Reactions to story from hosted.ap

• 

  New Blackberrys Compete With iPhone, Some Users Claim

  http://www.technologyinnovative.com/video/new-blackberrys-co...
  12 days ago in Technology News | Innovative Research | Empowering Technology Advances | Industry Information and Articles · No authority yet

  While RIMs latest offerings are packed with features like stereo Bluetooth, standard headphone jacks, video recording, multiple e-mail options and, in the case of the Storm, a unique touch screen, the multifront attack may not be enough to unseat the mighty iPhone. BlackBerry Storm: Set to be released Friday through Verizon Wireless, the much-anticipated Storm - RIMs first touch-screen smart phone - has slick looks and tons of features. But while the device gets some things right, a number of issues make it difficult to use. The Storm ($200 after rebate, with a new two-year contract) is similar in size to larger BlackBerry models but eschews the standard QWERTY keyboard for a high-resolution 3.25-inch touch screen that covers most of its face. The screen smartly marries the tactile feedback youd get from a physical keyboard or mouse button with the finger-swiping convenience of a touch screen. So you can scroll around with your finger but nothing should happen - no words typed, no links clicked - until you physically push on the screen. I found it much easier to type messages with the Storms keyboard than with the iPhones. This could make a big difference to business users who have been lusting after touch-screen smart phones but hesitant to make the switch. Sometimes, though, I had a hard time clicking on icons I wanted: At times, the browser would zoom in on the icon rather than activating it. Or Id end up clicking an adjacent link. High-definition videos I had taken on a camcorder looked pretty good on the Storm, and its big screen is great for showing large photos, or album art when youre listening to songs. Theres plenty of storage for your multimedia goodies, as the device includes 1 gigabyte of memory and an 8 gigabyte microSD card. One neat feature is the Storms ability to take videos in two different resolutions, the lower of which is meant for sending clips in messages. You can also take still photos with the Storms 3.2 megapixel camera. I dug the visual voice mail feature - something also available on the iPhone - that shows you a list of your voice messages and lets you hear them in any order youd like. And calls sounded pretty good on the Storm, which is rated for 5.5 hours of talk time. But the Storm seemed to labor at processing requests if I tried to do too many things too quickly, such as scrolling through photos while listening to music. And while the screen should easily change from portrait to landscape mode when you turn the Storm on its side, I often found it quite slow to react. BlackBerry Bold 9000: With its full QWERTY keyboard, crystal-clear 2.75-inch screen and bevy of wireless options, the Bold ($300 after rebate, with a new two-year contract) is well suited for business and extracurricular pursuits. The device runs on AT&Ts 3G network and can use Wi-Fi, which made it easy to check e-mail and stream videos. Calls came in nice and clear, and the phone is rated for 4.5 hours of talking time. Like the Storm, the Bold has GPS capabilities. It includes an application that can give driving directions. Typing messages with the keyboard was super simple - the keys are not too small and right away I felt comfortable enough that I wasnt continually fixated on what buttons my fingers were pressing. Source: orast
• 

  Review: New BlackBerrys cool but can’t beat iPhone

  http://electrogeek.com/blog/2008/11/20/review-new-blackberry...
  47 days ago in Smartphone and Gadget News by ElectroGeek Computer Support - Free Windows Mobile 6 Software · Authority: 7

  NEW YORK (AP) — With the recent releases of three new BlackBerrys across three different wireless providers, Research In Motion Ltd. has fired back at Apple Inc. in the Great Smart Phone Skirmish of 2008…. Full Story Via Associated Press

Advertise on Technorati