Post iPhone 3G Launch Reflections, Part I

So here we are, one day after the launch of the iPhone 3G. Much has been made about the trials that customers had to endure in order to secure the new device. (I’m not going to link to any stories. A quick visit to any Mac news site or a quick Google search will turn up the pertinent summaries.) Based on what I’ve read, my personal experience was typical of what people faced.

I arrived at the Apple Store Burlingame at around 7:15am. A line had already formed that stretched around the back of the store. I got in line and the great wait began. Just before 8am, the line began to move, possibly indicating that the first group of customers had been let in prior to the official launch time. And we continued to wait. Employees from the Apple Store came out and started talking to the crowd, answering questions, making sure everyone had the necessary information. They offered water and coffee, a few positive words like, “You’re going to love the new phone,” and tried to keep everyone up beat. As the day wore on, however, the presence of the Blue Shirts became scarce.

Inevitably, people came around offering to sell their spots in line. There were few takers. (Later on, they were a few comments from folks who had wished they had bought the more advanced spaces.) It was slow going. After the initial excitement wore off, it became a test of wills. Some people simply gave up. Others sent scouts to the nearby AT&T Store. Reports came back that AT&T had already sold out. And we continued to wait.

The news about the overloaded iTunes servers began to make its way around the crowd. Several folks began to grip at Apple. A shame since it was AT&T that had demanded in-store activation. People floated in and out of line to get food, put more change in the parking meters, use the restroom, etc. And we continued to wait.

Later: I get in the store and am told that I can’t get a phone…