But isn’t Apple all about the experience? I feel I’m shortchanging myself by going to a vanilla AT&T store.

I’d disagree. If that was the case, we’d be living in the former communistic Russia.

Companies who match solid products & retail do exponentially better.

Look at Abercrombie & FItch. Their clothing quality is OK at best, but they sell at high prices (for what it is). You go to the store for the experience. That’s just one example.

The lines at AT&T are crazy too. I am sitting in my office in San Francisco looking at the AT&T store across the street, has had a huge line (70+ people) since 7:30 am.

Just went back at lunch time and the lines are still super long… going to be waiting until this evening to try in Westchester.

Johnathan, you’re certainly right. Remember the days of the Homebrew Computer Club & Apple?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_Computer_Club

Calling yourself an “uber-Apple nerd” and looking for an “experience”?? I’m sorry but it’s a phone and an expensive one at that. Is Apple a Tech company or some cult church? You guys creep me out. 3G networks aren’t even set up in my area yet.

I do not believe it was AT&T’s fault, but Apple has had a lot of power saying and telling AT&T what to do, when and how. As a store manager for AT&T, it’s frustrating that Apple supplies us with a fraction of devices to sell. First day the average store received 60 to 70 iPhones but the Apple store had well over a thousand devices. Needless to say, they had in-experienced people activating a device that requires more than basic knowledge. Also their servers, for a second time, they lacked the bandwith to support their customers needs. In my professional experience, I can say the following statement: Blackberry it’s by far’; a much more reliable phone, better signal than an iPhone. A phone that cost that much and you can not replace the battery yourself it’s foolish… Needless to say, I consider MP3 format a more user friendly, better sound quality, more choices where to store your songs than itunes format. Drop a Blackberry on the sidewalk and drop an iPhone and lets find out the results.

WHy not try ebay or amazon, you’ll find it more … easy I guess

IMO iphone is a great phone but the price and that,,, is not worth

LOL when these first came out i laughed at the lines because i knew that the G1 Phone would be much better! I was right! haah i pity all these people.. haha

I guess the iphone has caught the imagination of a lot of people and has become one among the newest crazes in todat's world. Hence there is no wonder as to why you had to go through such a struggle to get your iphone. By the way this was a great post.