It is an intriguing scenario. While I love my iPhone, AT&T’s network is mediocre at best; downright unacceptable at worst. I was along the Embarcadero in San Francisco recently trying to have a conversation and spent 15 minutes wandering the streets to get a signal. At one point I simply shut the 3G radio off because my iPhone kept bouncing between 3G and EDGE, which furthered my connection woes.

On the other hand I was not all that disappointed when I left Verizon. The customer service experience was abysmal. I know everyone has their horror story with a large company, but several times I nearly lost my mind trying to square away payments or discounts I was entitled to from the Verizon non-customer service crew.

The real x-factor is how Verizon would treat the iPhone. Verizon has a history of disabling key features on devices that make it to its network. And while Apple is probably the most controlling and secretive company around, Verizon is a close second. One has to wonder if the relationship could even work. Would Google Maps get replaced by VZ Navigator? Would a gigantic red V sit in the background of the iPhone home screen?

This will be fascinating as it plays out. Definitely worth watching.

6:25 a.m. – Begin the drive to Walnut Creek. Why this particular store? The Apple retail site lists this as one of few California stores that actually has both the black and white 16 GB models. This satisfies the iPhone desires for both myself and my friend John, who is making the journey with me.

6:31 a.m. – Starbucks stop number one. Most of these people who are in here are probably going to work – which makes me feel odd about the fact I’m about to drive three hours to buy a phone. Especially since on a typical summer day I would still be asleep and have plenty of hours to go.

7:04 a.m. – Interstate 5, which had been moving quite well, is now down to one lane thanks to some road construction. A Caltrans employee is walking in the middle of the two lanes and pasting and stomping down those temporary plastic lane dividers. And to think all these years I thought some fancy iRobot-type machine performed this task.

8:48 a.m. – Arrive in Walnut Creek. John and I both do a double take when passing the Apple store when we see about 50 customers outside waiting in line. So much for the idea that getting to the store over an hour early would make this a quick operation.

8:55 a.m. – Join the line, which has reached the end of the block. The sidewalk has only about three trees in between here and the store entrance. So it looks like we’ll be in the sun the entire time. Fantastic.

9:02 a.m. – An Apple employee makes his way through the line, tallying the number of customers and announcing only white iPhones are stock (contrary to what the web site said the previous night). John and I decide we’ll wait it out through the line to get his white model, then try to hit another store to chase down a black.

9:46 a.m. – We have barely moved, even though we see customers occasionally leave the store with bags. This is clearly going to be a while. If I had an iPhone, I would have something to do while waiting in line to buy one.

10:46 a.m. – In one hour, only ten people have been helped in line. In the meantime we have struck up a conversation with two guys in front of us who are equally thrilled about our shared suffering.

11:02 a.m. – I make the first of several trips into the Apple store to find out what is taking so long. It turns out there is no more than three employees at any one time activating phones. The rest are doing their usual Apple employee gig: walking around in flip flops, trying to look cool, and praising all the Apple gadgets.

11:32 a.m. – Some employees from the California Pizza Kitchen across the street are passing out menus to everyone in line. They announce they’ll even deliver to us. Should be easy, since we’re hardly moving.

11:35 a.m. – Make a round of calls to local Apple stores. Some of them have iPhones, even though the Apple web site said otherwise last night. Thanks, Apple, for keeping your web site accurate.

11:44 a.m. – I take the first of several breaks inside the air conditioned Barnes & Noble that we’re standing in front of. (It will be hours before we move the 15 feet to be in front of the Pottery Barn Kids.)

11:52 a.m. – The first of several water rations we are given by the Apple employees. (The flavored water is kind of tasty).

1:31 pm.  – Michael, standing in front of us, makes the first of several calls to his family describing his plight. He is concerned he will be unable to pick up his son from school. Maybe he can get Steve Jobs to do it since he was unwilling to train Apple employees in how to activate phones in under an hour.

2:00 p.m. – Call more stores. The iPhones are going fast.

2:04 p.m. – Now Michael must call his son again, to inform him he is still in line. None of us imagined when we arrived here five hours earlier we’d still be here.

