iPhone

[shaun4411]

any proud new iPhone users in here? i got one a week ago and i still cant put it down. i plan on upgrading to the 3G model when all of the necessary hacks are completed. any one else in here into all that?

[r5TPsooner]

NEW YORK - The launch of Apple Inc.'s much-anticipated new iPhone turned into an information-technology meltdown on Friday, as customers were unable to get their phones working.

"It's such grief and aggravation," said Frederick Smalls, an insurance broker in Whitman, Mass., after spending two hours on the phone with Apple and AT&T Inc., trying to get his new iPhone to work.

In stores, people waited at counters to get the phones activated, as lines built behind them. Many of the customers had already camped out for several hours in line to become among the first with the new phone, which updates the one launched a year ago by speeding up Internet access and adding a navigation chip.

A spokesman for AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., said there was a global problem with Apple's iTunes servers that prevented the phones from being fully activated in-store, as had been planned.

Instead, employees are telling buyers to go home and perform the last step by connecting their phones to their own computers, spokesman Michael Coe said.

However, the iTunes servers were equally hard to reach from home, leaving the phones unusable except for emergency calls.

The problem extended to owners of the previous iPhone model. A software update released for that phone on Friday morning required the phone to be reactivated through iTunes.

"It's a mess," said freelance photographer Giovanni Cipriano, who updated his first-generation iPhone only to find it unusable.

Apple shares fell $4.04, or 2.3 percent, to $172.59 in afternoon trading, amid a general decline in U.S. stocks.

When the first iPhone went on sale a year ago, customers performed the whole activation procedure at home, freeing store employees to focus on sales. But the new model is subsidized by carriers, and Apple and AT&T therefore planned to activate all phones in-store to get customers on a contract.

The new phone went on sale in 21 countries on Friday, creating a global burden on the iTunes servers.

The iPhone has been widely lauded for its ease of use and rich features, but Apple is a newcomer to the cell-phone business, and it's made some missteps. When it launched the first phone in the U.S. a year ago, it initially priced the phones high, at $499 and $599, then cut the price by $200 just 10 weeks later, throwing early buyers for a loop.

Rollouts to other countries were slow, as Apple tried to get carriers on board with its unusual pricing scheme, which included monthly fees to Apple. The business model of the new phone follows industry norms, and the price is lower: $199 or $299 in the U.S.

On Thursday, Apple had problems with the launch of a new data service, MobileMe. The service is designed to synchronize a users personal data across devices, including the iPhone, but many users were denied access to their accounts.

Enthusiasm was high ahead of the Friday morning launch of the new phone.

Alex Cavallo, 24, was one of hundreds lined up at the Fifth Avenue store, just as he had been a year ago for the original iPhone. He sold that one recently on eBay in anticipation of the new one. In the meantime, he has been using another phone, which felt "uncomfortable."

"The iPhone is just a superior user experience," he said. The phone also proved a decent investment for him: He bought the old model for $599 and sold it for $570.

Nick Epperson, a 24-year-old grad student, spent the night outside an AT&T store in Atlanta, keeping his cheer up with bags of Doritos, three games of Scrabble and two packs of cigarettes. Asked why he was waiting in line, he responded simply "Chicks dig the iPhone."

IPhone fever was strong even in Japan, where consumers are used to tech-heavy phones that do restaurant searches, e-mail, music downloads, reading digital novels and electronic shopping. More than 1,000 people lined up at the Softbank Corp. store in Tokyo and the phone quickly sold out.

"Just look at this obviously innovative design," Yuki Kurita, 23, said as he emerged from buying his iPhone, carrying bags of clothing and a skateboard he had used as a chair during his wait outside the Tokyo store. "I am so thrilled just thinking about how I get to touch this."

The phone went on sale first in New Zealand, where hundreds of people lined up outside stores to snap it up right at midnight — 8 a.m. Thursday in New York.

"Steve Jobs knows what people want," Web developer Lucinda McCullough told the Christchurch Press newspaper, referring to Apple's chief executive. "And I need a new phone."

In Germany, sales were brisk at local carrier T-Mobile's stores, particularly in Munich, Hamburg and Cologne, said spokeswoman Marion Kessing.

[yermom]

i laugh at the early adopters :D

[Frozen Sooner]

Heh. After seeing the lines at the AT&T store, I decided I'll hold off a few weeks. Love my first generation model, though.

[colleyvillesooner]

Heh. After seeing the lines at the AT&T store, I decided I'll hold off a few weeks. Love my first generation model, though.

Ditto.

You get the 2.0 software up and running. I'm glad I bet the chaos that is today.

It's bricking every phone that tries to upgrade their v1 phone to 2.0. Looks like the server problem is about to be fixed though.

[Frozen Sooner]

Ditto.

You get the 2.0 software up and running. I'm glad I bet the chaos that is today.

It's bricking every phone that tries to upgrade their v1 phone to 2.0. Looks like the server problem is about to be fixed though.

Yep, I got 2.0 up and running last night-a little torqued that it required a full restore, though, as I had to reload all my music.

Anyhow, the app store is pretty cool.

I think I may hold off even longer on the 3G. I don't need GPS and there's no 3G network here.

[mdklatt]

Microsoft and Apple are both good at bending their customers over. The only difference is that Steve Jobs gets his customers excited enough to camp in line for three days and pay a premium for the privilege. Is that good or bad? Discuss.

[yermom]

Apple gets you by the balls by selling cool stuff

Microsoft has you by the balls since you have to use their stuff

[yermom]

Apple stuff is cool because of a combination of aesthetics, cutting edge technology and solid hardware. that costs money

[Soonerus]

Someone is standing in line to get me one today. We'll see if it works better...

