For deleting a web URL, you need only click the little (x) at the end of the line, rather than holding "backspace" -- much, MUCH, quicker, and not at all annoying.

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Here's a glowingly positive review... AT&T is blowing up the entire rollout. 5 hours now awaiting activation & I am already an existing AT&T/Cingular customer.

I'm sure the phone is absolutely wonderful, but Steve Jobs has to be loading up the machine gun and heading over to AT&T right now. This is a PR nighmare, and completely unacceptable for a $600 device touted as "revolutionary".

Not only that, but shortly following the email telling me that "AT&T is now processing your activation", my old AT&T Blackjack went to No Service. So lucky me, I have absolutely no cell phone service at all.

But I do have this lovely, yet revolutionary paperweight.

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David,
For the record, I believe YouTube had already announced that they were transitioning their entire catalogue to H.264, and the transition is expected to be completed in the Fall.

@Rob
Are you sure your problem is systemic? I've talked to numerous people tonight who quickly activated their iPhones with no problem, the most recent being about an hour ago. You are the first of a dozen or so iPhone users I've heard from who have had an activation problem. It may be a problem with your computer or an isolated incident, rather than a problem with AT&T.

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"I just need to get it out of the way: Words cannot describe how incredibly wonderful this thing feels to touch and hold. It is an absolute marvel of engineering. Gorgeous in every way."

I can't take my hands off it.

"Have I mentioned yet that this seems to be a device designed and engineered by angels? Because it is."

I am absolutely in awe by this device... I mean, if this is gen 1...GEN 1!?!?!

It feels like a device that's been sharpened over a couple, three years. It's really indescribable. When AT&T gets their act together and Apple makes the tweaks they most certainly will...this is going to be unbeatable. Not that it already isn't.

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@3 Bill McClure -

One can't really "get it" until you play with it. Just as you said your comment wasn't flame bait, mine is not Apple Zealotry. I was skeptical, but took the plunge. It has far exceeded anything I could've imagined, even after seeing all the demo videos.

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I have never had such a "wow" device in my hands. Everyone else who's touched it is in awe. I'm speechless. It really is THAT good. Words fail me, and it's so simply, yet so stunning.

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Sorry to keep posting - but is anyone else surprised at the COMPLETE lack of paperwork? No manual, no EULA, no nothing.

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Bill: It is not that the feature set is anything new... its that the way in which the user interacts with the device is. I am not talking about the keyboard even. Its about being able to view and use the information in the device without labour. This is something that no other device has been able to achieve... yet when you think about it... its all rather simple in a very silly and stupid way.

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My iPhone is an iBrick.
I'm on hour number 5.
Tried to activate at 7:35pm EDT.
Still not able to use this thing!!
Has anyone else had a problem?

AT&T has said this is normal and I am a pre-existing AT&T customer!?!

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@Jason

No, it's pretty widespread. Most people with the problem are waiting a minimum of 4 hours. Some even at 7 hours with AT&T telling them it could take 24 or more as they were caught off guard with the volume of activations.

Check here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1016873&tstart=0

Over on the AT&T support forums there are Windows users blaming Apple for the botched rollout. If anyone was thinking about switching, this is certainly not a good first impression of Apple products.

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5 hours and counting...waiting for activation. That is after waiting 5 hours in line. I am not happy with at&t. I am an existing customer...no reason this activation should take this long.

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I was completely disappointed with the touch keyboard. When a web page is loading, say you click the wrong link, and you want to enter in a new URL, expect lagging. I found the responsiveness completely lackluster... perhaps my fingers aren't designed well enough to use with the iPhone.

Lack of Flash, incredibly disappointing, it's not the whole internet as advertised.

Accelerometers have problems auto rotating depending on how the iPhone is oriented, perpendicular v. parallel to the ground.

Generally unintuitive, the two people I was with had to have an Apple rep explain how to do everything, it just didn't seem to come to people who weren't already familiar with the interface.

I'm so glad I didn't purchase one for myself.... not to mention data speeds were painfully slow.

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i don't know if it was just a coincidence or not but i had my old phone on when i tried activation. it finished with it, but it didn't get my number until i turned off the old phone. try that.

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I was just sitting here listening to the iPod, trying to determine if the sound is better/worse/same as various iPods, when I got a call. I looked at the screen, pressed the button and took a call. Earbuds with microphone worked perfectly. I asked my conversant several times, "are you sure you can hear me OK?" Yep. Then the call dropped (hope it was her service, not mine). I just clilcked the button and re-called.

I mean, I'm the guy who thoughtt here was no manual. I don't know how much more intuitive it gets.

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You have a 100k people activating new phones at the same time. What did every one expect. I believe they say it can take up to 24 hours for activation.

I can't wait to see the numbers for the weekend or the week. Is a millions units in the first week possible? I think so, considering that all the online purchases count as sales too despite having a 2-4 week ship date.

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i had to wait about 3 hrs for activation, and then i got an email saying my current at&t plan was not compatible with the iphone. i called at&t right away (it was 10pm when i called), and almost immediately got a rep on the phone (!), who was *very* helpful. as it turns out, my plan was SO old that they were right, it wasn't compatible with the current family plans, so i needed to pick a new family plan -- which turned out to be CHEAPER than my old plan as an existing customer (plus the new data plan). so, even though i had to wait 3 hours, KUDOS to at&t reps for working so hard and being so pleasant through this process.

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Still waiting. I have had mine since 6:30 eastern. As much as I can't wait this is beginning to test my patience.

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