Got mine in at about 8 PM EST last night. Delivery on release, the 24th.
What a disaster, yesterday. I wonder if Apple will apologize (you know AT&T won't) and offer every iPhone pre-order a $50 gift card. Something tells me they might do this. Then we can all get VGA adapters and Camera Connection Kits ;-)
How is it AT&T's fault that more people want to buy the iPhone 4 than Foxcom and Apple can make? AT&T took your order, but it is up to Apple and their suppliers to deliver the device to the AT&T store.
Because it's now 22 hours later and my order still hasn't been entered into the system yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AIaddict
How is it AT&T's fault that more people want to buy the iPhone 4 than Foxcom and Apple can make? AT&T took your order, but it is up to Apple and their suppliers to deliver the device to the AT&T store.
I managed to get my pre-order in using the new Apple Store iPhone app. Yesterday morning when I tried using it, it would crash and quit every time it contacted AT&T. When it finally worked late yesterday afternoon, it didn't query AT&T at all and just reserved my new iPhone 4 at my local Apple Retail Store for pickup on "June 24 starting at 7:00 a.m."
Even though the confirmation email says "Please note that your reservation will be held until close of business on June 24," I think I'll get there bright an early (5 or 6 a.m.) all the same. Even if my reservation managed to not mysteriously disappear before the close of business, accessories will probably sell out quickly.
I am a little concerned about activation. If AT&T's servers are overwhelmed (or they get attacked) again, I may have some issues. Arriving early and taking care of activation at the start of the day will hopefully ensure that I'll be up and running with no problems.
I was lucky... I reserved a black one at 5AM MST from the Apple website and got my confirmation email within 3 minutes. So I will pick mine up on the 24th.
But it seems as though this was not AT&Ts fault this time......
It seems Apple had inventory issues right from the start. The white one not being available and now delayed shipments. For sure AT&T had problems with their website but then so did Apple. Now they have delayed shipments and low inventory. They opened the doors to more vendors like Best Buy and RS and Walmart but if the inventory is low then these vendors will only get a very limited allocation for each of the vendor stores. This will lead to even more consumer frustration as they will not be able to get the product from anywhere. I wonder if this was orchestrated or if there was some last minute production issue we don't yet know about!!! Just my 2 cents.
I don't know if that can be determined with the info at hand. The ONLY issues I had with Apple's site was when it connected to AT&T to do the lengthy verification and whatnot. Granted, this could still be an Apple issue connecting to AT&T's servers, but I found AT&T had issues with their site and local stores were doing handwritten purchase orders because they system was completely FUBAR at one point.
As for the white model being delayed, that is unfortunate, but it's not like it's the most popular color and it's not as if they took a bunch of orders guaranteeing delivery on the 24th before realizing it'll be delayed.
We'll need to see numbers to get a better idea of the demand, but I have to think it was considerably higher than they imagined. However, that is no excuse for not preparing better for such an occurrence.
PS: Did you know Girl Scout Cookies are sold year round, not just for a few weeks a year. They sell them in different regions of the country so they don't have an excessive build up of demand once a year. Perhaps Apple should consider something similar, just so long as I'm first.
I don't know if that can be determined with the info at hand. The ONLY issues I had with Apple's site was when it connected to AT&T to do the lengthy verification and whatnot. Granted, this could still be an Apple issue connecting to AT&T's servers, but I found AT&T had issues with their site and local stores were doing handwritten purchase orders because they system was completely FUBAR at one point.
As for the white model being delayed, that is unfortunate, but it's not like it's the most popular color and it's not as if they took a bunch of orders guaranteeing delivery on the 24th before realizing it'll be delayed.
We'll need to see numbers to get a better idea of the demand, but I have to think it was considerably higher than they imagined. However, that is no excuse for not preparing better for such an occurrence.
PS: Did you know Girl Scout Cookies are sold year round, not just for a few weeks a year. They sell them in different regions of the country so they don't have an excessive build up of demand once a year. Perhaps Apple should consider something similar, just so long as I'm first.
LOL I did NOT know that about Girl Scout Cookies! :-) But now I have a craving for some thin mints!
I agree with you about needing more info about the actual numbers involved.....
A lot of people, here and elsewhere, are confusing reservations with pre-orders. They are not the same thing. I have seen many posts from people who claim that their order went through without a hitch. What they are really talking about is a reservation where they have to go to the store and pick it up. The Apple Store app didn't facilitate anything that the website couldn't do. Both were able to make reservations from the beginning.
