[jqp]

Wow that was almost anti-climactic! The Apple Store here at the Southpark Mall in Charlotte closed at 2pm for iPhone shenannigans inside, complete with black curtains obscuring the view from prying eyes.

I got here just before 6, Starbucks coffee in hand (with backpack containing laptop and camera). I came for the freakshow because I was curious about the event after all this hype and to meet some friends for dinner near here. There was a nice little crowd outside the store, complete with local TV media and photographers, some looking suspiciously like Apple employees in their black garb. The iPhone fanboys line went down one of those long hallways in the mall that lead to the bathrooms and maintenance exits. But is sure beats waiting out in the 95 degree heat and humidity. I use the term fanboys in a good way of course, and there were several fangirls near the from of the line.

I found a nice leather chair (this is a pretty high class mall) abandoned by someones Mom or other relative who had no doubt been waiting in line all day. The store is actuall open till Midnight tonight. But no need! the line is OVER, as of 6:46pm. And apparently there are plenty of iPhones. And I would hope so considering Apple is giving every employee (50 thousand?) a free iPhone at the end of July. So now the Apple door persons are standing around wishing there was a line and they had a reason to be all Secret Service...

Interestingly, the phones don't work yet. You have to take them home and activate them via iTunes. What a crock, I mean stanglehold by Apple. Wonder if the AT&Tingular stores can activate them any differently? Actually a guy is trying to activate his out in the mall using iYunes on his laptop. Guess what the first step is? Update iTunes!...

Watch this space for a few pics later...

I am interested in one at some point, but not yet. I will definitely need to see if the AT&T network can support all this hype.

[Bemopti123]

I had a passing glance of the flagship Apple store on 59th Street, in NYC as I was riding the bus downtown.  It did not seem as if too many people were in line.  As you have stated, there seemed to be more hype and all that was associated with it checking out the crowds...truckloads of TV equipment from all the major TV corporations waiting until 6. 

Perhaps if there are not too many people buying the Iphones, At&t would be spared the pain of overloaded networks with the users of the Iphones being less than predicted.

The stranglehold of the software that is associated with the Iphones, especially the Itunes section, it would actually guarantee the success of the phones in the longer term.  I do not know about you, but I have a Samsung Blackjack which operates Windows Mobile and let me tell you, it is either the phone software design or Windows Mobile but the entire experience about its user usability pretty much turned me off. 

In contrast, Ipod usability or ease of it pretty much might guarantee the device taking off at a later date.  Remember how long it took the early Ipods to catch up? 

Asides the possible empty hype factor, I do hope the advent of the Iphone will make other smart phone manufacturers notice how crude their phones and operating systems are.  It will make them make better phones in the long run or so I hope.   

[jqp]

Yes I am all for improving the smartphhone experience and I think Apple can really be the way to go in the future. I like my Windows phone for many things but the phone plan and connectivity issues cause most of my frustrations.

Here is an update as of 7:50pm that is encouraging! This guy activated his iPhone from the mall on his laptop via iTunes. And since he had he email setup on the laptop, he is now getting his email ont he iPhone! Of course the important thing is that he did it via WiFi, not the AT&T network. That I think is going to be the key - how much can you use your iPhone connectivity over WiFi versus the AT&T cellular networks...but at first glance, the email experience looks really smooth, better than even on a PC or laptop!


Also, there are still a "gazillion" iPhones left in Charlotte...

[JoshK]

I am definitely watching but in the "wait and see" crowd.  Its a cool concept, looks to be a spectactular UI, but that is the end of it.  Where is the full size keyboard for blackberry like service?  Without that I am out.

[Bemopti123]

Josh, I am pretty sure that there will be some enterprising companies or even Apple that will jump into the bandwagon with the keyboard.  I do not know about it all, but I do need a keyboard to type some messages.  What made me really angry about my present phone is the pathetic small buttons that are called "keys" to type messages.  Most keyboard keys are microscopic and I am not willing to grow 1 fingernail longer than others to type messages.  Hell with that. 

