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Oh, I wish activation would be instantaneous, but apparently not. I’m still waiting on the email from AT&T that will unlock this little beauty, but here it is… the iPhone.

Check out some line images… that’s John Aravosis from AmericaBlog I was next to… an excellent linemate!

I have to say, AT&T has so far been pretty miserable to work with. The folks in the store meant well… I think… but they never bothered to explain that the receipt I got included a pretty important number for activation in iTunes. I figured it out… but it might have been nice to be given the heads up? Also, I’m not diggin’ the wait for activation… the iPhone is a fancy paperweight until it goes through, and I want to get syncing! Physically, this thing is gorgeous. The few things it allows me to do pre-activation tells of good things to come… we shall see.

Interesting sidenote… a Capitol Hill line sitter (we have pros here) traded her #11 spot to a wealthy-looking gentleman who rolled in around 5:00ish. Must have been nice not to wait for 5 hours…

UPDATE: I’m activated and syncing… first videos on the iPhone will be episodes 4-7 of Arrested Development, Season 3. Sadly, they’ll be watched at the emergency vet while they take a look at my girlfriend’s mysteriously ill cat…

minutes away from the door opening… The line's getting surly over the one poor soul who wants her non-iPhone serviced. Good luck to her on that….

Forgot to post this from the other day… someone’s dreaming of Garageband on iPhone. Not sure if this is (a) feasible, or (b) practical, but it would certainly be cool to be able to use the iPhone as a podcast recording device. It would require a dock connector gizmo that could hook up to a decent microphone (or mixer). Might be nice to haul the iPhone around rather than a laptop for mobile recording…

Just how bad do you want to have the iPhone on you when you go out tonight? Here’s a big hint… do NOT go to an Apple Store. Seems that people are lining up like crazy at malls all around the country to get the iPhone. However, if you’ve got an AT&T store nearby, there might not even be a soul in line yet. I just got off the phone with a store within a couple of blocks of my office and they have nobody there yet. Apparently the hoardes are likely to arrive around noon.

Kinda makes this guy seem a little… um, over the top?

We’re going out tonight with some friends around 8 to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday tomorrow… if all goes well, I’ll be the geek… loser… mindless automaton… toast of the party.

I may look back on all of this and mock myself… in fact, I should probably start the process early. I’ll have plenty of time in line to do so this afternoon…

Ironic… My Treo will finally serve a fantastic function. I'll be able to post all about my iPhone line waiting with it…

Strange, it feels almost like I'm using it to cheat on it. Hmmm. There has to be a better analogy. Still haven't decided which DC area store will be hosting me tomorrow… Given the crazy heat, I'm leaning towards one of the Apple Stores located in an air conditioned mall…

Walt Mossberg is the Wall Street Journal tech writer… he’s apparently a big enough deal to procure an early iPhone from Steve Jobs. It’s not like his approval will make or break the iPhone, but it certainly gives the first non-Apple testimonial as to the features, benefits, and (gasp!) shortcomings of the little beastie.

The verdict? Mikey likes it:

Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer. Its software, especially, sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though it sometimes adds steps to common functions.

Check out Mossberg’s (or Goatberg, as Fake Steve Jobs calls him) review here.

UPDATE: Critical consensus… the iPhone lives up to the hype. I have to say, I’m honestly surprised in some ways. I figured there would be one major reviewer that would throw stones, but it looks like this phone’s the real deal (albeit with some flaws).

iPhone break… this video’s making the rounds. Too funny:

This was a real sticking point for me… how much will this little slice of heaven cost me per month? Answer… less than Sprint charges me for my Treo! I expected to take a little hit, but it turns out the newly announced service plans from AT&T are better than I expected… starting at $59.99 per month, inlcuding internet and data use. It’s official… I’m getting one.

BUT… I hasten to add, I am not going to be this guy. He’s first in line at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Five days in advance. Congratulations sir… you’re either (a) totally crazy to want the iPhone that badly, and/or (b) have a very strange concept of time invested to profit ratio for your plan to get wealthy by selling that sucker on eBay at 6:01 PM on Friday night… Try those real-estate tapes by that Rich Dad-Poor Dad author or the “tiny classified ads” guy instead.

I love the Washington Post… totally understating Friday’s launch:

Also, check out this probably soon-to-be ex-Apple employee trying to impress chicks at a Silicon Valley party this weekend (thanks Cult of Mac):

The latest iPhone demo video on the Apple website brings us more info than ever about this little beastie I like to call “Christmas 2006″ (since I hoarded Apple gift cards since then to pay for the sucker)… looks like it has an intuitive interface and should make you the king of all geek gatherings. Also, I suspect it would be a cool thing to whip out at a bar next to the hot woman or man you’re trying to start a conversation with… “why, yes! this IS an iPhone…”

Of course, my girlfriend is almost certainly already sick of me speaking of my soon-to-be new phone. I’ll have to stick with impressing the geek gathering…