"It's a dream come true. . .

It's Christmas, birthday, New Year's all rolled into one, " said the 23-year-old graphic designer who lined up for nearly 12 hours to buy the phone.

"I'm a Mac addict, " he said, referring to Apple's trademark computers. "I got on a 10-hour line for the Lord of the Rings (movie), but it is nothing compared to this. This is a historic event."

Gundersen was among several thousand people who lined up - some for up to five days - outside US stores last week waiting for the launch on Friday.

The iPhone melds a phone, web browser and media player and costs $500 (Euro369) or $600 (Euro443) depending on the amount of memory.

Technology gurus have praised the gadget as a "breakthrough", but questioned whether people would be put off by its use of a smooth touchscreen instead of a keyboard, and its relatively slow internet connection.

Albert Livingstone's wife thought he was crazy for lining up overnight in Chicago outside the Apple store.

"It's the newest toy. I'm 62 - I don't have much time left to buy toys, " said Livingstone, who queued with his friend Mark Stevenson, 50. They rented a room across the street and took turns to sleep.

Despite a limit of two iPhones per person, Grant Johnson managed to get his hands on three when the doors opened at the Apple store on New York's Fifth Avenue. He had asked a girl in front of him to buy an extra one.

"I'm keeping one and selling the other two, I'm trying to get $1,200 (Euro886) for them, " said Johnson, who had queued up for 25 hours. "I haven't slept in a day and a half, " he said. "I need a nice hot shower and a bath."

But other high-flying professionals who couldn't escape work paid others to do it for them.

A tongue-in-cheek Citigroup research note on Apple even gave tips on how "to obtain an iPhone ASAP on Friday", advising clients to "send whoever is the newest and most junior at your firm to stand in line."

The iPhone includes an iPod music and video player, a twomegapixel camera, and the Safari internet browser.

Irish consumers will have to wait a few more months to snap up one of the devices.