What people are complaining about was the pre-order process. That went down right away, and didn't get resolved until late last night. Normal people had a couple of hours around 8:00 pm CST to pre-order the iPhone. That is the part that was completely busted, and what people are rightfully, IMO complaining about. I started the process at about 5:45 am CST, and didn't get a pre-order in the system until late last night. I still haven't received a confirmation email, but I think I should be alright for home delivery on launch day. If something goes wrong, I also reserved one at the store for launch day, just as I did for the iPad.
And yes, I, too, wanted a white one. I have been a white iPhone user since the choice was available. A lot of people probably just want one because Apple says they can't have it. Can't wait to see the sales numbers. One thing is for sure, iPhone haters will spin the Evo numbers as an unprecedented success, while the iPhone numbers won't be the top story; it will be the pre-order meltdown that catches their eye.
A lot of people, here and elsewhere, are confusing reservations with pre-orders. They are not the same thing. I have seen many posts from people who claim that their order went through without a hitch. What they are really talking about is a reservation where they have to go to the store and pick it up. The Apple Store app didn't facilitate anything that the website couldn't do. Both were able to make reservations from the beginning.
What people are complaining about was the pre-order process. That went down right away, and didn't get resolved until late last night. Normal people had a couple of hours around 8m CST to pre-order the iPhone. That is the part that was completely busted, and what people are rightfully, IMO complaining about. I started the process at about 5:45 am CST, and didn't get a pre-order in the system until late last night. I still haven't received a confirmation email, but I think I should be alright for home delivery on launch day. If something goes wrong, I also reserved one at the store for launch day, just as I did for the iPad.
And yes, I, too, wanted a white one. I have been a white iPhone user since the choice was available. A lot of people probably just want one because Apple says they can't have it. Can't wait to see the sales numbers. One thing is for sure, iPhone haters will spin the Evo numbers as an unprecedented success, while the iPhone numbers won't be the top story; it will be the pre-order meltdown that catches their eye.
Just speaking from my experience... I got mine through first thing on the 15th at 5AM MST. Mine reservation was an upgrade to my existing iPhone 3GS. So as part of the process they did have to contact AT&T to make sure I was eligible for the upgrade. It all took 3 minutes from start to finish.....then I got the confirmation email in about another 3 minutes. I think I was very fortunate to start the process early when I got up to go to work!
Just speaking from my experience... I got mine through first thing on the 15th at 5AM MST. Mine reservation was an upgrade to my existing iPhone 3GS.
To be clear, if you got a reservation, you did not do a pre-order. All you have is the ability to walk into a store on launch day and purchase a phone that they hold in your name for that day. A pre-order, (which is what people couldn't do for most of the day), is when they authorize your plastic and ship the phone via parcel service to your home address. You spend launch day some place other than an Apple store. That is the difference.
I was fortunate enough to get through yesterday and secure an iPhone for delivery on June 24th. My problem now is receiving the delivery from FedEx. I always have my Apple.com purchases sent to my office, but Apple's website states that they will only deliver an iPhone to your AT&T billing address. Unfortunately for me, I live in an apartment in midtown Manhattan with no doorman, and I work a regular day job. There is NO WAY that I am going to be home to receive my iPhone from FedEx during the day on June 24th.
Is there any way around this weird policy of Apple/AT&T's? Has anyone dealt with this is the past?
A lot of people, here and elsewhere, are confusing reservations with pre-orders. They are not the same thing. I have seen many posts from people who claim that their order went through without a hitch. What they are really talking about is a reservation where they have to go to the store and pick it up. The Apple Store app didn't facilitate anything that the website couldn't do. Both were able to make reservations from the beginning.
I tried all day to make a reservation on Apple's web site, but you couldn't get far enough in the process to get to the point where you would select reservation vs. pickup.
I switched to the iPhone app, and it went through right away. The iPhone app could take my reservation when the web site would not...
I'm disappointed about the lack of a white phone at launch, but not enough to hold off for some undetermined date in the future...
A lot of people, here and elsewhere, are confusing reservations with pre-orders. They are not the same thing. I have seen many posts from people who claim that their order went through without a hitch. What they are really talking about is a reservation where they have to go to the store and pick it up. The Apple Store app didn't facilitate anything that the website couldn't do. Both were able to make reservations from the beginning.
You're right! Thank you for correcting me.
In the morning, the app offered the option of pre-ordering and kept crashing when contacting AT&T. Later in the day, after AT&T's problems had become well-known, Apple must have taken that option off the site and put the reservation link front and center.
