Newb needs post-breaking help - please bear with me

[TheFranchise803]

Sup guys (and girls) -

I've pored over pages and pages and threads and threads of responses, looking for answers to my questions - which, for pretty much everybody on this site, I'm sure is nothing short of a cakewalk. I've found semi-conflicting information, so I figured if I put it all out in the open, I might be able to have it all cleared up.

I'm buying a 2G iPhone from my friend, and I'm going to attempt to jailbreak / unlock the phone myself (should be quite the experience) - however, I've read a few different things about what to do post-breaking. Is it possible for me to receive updates, and if so, are there any I should avoid that would "brick" (picked that up) the phone?

Obviously I don't want to settle for the default 1.0 software, and I was wondering what the process, post-breaking, should be for a newb like myself.

Whoever reads this and doesn't roll their eyes, I really do appreciate it. Nobody likes to waste money.

I have a MacBook, the phone is a 2G and my carrier is T-Mobile. Just a recap. Thanks a lot.

 

[Moi un Mouton]

The 2G will not give you any problems on jailbreaking and unlocking, updates will not be able to brick it or relock it. The process is straightforward.

Make sure you're on iTunes 8.1 not 8.2.

Let iTunes update it to 2.2.1 to get started, then follow this tutorial: http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=1557

 

[TheFranchise803]

I had to downgrade to 8.1 iTunes, because on my 8.2 it showed, after doing everything in the tutorial, that "The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported."

After clearing 8.2 off completely and re-doing the whole process from the beginning, I encountered the same problem. I'm lost.

 

[Moi un Mouton]

When are you getting the message? Is it after you have unlocked the phone? Did you get fully through the Pwnage process? What SIM card do you have in the phone, and does it work in another phone?