The Second Coming

Yep, I waited in line today. And yep, I totally underestimated the line and length of time it would take. I naively thought the lines wouldn't be as bad as last year since it wasn't new here, people would be more casual about it, etc. Duh. Finally got my phone after 5.5 hours in line and didn't have a working phone for another hour.

The time was mostly due to Apple and AT&T insistence that you can't leave the store without an activated phone. So you have a million people trying to all activate phones at the same time and Apple nor AT&T couldn't handle the traffic. It was taking anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes or more to purchase and go through the two-step activation process.

I'm a bit disappointed with Apple. One of the great things last year was that you could buy the phone quickly and easily and activate it at home. Sure there were activation issues last year, but I didn't have any and even if I did, I'd at least be in the comfort of my own home. That said, I waited in line with fun people and the Apple Store employees were there amazingly helpful selves.

On to the phone. I have not had much time to play with it, but I love the feel of it in my hand. It's a tad lighter than the previous iPhone, thicker in the middle, but with tapered edges which make it look & feel thinner. The interface is zippy and the 3G network is definitely light years better than the pokey EDGE network.

I have yet to download any Apps, but I'll definitely be trying a game or two and the MLB app. Cool stuff. This is going to be huge for Apple. The analysts have already doubled their estimate for iPhone sales next year to over 40 million.

iPhone 3G Details

Apple has posted a guided tour of the new 3G phone

AT&T has posted pricing, purchase and upgrade details.

AT&T has also posted videos on how to prepare for purchasing the 3G phone:
Existing AT&T Customers; New AT&T Customers.

AppleInsider details how to “hand down” your 1st Gen iPhone.


Some further details:

• Data plans are $10 more a month for 3G.


• There is still some confusion as to how MS Exchange mail will work. According to AT&T, if you want Exchange mail and ActiveSync you need to be on the “Enterprise Data Plan” which costs $15 more a month. But they’re not saying they will disable the feature for non-enterprise plans. There is no detail on this for 1st Gen iPhones.


• Text messages are no longer included as part of the data plan. They’re either 20 cents a message or $5/month for 200 messages, $15/month for 1500 and $20/month for unlimited. So don’t send me any text messages anymore. :-)


• Existing iPhone users will pay an $18 activation fee; new iPhone users will pay $36


• It is true that you have to activate the iPhone 3G before you leave the store, so I’m betting that July 11th will be nothing short of nightmarish. Certainly not the pickup an go of last year. Apple hasn’t announced when they will start selling the iPhone, but I’d be surprised if it was different than AT&T.

Happy Birthday iPhone!

Believe it or not, it was 1 year ago today that the iPhone went on sale. Ah, I remember it vividly. Waiting in line for 6 hours with a couple friends, lawn chairs, and a couple beers smuggled in via travel mugs. Memories. And with the 2nd generation iPhone going on sale in 10 days, 16 hours, 2 minutes and 11 seconds (but who's counting?), I'll be repeating history.

Good Luck Bill!

Today is Bill Gates' last day at Microsoft. If you've been living under a rock for the past 2 years, he is retiring to start spending his 58 billion dollar fortune. He's got some charity or something. Frankly, I'd be more than happy to help him spend the money. He could even give some of it to my favorite charity - Give Chuck The World Foundation.

Engadget has declared today Bill Gates Day. Mr. Gates will be speaking to all Microsoft employees later today.

Regardless of what you think of Microsoft, Bill Gates has achieved amazing feats in his 33 years at the helm. I could list some/all here, but it's too much work and a simple Google search will take care of it for you.

My Latest My First Mac Article

What Are My Choices In Using a Mouse With My New Mac?

Why You Don't F*ck With Nature

Ants! And these aren't the kind that invade your grandma's living room. These suckers get into electrical equipment and cause all sorts of trouble. With multiple queens and resistance to current pesticides, these things are around to stay. And just like fire ants, killer bees and kudzu, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they're found all over the southeast and attacking the iPod, iPhone & Mac Mania Blog global headquarters.

AT&T Offers Refurbed iPhones

AT&T has refurbished iPhones on sale. Buy the 8GB for $249 and the 16GB for $349 with free shipping. I believe I've ranted in the past about the advantages of buying refurbed, so I'll spare you this time.

Of course, keep in mind that the 3G iPhone is right around the corner, sometime between any second now and June 24th, depending on who you believe.

