial you', genius.

Personally, I think this entire issue is a manufactured crisis that exists only amongst those who claim to hate Apple and the iPhone.

Such angst, such pathos, such lunacy.

But gee whiz, Emperor, your new clothes look simply marvelous. LOL!

Whatever, Ghost Buster.

So, which character in the Buffy series do you dress up as at the regional conventions? Let me guess...Buffy? It must simply be hell to find the right rouge to emphasize your cleavage without clashing with your eyes. But I'm sure its worth it...

Much ado about nothing...I surely hope those two people aren't still standing in line for their iPhones!

Fair enough.

Yes, a few of those reasons are what keeps me away from buying one. The single carrier is the main issue I have.

I think this does also hold off a lot of other customers, so maybe keeping the support costs low isn't necessarily a brilliant idea.

"Locking down the ability to have modified firmware. Asinine.
Bricking those people's phones who have managed to modify the firmware with the next firmware update. Asinine."

I have to disagree here though. It's not asinine that Apple bricked phones, especially when they cost so much at the time. This is a minor bug-bear though, but should not be discounted.

Having modifiable firmware is an aid to finding out what customers would like to have built in to their phone as standard. This could actually reduce research costs.

Wow who made you the opinion police? You must be very new to this whole forum idea because you are doing exactly the same as you are accusing other people of just without a visible side.
Let me ask you, is name calling ok but heated discussion not? Get off your soap box and let people discuss what they want in their manner. You are not the rule maker. This place does not need some tool telling everything their opinion is wrong because of 'insert lie here' nor some tool that likes to play around with his extensive vocabulary because it makes him look cool in a forum.
This is a forum and we love our freedom to discuss both calmly and heated without the neutral man going NO-NO-NO.

Ha! There was its favorite word again! "erudite" just sounds so sophisticated.

Yes, a few of those reasons are what keeps me away from buying one.

Same and agreed.

t's not asinine that Apple bricked phones,

Let me fix that for you:

It's not asinine that Apple bricked heavily modified, unsupported phones

Apple didn't brick iPhones. They bricked the phones of idiots who tried to get an iPhone update for a phone that was *no longer an iPhone* due to their modifications.

Modifiable firmware may be beneficial to the few, but not to the many. The increased costs are not supported by the weight of the demand.

Get off your soap box and let people discuss what they want in their manner.

Says the guy telling someone else to shut up.

Niiice hypocrisy there, bud. Public forum. He can post his opinions, just as you can post your opinions...even when they conflict with your actions.

Point 1 links to point 2 about the reason modified firmware is actually beneficial to a company.

Plus, there if suspicion (though of course not evidence, as Apple would be silly to supply it) that Apple intentionally went out of their way to brick those phones.

Almost every other phone out there has a form of hacked firmware available, and there is very rarely a case of a bricked phone when a new official update comes out (usually it's bricked by the modified firmware).

*laughs*

You are bound and determined to lay the blame on Apple.

Fine.

But rest assured that people who can think logically about this realize that the phones that bricked were no longer iPhones and that Apple has *zero* responsibility for them.

No company supports hacked versions of their products. That would indeed, be asinine.

Apple didn't brick their iPhones. THEY bricked their iPhones. They installed 3rd party firmware and the, stupidly, brainlessly, with utter and complete incompetency, updated them with Apples firmware "update".

Really... How stupid do you have to be? (Edit: not you personally, the idiots updating modified firmware with unmodified updates)

Would you expect a firmware update (*not* a complete new firmware) for the linksys routers to support DDRT firmware?

(and yes, I use the hacked firmware for my linksys...and would *never* expect linksys to support it)

"But rest assured that people who can think logically about this realize that the phones that bricked were no longer iPhones and that Apple has *zero* responsibility for them."

I agree.

"Would you expect a firmware update (*not* a complete new firmware) for the Linksys routers to support DDRT firmware?"

Aha! Now that's where I hadn't actually thought about the matter hard enough.

I presumed all firmware *updates* were in fact full new packages, as is the case with my, fairly old, phone.

Point very much rescinded.

About the Linksys firmware - same here. They barely support my router as it is though (lots of features are missing in the normal firmware that are hidden away, just slightly broken on my router). Fortunately there's a thriving community of modifiers out there.

The DDRT firmware is awesome stuff. I've been able to underclocked the CPU on my router to help keep it cool, ensuring a much longer life-span. These damned things burn out after about 6 months of decent use because they are insufficiently cooled at their normal clock.

Also makes it quite a bit easier to manage certain functions and *much* more secure.

Highly recommended for anyone with a Linksys router so long as you're willing to take responsibility if you brick it and *not* go crying to Linksys. The last thing we need to have them do is start locking them down.

I'm not telling him to shut up?
He's not posting opinions he's too busy telling other people are wrong/stupid and throwing in the occasional insult like a schoolboy.

"I'm not telling him to shut up?"

Hmmm. Is that a question or a statement?