2:18 p.m. – An Apple employee tells the lines to move away from the buildings, because the store tenants will be upset. He wants the line far enough from the building to put all the people back in the sun. I rebel, staking my claim in the shade. So much for Apple Care.

2:38 p.m. – Ten people to go in front of us. Only one more hour.

3:38 p.m. – So much for projection.

4:02 p.m. – We’re in. It’s like gaining entrance to the Valhalla. Next a twenty-something Apple girl takes us through the activation process, which includes no knowledge of the various AT&T programs except for the basic plans. We are told that to get more detailed information, we must go to AT&T after activating the phones here.  John gets his white 16GB and we leave the store.  Fortunately because I’m holding out for a black 16GB,  I waited in line for seven hours not to get one, so botched activation doesn’t really matter right now.

4:18 pm. – Head to dinner across the street at CPK for nourishment and to recover from heat exhaustion before heading into traffic for the 3 1/2 hour drive home.  Somewhere out there is a shiny black iPhone with my name on it.

Fortune’s Apple 2.0 blog reports that the iPhone 3G is still hard to find – sold out in 21 states. Your local Apple store is likely to give you this message if you check it tonight.

Then there is the ever effective AT&T site, which gives you this message when you put in your confirmation number:

So you can’t buy one at a store, and if you ordered one, you have no idea where it is at or if it’s still being built by Steve Jobs’ trolls. Tom Petty was on to something about that waiting thing.

8:35 am – Awaken from the floor where I spent 6 hours the day before finalizing my debate: iPhone 3G or Blackberry Curve. I remember from checking the web last night that the nearest AT&T store opens at 9 a.m. Sadly, that does not leave enough time to hit Starbucks.

8:58 a.m. – Arrive at AT&T store number one (trust me, there will be more). There is something wrong. No customers. I am not naive enough to think it will be this easy. I am informed that they do not sell iPhones at this location. He recommends I check an Apple store, as they get more frequent shipments. He tells me roughly where the three are that are actually selling it. (Thanks again, AT&T and Apple, for making this such an easy process). I send a text to Google, and get the exact location and numbers of said AT&T stores and the Apple store. The Apple store doesn’t open until 10, according to its phone message, and the closest AT&T store is only about four miles away, but it opens in two minutes. Every minute is crucial.

9:04 a.m. – Blow past the next store due to the shopping center’s excellent parking lot design. After making a U-turn about a mile down the road (thanks traffic engineers) I find a crowd of about 30 people outside. There is one AT&T employee with a clipboard. He’s calling names off a waiting list. Standing for an hour in the blasting sun was not exactly how I had planned to spend this morning. After spying at the list and talking to a few of the people in line, I decide my chances of getting an iPhone here are extremely slim. Because the Apple store doesn’t open for another 45 minutes, I decide to hit another AT&T store.

9:25 a.m. – I split time on the drive there between glancing at street signs and the address from the text message on my tiny Samsung phone screen. Geez, if I had an iPhone, I could find the store and buy one.

9:30 a.m. – Strike Two. No iPhones at this location at all. There is only the Apple store and one more AT&T store left.

9:35 a.m. – I decide in order to avoid a migraine and overall lethargy it’s time for Starbucks. I realize I have already passed six in less than 10 miles. No wonder they’re closing 600 stores. Given the time, I decide to head to the Apple store next.

9:45 a.m. – I arrive at the mall and find a parking stall. Seeing that I’m 15 minutes early I think I’m in good shape. Then I notice a few people enter through one of the mall doors. I hustle out of the car and scurry around some slow-moving patrons to get down to where the Apple Store is located. There is already a line outside and the store is open. Clearly I failed to account for the possibility the store would be opening early today. Thanks again, Apple, for keeping your information phone line updated.

9:50 a.m. – Fortunately I don’t have to wait long in line. Unfortunately it’s because an orange-shirt clad Apple employee in flip flops is announcing they are sold out for the day. At this point I’m pretty discouraged. It’s already nearly 10:00 and there is only one store left to visit. The odds that any iPhones are available anywhere is dismal. Nonetheless, I opt to head off for the last AT&T store.

