iTunes activation servers go down, iPhone 3G customers being sent home unactivated, first-gen iPhone customers stuck with dead iPhones
By Nilay Patel 
posted Jul 11th 2008 2:40PM
posted Jul 11th 2008 2:40PM
Update: Apple has confirmed to us that activation is down, and that customers are being asked to take the phone home and activate via iTunes later. We're not sure what good that'll do, since the servers are down no matter where you are, but Apple says it's "working on a solution." In the meantime, it looks like the new SIM works in first-gen units, so at least upgraders aren't totally phone-deprived. Oh, and remember that updating a first-gen iPhone to 2.0 requires hitting the server as well, so if you haven't taken the plunge we'd say hold off until this all gets sorted.
Update 2: In related news, those updating their first-gen iPhone to 2.0 are also getting caught in the activation shuffle, leaving some with bricked iPhones. In our test case, the activation servers came back up after about 45 minutes just long enough to get 2.0 running on our first-gen iPhone, but not all have been so lucky. Is your first-gen iPhone stuck in activation limbo from the update? Let us know.
APPLE = FAIL !
iFail
Yep definitely ill-prepared.. but on a positive note.. the chick in the picture is quite attractive.. (on the left).
Agreed
she's teh hawt!
looks like brains and beauty have been kept separate yet again though.
"whats she typing?"
@flashpoint: Read the freaking review. He mentions both the dock incompatibility and the non-replaceable battery.
Trolling is one thing, bashing the editor of a site on HIS OWN SITE is just stupid. Why are you here if you despise the content so much?
@Webster--yeah, she's looking vulnerable... And, like, fifteen!
I KNEW that I should have waited a day or 2 update my 1st-gen iPhone!!!
DAMMIT APPLE!!!!!!!
Is that Denise Richards on the left?
I was thinking it was Billie Piper. I'm not a Doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but if she's interested I could use a companion.
Ouch...some harsh comments. I think expectations were too high. Still, they'll fix the bugs soon enough. You should always wait a bit before buying. As some analysts have been saying, http://www.savingtoinvest.com/2008/07/apple-3g-iphone-update-and-analyst.html, global sales are booming so Apple != fail (ie apple will not fail!)
My iphone 3G is with me right now, and now I have a service-less phone. The idiot dude at the counter (I'm at that same store pictured) said to activate with the MBP in my arm. Wait to go Apple, AT&T and Co.
This hardware equivalent of Windows Product Activation is getting on my nerves.
I'd just love the day they crack this shit. Just like the joy one gets of applying a WGA crack on a genuine Windows.
What are you people complaining about? You have the sleekest, most stylish, non-functioning, good-only-if-you-have-a-stack-of-papers-near-a-open-window-on-a-breezy-day, multimedia, babe-magnet, mobile communications device EVAR! Who cares if it doesn't work? What ungrateful proles you are! Lord Jobs should confiscate your phones if you're going to speak heresy about it.
Whoops! Gotta run. Call coming in on my 3-1/2 year old, busted-up T-Mobile Samsung flip phone. kthxbai!
Damn am I glad Verizon told Jobbs to go F*@% himself when he approached Verizon first...
another...iDud
You're right, this fiasco could never happen in the WinMo world of handsets since there's such low demand. Five or ten purchasers around the world would never bring down a server.
This only happens when a company's product has high enough demand to sell a million handsets in one day. That's the curse of being too successful.
Their servers have been down all day, yet they keep the link on Apple.com to update to 2.0. This makes no sense. They're driving traffic to servers that are down! Pull the link from apple.com till everything is up again.
Yeah foxy chick on the left looks like Denise Richards...hawt!
anyone having problems with the me.com web services too? slow as hell and various pages won't load up at all.
Big time iFail... I was 1/2 way through updating my 1st generation iPhone and then the servers went down... now I have a 1st generation iBRICK!
i can't help but chuckle a little bit inside. I mean, hasn't everyone always said dont buy the first gen of ANYTHING. moreover...dont wait in line for that first gen of anything, unless ur just going to sell it on ebay.
iBrick
Total awesomeness. I got my iphone 3G activated by plugging in my iphone to my MBP, and leaving it for 10-15 minutes ( Hafta ignore that error mssg.)
Apple - it just works.
Girl on the right is cuter.
