In line for an iPhone 3G -- Updated
Well, I'm here at the Apple store in the Westfield Oakridge mall in San Jose, waiting.
In line at the Apple Store
(Credit: Peter N. Glaskowsky)I got here at about 6:45am and the line was already up around 60 people, somewhat more than I expected. I'm here with a couple of friends who got iPhones last year and are looking to upgrade.
I opened up iChat's Bonjour networking window, but nobody else seems to be using it. Bonjour iChat is usually a great way for strangers to chat at public events, but there are very few people here with laptops.
Apple employees are circulating, but they don't have much to say.
Not much more for me to say right now either; I'll update this if there are any developments.
The store opened on time at 8am.
An Apple employee told me there were "ten to fifteen" employees helping with iPhone sales.
The first iPhone went out the door at 8:51am. An Apple employee told me that the activation system hadn't been working. Sales seem to be continuing at the rate of about one every two or three minutes on average. The Apple people send up a little cheer each time a customer leaves with a phone.
Another Apple employee said they have enough phones on hand for everyone in line at the store-- I'd estimate the crowd at about 130 people.
I reached the head of the line at 9:10am. An Apple employee helped me with the transaction-- but we hit a snag when he tried to update my AT&T account.
I've explained the situation in more detail in a separate post (here), but the bottom line is, anyone with a current AT&T account that isn't currently eligible for the upgrade discount can't get the regular discounted price at an Apple store, even though it's supposed to be possible to pay an extra fee (like an early termination fee) at an AT&T store if you're near the end of your contract. In my case, the contract is up in just 19 days, so I expected I'd be able to work something out.
I still plan to get an iPhone 3G, but it looks like it isn't happening today.
Peter N. Glaskowsky is a computer architect in Silicon Valley and a technology analyst for the Envisioneering Group. He has designed chip- and board-level products in the defense and computer industries, managed design teams, and served as editor in chief of the industry newsletter "Microprocessor Report." He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. 
