iPhone 3G - Out of Stock?? Could it be True?

Okay, first a disclaimer; I am one of Apple's biggest fans bar none. I have always thought Apple's product line to be superior to Microsoft's PC lineup. Once I was able to, I converted everything to a Mac -- and have never regretted it for a minute. The hardware is top notch, the software is intuitive, and it is just flat out rockin' when it comes to music production and movie editing.

I bought the first iPhone last year and was one of the knuckleheads that had to have it and I paid $599, yes I was that guy. I anxiously awaited and downloaded any update that came along. When the new iPhone (twice as fast, half the price) was announced I was ready to be that guy again and get it, no questions asked. I still am that guy but because of a short supply chain I have a snowball's chance of getting one anytime soon, and that is really, monumentally disappointing. How could this have happened to my beloved Apple? How could they have not known? By not allowing people to order the phone online they have set themselves up for a huge fall. I understand the reasoning (sort of). This was designed to keep folks from buying the phone and hacking into it and running it on T-Mobile, Verizon, etc. Unfortunately in their finite wisdom by making folks purchase and activate it at AT&T or the Apple Store they crashed their servers the first weekend it was on sale and with the supply shorted it was a complete disaster, at least in the eye of the majority of people who do not have the new iPhone. In fact at one point in the last few days less than 2% of the 188 Apple Retail outlets had any iPhones for sale.

That is simply unacceptable,  beyond words. Hopefully Apple will get this turned around and step in to make this right.