Funny how it's "no big deal, Apple will fix it with updates" when that is exactly what Microsoft does... Why do you give Microsoft so much crap when Apple is doing this same thing and it's "no big deal" for you? Give me a break fanboys...
Apple failed with this today. I'm stuck without a phone right now, as is thousands of people.
...without a phone right now, as *are thousands of people.
Rank as you must...
As am I, very sad. At least my old one still works.
So am i..Got my phone at about 8:15 or 8:30 CT..Got home, and now nothing works..BullShit...
Me too, but I count that as a bonus. It means I can get some sleep without work bothering me, and I have an excuse with plenty of proof.
At least you got one. A lot of us waited and got a piece of paper.
And let's put it in perspective, for almost everyone, this is a replacement phone... it's really not a huge deal if you can't use it for an extra day. You coped just fine before.
Yeah I started updating right before Engadget posted this about the servers or I would have waited. Now I'm stuck without a phone and I have to leave to go out of town the rest of the weekend to go to a wedding and now I'll be without a stupid phone.
yup, me too. trying to upgrade 1st gn to 2.0 = dead phone :-(
Apple 3G launch = EPIC FAIL...
As much crap as people give Microsoft over software activation, at least my GSM WinMo phone doesn't have to phone home to its MANUFACTURER to work. Pop SIM in new phone and presto, "It just works...."
I woke up this morning, plugged in my iPhone and got the 2.0 update. When it finished downloading and installing, iTunes told me "Make sure **your** network settings are correct and **your** network connection is active"
So apple has a problem with their servers, and they blame it on my internet connection. I know it is a canned message, but still. But even more of a problem is this is **still** on the servers. Apple, quit bricking people's phones and pull the update from the servers!
I updated to the new version of iTunes last night. Then, this morning around 7:30am (eastern time), I checked for an iPhone firmware update (i.e. 2.0) for my 1st-gen iPhone, and it said it was ready. TWO HOURS LATER, it was finished updating my 1st-gen iPhone. But around that same time, the server must have gone down, because within iTunes, it wouldn't let me view the settings of my iPhone (e.g. to choose which music playlists I want synced). Weird. There must have been some final final step, and the servers must have crashed right before. But I seem to have iPhone 2.0 firmware and it seems to work fine.
I'm just happy I didn't brick my phone. Ridiculous. If they didn't have the bandwidth to handle this, they shouldn't have allowed iTunes to update everyone's firmware at the same time. I was playing by the rules, waiting for iTunes to allow me to upgrade the firmware.
This is bad.
Yep, that'll teach Apple for relying on Windows Server...
What makes you think Apple is running Windows Server?
Ironically ATT is running Windows Server, and they are not only able to process all the iPhone requests, but all other non-iPhone activations around the world for ATT phones being sold today without issue, yet somehow Apple is the one with the issues on the iTunes portion...
Hmm...
Everyone in the Salt Lake has been turned away to activate their phones at home. And iTunes is STILL down... Any word on when it'll be up?!?
When there were rumors of an early 2.0 release I was hoping it would be true. Then the whole world would not be pinging at once. Get the 2.5G phones activated during the week, and then ensure that 4G users have an awesome experience.
At least a few people got the 2.0 software early. I downloaded it yesterday morning and have been enjoying it with no problems. ;)
@LondonConsultant
Perhaps you meant, "that'll teach Apple for relying on Apple Xserve"? They do use their own products, no?
We are home with our new 16g white iphones, and not only could we not be activated at the store, but we cannot connect with itunes at home. Looks like the whole system is jacked. You can get to the itunes store normally, but if you try to connect through the phone, nothing is happening. Anybody else figured this out yet???
You can't use the iTunes functions until it's activated. I think the 1st gen was the same way.
The phone are active just the activate feature is being workied on. I got the 2.0 update and at the end of the sync it gave me an error code so I tried to access itunes through my laptop using the 7.6 itunes and it said that I need 7.7 since my iphone is 2.0 now. You have to do a search for itunes 7.6 off a site that is secure and you will see what I mean. The activation should be up shortly at least that what my cousin tells me.
Fail. Stock tumbling.
Uh...nope
Apple is currently beating the market. How is that tumbling?
Doen $2.48 atm
Heres a link:
http://finance.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:AAPL
@Scentedflame
Epic Fail
No fud boy. The stock market is falling today. Down almost 200 points already. So don't make this into an Apple issue. Oh....lookie, Microsoft is down too...like pretty much everything.