Via SlickDeals

HBO Shows Added to iTunes

As rumored, HBO shows are now available on iTunes. The cost per episode is $2.99 which is $1 more than what other shows cost. Since HBO is a premium network, this does actually make sense to me and is not necessarily a break in Apple's stringent pricing.

Need Another Reason To Buy A Mac?

Built-in theft detection.

iPhone To Launch in Late June/July?

AT&T is telling employees that vacation requests for late June through late July will be limited. They did the same thing last year for the iPhone launch. Considering the deafening rumors mill for this time frame, it's pretty much a guarantee.

iPhone Simulation Developer's Kit for iRise

I've been working on the OneSpring iPhone Simulation Developer's Kit (SimDK™) for iRise. The press release we did with iRise got picked up today by MacWorld and PC World (where they butchered my name)! Cool stuff!!

Update: My name has been corrected! :-)

IBM is looking to switch to Macs

What the title said.

Put It On Your Calendar -

14 April 2008 - The beginning of the end of Blockbuster & Circuit City.

New Mac Clone

It's been a while since the last authorized Mac clone was run out of business by Mr. Jobs. Here for your litigation pleasure is an announcement from a small company out of Miami selling an unauthorized Mac clone, the OpenMac.

It certainly does fill a gap in Apple's lineup. If you don't want the built-in monitor of the iMac or notebooks, your choice is either the Mac Pro or the Mac Mini. The Mac Pro is great if you're just that - a pro. It's got the horsepower and expandability to rule the world. However, if you're not a pro, it's the Mac Mini for you. The underpowered, integrated graphics, low memory mini. Want to upgrade the processor? Can't. Want to upgrade the graphics card? Can't. Want more the 2GB or ram? Can't.

Macenstein has a great writeup about it.

This one will be interesting to watch as I'm sure the Apple legal team is sharpening their pencils.

Update: It looks to be a hoax.

This is why I'm an Apple Customer

Well, one of the reasons. I recently had two issues with iTunes. I purchased a season of Scooby Doo (for the kids of course) on my AppleTV, but only 3 of the 8 episodes downloaded for some reason. I reported a problem with my purchase, and within 4 hours or so, I had a response with some troubleshooting ideas. They didn't work. Without a hassle, they reinstated the 5 missing episodes and I was able to download. Great customer service.

I have been listening to 3 purchased albums from a very cool band, Ike, recently. Unfortunately, on one of the two albums, three of the songs have a blip in the middle of the track. Very annoying. I again contacted iTunes and without question or hassle issued 3 download credits and asked that I wait three weeks so they could investigate. Awesome customer service.

iTunes Number One

Apple announced today that iTunes is the number 1 music retailer, surpassing Wal*Mart. Pretty impressive.

A Drunk Jeff Goldblum Sells the iMac

This is hilarious:



It is the original iMac commercial with Jeff Goldblum, but slowed down 30%. So basically he's just a drunk fast-talker.

Apple Number 1

Apple was recently named the number 1 brand with world impact. Microsoft was named number 1 brand in need of a makeover.

You've Been Steved

Awesome exchange between Steve Jobs and a customer:

Dear Steve Jobs,

I wanted to write and express my concern about some recent problems that I have had with Apple Care. This week, my MacBook Pro unfortunately sustained water damage. I understand this is entirely my fault but it is still something I would like to get fixed. After three or four calls I was finally able to get a straight answer. While I was happy to get a straight answer, I was not at all happy with the answer. It is very worrisome to me that the only way to get my computer fixed is to pay almost $300.00 up front with no guarantee that this will fix the problem. I was horrified to learn that their is no system to assess the problem and bill once all damage is known. I am reluctant to put money into a problem that could easily grow. I have had three Apple computers in a row. I love using them but I am not sure if my replacement will be one. I feel powerless in the situation and the whole experience has turned me off of the Apple company.

Sincerely,

Xxxxxx Xxxx

And Steve's response:

Xxxxxxx,

This is what happens when your MacBook Pro sustains water damage.They are pro machines and they don’t like water. It sounds like you’re just looking for someone to get mad at other than yourself.

Steve

I love Steve even more now.

A Sad Day

Okay, this has nothing to do with Apple, but when the inventor of your favorite (and the greatest) McDonald's breakfast item dies, you do the right thing and honor him.

Rest in peace, Herb Peterson.