This has been the first time I've paid close attention to an iPhone launch, as its been the first time I've been in the market for one. Were previous iPhone launches this chaotic? I doubt previous launches were so badly handled from a communications perspective (and ranting about that isn't going to get me an iPhone sooner anyway :-)), so I'm more interested in the low stock levels. Is it common for there to be large waits for stock after the initial launch batch have sold out, as is the current situation?
And if the answer to that last question is "yes", how long was it before other retailers got stock back in? Was it around the same n week window that Apple store customers had to wait, or earlier/later?
One final question. I note today that someone had contacted JB HiFi, and they said that they will only be selling the iPhone on plan. Are there any other brick and mortar retailers that usually offer the iPhone for outright sale, or is the only way this can be done usually via the Apple and Vodafone online stores? Apples press release earlier this week certainly gave the impression that there would be a number of places that it could be purchased outright, but as there were none that this could be done with on launch day, I'm finding it hard to attach any credibility to that press release at all.