10:05 – Arrive at my final destination. I’m closing in on being at this for two hours. I haven’t showered or shaved, so I feel like a Yeti. But I trudge into the last store. A woman with a Bluetooth device in her ear trots around the room in pumps trying to keep order. She then announces the formation of a line and takes my name down on her orange post-it pad. She clumsily maneuvers through a few people and stakes out a spot to form a line, motioning with both arms as if she’s trying to land a 747. She gives one final roll call then heads off to put out the next fire.

This allows for some fun, yet somehow also irritating, people watching. The man in front of me gets pulled out of line by his impatient girlfriend after 10 minutes because she doesn’t want to wait. The woman behind me ends up in front of me, apparently forgetting the lessons she was taught every single day in elementary school not to cut in front of others. Then another lady behind me who has been yelling into her Bluetooth hoping it would work realizes that by pressing the “on” button, it can actually work. During a pause in her phone conversation with whoever was on the other line, she asks me to tell the AT&T staff if they call her name that she “evaporated.” If only.

Finally, it’s my turn. I tell the AT&T employee I would like to purchase an iPhone. He heads into the back, then appears with a shiny, sealed box. I am triumphant. The hard work has paid off.

“We have one left. It’s an eight gig.”

Depression sets in. I know I want a 16GB, and I will regret it later if I cave in now. The temptation is strong. I am two feet away from an iPhone. I can almost touch it. If I choose to accept, it will be mine in 15 minutes.

But I am strong in faith. I resist. I instead place an order for one, which is supposed to arrive in about five days. BUT I was told if I can secure one from another store before then, I get a rebate. So perhaps even though there is one with my name on it out there, The Pursuit of an iPhone may continue.

After my previously published pleasant experience in wireless phone stores, I spent a bulk of time playing with a Blackberry Curve. it is a phone I had toyed with before, and I remembered it gave me a sold, reliable experience. The first app I went straight for was the email. It had a simple user interface that allowed me to scroll and open emails with the trackball.

I spent quite a bit of time working with the QWERTY keyboard. I could see how with enough practice, BlackBerry aficionados are able to touch type. The keys are well-positioned and offer the right amount of resistance. I could see myself e-mailing sources, clients, maybe even a friend or two if there is time after the work I need to get done. It is no wonder that the Blackberry is the king of the business world.

It wasn’t all positive though. I was surprised that I actually felt cramped trying to hit all those plastic keys. While I understand for some the tactile feedback is important and even lets some people touch type on a Blackberry, I found it kind of annoying. And after 15 minutes of scrolling and typing, my thunbs were a little sore.

It could be that I just need to hit that Blackberry gym some more. Which leads me to the next post, the trackball. Stay tuned…

Not that the customer service was all that stellar. I was told by an AT&T rep at a certain location that will remain nameless that the launch would only “be at Fashion Fair.” No other info, no offer to give me a brochure, credit check, you get the idea. However, she did have time to continue the texting session that my appearance had interrupted.

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So clearly it was on to another store. It was one of the AT&T megastores, promoting their satellite television, cellular service, and other products. This way, when I was playing with the iPhone, the angry customer’s complaining wouldn’t drown out my thoughts. This particular one asked why the store was referred to as “the new AT&T.” While the woman manning the front desk tried to explain to her that AT&T merged with Cingular which was then purchased again by AT&T, the exchange began.

“Well I liked Cingular better,” the angry customer said.

“But it’s the same network, same cellphone towers,” said the clerk. “We just got different shirts.”

“But I’ve been coming here for six years, it’s not the same.”

“I’ve worked here for five.”

With such great people-watching material, it was hard to remember my original purpose: solve the ongoing iPhone-Blackberry debate in my mind. The next post will describe some quality time with the BlackBerry Curve.

No Bold is available yet, but it is definitely on the watch list. Today should also shed some light into what features I am looking for and will need for a cool, yet productive, device. I’m pretty much in the middle right now, so it could go either way.