Pre-Ordering Disaster: iPhone Fans Wait in Line to Wait in Line

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What sort of precious quarry has tempted people across the city (and the nation, and the world) to wait for hours in lines outside AT&T stores today? The chance to wait in another line. Today was supposed to be the day Apple fans everywhere pre-registered for the iPhone 4, which comes with a better display, a longer-lasting battery, video chat, and the ability to render your phone instantly obsolete. But AT&Ts servers can't handle the demand, so people are flocking to the stores to pre-order in person—not that the servers in stores have been working either. (Since Apple's ordering system depends on AT&T, it's been down too.)

Certain AT&T locations have been taking people's credit card numbers and promising to call them when the system is back up. Others have simply thrown up their hands and shuttered entirely. Worse, Gizmodo reports that some people have found themselves accidentally logged into someone else's account, adding security concerns to the clusterfuck. The phone officially launches next Thursday, June 24. Unless you're planning to wait for hours or desperately need the help of a Genius, you might want to avoid Apple stores that day.
· Apple iPhone 4 Pre-Ordering Is a Total Disaster [Gizmodo]
· iPhone 4 Order Security Breach Exposes Private Information [Gizmodo]