Blackberry vs. iPhone

[Blake Bowden]

I felt bad for my iPhone as I popped the sim card out of and into a shiney new Blackberry Bold. Could the Blackberry with it's tauted email capability, new web browser, revamped gui keep me away for my old iPhone...nope. Here's why:

1. The email was much more difficult than on the Iphone. Not saying it takes a genious, but the iphone is so much easier. The Bold only lists 2 lines of email, and the only way to view them is by using a trackball. With the iphone, it's a flick of the finger...walla.

2. As I test, I sent a pdf file to both the Bold and Iphone. The bold was unable to open it, the iphone didn't break a sweat and allowed me to zoom in and out, and rotate landscape.

3. Humm..on a Mac, how the heck can I get this bold to sync...spend $40 on a third party app.

4. Okay, my iPhone has 16 gigs, the Bold 1. That's okay, because the Bold has expandable memory but to add a 16 gig memory card would be another $50.

5. I could never figure out how to bring youtube up. On the iphone, you click the application and walla. I was told that the Bold could not stream youtube unless you are on wifi or 3g. (I'm in crappy edge territory).

6. Web browsing, stinks stinks stinks and did I say stinks stinks stinks on the Blackberry Bold. For example, you can load masonsoftexas.com but to actually click on something, you have to manipulate a ball on the phone, then zoom in to a particular area, and then you can click your link. iPhone, you just double tap and single tap to click.

7. Okay, like a dummy I bought the $40 program to sync the Bold with my Mac. Video transfers (movies) took forever, music was just as bad. bah

End the end I wanted a phone with a full keyboard, but for my use the bold just can't touch the iphone. The only thing that stood out was better bluetooth support, profiles, and GPS (although you gotta pay another $10 on top of the $30 you already pay for data plan).

BTW, I messed around with the Blackberry Storm the other day...I had high hopes. It stinks too. The entire screen clicks when you type on it. I found it frustrating to type fast on it as you have to literally depress the screen everytime you hit a key. Sorry bb owners, I couldn't find much the blackberry could do better (enterprise aside). I'm sure the Blackberry has their fan base, but I'm not one. Guess I'll have to wait till the Google Android platform is matured, Windows Mobile 6.5 or the Palm WebOS (which looks awesome).

 

[Smokey613]

In my current occupation I manage an Exchange server, Blackberry Enterprise server and a Good Messaging server, among several other duties. We have employess with Palms, Blackberrys and various other types of phones. By far the biggest headache are the Blackberrys. The RIM (Research in Motion) system seems unreliable at best. It suffers from "outages" some of which are famous national events. Everyone who has an iPhone loves them. We use Microsoft ActiveSync to push email to the iPhones and our other phones with Windows Mobile on them. On our Palm Treo phones we use the Good Messaging system. If I had to place these email systems in order of ease, functionality and issues I would rank them as follows:

1. ActiveSync
2. Good Messaging
3. BlackBerry

I think I have talked our owner into doing away with our BlackBerry phones. He recently switched to an iPhone using ActiveSync and it made a believer out of him.

 

[Bro. Stewart P.M.]

I also just recently switched from a SmartPhone to a Blackberry, I have yet to arrive at a conclusion as to which format is better suited for my tastes.

Right off the bat, the full keyboard is a blessing after using a standard number pad for so long.

 

[nick1368]

well the wife and i get new phones in a couple of months...we had both decided we wanted bb storms...thanks for the inside information. we will have to really look and compare.

 

[Smokey613]

To be fair, if you do not use your smartphone in a business environment where constant access to your email and calendar are vital then get whatever works for you. I am just relating it from a backend support manager's perspective. The less I have to baby sit the users the happier I am. The BB is a major PITA for me.

 

[Blake Bowden]

well the wife and i get new phones in a couple of months...we had both decided we wanted bb storms...thanks for the inside information. we will have to really look and compare.

I assume you have Verizon since you are looking at the storm? Remember that Verizon has at least a 14 day return policy so if you decide the storm isn't for you, take it back. Best of luck to ya.