[raysanford]

The AT&T servers are as good as their service. On the west coast, the service is far inferior to the other carriers. You'd expect Apple to care about who their partners are.

[paulfrye]

As of this post, in an effort to upgrade my iTouch, Apple's iTunes states that 2.0 is available. When I hit the update button, I get a notice that the iTunes store is temporarily unavailable.
Maybe it would have been better to allow folks to update their iTouch systems on a separate schedule to reduce load on the store. In any case, I'll just keep trying throughout the next day or so.

[jahepburn]

Firstly, I've been an O2 customer for 14 years and was one of the mugs who queued to get the first iphone. We got the chance to pre-order but this turned into a farce as O2 Ddidn't bother to anticipate the number of people who would want one. Neither did they show any loyalty to long standing customers. I didn't bother to buy a new phone today given the above. However I have tried to upgrade to 2.0. I started 5 hours ago and still can't complete. Apple never show any interest in supporting customers outside the US. We get 'a couple of dozen phones for each seller and we always get, movies, updates etc last. What a clusterf*!@k.

[DreamRaj]

Guess I did the smart thing by not joining the bandwagon on day1. I'll wait a couple of days till I figure out what I'll be really paying for the upgrade from my current iPhone to the 3G and by that time even Apple and AT&T will have fixed these activation glitches. That way I'll have no surprises plus a smooth activation. And of course, no waiting in line for hours!!
: )

[madgunde]

Here in Canada, pretty much the same thing. Rogers dealer was able to activate one iPhone, but the system went down while trying to get the second one working. On top of that, they couldn't unbrick the iPhone in the store (iTunes gave them an error about SSL or TLS), and said I might be able to do it at home. Is this true? Once the phone has an active Rogers sim card, can it be unbricked by the user using iTunes 7.7?
I keep getting the same error as jmarkel, long time trying to access the iTunes Store, then "We could not complete your iTunes Store request. An unknown error occured (-4)."
Will be going back to the store later today to pick up the other iPhone they couldn't activate, which they put aside for me.

[Olu]

I'm way past 15 tries and still getting error 4.
I'm usually the 1st to apologize for Apple, but this is the crappiest role out I've been part of.
A lot of ways to have avoided this:
1. Role out services separately. iPhone 2.0 1st. Mobile Me 2nd. Then iPhone 3G last.
2. Why in store activation? Run the fcking credit card with the stipulation that you'll be charged the full price if not activated within 1 week. OR give the option to charge the full price with a rebate upon proper activation.
Now you've got thousands of pissy people with new and old inoperable iPhones.

[DavidHiersekorn]

I'm thinking they meant 200 per hour - NATIONWIDE!

This is ridiculous. Apple and AT&T force in-store activation for their own purposes. It's not for customer service. It's to prevent people from unlocking the phones to use them with other providers. It's an inconvenience that they imposed on their customers.

They can do that if they want, but they darn well better do it right. As far as I'm concerned, this is as big of a "screw you" to the early-adopters as the inflated prices on the first-gen iPhone when it first came out.

These guys really know how to crap on their best customers!

[RossMorrone]

I kept my iPhone plugged, in having same issues. Then all of a sudden it started the download. Updated it, came back online, added new features, but now my iMac can't identify it. Otherwise the updates are there and it is working! My recommendation is to just keep it plugged in.

[srneish]

I didn't get an iPhone yet (but I have one on order.) I did observe the sales and activation process in one of the local AT&T stores, though. The manager of the store did a wonderful job of coordinating the efforts and informing all of the customers of the process, including how many iPhones were left for sale. AT&T did a wonderful job of supporting a huge worldwide effort. They clearly prepared well for the effort. They had a constantly updated war room where store managers could call for advice. Really, except for a "shortage" of phones, it was as perfect as it could be (and there realistically is a finite number of phones that could be available at rollout.)

I think that AT&T did as good or better a job than any other corporation would in the county. (And I have no connection to ATT.)

Congratulations, AT&T.

[louielu12]

So when the (-4) error message comes up, do I press Ok, or leave it? And then I just leave it plugged in even though it isn't accessing the iTunes Store?

I am on my 11th try on my sister's iPhone (and I'm getting one when the AT&T store restocks). I'm willing (but unhappy) to wait a while, but I want to know I'm doing the right thing and that what I am doing will actually work.

Thanks

[mrdanj]

In our AT&T store here in Port Richey, FL: AT&T didn't have enough phones on hand. By 8:30am, (30 minutes after opening), they were out of phones. They offered us remaining 50 or so people an opption that "we could pre-purchase our phone and when it came in -in 7 to 10 days- come pick it up". What the heck!!! It makes me wonder, who was running the kick off? I mean, didn't they advertise everywhere? Why would our store here have just 20 or so phones on hand at Introduction Day? Why would they do that? Who had the brain that day they were planning this? Completely and clearly inept!
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[DavidHiersekorn]

srneish, I really wish I could be as cheerful as you. But, seriously, what you described has nothing to do with the reality that I'm living in, and the reality that I'm hearing about from others.

The problem isn't a shortage of phones. Everybody complaining here GOT A PHONE. The problem is that AT&T and Apple can't support the "finite number of phones" that they sold today. They intentionally created a flawed system for in-store activation. They did it on purpose, because they were afraid that people would buy the phones and use them with other cell carriers.

In other words, what is happening today is a foreseeable consequence of AT&T and Apple's protectionist method of selling the phone. They have done an absolutely horrible job today. If I can't get this thing activated in the next 20 minutes, I'm going to have to go to 7-Eleven and buy a prepaid phone to get me through the day.

I'm just not buying it that Apple/AT&T did as well as any other company would have. Honestly, I don't think they could have done worse.

[harlemisback212]

This is exactly why I went to the Att store just two blocks from my house. Was in the first 10 of people they allowed in the store and it took about 10 minutes to activate my phone.

[RacerXcar]

The delay is not what bothers me. Nor does the fact that the iTunes store is down (at least for activation purposes w/ Apple, my iPhone says its activated thru ATT after removing it from the dock)

What is scaring the hell out of me is that my iPhone is iEMPTY and an iBRICK as far as what I had on it and I fear I've lost EVERYTHING since I cannot do anything!!!

I also recommend that MacWorld remove the links to download the 2.0 software update, at least for the time being, because at least right now at this time, anyone who takes the MacWorld advice and downloads it and uses it within iTunes WILL END UP w/ an iBRICK 2.0!

This is a TOTAL APPLE DISASTER in my opinion and there is probably no one to blame other than Steve Jobs himself (although I'm sure he'll fire a dozen people over it to save face).

My advice to Steve Jobs would be to be a man for once in your life. Go on CNN or FOX News Channel and start APOLOGIZING ASAP for this boondoggle! :-(