They say all good things are worth waiting for — judging by my initial reactions and the media coverage of Apple’s big iPod rollout, the wait was worth it…
I had a call yesterday from good friend and Mac User Group treasurer, Mark Niseley. He asked if I was going to the ATT store for the roll-out of Apple’s new iPhone. Well, considering all the hype, I said yes, I’d go.
Harrisonburg is very small. There isn’t even an Apple store here. I figured we would waltz right in and get the scoop, while poor souls have been camping out for two days in the major cities just for a glimpse of this new gizmo. It wasn’t a landslide, but there were about 30 or more local geeks all lined up at the door waiting for the 6 PM opening. (The local paper covered the event as well, see DNR Online with photo.)
When we finally got into the store, I was well rewarded for the wait. The iPhone is, indeed, as awesome and sexy as all the media hype had portrayed. It’s a spectacular technical design and achievement. No, I didn’t buy one. But I did see at least a dozen iPhone bags walk out the front door. The Design Center’s server guru, Brian Davis, bought one — you know, he’s always wanting to be on the bleeding edge — but I think I’ll wait for reports from Brian on how good the reception is, and how well it performs over the months to come. It will be interesting, and I’ll keep you posted.
iPhone Fall-out
What’s most interesting are the stories, videos and yet more media hype during and immediately after the product launch — from screaming fans, to scammers, opportunists, criminal activities and all manner of ‘experts’ posting their views and reactions.
Star Sentinal’s Daniel Vasquez sums it up:
“Here’s what you need to know about the iPhone. It delivers.
Is it perfect? No way.
Is it easy to use? Incredibly.
Within five minutes, I used the iPhone to call my wife, check the Sun-Sentinel.com Web site for news updates (and my last column, of course) and to photograph my wife and son — without even needing to read the instructions. Read More
Scammers jump on the iPhone bandwagon
As soon as something good happens, there’s a criminal waiting to take advantage of it.
Scammers are using the iPhone to try to steal money and identity of anyone just a little too anxious to get their hands on the new Apple cellphone. Sunbelt researchers have discovered a new custom Trojan that attempts to extort money from you in exchange for a fake iPhone. Read More
How the iPhone Service Plan Measures Up
Assuming that shoppers can get over the starting price of $499 — with AT&T’s service priced at $59.99 a month, the minimum cost of the mandatory two-year service contract with AT&T will be $1439.76 over the life of the contract. Read More
Hype and greed in queue for iPhone
Hype, greed and shameless self-promotion were on full display on Friday as geeks, hustlers and wannabes lined up to buy Apple’s long-awaited iPhone. Some were less interested in the product than the profit they could make selling it on via websites such as Ebay and Craigslist. Read More
iPhone: Setting the record straight
Not all of the stories on iPhone have their facts right.
Good: iPhone does have a removable SIM card, and if you purchase iPhone from an Apple Store, you can return it within 14 days for a refund — that is until Apple subtracts a 10% charge for an open box. Read More
iDay: excitement at Apple’s Cube store
Call me nuts, or call me crazy or whatever, but the moment the doors at the Apple Store on 5th Ave, in Manhattan reopened for business, the energy and excitement surrounding the iPhone launch was unreal. (See videos of New York opening, but turn the sound down because some jerk makes too much noise to endure.) Read More
Naples: No-wait policy takes the i out of experience
The wait only increases the anticipation. The wait only enhances the experience. The wait makes the experience that more memorable. But Naples, FL fanatics of the Apple iPhone lost out. They weren’t allowed to wait. No camping. No bonding. No fun. By Tom Hanson Read More
Apple iPhone Live Photo Gallery
The revolution has begun. The Apple iPhone has been on sale for a few hours, and here are our first photos of this lovely device. Read More
How the iPhone will change computing
But in the innumerable articles comparing the iPhone to existing phones from other suppliers, several fundamental points are being missed. …CNNMoney.com – USA Read More
