Like a lot of people, I got to my local AT&T store early this morning, and camped out for a couple hours waiting in line for an iPhone 3G. I walked out of the store with one (16GB white – NOT my first choice, but all they had left in that size), but that was an ugly process.  I’ve written up my experience, and have posted it for everyone to see.  Hopefully, you won’t have as big a problem as I did trying to get one.

The big story though today is NOT the lines, is NOT the shortage/allocations per store; but the problems that ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE is having getting their iPhone activated so they can use it. Right now, I am stuck in activation hell…LITERALLY.

AT&T and Apple stores around the world are bumping into difficulties trying to get the devices activated.  A very few people at almost every store walked out with the device activated as intended; but most everyone else that got a phone today was sent home with the simple instructions of tethering their new iPhone 3G to their computer, with iTunes 7.7 running so it could be activated. 

Yah…good luck their, Chochese. It ain’t happenin’.

Apple’s activation servers are down. this is NOT an AT&T problem. Its an Apple problem, according to the information that I found at ZDNet. The worst thing is for exisitng iPhone users who upgraded to iPhone 3G’s. Both of their devices don’t work now… as their original device was deactivated in the store when they purchased a new device and/or tried to upgrade their device today and they bumped into the same activation issues I’m bumping into.

I’ll keep everyone posted…