After the 7/11 mess, I've had a great experience with my iPhone. I don't have the reference points that others have -- I didn't have a smartphone previously. I do have a Creative Vision:M player which has been great and a Dell PDA. Both devices have taught me to manage battery power especially the PDA. If I got happy using the internet via WIFI, playing games or doing mail, the battery was sucked up in flash. I was looking for a cellphone upgrade and decided on a smartphone. I considered an LG and the soon-to-be released Sony Xperia, but I finally drank the convergence Kool-Aid. The iPhone is all about ease of use and the convergence of a decent browser, a great user interface, a cell phone and the market leading MP3 player. I has resisted the totalitarian state which is Apple until I got tired of too many devices, an immature Windows OS and a confusing array of software options. The Windows Mobile is a poorly executed Heathkit environment. I'm getting old. I need simple straight forward and maybe having someone else fiqure it out for me, even if he's little too smug.

Sent by Barry Washington | 4:55 PM ET | 07-25-2008

Frustrating, sure. Apple single-handedly solved one of the mobile phone industry's biggest retail problems (home-activation eliminates customer frustration, and also makes impulse purchases easier).

Unfortunately a bunch of iPhone "jailbreakers" spoiled the fun for the rest of us. I can't really blame Apple or AT&T. You get your phone for almost nothing, and they make up for it with monthly revenue. If people are using the phones off the AT&T network, basically they are subsidizing the phone at no benefit to them. Not good business.

So it's frustrating, but understandable.

Sent by Arn | 8:33 PM ET | 07-25-2008

My wife and I picked up the new iPhones the first weekend after trying on Friday at the AT&T store near our house and being turned away due to limited initial stocking. We went to the Apple store Sunday and were successful after a long wait in line.

I can remember the time when grocery stores and gas stations closed at 9PM and TV stations went off the air at midnight. It seems we've become a society were we expected instant availability and access to everything all the time. So when a product as popular as the iPhone comes out we all want it right now, no waiting; we want it cheap and with no problems right out of the box.

I've been an Apple fan since the very first Macintosh, which I bought for myself and my six year old daughter, so she would be more comfortable with technology. Apple isn't perfect but to me they're better than what Redmond offers.

By the way, while we were in the long line at the Apple store waiting for the iPhone experience, the stores staff kept handing out chilled bottled water, cheese burgers and sliced apples with no limits. Once inside our Apple service specialist, despite a seriously sleep deprived weekend, was a pleasure to work with, professional and answered my many questions.

I for one am very excited with our new iPhones and knowing what a perfectionist Steve Jobs is am sure the initial problems with MobileMe will be resolved very soon.

Sent by Michael Mead | 7:39 AM ET | 07-26-2008

Yeah the server crashed but wouldn't any server crash with that much traffic on it? And big deal about the crash.... I was able to get the update by that afternoon so it didn't take Apple long to get it up and running... So does that give me the right to cry like a baby because the server crashed because I could not have my upgrade as soon as they put it in itunes? NO...... only impatient people felt the pain of the crash!

I waited to get my 3G... I just ordered it the other day and received it in three days.... so no big deal... you can get them. And ATT gave me the red carpet treatment through the hole order process.. matter of fact I enjoyed going to the store, comparing my first generation iphone to the 3G. The guys in the store were a lot of fun and then I ordered...

ATT sent me a email confirmation with a tracking number so I could track it and it was delivered to ATT the date and time they said...

It was not supposed to be at the ATT store until after 3:00 p.m but it arrived at 2:36 p.m. and ATT was on the phone and calling me by 2:50 p.m.

When I arrived at the store the man knew who I was and had the phone out and ready for me as he knew I was on my way... so the hole process was not painful at all...

As for being able to walk in last year and buy one and go home and activate it... yes it was really nice but that is what we all get because of the hackers! It is not Apples or ATTs fault it is the hackers fault! If the hackers wouldn't have hacked the first generation iphone then we would have been able to activate it at home.... But if Apple wouldn't have used ATT then the hackers would have been maybe happy campers as well...

And if Verzion would have accepted the phone many would be happier! We can point fingers all day long here.. so what is done and has been done is wasted time.... we all just have to wonder what is Apples next step for our iphone experience! And I am sure in time we will get everything we want on the iphone.... remember the iphone is just a baby compared to many other companies out there.... give it time...