[OUDoc]

Apple gets you by the balls by selling cool stuff

Microsoft has you by the balls since you have to use their stuff

Sums it up as well as anyone.

I've still never owned an Apple product. Down with the man! ;)

[47straight]

I don't need GPS and there's no 3G network here.


Psssshaw. And you call yourself a mac user.

[47straight]

Apple stuff is cool because of a combination of aesthetics, cutting edge technology and solid hardware. that costs money

Apple stuff is cool because it shows that you are completely unique in every single way. Just like every other apple customer.

[mdklatt]

Apple gets you by the balls by selling cool stuff


Yeah, I guess at least Jobs gives you a reach-around every now and then.

I am completely convinced that he could take a dump on stage at Mac Expo or whatever it's called, slap an "iDump" label on it, and get a large number of people to fall over themselves and fork over $399 for it. And then pay $299 for iDump 2.0--now with twice as more corn!--6 months later. It's a good thing he's (arguably) using his power for good instead of evil.

[Frozen Sooner]

Psssshaw. And you call yourself a mac user.

:D Nah. The last Mac I bought was an 80MB PowerBook back in 1992.

[yermom]

Apple stuff is cool because it shows that you are completely unique in every single way. Just like every other apple customer.



mp3 players were just for geeks before the iPod

the iPhone has changed smartphones to something anyone might carry, not just corporate types with the Blackberry or Palm


i still think their computers are too expensive for me to buy one for myself, but they are niiiice

[shaun4411]

app store costs money. i have access to literally hundreds of apps and i havent paid a dime. i have 3 pages of icons on my iphone .

just a couple cool things i have : NES emulator with 60 games, screenshot utility, capability to send/receive MMS, some games, dictionary for several languages, countdown clock, metric converter, rss feeds. just so much crap that i paid $0.00 for. thought everyone was like that.

[Frozen Sooner]

I jailbroke my phone and loaded a bunch of apps on it. It kept crashing and requiring hard resets, so I finally just said "to heck with it."

[badger]

I wonder if this lady tried again:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wb_u29_617g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wb_u29_617g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
:D

[bluedogok]

When I got to work this morning there was more traffic and the parking garage was pretty full for 8:00 AM. I get into our office and someone looks out the windows and mentions the line at the Apple store across the street (in The Domain). It was from the front doors all the way around Kona Grill, a few hundred people in line.

I want one of the new ones to replace my Samsung Blackjack but I will wait until my contract is up for renewal in February and the first service pack/patch is released. After all, I just went to Vista on a couple of new computers a few months ago (new HTPC and a reload of my laptop)....I am NOT an early adopter.

[soonerinabilene]

Nick Epperson, a 24-year-old grad student, spent the night outside an AT&T store in Atlanta, keeping his cheer up with bags of Doritos, three games of Scrabble and two packs of cigarettes. Asked why he was waiting in line, he responded simply "Chicks dig the iPhone."

Take notes fellas. This kids got game.

[colleyvillesooner]

heh, i know someone in that line in the video...

[shaun4411]

I jailbroke my phone and loaded a bunch of apps on it. It kept crashing and requiring hard resets, so I finally just said "to heck with it."

ive never had a problem. what did you use to jailbreak it? ziphone is the best thing out there from what ive researched.

[Frozen Sooner]

I used iBricker.

Good name, as it turns out.

[mdklatt]

I used iBricker.

Good name, as it turns out.


N.B. You should also stay away from any CD/DVD burning software with "frisbee" or "coaster" in the name.

[shaun4411]

go to ziphone.org. check it out. this guy is pretty iFamous when it comes to this sort of stuff. he has a program called ziphone that quite literally does it all. it has functions for unlocking, jailbreaking, fake imei, and one function for everything. its cool, its effective, its free. it also puts installer.app on your phone enabling you to get all of those neat applications.

[BudSooner]

Ok, does the phone work, or are y'all buying that turd for just music/apps?
I've got a guy at work who has one, I would rather spend the money elsewhere...that is too much coin for the crap ya gotta deal with.
My Nextel phone is bad enough as it is, thankfully the company pays for it.

[shaun4411]

well, its a computer that fits in your hand. its a NES, its a mp3 player, video player, camera. oh, and it makes/takes calls.

[Frozen Sooner]

Phone-wise it works as well or better than any phone I've had before. I've only dropped a couple of calls-and that was due to outside interference.

[BudSooner]

well, its a computer that fits in your hand. its a NES, its a mp3 player, video player, camera. oh, and it makes/takes calls.

No games on mine but....
MP3 player? Check!
Video Recorder? Check!
Camera? 1.5mp...dammit, Check!
Direct Connect? Check!
GPS? Check!
It may not be sleek, but it's tough as nails...dropped the bastard in 4" of water then shook it dry and made calls right after and have not had a problem since. Also, i've dropped it from 28'....yet 28 FEET in the air while on a ladder and it shows not one sign of abuse.
http://www.shotaddict.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/0,1425,i=143417,00.jpg
Ugly as sin, and the holster(ABS plastic)isn't exactly kosher but together are quite a durable phone that I would not have a problem telling someone to try.
One thing to note, the direct connect speaker is embedded in the back inside behind the battery, and one and awhile it makes hearing someone difficult unless you hold the phone close to your ear.
Translation, speakerphone sucks.


Bad as Nextel is, i've only dropped 1, maybe 2 calls in a span of 4months.