The Apple Store is down -- and back up. iPhone pre-orders available now!

If the tsunami of e-mail we just got is anything to go by, it appears the online Apple Store may be down. (Checking: yes, it's down.) Since the store is down overnight on a weekday, that's a pretty good indicator that it's not just down for maintenance. With iPhone 4 pre-orders set to take place sometime today, it's a fair bet the store is down while Apple prepares for the onslaught it's about to receive. We'll try to keep you updated on the store's status, but you'll have to bear with us... most of the TUAW team is asleep at the moment.

Update: The store is back up. As predicted, iPhone 4 is now available for pre-order, but only in black. The white iPhone is currently unavailable, with no indication of when it will be on sale.

Readers report that they're having trouble getting preorders through on the online store in some cases. Patience...