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iPhone 3G Launch Day Headaches
Servers struggling under the activation load
by Karl Bode Friday 11-Jul-2008 tags: business · wireless
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The 3G iPhone launch isn't going particularly smoothly today, with Gizmodo noting that people are having a hard time activating their phones and installing the 2.0 firmware update. Amidst all the blistering, insane hype, somebody at Apple apparently underestimated the launch day demand on their iTunes/iPhone servers. Those standing in lines might be in for a very long day.

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Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium
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Jamestown, NC
kudos:12

Didn't this happen last time?

Didn't this happen when the first iPhone was released?

Chiyo
Save Me Konata-Chan
Premium
join:2003-02-20
Charlotte, NC
kudos:1

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

not surprised when you force people to activate in store you'd think they'd be ready!
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Linklist
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join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

And aside from any iPhone 2.0 & iTunes problems, the mandated in-store activation has created large lines at the Apple stores slowing day one sales quite a bit.

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

Those that want the device that bad on day 1 have been waiting... they'll just have a wait a little longer.
In a day or 2, there will be no lines.
--
Canada = Hollywood North

cork1958
Cork
Premium
join:2000-02-26

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

said by en102:

Those that want the device that bad on day 1 have been waiting... they'll just have a wait a little longer.
In a day or 2, there will be no lines.
Those that want the device that bad, are nuts anyway. Let them stand in lines all day. They didn't expect that? Almost as dumb as Apple not expecting the server loads!
--
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»www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/

Linklist
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Longport, NJ
kudos:5
said by Linklist:

And aside from any iPhone 2.0 & iTunes problems, the mandated in-store activation has created large lines at the Apple stores slowing day one sales quite a bit.
Also, those users upgrading their original iPhones to the 2.0 firmware are being bricked at a prodigious rate. Seems the last step of an iPhone 1 upgrade is to connect to the App store to complete activation of the upgrade. Problem is that the App store is buried and can't keep up.

»www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/11/si···growing/
--
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Defiance82
Computer Elite
Premium
join:2002-09-11
Burlington, WI
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Poor ole Apple... May you R.I.P.

ninjatutle
Premium

join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

said by Defiance82:

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Poor ole Apple... May you R.I.P.
One of the dumbest post I've seen in a while.
theeinstein
Premium
join:2003-07-31
Fernandina Beach, FL

1 edit

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

Not really...

What is "dumb" are people who are wrapped into the apple is the only worthy OS / company on the planet... and end up getting butt pounded by Apple (ie.. iphone price drop , iphone locked to a single carrier with a piss poor 3G deployment..etc..)

Take your blinders off there "little turtle"!

sporkme
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said by Defiance82:

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Poor ole Apple... May you R.I.P.
Prediction: By Monday the stock will be over $180 again as "the street" decides that something that sells well enough to crash servers is a good thing.

Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

said by sporkme:

said by Defiance82:

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Poor ole Apple... May you R.I.P.
Prediction: By Monday the stock will be over $180 again as "the street" decides that something that sells well enough to crash servers is a good thing.
I hope so. My IRA needs a boost with the way the market has been. I'm hoping they'll split soon.

Count Zero
Obama-Biden 2012
Premium
join:2007-01-18
Winston Salem, NC

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

unlikely, but a nice thought non the less, I'd love to buy a bunch of Apple stock at half it's current price.

Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON
said by Matt3:

Didn't this happen when the first iPhone was released?
Yup, for a good 2-3 days. It was not fun to be on the other end of the phone when customs called in to bitch.

Smith6612
Premium,MVM
join:2008-02-01
North Tonawanda, NY
kudos:22
Mozilla when Firefox 3 came out on download day also ended up killing their site as well. It's hard to predict how many people at one time are going to be loading things up.
mikeg803

join:2008-07-12
Columbia, SC
My motto is "If you are going to do something, do it right the first time". Has AT&T ever done anything right the first time. I don't think so. That is why I stick with VZW.

Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

said by mikeg803:

My motto is "If you are going to do something, do it right the first time". Has AT&T ever done anything right the first time. I don't think so. That is why I stick with VZW.
This whole situation has absolutely nothing to do with AT&T and everything to do with Apple.
--
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mikeg803

join:2008-07-12
Columbia, SC

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

It's AT&T's responsibility to ensure they provide working equipment to their paying customers. It does have to do with AT&T and Apple.

Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON

Re: Didn't this happen last time?

said by mikeg803:

It's AT&T's responsibility to ensure they provide working equipment to their paying customers. It does have to do with AT&T and Apple.
Um, you are aware that AT&T doesn't exist outside the US, and that this issue was worldwide, right? This is an Apple issue. Absolutely nothing to do with AT&T.
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

I suppose...

I should wait to buy the 2.0 update for the iPod touch, then. (Or do touch owners have to wait anyway?)

Deft
Stros in '08
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Grand Forks, ND
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3 edits

Re: I suppose...

said by EPS:

I should wait to buy the 2.0 update for the iPod touch, then. (Or do touch owners have to wait anyway?)
Dont buy.. just jailbreak.. but yea we are screwed too (touch owners) we have to wait for the itunes update also..

»content.info.apple.com/Protected···ore.ipsw this is for the itouch.. not iphone.. and its very very slow.. click on it if you want.
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

Re: I suppose...

I've been going back and forth on that- there are a few Apps in the much-ballyhooed App Store that I'd like to check out, but there are also those jailbroken apps- for example, that NES emulator (think Apple will ever allow that?).

Eventually the hackers will figure out a "best of both worlds" solution, I guess- in the end the hackers always win.

Qumahlin
Never Enough Time
Premium,MVM
join:2001-10-05
united state

Re: I suppose...

said by EPS:

I've been going back and forth on that- there are a few Apps in the much-ballyhooed App Store that I'd like to check out, but there are also those jailbroken apps- for example, that NES emulator (think Apple will ever allow that?).

Eventually the hackers will figure out a "best of both worlds" solution, I guess- in the end the hackers always win.
said by EPS:

I've been going back and forth on that- there are a few Apps in the much-ballyhooed App Store that I'd like to check out, but there are also those jailbroken apps- for example, that NES emulator (think Apple will ever allow that?).

Eventually the hackers will figure out a "best of both worlds" solution, I guess- in the end the hackers always win.
They already have, the new jailbreak tool for 2.0 is released in the next day or so.
BosstonesOwn

join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
actually it came in at a steaming 3.3 Meg a sec.

I think lot's of those people are waiting for no good reason.

And yes I have a mac book pro , but am not an apple fan boi.
--
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!"
Storage_Guy

join:2006-04-30
Benton Harbor, MI

In store only

I thought the new iPhones could only be activated in the store, not through iTunes??
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

Re: In store only

I seem to recall reading that stores get a special version of iTunes to activate through.
artbatista

join:2008-03-14
Macon, GA
I got in line at 7:35 AM in Macon, GA. Before the store opened at 8:00AM a manager came out, passed bottled water and told us they had 30 iphones in stock, mixed randomly (white,black,8GB, 16GB) and that anyone not able to get one could put their name on a list and return next day to get one without having to wait in line.

There were altogether maybe 100 people in line. I go the next to last phone and by that time they had given up on in store activation. I was showed an email form AT&T corporate, to the effect that the at&t activation servers were down and to give the iphones to the customers to activate themselves at home.

I got my phone at 10:25AM, as of this writing 12:04PM, I have been unable to activate...

The bad part about this is that they de-activated my old SIM and I can't use my old phone.

45071419

join:2006-07-30

Re: In store only

Damn artbatista, was it really worth it?

wifi4milez
Big Russ, 1918 to 2008. Rest in Peace

join:2004-08-07
New York, NY
said by artbatista:

The bad part about this is that they de-activated my old SIM and I can't use my old phone.
Why did they do that? Cant you use your old SIM, or did you change numbers or something?
--
If history teaches us anything, it teaches that simple-minded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly.
-Ronald Reagan-
artbatista

join:2008-03-14
Macon, GA

Re: In store only

They activated a new SIM card for the Iphone. I just now took it out and put it in my razr to get that working for the time being. As of 1:00PM EST no activation yet.