Think about it all... if you were Apple and ATT with this product would you want the hackers trying to take control of your device? I don't think so!

So this time around we all had to do what all of the rest of the cell phone companies do... you can't get a cell phone with anyone unless it is activated in their store.... and remember the people out there last year had problems activating their phones through itunes last year... as many didn't understand what to do etc....

With Apple and ATT doing it this way this time around your phone gets activated and it is working when you leave the store....

Apple is not losing their friendly charm... where do you get that? Think about it... one million iphones sold this time around in a very short time.... yes the server crashed but it was fixed the same day! And some have to wait to get their phone at this time... big deal.... that is the problem with our world today.... everyone has to have what ever it is right this very minute! People are not patient in this fast past world we live in.... And I just read that 2.1 firmware is on its way already as I just read and it is supposed to have gps turn by turn..... Cool!

There is not one single company out there... that could keep up with the demand of the iphone... I think Apple has done a great job so far.

As for a Zune.... Oh boy that is another story! I would not buy one of those for all the money in the world! Nor would I want to deal with any cell phone that had windows mobile on it either... been there done that and not going back!

Sent by IPhone | 11:35 AM ET | 07-26-2008

You know, it really bugs me that people blame Apple for the in store activation thing...Apple DIDNT want that, why else did they have the buy take home thing the first time??....AT&T forced Apple to do this...do you really think Apple would mess up a good thing. Get it right, the carriers are the problem. but yes, Apple did mess up on other things...but dont use Apple's name where it doesn't belong. Has anyone read anything about AT&T+ iphone mess...no...blame the company who is becoming popular.

Sent by Bob | 1:24 PM ET | 07-26-2008

Do you really think Apple wants in-store activation? With AT&T now subsidizing a big chunk of the iPhone cost upfront, they want to ensure that every single phone ends up with a shiny new AT&T contract.

And where does activation happen? AT&T activates phones, not Apple. When servers weren't returning activation codes, those were AT&T servers.

There are plenty of real issues to take Apple to task for -- the iPhone 2.0 software isn't quite there yet and many have reported serious problems with crashes, MobileMe, as you mentioned, is a disaster, there's that ridiculous NDA for the iPhone SDK --

Sent by Tom | 5:06 PM ET | 07-27-2008

Walked into store waited 10 min in line programmed phone paid money and left...

Try calling ahead...

Sent by Bob Fairbairn | 9:41 PM ET | 07-27-2008

Good things are worth waiting for; be patient. iphones are still the best new tech gadget that I've seen in many years, plus the Mac is growing so fast that it's simply amazing. Goodbye, PC; sorry you just never could keep up!

Sent by Pat Pettit | 6:03 PM ET | 07-28-2008

Ahh, Mr. Ridley, your commentators are more honest than you are about being Apple/Mac/iPhone junkies!!!! Talk about fanatics :-)!!!!! After years of watching my vision-impaired husband effortlessly use his Macs, I am becoming a .

Sent by DWM | 9:18 AM ET | 07-29-2008

WOW! One minor issue with the iPhone and suddenly the world in coming to an end for you. Dude! Relax! I've had more problems activating my Motorola Razr than my iPhone.

Sent by Rob | 7:43 PM ET | 07-29-2008

iPhone said on 7/26: "... if you were Apple and ATT with this product would you want the hackers trying to take control of your device?"

Huh? Last I checked, when I buy a phone it's MINE, not Apple's or ATT's.

Sorry, IPhone, I disagree with the logic. When a company makes its process harder for the customer and blames it on other customers, it wears a bit thin. I'm a long-time Apple customer and fan, but sometimes feel a bit taken for granted by the company.

Maybe I'll buy an iPhone...one day.

Sent by James | 12:30 PM ET | 07-31-2008

It is fun to bash Apple, but for many of us the purchase and activation of an IPhone was like all of our other experiences with Apple - a class act. Yes, I had to wait two weeks and yes I checked the Apple Store's IPhone availability on line each night. But when I arrived at the store 40 minutes early I was first in line and chairs were available for the wait. After a 15 minutes wait an Apple Store staff member asked me for needed information to insure that I was not waiting in vain. At opening time, I was escorted into the Apple Store, picked up my new IPhone, had it activated, and walked out the door is less than ten minutes.

By the way, the IPhone far exceeds my expectations and performs flawlessly.

David Willard

Sent by David Willard | 4:05 PM ET | 07-31-2008