That's what I did. I'll get there before they open next Thursday and hope all goes well.
LOL I did NOT know that about Girl Scout Cookies! :-) But now I have a craving for some thin mints!
That may be because it's erroneous information that I was given and then just spread. Looks like each "council" develops their own dates and may use certain localized manufacturing facilities.
This is like driving to the Indy 500. Yeah, traffic congestion is going to be awful and parking is a bitch. Does that mean that they should build a 24 lane superhighway and hundreds of acres of paved parking, all for a once a year* event? Hardly.
Similarly Apple, AT&T and other sales outlets aren't going to add millions of dollars of redundant system capacity to deal with very occasional demand peaks like this. Furthermore there can't even be one person in a thousand of us that has to have a new iPhone on the initial delivery day.
Ordering problems hardly rise to the level of more than a minor annoyance, much less a "fiasco."
That said...I got mine ordered at a local AT&T store and was out of there before 10:30 am.
I don't know if that can be determined with the info at hand. The ONLY issues I had with Apple's site was when it connected to AT&T to do the lengthy verification and whatnot.
The ONLY issues I had with Apple's site were before it even asked for my phone number to try and verify with AT&T, or after it verified. There were a lot of us who were able to reserve for pickup but who could not complete the pre-order process which involved more steps, more server time and simply more chances for failure. Plus, in the early morning it seemed like far more people had success with AT&T than Apple, but that seemed to reverse, probably as word got out. By late morning on the east coast AT&T was hosed pretty good and seemed to stay that way for the rest of the day, and Apple was starting to get some orders through at least for pickup reservations placed through the iphone app. I think both companies were caught with their pants down and there is no real excuse for it.
Quote:
We'll need to see numbers to get a better idea of the demand, but I have to think it was considerably higher than they imagined. However, that is no excuse for not preparing better for such an occurrence.
There are something like 20 million upgrade eligible phones, plus the people who will upgrade early and pay more, plus the people who never had an iPhone but want one now due to new features, cheaper data plans, corporate support or whatever. They have much better data than we do, but if they did not imagine millions of people would want one, I have no idea what cave they are living in. I would peg demand for the first 3 months at over 10 million units, with much of it front loaded to launch week. Unfortunately, their supply seems to be well short of demand, and it may stay that way for months. I can understand them underestimating the iPad since they had no history and no install base looking to upgrade. That and I can't figure out why so many people want an oversized iphone than does not fit in your pocket and yet still can't replace a netbook or laptop. For the iPhone 4 OTOH, the pent up demand should have been obvious.
Quote:
PS: Did you know Girl Scout Cookies are sold year round, not just for a few weeks a year. They sell them in different regions of the country so they don't have an excessive build up of demand once a year. Perhaps Apple should consider something similar, just so long as I'm first.
Girl scout cookies do not refresh their models once a year and try to compete against other companies that come out with new cookies every month or two.
Also, if you got your 3GS in the first wave last year and you are a moderate spender with AT&T, you were upgrade eligible in late December (18 months). If you missed the cut and got your 3Gs in July, you became eligible for an upgrade a week later in January. No big deal until December upgrades got moved to June 24th and January upgrades were left in January. Seems like there is a precident for a big reward for getting the new phone as early as possible. Imagine if they did a regional rollout last year and only the Northeast US could upgrade their 3Gs's to iPhone 4's this year and all of the other regions had to wait until January or pay $200 more. That would be a PR nightmare for sure!
This is absolutely an intolerable situation! What does Apple expect us to do after the 24th if we can't get an iPhone4 on the very first day? Our current phones are no longer going to work and we won't be able to communicate with anyone. Don't they understand that?
What? They are going to work? Really? Umm. Maybe I don't actually need to get a new phone on the very first day of release.
I congratulate Apple on what appears to be another amazing success (in spite of the problems.) I really didn't think that this update was gong to be perceived as a big deal by most people.
I would like a new iPhone, but I'm perfectly content to wait until all of the insanity dies down and I can walk into an Apple store without lines and chaos and pick up a new phone. That's how I got my last one. I really don't think my life is going to be over if I really wanted a white iPhone and had to wait a few weeks.
We've become terribly impatient and in need of instant gratification. Perhaps the same needs that are making us fat are making us go crazy when we can't have our new toy when we want it. ("But Mommy, I want that NOW!!!!") I would suspect that many psychologists would clearly see this as a disorder.
Many will see this as an Apple failure to produce enough phones, but you don't manufacture for the peak, you manufacture for the long run. If people complain enough, in the future, Apple will simply defer the release date until they build up more inventory.