Art

wifi4milez
Big Russ, 1918 to 2008. Rest in Peace

join:2004-08-07
New York, NY

Re: In store only

said by artbatista:

They activated a new SIM card for the Iphone. I just now took it out and put it in my razr to get that working for the time being. As of 1:00PM EST no activation yet.

Art
Why though? Cant you simply insert your old SIM and be done with it?
--
If history teaches us anything, it teaches that simple-minded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly.
-Ronald Reagan-

Qumahlin
Never Enough Time
Premium,MVM
join:2001-10-05
united state

Re: In store only

said by wifi4milez:

said by artbatista:

They activated a new SIM card for the Iphone. I just now took it out and put it in my razr to get that working for the time being. As of 1:00PM EST no activation yet.

Art
Why though? Cant you simply insert your old SIM and be done with it?
No, if you want all of the features to actually work the phone must be re-activated via itunes and connect to the servers.

scots
Are we there yet??
Premium
join:1999-12-06
Fuquay Varina, NC
kudos:1
said by artbatista:

The bad part about this is that they de-activated my old SIM and I can't use my old phone.
The same thing happened to me when I got my iPhone last year. I took the SIM out of the iPhone and put it into my old phone and my old phone worked with the iPhone SIM in it. I used my old phone for about another 24 hours before things calmed down and I was able to activate the iPhone.

MrMoody
Free range slave
Premium
join:2002-09-03
Smithfield, NC

Expect it

Hey, if you have to have something like this on the first day, you should expect this sort of thing. A true fan is willing to stand around all day waiting.
--
The public is a poor business manager.

cabana
Department of Adjustments
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Host:
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Re: Expect it

There have been people waiting on line since MONDAY here in NYC!!! I can only surmize that its summertime and there is nothing better to do? PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE...

Mike
Premium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA
kudos:1

Re: Expect it

the aristocrats

AnonProxy
Premium
join:2001-05-12

iTunes

What happens is that in the store there is a "special" version of iTunes that is used to activate. To activate it seems they are downloading it, then connecting to the server to activate.
The problem is EVERYONE that is buying one and EVERY store that is selling the phones are doing it basically at the same time, so there is no ability to activate.
I got mine early and then went back with a friend. In Albany, NY they are basically sending people out the door with a phone that does not work and telling them to come back in a "couple days".
This seems to be most problematic for people trying to transfer a number for some reason.

DoRight

join:2007-07-20
East Petersburg, PA

Re: iTunes

This might slow down their projection to sell 10 million by end of 2008..

FicmanS
Premium
join:2005-01-11
Brownsburg, IN

Re: iTunes

My thoughts as well...

DaveDude
No Fear

join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
kudos:1

Stop the insanity

Its just a phone, and not a great one at that. People need to find something better then a phone to fulfill them. Unless these people are all college students ?

MrMoody
Free range slave
Premium
join:2002-09-03
Smithfield, NC

Re: Stop the insanity

Yeah but it's a HarleyApple, so just having it makes you cool, and you get double bonus cool points for getting it the first day. Take it to a club tonight and flash it around, you'll be so cool I guarantee you'll get laid.
--
The public is a poor business manager.

JeepMatt
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1 edit

Re: Stop the insanity

said by MrMoody:

Yeah but it's a HarleyApple, so just having it makes you cool, and you get double bonus cool points for getting it the first day. Take it to a club tonight and flash it around, you'll be so cool I guarantee you'll get laid.
Moody-
You are SO right. I remember last summer, the night of the 1st launch, a guy was at the bar I was at with one. He might've been one of the ugliest dudes I've seen, but had a crowd around him a majority of the night.
--
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dlr_graph

join:2002-02-03
Elizabeth, NJ

1 edit

Re: Stop the insanity

Are you guys serious? Cool? How old are you? 15?

MrMoody
Free range slave
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Smithfield, NC

1 edit

Re: Stop the insanity

said by dlr_graph:

How old are you? 15?
No, that's why I wasn't in line to buy one.

AppleHater

@hilton.com
Seriously, Everyone should really stop and think about all this Iphone Crap. Number one, the Iphone isn't that great, Number 2 the network sucks and the people suck. The Phone is so ball and chained its ridiculous. You have a chained phone and whats more, Apple has full control over what you do with the phone! CRAZY! Apple's New Iphone is nothing special except coming up with another update of the phone and firmware to get people away from the OLD Iphones that have been unlocked. Craziness. Whats more, they cant even get it off the ground!!

