What happened: AT&T on iTunes activation problems

Apple is full of crap! While they plentifully stocked their stores with 3g iPhones, they neglected to stock the at&t stores. I can't even begin to wrap my head around the reason why but they are making at&t look really bad. When you think about it, most people go to corporate stores owned by their carrier to purchase a phone, obviously its different in Apple's case but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be sending constant supplies of the iPhone to at&t stores. Maybe its at&t trying to cut costs since apple employees do not work on commissions and at&t employees do.

I really don't understand the methodology here. Apple hordes all the phones for themselves and makes it so that you are forced to wait hours in line and activate from sales associates who have very little experience with the activation process (as opposed to say, AT&T employees). So, even in a large city like Los Angeles (where I live), with 8 Apple Stores in the area, can at most deal with like 24 people at once. Wouldn't it be smarter to spread that supply around so at least people wouldn't have to wait hours in line before they are turned away?

Also, as someone who has a job, I can't wait in line until I get off work. I tried waiting at the Pasadena store at 6PM and the wait was 4 hours. While I was talking to the Apple Store employees about the wait another person in line offered to save my spot in line for $300. Apparently, the employees condone this behavior because the employees I was speaking with didn't say a word. But what if I had waited in line for 3-4 hours and then this douchebag lets 4 people cut in front of me because he "saved" their spots for a price? How can the Apple Store employees allow this to happen?

Another issue that they were having is that customers with a corporate discount on their accounts couldn't activate new 3G iPhones while the discount was applied to there account; so many people were on the phone with AT&T trying to get that sorted out while other folks waited in line.

Apple should have shipped at least 10 million iPhones to stores worldwide for launch day and 10 million per week thereafter. Nokia sells 10 million phones per week.

You're sure loving that ex-parrrrrot!

The thing that slays me is that *Twitter* had the foresight to beef up their infrastructure just for WWDC, but Apple and/or AT&T didn't do the same around this launch. Especially WTF-making when that infrastructure is tied into selling a product -- and an expensive product and a long-term contract at that.

If you cant get an iPhone in Manhattan, there is no supply anywhere. AND YOU CAN'T GET A PHONE IN Manhattan.

Today is Tuesday and there was a 400 person line around 2 apple stores in Denver - All sold out - again, people turned away.

Kudo's to Apple for the great supply chain mgmt.

Phone in stock? I don't think so. The entire state of Colorado is sold out of iPhones and has been since Saturday morning, this according to the guy at the Apple Store (Aspen Grove) and another guy at the AT&T store (Park Meadows). AT&T store quoted me 2-3 weeks for shipments to the store, and 10-14 days for a special order delivery.
Why didn't Apple learn their lesson last time? I don't get it? They brag about selling 1 million phones in a weekend...well I figure if they had shipped enough to cover demand that they would have sold 2 million...

In stock... they ran out of stock on all the phones in all 4 locations. I have been calling EVERY DAY with no luck at all. Where do you get your information?

Even if AT&T gets a pass for "not ordering enough from Apple," then Top Notch means Apple Stores in KC being sold out since Saturday at 2:00 (When I was 20 back in line) everytime I call or stop in?

I think not.