What I really see the Iphone being is a compact computer that can do a lot of the things that people do in their computers except hardcore software.  So, being that the OS of the Iphone seem to be pretty much like  OSX, it pretty much leaves a comparison between Windows Mobile vs OS X!  That is an unfair comparison, but if it is true, it will make Windows Mobile software "smartphones" like devices from the stone age. 

I say once again that the Iphone has introduced competition where there was none.  Other companies better wake up to a new dimension in terms of mobile competition.   

[jqp]

Because i don't type that much in general on my touch screen Pocket PC phone, and when I do I usually use my stylus on the little virtual screen keyboard, a virtual touchscreen keyboard with bigger keys may be an improvement for me...but I also don't use my phone for work at this point, so not tied to a corporate mail server.

[jqp]

Looking at the people milling about and trying to activate their phones over WiFi with iTunes on their laptops, I do think the size of the phone  is probably optimum. It is big enough to have decent screen real estate, yet small enough to go in your pants pocket if you choose not to holster it. It can also slide into your shirt pocket until you lean over and send it to the cement.

[Bemopti123]

Jqp, I think that one of the things that you mentioned about the Iphone can actually turn out to be a liability.  The optimal screen size, due to its nature better be well protected because other devices that use such a widescreen format LCD have issues with reliability, cracking on the slightest bump.  I wonder whether there will be a sort of Ipod Nano G1 screen cracking fiasco with this device.  Asides from design and performance, due to being a phone device it will need to be fairly sturdy or else....

[jqp]

Well your cub reporter is back from dinner and....

I have actually used an iPhone. I really really, used an iPhone (Sally Fields)!

I actually walked into the Apple store before I left, since the line was gone and there was some room for me to negotiate with my backpack. I watched as lots of young girls were mobbing the main iPhone table, with some parents and others. Then I spied an open iPhone on a side table that was playing into some cans. I didn't let that stop me as I unplugged the headphone jack and examined it. It was pretty light for its size and shape, and yes there were beaucoup de smudges on the face but this is the case with my current cell phone, I realized, and I could see through them just fine. A glossy surface makes one realize how unsanitary any handheld device can be, including all the phones that have ever rung.

Well what do you know, they had the class/foresight to have all the demo phones active - I called a pal of mine and of course said, I am calling from an iPhone! I will also say kudos to Apple for setting the store up for the iPhone extravaganza, testing everything, and making it look very clean, all in 4 hours. I also discovered that they hired some muscle for the event and disguised them as Apple employees. I asked one of the guys at the door, when he came out to the mall to take a break, about the router they are using, and he said "Oh I am just hired muscle". He did look like a giant Apple employee though.

I will say that the interface is smooth if monotonous... every new screen seems to slide off to the right and slide back to the left when you are done, tons of settings to look at and configure. Rumors of the lack of buttons have been greatly exaggerated - I quickly and conveniently turned the volume of an MP3 down when I unplugged the headphones, and discovered the "root menu" button which is the only button (I think) on the front. Largeish virtual buttons pop up at all the right times.

I picked up a rate card for the AT&T plans. The best plan to get costs $140 per month: 1350 daytime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends, and unlimited text messages, with Visual Voicemail. You might squeak by with $110 for 900 daytime minutes. Every plan does include unlimited regular email and web use (limited unlimited data). If you don't EVER text and don't want Visual Voicemail you can subtract $40, $30 or $20, but what kind of Scrooge would you be to your iPhone buddies? And if they text you, isn't that counted as a text message?

There seem to be plenty available. I guess ebayers could conceivably sell to someone in Nowheresville, but Apple could ship one to them probably quicker with no risk and for no premium. If only Sony could have done things this way, they would not be so hated perhaps. But they would have had to charge maybe $1200+ to make it comparable...I did see a family who bought 4 (2 per person limit), heard them say surely we can sell a couple somehow...

They seem to be activated only via iTunes on your PC, which I am biased against since I can't stand the idea of paying $1 for a compressed MP3, DRMed no less. But if and when I get an iPhone I am sure I can d/l and install it.

[brj]

They seem to be activated only via iTunes on your PC, which I am biased against since I can't stand the idea of paying $1 for a compressed MP3, DRMed no less. But if and when I get an iPhone I am sure I can d/l and install it.

For those times when you want to download music instead of loading your own uncompressed WAV files on the phone (or any iPod), why would you not chose the DRM free 256 kbps AAC versions that started to be released on April 2nd?  True, only a few of the big music labels are releasing music in this format just now, but for those songs currently available this way, it is a significant step up from your average MP3 in both quality and DRM restrictions.  (Even the base AAC is better than typical bit-rate MP3s.)

[arthurs]

I am iPhoned out....I've been dealing with it behind the scenes for some time now...yaawwwwnnnn.....today was just humorous to see.....

[brj]

Based on the reports of working in-store demos and plenty of inventory to meet demand, I'd say the behinds the scenes work went quite well - nice work!

How it will all turn out...     I actually hope it turns out well, if only for the reason that it appears likely to force the cell phone companies out of their current rut.  Too bad that even the best product design won't improve their customer service...

[arthurs]

I'm not sure the US consumer is ready for the change in the cellular industry this could cause...rates may go down a bit if we move to a carrier neutral model, but handset cost will go up significantly and warranty and service for the hardware will be veeerrryy different from what it is now....

[jon_010101]

Well, I ordered an iPhone today. 

I spent 5 minutes playing with one and found it even better than imagined.  The interface is trivial to navigate, the "feel" is brilliant, and the plan pricing isn't too bad when you consider the unlimited data.  The $59.99 plan covers all of my needs (I'm a night owl, so 450 daytime minutes is huge), and includes all of the iPhone functionality (visual voicemail, data, etc.).

[Bemopti123]

Some really simple questions about the Iphone:

Can you use any of the Itunes loaded tunes as a MP3 ringer?

Jgp, what is this "limited unlimited data" info you are talking about?  That gets me wondering whether it might actually be a limitation.

[jqp]

I have heard that you cannot do ringtones from tunes on the iPhone.

By "limited unlimited data" I meant that you can do certain "data" things without risk of incurring extra charges, but you can't do visual email (which is data) under that plan.

[Bemopti123]

I have heard that you cannot do ringtones from tunes on the iPhone.

By "limited unlimited data" I meant that you can do certain "data" things without risk of incurring extra charges, but you can't do visual email (which is data) under that plan.

Those two things you mentioned pretty much turned me off.  There is NO WAY that I would pay Apple to have tunes converted to ringers for me.  What sort of shenanigan is that?  MP3 ringers tones are old.  I see the word "Greed" here.

[PhilNYC]

There is NO WAY that I would pay Apple to have tunes converted to ringers for me.  What sort of shenanigan is that?  MP3 ringers tones are old.  I see the word "Greed" here.

I'd guess that Apple is forced to do it via the agreement they have with the record labels...

[Scott F.]

There is NO WAY that I would pay Apple to have tunes converted to ringers for me.  What sort of shenanigan is that?  MP3 ringers tones are old.  I see the word "Greed" here.

I'd guess that Apple is forced to do it via the agreement they have with the record labels...

Thats the RIAA in action for you (the dirty rotten rat bastards).

When it comes to ringtones, I create my own on my PDA. It's nothing more than a wav file. I open a freeware wav editor, cut a section out of whatever tune (or dialog from a movie) I want, copy it over to my phone and instantly I have my own custom ringtone. I use the theme to Super Chicken (the SC charge) as my ringtone. My boss hates it but I think its hilarious (as do most people standing around me when it rings).

[lonewolfny42]

Take a look at this video......