September 06, 2007
iPhone vs. Blackberry
How one guy decided to pass up the iPhone and stick with his not-so-cool crackberry.
With my battered, aging BlackBerry on its last legs, I went back to the Apple store to try to join the crowd and sell myself on trading brands. But after a few hours of side-by-side comparisons, I'm convinced more than ever that the iPhone isn't the device for me. I'll be replacing my BlackBerry with ... another BlackBerry.
The iPhone is definitely a cool, sexy gadget. As I wrote in January, it's less a phone packed with extras than a full-fledged computer for your pocket. Its big display and touchscreen interface make Web surfing and video watching a whole lot easier than on any other smartphone. It bundles support for Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo! Mail. It doubles as an iPod. It does YouTube. And it's even more hackable than a BlackBerry. Along with this week's price drop, Apple has added a built-in iTunes Music Store, so you can buy and download tracks whenever you're in range of a Wi-Fi network. At $400, an iPhone is incredibly tempting.
But in my career as a writer, I need my phone to do work. I have tight deadlines, and I need to communicate with lots of people in a hurry. When I'm in a tight spot, my BlackBerry always helps me out. It also sends a subtle signal to my correspondents that I'm getting a lot done. An e-mail that says "Sent from my BlackBerry" gives the impression that you're on the move but still chained to work, e-mailing from the elevator. An e-mail that says "Sent from my iPhone" conjures an image of a doofus who wants you to know he has an iPhone. More important, the BlackBerry packs three crucial features that leave iPhone owners fumbling behind me.
He's got more details, with specific features he likes (or needs), here.
Posted by Mike Lief at September 6, 2007 12:44 PM
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