iPhone 4 Pre-Orders Crush Apple's Online StoreiPhone 4 Pre-Orders Crush Apple's Online Store

Today marks the day that iPhone fanatics can pre-order the iPhone 4. The device can be pre-ordered from a number of different outlets, including Apple.com and Apple, AT&T, Best Buy and RadioShack stores.

Apple made online pre-orders available at about 1AM PST / 4AM EST. So many people are trying to order the new device from Apple, that the Apple.com store is largely unresponsive and unable to process requests. I've been attempting to pre-order the iPhone for 90 minutes at the time of this writing, and have yet to get through. The site keeps crashing and suggests that I try again later.

Twitter has been a-chatter since the early morning hours about the inability of Apple's servers to match the onslaught of people trying to pre-order the device. Apple hasn't made any official announcements about the capacity of its online store and when it might be more responsive.

If you're impatient and don't want to wait for Apple's servers to recover, you can also choose to pre-order the device in person at a number of different retail locations. Apple Stores will accept pre-orders, but some have reported that Apple employees are directing customers to in-store computers and telling them to pre-order online.

AT&T stores will let people pre-order the iPhone 4, as will Best Buy and RadioShack. These three retail outlets require at least a minimal form of pre-payment, ranging from $50 all the way up to the full purchase price of the iPhone 4.

What's interesting is that only the black version of the iPhone 4 will be available on the June 24 launch, according to Apple.com. Apple indicated that the white version won't be available until later. It didn't provide specifics at all about why the white version will be unavailable nor exactly when it will go on sale.

Customers who manage to squeeze through the crush of pre-orders can choose between delivery to their home or in-store pickup. Having the device delivered will let people avoid lines at stores, but in-store pickup will provide an opportunity to ask Apple employees questions about the iPhone and associated AT&T services.

The iPhone 4 costs $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB.