iPhone 3G

[madmatt]

Good tiems?

 

[Sazar]

I'm still going to buy one but this just underlines how much more hype this product is than actual functionality.

Apple REALLY dropped the ball BIG time on this. Anyone who is flattering themselves into thinking Apple could have done worse really is delusional. The only way they could have done worse is by having no phones available on launch date.

 

[Geffy]

It would be interesting to know how many they produced ready for the launch across 22 countries, be more interesting to see a breakdown of amounts in each country.

Apple is very good at hype, fortunately they're very good at delivering solid products too, rather than those annoying liquid products which just end up making a mess on the floor.

 

[Sazar]

Think of it this way.

If you bought a PS3 or a Wii or an Xbox360 on launch date after waiting and then went home only to find out you can't do jack with it and that all your previous consoles were rendered dead by purchasing the new phone, how would you feel?

I have 2 cells with my work one forwarding to my personal phone. I cannot afford any downtime.

 

[X-Istence]

Sounds like poor planning on the part of buying a new console.

If you can't afford downtime switching mobile carriers is not something you should be doing in the first place. They are notoriously slow, and are well known for their failings in dealing with number transfers.

------

Until I see people wrapping entire malls in lines waiting for a Windows Mobile device I don't care what anyone says, the iPhone is a success. Never before on the release date of a device of which it is known there are enough to go around have people queued in line for HOURS on end just to get their grubby little paws on a piece of hardware.

Why is that not happening to any device that runs Windows Mobile? I am really curious why no-one is queueing up. What are they missing that people are not willing to stand in line for hours, and people are not willing to sign away their soul to AT&T here in the US?

Sure, there are flaws, and sure Apple should have seen that demand coming from a mile away, but at the same time not everything goes as smoothly as planned. Without knowing the details of the infrastructure I can't even begin to speculate on where it went wrong or why it went wrong. The only company that I believe would be able to handle 2 million+ people (iPhone 1.0 users that are upgrading today) all hammering their servers at once would be Google, mainly because their infrastructure was built to be distributed all over the world, and they are a web company. If they want to continue to exist they NEED to make sure that they can handle the demand from all over the world.

 

[Sazar]

If you can't afford downtime switching mobile carriers is not something you should be doing in the first place. They are notoriously slow, and are well known for their failings in dealing with number transfers.

Well, if the company says that it should be simple and I went ahead and did all the ground work BEFOREHAND to ensure this precise thing would not happen, I think I would have very good reason to be annoyed.

Until I see people wrapping entire malls in lines waiting for a Windows Mobile device I don't care what anyone says, the iPhone is a success. Never before on the release date of a device of which it is known there are enough to go around have people queued in line for HOURS on end just to get their grubby little paws on a piece of hardware.

Why is that not happening to any device that runs Windows Mobile? I am really curious why no-one is queueing up. What are they missing that people are not willing to stand in line for hours, and people are not willing to sign away their soul to AT&T here in the US?

Maybe it's because they don't go for launch events and provide a far easier/simpler upgrade path? There is a reason why RIM continues to lead the market and has seen it's market share grow.

Also, just because people wrap around buildings doesn't make their product better. And it sure as hell doesn't cover up the 2nd straight launch plagued with issues.

Sure, there are flaws, and sure Apple should have seen that demand coming from a mile away, but at the same time not everything goes as smoothly as planned. Without knowing the details of the infrastructure I can't even begin to speculate on where it went wrong or why it went wrong. The only company that I believe would be able to handle 2 million+ people (iPhone 1.0 users that are upgrading today) all hammering their servers at once would be Google, mainly because their infrastructure was built to be distributed all over the world, and they are a web company. If they want to continue to exist they NEED to make sure that they can handle the demand from all over the world.

Again, this is their 2nd straight launch with issues. Change the way the damn phone is activated and you're set. If people didn't have to spend so much time figuring out their crap, I think the lines could have been a hell of a lot smaller and people could have received their phones quicker.

Btw, the vast majority of people in the lines that I have seen have been high-schoolers and college kids, not professionals. It's a good thing school/uni is out of session and they can afford to spend hours lounging around in lines

 

[Geffy]

sorry but I'm a mac user I love it compared to windows in every way. I've activated my iPhone and set it up with all my contacts, calendars and mail accounts in less time than it took my friend to make a sandwich. No WM device even on windows has been that quick for me, neither have they been as much of a pleasure to use.

 

[gonaads]

@ X-Istence:

It's not because a device is running windows mobile or not. It's that Apple has decided to market a mobile phone. Get your facts straight. Now if Microsoft were to produce and market a mobile phone also... and say that the lines were short to non-existent then your diatribe would have merit. But alas, NOT. Now when the X Box and X Box 360 were launched there were long lines and such. Now remember, this is a new version of the iPhone, it's only 1 year old. So, as to use what you said, "I am really curious why no-one is queueing up." (Oh and you should have added a question mark after that comment) I am really curious why you are using a program or OS that is widely used on various mobile devices (which is basically "old hat") vs a new iPhone (that is sooooo new)?

You have to admit that Apple in it's thinking as to not let anyone get an unactivated iPhone dropped the ball on the server issues and also to do the firmware update at the same time was utterly dumb. They should have either done the update to 2.0 on the first gen iPhones first and then do the launch of the 3G iphone or vise versa. What, they actually thought that their servers would/could handle the demand on them? Yeah right, this is as Sazar put it, the second time around. Apple dropped the ball plain and simple. So what? They will fix it. So don't go and get your iFeathers all ruffled.

 

[X-Istence]

What facts do I need to get straight? Where is your point? All I see is that supposedly if Microsoft did it, people would be lining up as well? What happened to the other manufacturers? RIM released a new Blackberry the same day as the iPhone, I did not see people lining up at AT&T stores to purchase a Blackberry.

I don't understand your comment on the widely used ("old hat") vs the new. What are you getting at? Once again where is your point?

My comment regarding the lines hold. People knew that there would be more than enough iPhones to go around on launch day, and thus also the days thereafter, but they chose to stand in line. When RIM announces a new phone people don't go stand in line to get it. When Samsung creates a new mobile phone with Windows Mobile on it, nobody goes to stand in line. Why is Apple special? You have to admit that either they are doing something very right, or they are doing something very right.

I will admit that there are mistakes concerning the activation process, however the Apple store (Chandler Mall, Chandler, AZ) I visited on launch day was turning customers around in 10 minutes (phone activated and all). The not being able to buy inactivated phones was a stipulation that was put forth by AT&T according to the genius I talked to, mainly because they were afraid people would buy the phones and unlock them.

As for the servers not handling the load, Apple should have seen that coming, and most probably they did see it coming and provided additional work horses to handle the load, but if something went wrong somewhere where there was not nearly as much redundancy because it was not expected that part would get hit so hard, things can and will go wrong.

You were told things would go right, but this is technology. Apple's servers, AT&T's servers were probably overworked just trying to handle all the requests. **** happens, deal with it. Besides, if you had paid attention during the first launch you would have waited with buying an iPhone until a few days afterwards when everything had time to settle. Sure you may not be the first on your block with a shiny new device, but you won't have the troubles you are having now.

 

[Sazar]

Actually X, people did NOT know there would be enough phones to around.

All the AT&T Stores sold out in the region I am in and an Apple "Genius" essentially lied to me by telling me that there was a minimal wait. Not a good experience when I have to drive 10 miles. I wanted to get the transaction done before the weekend so I could spend Saturday and Sunday learning the ropes and working out which Apps I wanted to use.

Mistakes were made and they should have been dealt with the first time around. That they weren't is fine if only the company can come forward and claim responsibility and move from there. What do we expect for the next version? The same thing?

 

[gonaads]

BlackBerry? Oh yeah, use a phone that has been around for how long? Since 1997. Apple iPhone... June 2007. That's a lame comparison. Again your comment doesn't hold. As I said, [POINT] if Microsoft were to put out a phone the way Apple has done with it's iPhone then your comparison would be valid [/END POINT]. Apple has a history of big fan fair when it unveils/launches a new piece of hardware. And it's Apple's arrogance toward it's most loyal fan base that this near debacle is affecting. I have nothing against Apple or it's products. Hell Apple competes with Microsoft for operating system market share, right? But the two are also partners who depend on each other for revenue. Microsoft is one of the largest software developers for the Mac OS. Windows is the largest platform by a long shot for iTunes, QuickTime and other Apple applications. So don't think this as some fanboy rant. If this were Microsoft and they did such a piss poor job with a new phone (remember that they have never ever made or paraded their own phone before), I would be at the front of the line... no, not getting the phone but just as I am now stating the screw up that they have done. It's Apple's arrogance that creates these dumb things. To quote from a tech commentary:

Apple disses iPhone early adopters

Apple dropped the price of its iPhone by one third just two months after shipping. Enthusiastic early adopters were offered in compensation $100 worth of products they never intended to buy from an Apple store.

So Apple half-heartedly tries to appease its most dedicated, loyal fans by punishing them with a $100 penalty instead of a $200 penalty. I wonder if those customers will ever stand in line again for another Apple product?

Most companies avoid punishing hardcore fans. Not Apple.

Apple shafts unlockers, 3rd-party software installers

Some of the most enthusiastic iPhone users "unlocked" or installed software not approved by Apple on their iPhones. In an act that can only be characterized as “revenge,” Apple issued a software update that can kill these modified or improved phones.

Apple's stated remedy for dealing with a disabled phone? A spokeswoman told The New York Times: "If the damage was due to use of an unauthorized software application, voiding their warranty, they should purchase a new iPhone."

You could argue, and Apple has, that every Apple fan should have carefully read the warranty and other legal mumbo jumbo, and obediently adhered to Apple's commands to allow Apple all control over the phone in your pocket.

Apple hasn’t done anything illegal. But the cold slap in the face is shocking. And the malice! Apple could have handled these iPhones in any number of ways, from code that prevents modified phones from being updated, to reformatting and re-installing the iPhone software. But to permanently break the phone, then sniff that the remedy is to buy another phone?

This is all from the launch of the first iPhone. So what do you thing the write ups will be now.

Apple tries to screw over all the fanboys that have unlocked iPhones and any others that may wish to unlock the new 3G iPhone.. but ends up screwing new users with activation issues that takes days to resolve

Interesting read (from a fanboy?):

http://venturebeat.com/2008/07/11/the-great-iphone-3g-ifail-a-retrospective-with-videos/

This was in San Fransisco as I noticed the MUNI bus in the background going by. Oh and read his update at the bottom of the article.

 

[LordOfLA]

well still can't call mine more than an ipod touch...

 

[gonaads]

well still can't call mine more than an ipod touch...

WHAT!? No shiit? :speechless:

Please read the update at the bottom of that linked article. Oh hell, here:

update: After several hours I was eventually able to connect via iTunes and activate my new iPhone 3G. I used it for a while and it worked great. Unfortunately, I just went to plug it in to charge and iTunes asked me to register — again — and wiped out all the data on my phone. Problems persist.

There are also reports that the iPod Touch 2.0 update is still not working for some people.

 

[Sazar]

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-3g-review,review-1108.html

Going to try and pick it up tomorrow. Not looking good from all the notes about failed activation

It seems like the lying Apple "genius" reps will likely not have a clue about how to add my corporate discount into my plan. Blah

 

[falconguard]

hmmm, so it wasn't really a problem with AT&T but more with Itunes.
http://www.cnettv.com/9742-1_53-50002991.html?hhTest=1&tag=cnetfd.mt

 

[Sazar]

hmmm, so it wasn't really a problem with AT&T but more with Itunes.
http://www.cnettv.com/9742-1_53-50002991.html?hhTest=1&tag=cnetfd.mt

Depends on what you read.

Yes, an issue with iTunes but from some articles, they are claiming that it is hosted on AT&T servers?????

 

[falconguard]

The AT&T part went fine, as these people got their phone and their plan, but couldn't activate their phone due to Itunes. hmmmmm yes At&T owns those too.

 

[LordOfLA]

weeee got activated on the cell network now

 

[Xie]

Apple tries to screw over all the fanboys that have unlocked iPhones and any others that may wish to unlock the new 3G iPhone.. but ends up screwing new users with activation issues that takes days to resolve

AT&T is the reason for the new activation, they lose money when people buy and then unlock and take elsewhere. Apple could care less as they still sell the phone and make money either way.

 

[Dark Atheist]

so who was to blame at&t or apple - loads or rumours floating about but very little fact, some say at&t servers couldnt handle all the activation requests others say it was apple as itunes server fell over as people were trying to get 2.0 firmware