The stock market is fail, /agree
Down over $3 now....ouch.
@ Malikye and retro and low rankers
As of writing, APPL is down 1.5%
As of writing, the Nasdaq is down 1.5%
Hmm, those look EXACTLY THE SAME. Apple stock is not tanking by any measure (relative performance or percentage drop), the market is tanking.
Retro and Malikye do not understand that stocks generally follow the market and are to be judged according to their relative performance, and yet I, who understand this basic concept and pointed it out, was low ranked?
So Malikye, I failed epically because you don't understand the stock market? I'm just making sure we're on the same page here.
As of your post, AAPL has either kept up with or beaten the NASDAQ by percentage change today. A falling tide lowers all boats. Macro factors can easily trump micro factors (iTunes/activation policy fucking up) in an economy like this
Here's a little education for you: the stocks make up the MARKET!! The market contains the STOCKS! Got it? Also, yes the general market is down, because the STOCKS are down.
If you want to use the rest of the market as a comparison to whether the stock is tanking or not that is your opinion.
The reality is that if you paid ~$177 a share at closing yesterday, it's worth ~$173.50 a share now, and you lost money if you try to sell it. Comfort yourself with the fact that it's trending with the rest of the market all you want, but you still lost money.
Retro,
There are 4000+ companies on the Nasdaq. Yet Apple is single-handedly driving the whole index down (and magically driving down the DOW and S&P 500, too)?
http://www.briefing.com/Investor/Public/MarketSnapshot/StockMarketUpdate.htm
Hmm...odd...briefing.com doesn't even mention AAPL as a possible reason for the BROAD-BASED SELLING. They must be out of the loop, huh?
The fact is, when you posted that information about the stock tanking, you were dead wrong. Then you posted a link to the stock quote that showed the stock was down a "whopping" $2. If AAPL was a $10 stock, then that would be tanking. AAPL happens to be a $175 stock.
It's ok retro, we all make mistakes. We should admit it when we make them though.
Ok Troll: I never said apple was responsible for the whole stock market diving.
Are you really hung up on the interpretation of the word tumbling? Should I have used falling, diving, sliding or failing instead?
Glad I pulled my money out of the market earlier.
Using the market as a comparison is not "an opinion." It is a well-established principle that you use the market to compare a stock or portfolio to.
If you say "Stock A is tumbling" when it is beating the market, anyone who knows anything about stocks is going to look at you like you are crazy.
A 1.5% drop is NOT tanking anyways. Stocks go up or down that amount DAILY. Tumbling implies that the stock is falling by a significant amount. Nvidia dropped 30% in one day recently - THAT is tanking/tumbling.
Apple's stock has had no noticeable reaction to this news and it is not tanking. Period. Retro was wrong.
@ Scentedflame
haha, epic failed...again
Retro, you are a dumbass. :)
@ Malikye
Do you think that your cliche internet one-liners are so powerful that they can defeat basic logic?
let me try...
Malikye = teh fail.
Wow! That is so easy and effective. I think I'll just say that repeatedly to show off my intellectual prowess.
for the record, i agree that "Malikye" and "retro77" are morons.
you know... for the record.
How's that -4.95/share feeling? Still a moron?
@Scentedflame & Jeff
haha, both epic fail
Scentedflame, your right, it is easy to make one-liners
@ Malikye
"Your right"
My right? Since when did I own "right"...?
maybe you meant to say "you're right"...I figured I'd go ahead and attack your grammar since you haven't said anything else of substance to refute.
@retro
I don't feel anything. I don't own Apple stock. Apple is slightly underperforming the market right now, but what does that have to do with you saying that it was tanking when it was not?
you said the "stock is tumbling"...that is present tense. This means that your wrongness cannot be changed by a future event.
According to you, I'm sure I'm still a moron. According to most other people, I don't think I would be considered a moron for pointing out that you were wrong about something. Instead of getting upset and defensive, you could accept that you were wrong and learn from it.
Tumbling, a verb, its still in motion. It started out in motion and it is continuing in motion. Keep 'em coming, this is fun and giving me something to do other than work for today.
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!
I would love to check the stock, but my 1st gen Iphone is bricked :( I AM LIVING IN THE 1980's WITH NO CELL :(
Did you miss that whole present tense bit?
Here is a fun grammar game to help you understand this.
"retro is failing."