And if someone logs onto AT&T's site and sees my name instead of theirs? Order me one in black and switch me over to the slightly cheaper data plan. Thank you.
Our current phones are no longer going to work and we won't be able to communicate with anyone.
Sarcasm aside, that is kind of true for me. Yesterday, during all of the pre-order hubbub, I put my 3GS into a box and sent it off to a company that buys used electronics. It is a popular site that Leo Laporte' recommends on his shows. Therefore, I had a bit more of a vested interest in the pre-order process, as I really do not have a phone until the new one arrives. In the interim, I am using my iPad 3G with Line2 as my backup. With my number ported, people can still call and leave a message, and I can call out when I need to.
Comments
What a disaster, yesterday. I wonder if Apple will apologize (you know AT&T won't) and offer every iPhone pre-order a $50 gift card. Something tells me they might do this. Then we can all get VGA adapters and Camera Connection Kits ;-)
Doesn't really matter what the ship date is if you can't even put an order into their system.
It does matter, because lots of people have managed to get orders in at sporadic times.
I'm sick of AT&T's bullsh**.
How is it AT&T's fault that more people want to buy the iPhone 4 than Foxcom and Apple can make? AT&T took your order, but it is up to Apple and their suppliers to deliver the device to the AT&T store.
How is it AT&T's fault that more people want to buy the iPhone 4 than Foxcom and Apple can make? AT&T took your order, but it is up to Apple and their suppliers to deliver the device to the AT&T store.
Even though the confirmation email says "Please note that your reservation will be held until close of business on June 24," I think I'll get there bright an early (5 or 6 a.m.) all the same. Even if my reservation managed to not mysteriously disappear before the close of business, accessories will probably sell out quickly.
I am a little concerned about activation. If AT&T's servers are overwhelmed (or they get attacked) again, I may have some issues. Arriving early and taking care of activation at the start of the day will hopefully ensure that I'll be up and running with no problems.
I was lucky... I reserved a black one at 5AM MST from the Apple website and got my confirmation email within 3 minutes. So I will pick mine up on the 24th.
But it seems as though this was not AT&Ts fault this time......
It seems Apple had inventory issues right from the start. The white one not being available and now delayed shipments. For sure AT&T had problems with their website but then so did Apple. Now they have delayed shipments and low inventory. They opened the doors to more vendors like Best Buy and RS and Walmart but if the inventory is low then these vendors will only get a very limited allocation for each of the vendor stores. This will lead to even more consumer frustration as they will not be able to get the product from anywhere. I wonder if this was orchestrated or if there was some last minute production issue we don't yet know about!!! Just my 2 cents.
I don't know if that can be determined with the info at hand. The ONLY issues I had with Apple's site was when it connected to AT&T to do the lengthy verification and whatnot. Granted, this could still be an Apple issue connecting to AT&T's servers, but I found AT&T had issues with their site and local stores were doing handwritten purchase orders because they system was completely FUBAR at one point.
As for the white model being delayed, that is unfortunate, but it's not like it's the most popular color and it's not as if they took a bunch of orders guaranteeing delivery on the 24th before realizing it'll be delayed.
We'll need to see numbers to get a better idea of the demand, but I have to think it was considerably higher than they imagined. However, that is no excuse for not preparing better for such an occurrence.
PS: Did you know Girl Scout Cookies are sold year round, not just for a few weeks a year. They sell them in different regions of the country so they don't have an excessive build up of demand once a year. Perhaps Apple should consider something similar, just so long as I'm first.
I don't know if that can be determined with the info at hand. The ONLY issues I had with Apple's site was when it connected to AT&T to do the lengthy verification and whatnot. Granted, this could still be an Apple issue connecting to AT&T's servers, but I found AT&T had issues with their site and local stores were doing handwritten purchase orders because they system was completely FUBAR at one point.
As for the white model being delayed, that is unfortunate, but it's not like it's the most popular color and it's not as if they took a bunch of orders guaranteeing delivery on the 24th before realizing it'll be delayed.
We'll need to see numbers to get a better idea of the demand, but I have to think it was considerably higher than they imagined. However, that is no excuse for not preparing better for such an occurrence.
PS: Did you know Girl Scout Cookies are sold year round, not just for a few weeks a year. They sell them in different regions of the country so they don't have an excessive build up of demand once a year. Perhaps Apple should consider something similar, just so long as I'm first.
LOL I did NOT know that about Girl Scout Cookies! :-) But now I have a craving for some thin mints!