Titus Pullo
I came, I saw, I slept

join:2004-06-26
kudos:1

Never fear

Jobby-Jobs will polish this turd to a lustrous shine once ... what's that? MobileMe isn't working yet either? After three days?

Oh, my ...
--

blueeyesm

join:2003-09-05
Waterloo, ON

At least they got heir phones..

The chain in Canada that is carrying the iPhones had severely limited stocks.

The flagship store for Rogers Communications had 80(!) of the 8GB ver., 20 of the higher capacity.

»www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/07/···comments

AlexNYC

join:2001-06-02
Edwards, CO

Not surpised

I am a huge Apple fan, I love my Macs.

I also think that iPhone is dumb and inferior to many other phones. I own a Nokia N95 (5 MP camera with flash, Wi-Fi, Real GPS and much more) which runs on Symbian and I LOVE IT.
I cant wait for the N96 ...
iPhone is just a marketing hype!

See 10 replies to this post

HEDP

join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL

!

Just goes to show how many people bitch about gas and everything else yet throw their money away on a phone, that does not even work that good.

Count Zero
Obama-Biden 2012
Premium
join:2007-01-18
Winston Salem, NC

Re: !

Mine has always worked quite well

paulm

@dslextreme.com

GPS

Whayyyada mean GPS? It only tells you your current location to get apps info and not turn by turn directions to where I'm going? What the hell good is this? It's not GPS, oh wait, it's Apple GPS, lame.

Leathal
Premium
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M1S0G4
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Software Problems Bug Apple's Launch Of New iPhone

Kenny Pichardo, 24, was the first to buy an iPhone 3G at an AT&T store in the New York borough of Queens, but he said it took the store half an hour to get the phone working.

A spokesman for AT&T Inc., the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., said there was a global problem with Apple Inc.'s iTunes software that prevented the phones from being fully activated in-store, as had been planned.

Instead, employees are telling buyers to go home and perform the last step by connecting their phones to their own computers, spokesman Michael Coe said.

»www.citynews.ca/news/news_24676.aspx

See 7 replies to this post

FastiBook

join:2003-01-08
Newtown, PA

iTunes update...

There was an update of itunes within the last 24 hours. Make sure you get that installed before complaining! Also, because of the price drop, i think there are more people getting one than last time, would explain the clog.

See 9 replies to this post
jebba2005

join:2005-01-13
Portland, ME

It is a nice phone.

I have three friends who have the earlier version, one who will update later this week. When she ordered her McAirBook, she accidentally bought two.....I begged for the xtra one to no avail. I would buy one if it would work on Sprint with my Sero plan and their EVDO revA.

See 6 replies to this post

McLovin
Chicka chicka yeah
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Fairbanks, AK
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Different error

I bought my 3G this morning, though I'm getting a very similar error, the text reads the same, however, the code is -4. Anybody else getting this. They were getting the -4 error at AT&T this morning, and they kicked me out of the store and told me to do it at home.

I was told that Apple took the servers offline to prevent 2g iphone owners from bricking them. Apparently the 2.0 software has caused a LOT of problems. Anyone else hear about this?
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herdfan
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Re: Different error

said by McLovin:

I was told that Apple took the servers offline to prevent 2g iphone owners from bricking them. Apparently the 2.0 software has caused a LOT of problems. Anyone else hear about this?
YES. I upgraded to 2.0 this morning and now have Brick 2.0. My phone is dead and it won't work until I can get access to the server.

cbrigante2
Cubs 20??
Premium
join:2002-11-22
North Aurora, IL
I'm getting that same error. I'll give it a shot when I'm done with work.

Carbon Unit
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Saint Charles, MO
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Its doesnt make since why Apple decided to release 2.0 and the 3g phone all on the same day, they should have released 2.0 a few weeks before the 3g phone was released, now there servers are maxed out Apple is not such a great company as some ppl may think
--


ptrowski
Got Helix?
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Putnam, CT
kudos:4

Still can't update my Touch....

Going on 6 hours to try to update my Touch, still no dice.