Failing is a verb. Like your sentence earlier, it is in present tense. This means that retro may or may not be failing in the future, but as of RIGHT NOW he is failing. It is possible for retro to continue in his failing in the near or distant future, but to assume that it is implied in the sentence is incorrect.
Right now I expect you to keep failing, but it is not implied in my "retro is failing" comment. Momentum and previous experience tell me you will continue to fail, but I have not said that you would keep failing.
You are failing grammatically right now and apple was not tumbling when you said they were. If I were to say, "retro will fail"...that would apply to your future comments. If you were to say, "Apple's stock will tumble"...that would apply to the future of Apple's stock.
If you try to make the argument that Apple was tumbling when you said they were, their stock price was beating the market and it was down less than 1% when you posted. That is not tumbling.
Happy Friday to you as well. I hope you WILL have a nice weekend. MUAHAHAHA.
I see the stock is almost at the opening price. Grats!!! Its UNTUMBLING!!!! lol
If nothing else, investors will ultimately care more about the fact that apple is selling phones hand over fist to such incredible demand. They don't care whether or not you activate it now or in a couple of hours or maybe a day from now. You spent your money, and are now in a 2-year contract to keep forking over money. What happens today, minute by minute, means absolutely nothing. 20 minutes ago, their stock was down $0.25 for the day. Now it's down $2.38. Short the stock if you're so sure it's going to plummet.
Scentedflame: Thank you for attacking me directly in a very unprofessional manner. You should direct your anger towards your own short comings to what is really making you mad: your bricked iPhone. You should expend some of your efforts into writing a short email to Apple Inc. Just dont try to use your iPhone, you know, since it's bricked.
Have a nice weekend.
@ Retro,
I was mostly attacking everything you said, as almost none of it was true. I apologize if I offended you. You did call me a moron, which isn't exactly professional either.
Your last post made me realize that I have actually never purchased an Apple product. I'm sure I will one day, as they have some quality products. That means that no, I do not have an iPhone.
I'm also not angry. I was frustrated with your misrepresentation of Apple's stock activity, but never angry.
I'm not an Apple fanboy, but rather a stock market fanboy, so I felt compelled to point out that Apple was performing in a neutral manner following the news. I wouldn't care if AAPL dropped 35 points on Monday.
I admit I was a bit abrasive in the way I said things and that was unnecessary. I will not apologize for correcting you, however, and I stand by my arguments. I will also be sure not to try and use my non-existent, yet bricked iPhone.
So...sorry for the way I said things but you are still wrong.
Shit activation system is shit.
Apple should learn from their mistake, and spy on their iPhone users (not that it will stop me from getting an iPhone) another way.
Tinfoil hats FTW!
Ouch Apple, this is "crunch time."
Not the best way to launch a product.
I was one of the first to get one in St. Louis (about an hour and a half ago). They sent me home to activate with iTunes, but iTunes times out when trying to contact the store to activate at home. And I can't even use my old phone!
Me Too!
Yeah, I "upgraded" my old phone and I can't even restore it back to the old firmware, since you need iTunes to work. Crazy!
Woo hoo! It finally worked! I guess you just have to plugging it and unplugging it.
Oh man, I hate to laugh to those waited so long (not fair to the customers) but this shows Apple just wasn't prepared at all. *shakes head*
Epic fail!!!
Bill Gates must be smiling whereever he is....lol.
And MS ad campaign for the fall is set in motion...
@ThePerfectCompanion
I wish.
But you'll notice MS never takes personal digs at Apple the way Apple does at them. Why?
Because MS is still kicking the shit out of them.
Living well is the best revenge. ; )
@Pochi Microsoft is planning an anti-apple champagne, that's know. Go love yourself.
But its supposed to just work! :P
hahahah that made me laugh!
Hi, i'm a PC
And I'm a mac
"Hey Mac i thought you were going to call me today so we could have lunch"
"Oh yeah sorry PC this new iPhone i got can't be activated and my old wont work anymore either..."
"Bummer Mac, Bummer."
very nice Ray--
Awesome ray
+10k Ray, nice work!
well yes,
but you mistake "mac" for "apple"
iphone is not a mac.
-facepalm-
Lamp, he was referring to a mac OWNING an iPhone.
facepalm over your own stupiditiy
In the commercial, Mac clearly identifies himself as "a Mac"
It does run OSX...
@Roy
Haha. Microsoft could make some great ads with this. Too bad apple owns the intellectuals on the commercial idea.