Apple lives in a world where the Internet is a 24/7 reality, an assumption, a de facto element of life.

Not just any Internet, either, but fast Internet.

That is, at least, the only assumption I can make after realizing that you cannot restore your iPhone without an internet connecton..

Go ahead, try.

With the latest version of iTunes and the latest iPhone firmware, take your Mac offline. Disconnect the Ethernet, disable the Wifi, unplug the modem. (Wait, you have a modem?)

Now, hook your iPhone to iTunes, and click the restore button:

iPhone could not contact the iPhone software update server because you are not connected to the Internet. Make sure your Internet connection is active and try again.

Or, connect to the Internet but simulate iTunes not being able to connect to Apple’s servers, and you will see this:

The iPhone software update server could not be contacted. Make sure your network settings are correct and your network connection is active, or try again.

So what does iTunes do next?

You’ve already indicated that you need to restore your iPhone. In my case, SpringBoard suddenly came up dark. It was as if it was waiting for something to happen. I could get the iPod controls by pressing the home button twice, but that was it.

I could not make a call (I assume I would have been able to answer one). I could not do anything, the screen was just blank. There was nothing to tap.

So, should iTunes give up, or perhaps should it offer to restore to the last “known good” firmware, even if there’s a chance that it isn’t the latest one?

iTunes gives up.

Fortunately for me, I had read online about option-clicking the “Restore” button, which will let you choose a locally stored file.

Yup, that’s right. The file I needed was on my hard drive.

Somewhere.

I just needed to find it.

A little bit of searching pointed me to ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates and the file iPhone1,1_1.1.1_3A109a_Restore.ipsw.

It logs in at 152MB.

Think about that for a moment.

Apple has already downloaded a 152MB file, the same 152MB file that I need, but it is refusing to acknowledge it until I use an undocumented (at least anywhere I could find on Apple’s site… if it is there, let me know where, but searching through their help files didn’t locate it) command and then track down the file.

Why?

iTunes could open up ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates automatically when you option-click the Restore button. But it doesn’t.

Why?

Why won’t Apple offer to restore from the existing firmware?

Someone might say “Because they want to make sure you have the latest version!” to which I say Ok, that’s a good an noble reason.

However, the iPhone has been out for 4 months, and we have seen, what, 3 or 4 firmware updates? 1.0.1, 1.02, and then 1.1.1 (if I am remembering correctly). How likely is it that there will be a newer firmware than the last one I used?

Answer: Not Very.

iTunes should be able to check online of it wants to. There’s no argument about that.

However, if I am not online, or if I am on a slow connection (hello! 152 mb!) or if I just know that I already have the file I need, iTunes shouldn’t hide that fact from me. It ought to offer to use the existing firmware already downloaded and installed on my computer. If I option-click the “Restore” button in iTunes, it ought to open up to the folder where they are stored.

It should not throw its hands up in the air and say “Well, you’re not online, so I’m not going to help you.” Which is essentially what it does.

It’s a little too entitled, a little arrogant, and a little too controlling.

The more I hang around the iPhone, the more I realize that the way Apple treats iPhone users is very unlike the way that I’ve come to expect Apple will treat me as a Mac user.

I don’t know where Apple got this new attitude from, but it’s not attractive.

Here’s another tip: after you restore, run iPhone sync twice. The first time never seems to get all my contacts, etc which I have chosen to sync.