I agree with you about needing more info about the actual numbers involved.....
What people are complaining about was the pre-order process. That went down right away, and didn't get resolved until late last night. Normal people had a couple of hours around 8:00 pm CST to pre-order the iPhone. That is the part that was completely busted, and what people are rightfully, IMO complaining about. I started the process at about 5:45 am CST, and didn't get a pre-order in the system until late last night. I still haven't received a confirmation email, but I think I should be alright for home delivery on launch day. If something goes wrong, I also reserved one at the store for launch day, just as I did for the iPad.
And yes, I, too, wanted a white one. I have been a white iPhone user since the choice was available. A lot of people probably just want one because Apple says they can't have it. Can't wait to see the sales numbers. One thing is for sure, iPhone haters will spin the Evo numbers as an unprecedented success, while the iPhone numbers won't be the top story; it will be the pre-order meltdown that catches their eye.
A lot of people, here and elsewhere, are confusing reservations with pre-orders. They are not the same thing. I have seen many posts from people who claim that their order went through without a hitch. What they are really talking about is a reservation where they have to go to the store and pick it up. The Apple Store app didn't facilitate anything that the website couldn't do. Both were able to make reservations from the beginning.
What people are complaining about was the pre-order process. That went down right away, and didn't get resolved until late last night. Normal people had a couple of hours around 8
And yes, I, too, wanted a white one. I have been a white iPhone user since the choice was available. A lot of people probably just want one because Apple says they can't have it. Can't wait to see the sales numbers. One thing is for sure, iPhone haters will spin the Evo numbers as an unprecedented success, while the iPhone numbers won't be the top story; it will be the pre-order meltdown that catches their eye.
Just speaking from my experience... I got mine through first thing on the 15th at 5AM MST. Mine reservation was an upgrade to my existing iPhone 3GS. So as part of the process they did have to contact AT&T to make sure I was eligible for the upgrade. It all took 3 minutes from start to finish.....then I got the confirmation email in about another 3 minutes. I think I was very fortunate to start the process early when I got up to go to work!
Just speaking from my experience... I got mine through first thing on the 15th at 5AM MST. Mine reservation was an upgrade to my existing iPhone 3GS.
To be clear, if you got a reservation, you did not do a pre-order. All you have is the ability to walk into a store on launch day and purchase a phone that they hold in your name for that day. A pre-order, (which is what people couldn't do for most of the day), is when they authorize your plastic and ship the phone via parcel service to your home address. You spend launch day some place other than an Apple store. That is the difference.
Is there any way around this weird policy of Apple/AT&T's? Has anyone dealt with this is the past?
Thanks!
A lot of people, here and elsewhere, are confusing reservations with pre-orders. They are not the same thing. I have seen many posts from people who claim that their order went through without a hitch. What they are really talking about is a reservation where they have to go to the store and pick it up. The Apple Store app didn't facilitate anything that the website couldn't do. Both were able to make reservations from the beginning.
I tried all day to make a reservation on Apple's web site, but you couldn't get far enough in the process to get to the point where you would select reservation vs. pickup.
I switched to the iPhone app, and it went through right away. The iPhone app could take my reservation when the web site would not...
I'm disappointed about the lack of a white phone at launch, but not enough to hold off for some undetermined date in the future...
A lot of people, here and elsewhere, are confusing reservations with pre-orders. They are not the same thing. I have seen many posts from people who claim that their order went through without a hitch. What they are really talking about is a reservation where they have to go to the store and pick it up. The Apple Store app didn't facilitate anything that the website couldn't do. Both were able to make reservations from the beginning.
You're right! Thank you for correcting me.
In the morning, the app offered the option of pre-ordering and kept crashing when contacting AT&T. Later in the day, after AT&T's problems had become well-known, Apple must have taken that option off the site and put the reservation link front and center.
That's what I did. I'll get there before they open next Thursday and hope all goes well.
LOL I did NOT know that about Girl Scout Cookies! :-) But now I have a craving for some thin mints!
That may be because it's erroneous information that I was given and then just spread.
This is like driving to the Indy 500. Yeah, traffic congestion is going to be awful and parking is a bitch. Does that mean that they should build a 24 lane superhighway and hundreds of acres of paved parking, all for a once a year* event? Hardly.
Similarly Apple, AT&T and other sales outlets aren't going to add millions of dollars of redundant system capacity to deal with very occasional demand peaks like this. Furthermore there can't even be one person in a thousand of us that has to have a new iPhone on the initial delivery day.