Does it matter? Its nonsense either way.

I think its hilarious that so many are here to say that Apple and the iPhone suck or that its the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Who cares if you like it or not. What is more fascinating is to analyze the business of the marketplace. And to watch how all of the manufacturers who make the favorite products of the anti-Apple fanboys wish they were having such a 'bad time' as Apple is having with the product!

It must be nice to be sitting at a counter with no customers with plenty of product just waiting to be activated on a dark network with absolutely no media attention!

Now THAT'S Success!!!!

LOL!

Very much agreed. DD-WRT is indeed awesome for anyone fortunate enough to have a Linksys router that supports it. Luckily I'm still using my v2 WRT54G (larger onboard RAM, so no need for mini-firmware), and have been using DD-WRT for the past 2 years. I did the same thing with my CPU... did not impact performance in the least, and it did help it run much cooler (it's not in the most well-ventilated location in my office).

Thank you for mentioning it. I realized afterward that I had not checked for an updated version in quite some time, and lo and behold, there it is. :)

Damn. I just installed this on my new router less than a week ago and I already forgot the freakin' name...

Well, ya know what they say....memory is the second thing to go....

Heh, I hear ya there. :)

I suppose I should be lucky I'm able to respond to this... I almost bricked my router last night by not installing the "vintage" build of the v24 firmware (older revision of the Broadcom chip). I'm glad I read the wiki first.

Ok, done... no more OT. Back to our friendly discussion of products we "claim to have no interest in". ;)

Spoken like an iPhone fanboy.

Sorry, I don't care about the iPhone or the iPod. I don't need some new fancy Steely Dan to get my rocks off.

Nor do I have to worry about activation of having a bricked phone.

It must confuse the heck out of you that some don't care about the iPhone or the plight of the poor idiots who lack lives and who stood out all night so they could have the toy the first moments it was released! other than to watch the business aspects of the launch.

But if I see one of the horde, it will be an easy way for them to identify themselves short of passing out signs warning us.

And THAT makes me happy.

Ironically, now I have an iPhone fanboy on my case when normally the Windows fanboys are accusing me of being pro-Apple! LOL!

...and Tool was right! LOL!!!

Dont care? Dont have one? Exactly my point dumba** thus you would not understand what the comment 'Too much' meant

Unlike you I REALLY don’t care about the plight of the phone. It will still work for me regardless. You are the only one getting worked up about it.
Please drop the *business aspect* monitoring crap when you obviously don’t have a clue. Of course if you do, feel free to PROVE people wrong. But you cannot, you are too busy showing everyone how much of a clueless idiot you are throwing insults around.

Fanboy by your definition. Almost a comedian, keep trying.

I detest Apple. But I detest more the never-ending armies of idiotic public who just blindly buy Apple products without realizing they are essentially paying more for subpar products, be it crap sounding MP3 players or a phone who does what other phones have done all along. Sure, kudos to the stylistic design (and I do copy the designs sometimes), but in terms of technological design, Apple is always a backward company. Even Microsoft has done more for innovation than Apple has in the past 20 years.

In an effort to become technologically innovative, top software programmers fail to realize that (quoted from previous comment) "millions of iphones at once" trying to activate could become an issue.
Geez... props to the retards @ Apple.

But activated or not these phones look ASWESOME on your waist!! Be proud of your membership in the Church of Apple!!

I like the 450mins and unlimited internet. (on America's self proclaimed fastest network)

As for Activation issues didn't this happen last time also.. It's NOT apple (because apple is prefect) it's ATT.... Apple's software is awesome that is way 5% of the computer world uses it!!

"(because apple is prefect)"

No... Ford is Prefect. :)

Well if you think about it, trying to activate millions of iphones at once is bound to cause some issues. I mean a system as big and complicated as att must just be a nightmare.

Reactivation happens for both a simple upgrade of the 2.0 software just as it does for the new 3g. You can't exactly simulate that kind of load on that kidn of a system in such a short period of time.

They should have gave the week end for new buyers of the phone and released the 2.0 upgrade at a later time, that would of helped not overload the system.

I know if I had a 1.0 phone the 2.0 would be installed as soon as I could download it. I am assuming everyone else has that same idea as well.

Wow it looks like Apple and AT&T really screwed up this time. Nice one!

Ferret,
How the hell would you know?
Ferret being the operative term.
Grub!!!

How the hell would you know?

Probably from the activation problems and bricking of both new and old phones. (IOW: Because he can read.)

*laughs*

Clever play on his username though....kudos.

"How the hell would you know?"

Because he read the article? lol......

lol stop replying when do!! :)

Oh, fine...

*turns off digital video feed*

Happy now?

nope :)

*sigh*

*disables audio feed*

*turns vent from sodium pentathol to N02*

Ok...now?

Wow. Very nice...try reading the article next time you dolt.

lol

Wait, I think that was my vent...

Hmm... tingly!

More, sir!