iOS 4: Early Kinks, Lots IOf Buzz

That bugs are being reported in increasing numbers as hours go by is not to be unexpected, with new features like multitasking sparking new demands on battery life, new apps like iBookStore now ported to the Apple handset and some features not working on earlier versions of the iPhone hardware.

On Twitter, users reported glitches including unwanted file deletion, gmail synchronization issues (which also came up as a topic on an Apple web forum, and blurry photos - but none of them could be immediately confirmed.

Other issues are more basic. If you haven't backed up your iPhone in a week or more, get ready to a long, slow slog to upgrading the software. On this 16-GB iPhone 3G, the backup alone is taking closer to two hours.

What can be confirmed is that the energy around this software launch is palpable throughout the market.

Can you remember any comments at all -- let alone complaints -- about other handset operating systems on launch? Apple has set the bar high. So like everything with Apple, you can expect two things to be a given: a very loud chorus of complaints and criticisms directed toward the folks in Cupertino by those who are disappointed, and an equally loud if not louder chorus of so-called "fan boys" telling them unique ways to multitask.

For now, Apple's executives have to be pleased with the numbers.

iPhone is growing at a 131 percent clip -- more than three-times the rest of the smart phone industry. That's a lot more reminiscent of the PC industry during the mid-'90s than the smart phone industry during the mid-'00s. And even if iPhone reaches a Vista-esque level of bugginess (easy, fan boys, I'm not saying it will), don't expect the buzz to subside.