At Last!!

Yes, I am finally a proud owner of a new iPhone. :)

In case you're wondering, I stood in the line outside of the mall for about 4 hours before being escorted through the mall to a short line (2 people in front of us) at the Apple Store.

Overall, the experience was fine. It's funny, because I realized this morning that I have (surprisingly) never done anything like this. I've never waited in line for hours for a new product release. The closest thing I can think of was maybe when we used to wait in line for hours to see "The Empire Strikes Back" Or "Return of the Jedi" way back when. But, with those, you were waiting with a large group of people, and you would all file into the theater together.

This was kind of like waiting in a really long line at an amusement park. The Great America kind - not the Disneyland kind. Nothing interesting along the way to keep you entertained. Just the people around you who you invariably end up talking to quite a lot along the way.

In the little fantasy that played through my head, I was thinking I was being smart by choosing a lesser-known store (should be much quieter than the Downtown SF Flagship Store, right) in a mall. I figured that they would let us in the mall, even if stores weren't open. I pictured myself sitting on the floor somewhere, parked with my kindle, a bottle of water and the apple fritter I bought yesterday for the occasion.

Instead, we were outside in the cold (foggy/misty), standing the entire time. Once you made it to the front of the line, you were escorted in small groups (6, 8 or 10 people) through the mall to the (shorter) line at the Apple Store. Once you saw the inside of the mall, you were golden. Until then, you were freezing.

All-in-all, it was a fine experience. Kind of a fun story, and not too bad. Sure, it's 5 hours of my life I'll never get back, but I do have a new phone and a good story. :)

I heard from my friend, Mike, who had a phone reserved at the downtown store. He started waiting in line around 10:00am, and waited 5 hours total. I guess I did okay after all.

Once I was in the store, they confirmed my order, brought out my phone, and updated my AT&T account (data plan/text message plan). I came home, plugged my new phone into my computer and all of the content that I had in my new phone downloaded fairly quickly and problem free. That was a good experience.

Not-so-good-experience: remember that AT&T 3G Microcell that I bought last month? I expected it would work seamlessly right away. I was wrong.

I spent an hour and a half on the phone with the Microcell guy troubleshooting. We had tried rebooting the Microcell and my phone several times (which, yes, I had already tried on my own, too). In the end. we had to disconnect my phone number from the Microcell account, then add it again. This was followed up by another reboot of the Microcell and the iPhone. That did the trick. I now have full bars and that all-important (in our house, anyway) M-Cell showing on my phone.

At last - I can use my cell phone in my house, and in my backyard!!
Yay!

Oh - I almost forgot.

I also came up with a name for my new iPhone today.

I'm going to call it: Steve Austin

Yes, after the Six Million Dollar Man. (a.k.a. The Bionic Man)

I figured my new iPhone 4 is "Better. Stronger. Faster."

Just like the Bionic Man!

Compared to my 3 year-old trusty, rusty, First Gen iPhone, this new one is practically bionic!

Plus, Steve Austin had a Bionic Eye. (Thanks, Bonnie, for the reminder!)

The iPhone 4 has a 5-Megapixel Camera with LED Flash. It has its own Bionic Eye!

:)