Okay, so I got the iPhone. It’s just a phone, a set of ear buds, a USB cable, and a cradle, all tucked neatly into a very small box.

I bought it from an AT&T store and asked if it would require a new contract or if I could just continue the contract I already have. The representative who sold it to me told me I could just pick up my existing contract where it is now.

Then she told me it’s really easy to activate the phone, you just plug it into iTunes and do it all from there. Wow, that sounded cool.

Well, I got it home and plugged it into my G4 iBook. Instead of activating iTunes and showing the new device, it brought up iPhoto… as if I’d plugged in a camera! A little digging around on Google revealed that iPhone requires iTunes version 7.3 or later, but that version of iTunes won’t run on OS 10.3.9, the version on my iBook.

Okay then. I pulled out my PC and plugged it in. (Yes, I love my Mac so much that I don’t even plug in the Windows computer.) Booted it up and went to install the latest iTunes. The latest version, 7.4.10, requires XP but I still use Windows 2000. Fortunately, iTunes 7.3 (the minimum required version) can run on Windows 2000 with service pack 4.

All right then. That meant I had to install Service Pack 4. So I downloaded the service pack and installed it. Then I downloaded iTunes 7.3 and installed it. Finally… I’m on my way. Then I plugged in the iPhone and…?

Unrecognized USB device. A little more research revealed that the phone itself isn’t supported in Windows 2000. It requires XP or Vista, or Mac OS 10.4.10.

Final verdict? If I want to use my new iPhone, I need to upgrade my computer(s) or buy a new one. I’m not ready to do that yet.

Fortunately, I was able to install the latest iTunes at work this morning and activate the phone. To cap off the entire experience, I do, in fact, have to start a new 2-year agreement.

So on the plus side, I finally have my iPhone, but on the minus side, I can’t sync with it at home, and I’m now locked in to AT&T for two more years, unless I pay the early termination fee.

And so, as far as user experience upon purchasing a new iPhone, I give it a 2 out of 5. It’s horribly non-Apple to choose not to support older versions of the Mac OS — particularly previous subversions of the current version! It’s even worse to make those requirements so hard to find — I should not have to search Google to find a way to activate my $399 cell phone.

The cardinal sin, though, is the much talked about partnership with AT&T. For Apple, a company known for user experience, locking Apple users in to a company with a reputation for horrible customer service is unforgivable.