Ordering problems hardly rise to the level of more than a minor annoyance, much less a "fiasco."
That said...I got mine ordered at a local AT&T store and was out of there before 10:30 am.
*OK, twice if you count the Brickyard 400.
It does matter, because lots of people have managed to get orders in at sporadic times.
I'm sorry if my sarcasm was lost on you.
I do understand that it matters to those who have gotten their orders in.
Two of us here have been trying all last evening and since 3:30 am today to no avail.
I don't know if that can be determined with the info at hand. The ONLY issues I had with Apple's site was when it connected to AT&T to do the lengthy verification and whatnot.
The ONLY issues I had with Apple's site were before it even asked for my phone number to try and verify with AT&T, or after it verified. There were a lot of us who were able to reserve for pickup but who could not complete the pre-order process which involved more steps, more server time and simply more chances for failure. Plus, in the early morning it seemed like far more people had success with AT&T than Apple, but that seemed to reverse, probably as word got out. By late morning on the east coast AT&T was hosed pretty good and seemed to stay that way for the rest of the day, and Apple was starting to get some orders through at least for pickup reservations placed through the iphone app. I think both companies were caught with their pants down and there is no real excuse for it.
We'll need to see numbers to get a better idea of the demand, but I have to think it was considerably higher than they imagined. However, that is no excuse for not preparing better for such an occurrence.
There are something like 20 million upgrade eligible phones, plus the people who will upgrade early and pay more, plus the people who never had an iPhone but want one now due to new features, cheaper data plans, corporate support or whatever. They have much better data than we do, but if they did not imagine millions of people would want one, I have no idea what cave they are living in. I would peg demand for the first 3 months at over 10 million units, with much of it front loaded to launch week. Unfortunately, their supply seems to be well short of demand, and it may stay that way for months. I can understand them underestimating the iPad since they had no history and no install base looking to upgrade. That and I can't figure out why so many people want an oversized iphone than does not fit in your pocket and yet still can't replace a netbook or laptop. For the iPhone 4 OTOH, the pent up demand should have been obvious.
PS: Did you know Girl Scout Cookies are sold year round, not just for a few weeks a year. They sell them in different regions of the country so they don't have an excessive build up of demand once a year. Perhaps Apple should consider something similar, just so long as I'm first.
Girl scout cookies do not refresh their models once a year and try to compete against other companies that come out with new cookies every month or two.
Also, if you got your 3GS in the first wave last year and you are a moderate spender with AT&T, you were upgrade eligible in late December (18 months). If you missed the cut and got your 3Gs in July, you became eligible for an upgrade a week later in January. No big deal until December upgrades got moved to June 24th and January upgrades were left in January. Seems like there is a precident for a big reward for getting the new phone as early as possible. Imagine if they did a regional rollout last year and only the Northeast US could upgrade their 3Gs's to iPhone 4's this year and all of the other regions had to wait until January or pay $200 more. That would be a PR nightmare for sure!
What? They are going to work? Really? Umm. Maybe I don't actually need to get a new phone on the very first day of release.
I congratulate Apple on what appears to be another amazing success (in spite of the problems.) I really didn't think that this update was gong to be perceived as a big deal by most people.
I would like a new iPhone, but I'm perfectly content to wait until all of the insanity dies down and I can walk into an Apple store without lines and chaos and pick up a new phone. That's how I got my last one. I really don't think my life is going to be over if I really wanted a white iPhone and had to wait a few weeks.
We've become terribly impatient and in need of instant gratification. Perhaps the same needs that are making us fat are making us go crazy when we can't have our new toy when we want it. ("But Mommy, I want that NOW!!!!") I would suspect that many psychologists would clearly see this as a disorder.
Many will see this as an Apple failure to produce enough phones, but you don't manufacture for the peak, you manufacture for the long run. If people complain enough, in the future, Apple will simply defer the release date until they build up more inventory.
And if someone logs onto AT&T's site and sees my name instead of theirs? Order me one in black and switch me over to the slightly cheaper data plan. Thank you.
Our current phones are no longer going to work and we won't be able to communicate with anyone.
Sarcasm aside, that is kind of true for me. Yesterday, during all of the pre-order hubbub, I put my 3GS into a box and sent it off to a company that buys used electronics. It is a popular site that Leo Laporte' recommends on his shows. Therefore, I had a bit more of a vested interest in the pre-order process, as I really do not have a phone until the new one arrives. In the interim, I am using my iPad 3G with Line2 as my backup. With my number ported, people can still call and leave a message, and I can call out when I need to.