Titus Pullo
I came, I saw, I slept

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kudos:1
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Re: Still can't update my Touch....

said by ptrowski:

Going on 6 hours to try to update my Touch, still no dice.
"Can't Touch this" ... Touch

Sorry, couldn't resist
--

ptrowski
Got Helix?
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Re: Still can't update my Touch....

said by Titus Pullo:

said by ptrowski:

Going on 6 hours to try to update my Touch, still no dice.
"Can't Touch this" ... Touch

Sorry, couldn't resist
--
That was actually pretty funny!
jarthur31

join:2006-04-14
Carlsbad, NM
I feel bad for all you folks. I don't understand how Mozilla and Apple could be so stupid and not see this coming. I guess it must cost too much to purchase more servers and use them temporarily.
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

Re: Still can't update my Touch....

It's even worse here, because at least Mozilla's products are free- people are paying Apple and at&t for this.

Barmat
Uhmmm Floor Pie

join:2000-11-01
Livermore, CA

Waste of time

I spent four ours in line this morning and the store ran out of all models w/ 100 people still in line. Did Apple really think this through?

djrobx

join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:2
Reviews:
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Re: Waste of time

Not shipping enough product to meet customer demand is hardly an Apple exclusive problem. Ever buy a new game console?

-- Rob
--
Laser eye surgery rocks! I love frickin' laser beams.

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: Waste of time

Doesn't that happen every fall - Thanksgiving PS-3/Wii, etc.
Supply and demand... Cap the supply to keep demand high.
--
Canada = Hollywood North

Barmat
Uhmmm Floor Pie

join:2000-11-01
Livermore, CA
Reviews:
·Comcast

1 edit

Re: Waste of time

That makes no sense what so ever. Here in the bay area Wii's still last 5sec on the shelf before they are snatched up by profiteers putting them on ebay/craigslist. I still want/would buy a Wii if I saw it on the shelf. I refuse to pay some scumbags mark up to get one though.

I would think an abundant supply would lead to impulse and regular sales.

Since I stood in line for 4 hours today and came up empty handed I'm pissed. I prob will wait a month or so before I step back into a store looking for one. Of course by then there maybe something better that catches my eye or gets my money.

phoneboy3

@shawcable.net

WFT is wrong with society

btw, there are people dying in a war in Afghanistan and Iraq as we speak

Just thought I would mention it.

There is no hope for humanity!

boohbooh

@verizon.net

1 edit

Re: WFT is wrong with society

seriously go over there and die for us then~

AnonProxy
Premium
join:2001-05-12
Maybe if they had iPhones to distract the enemy, it would be better for them.
HardDriver

join:2004-03-08

On the Inside

I'm disappointed that our audience here at BBR is more interested in debating Apple/the iPhone instead of discussing the technical details of what happened here. Perhaps I'm the only visitor still interested in the technology and connectivity which makes all of this possible. Anyway, doesn't Apple power all of their web services via Akamai's EdgeSuite platform? It looks like that would be able to handle the load of serving up all those static firmware files. Of course, I guess it's the registration and account management that takes a bit more server-side processing. There is definitely a bottle-neck somewhere.

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
kudos:4

Re: On the Inside

Since I work for a QA firm, maybe I need my load/performance architect to start calling into Apple.

cbrigante2
Cubs 20??
Premium
join:2002-11-22
North Aurora, IL
Agree completely. Half the posters on here sound just like the people in the lines yesterday. Too much haterade in here for the iPhone.

AnonProxy
Premium
join:2001-05-12
Well it would be interesting to talk about the technology but there are so few that actually understand the technology.
For example how akamai actually does the serving and how the files were actually seeded over multiple servers. It is great to talk about but the fact that people like you think it can actually handle the load, shows the lack of understanding of the systems, so why bother? I mean the fact that it is not just the firmware but the actual transaction processing at AT&T for account generation that was the problem, along with those migrating phone numbers who could not get the "pic" executed properly...see it wasn't just a firmware issue but a complete system issue from firmware, to registration, to billing, to number migration...ohhh well...

A900MHz Fan

join:2004-07-12
Mitchell, SD

XV6800

XV6800 > iPhone

Neal

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