

Why I left my iPhone for a Blackberry. - beingfamous
http://www.benackerman.com/2009/02/05/to-boldly-go/

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raamdev
As a former 5-year, very satisfied Blackberry user who switched to the iPhone
3G last June, I have this to say about the comparison:

For business use that requires lots of _replying_ to email, management of
large volumes of email, copy/paste functionality, and the possibility of
integration with existing Enterprise systems, the Blackberry is a must.

If you mostly just need to _read_ email and only occasionally reply, you have
a moderate volume of email (< 30 per day), and you are more interested in a
device you can have fun with on the train and use as a replacement for your
iPod, then iPhone is perfect. The apps available on the iPhone are truly
killer. Real, playable games that you can fully enjoy. Also, web browsing on
the iPhone is beautiful -- sometimes I find myself using it in front of my
laptop!

I've convinced both my boss and my manager NOT to get an iPhone and to instead
upgrade their phones to either the BB Curve or Bold. They both thanked me
afterward when they realized just how much they relied on easy email reply and
the ability to "mark as read" multiple messages (come on iPhone!). The iPhone
is definitely a more media-centric device, whereas the Blackberry has been
refined for the specific needs of business users.

~~~
dmix
I recommend an iPod touch and a Blackberry Curve, you get the best of both
worlds.

I love Blackberries keyboard for sms/email and ipod for productivity apps
(omnifocus)/games/music.

~~~
raamdev
I can definitely see how that is the best of both worlds. In fact, I thought
of doing that before I bought an iPhone, but carrying around fewer devices is
more important to me than having a perfect keyboard.

Also, being able to listen to music (with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack,
btw) and not worry that I'm missing calls is invaluable (the call just
interrupts the music).

------
Zev
Proving, once again: Get what works for you, not what is trendy.

//edit: I didn't mean this in a negative way. If a blackberry does what _you_
need it to do in relation to whatever your needs are, then thats what you
should be using. While hype is fun to get lost in, "Because its popular" is a
poor reason to force yourself to do something in a manner that isn't
beneficial.

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timcederman
Funny, I did the exact opposite.

edit: Just to expand -- I got given a BlackBerry for work purposes and it
drove me crazy. Generally terrible user experience, unintuitive, and
aesthetically awful. Funnily enough, since the iPhone was my first smartphone,
I actually found it difficult transitioning to a physical keyboard. I got too
used to be able to button mash and have it auto-correct.

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peregrine
I use the Google G1 and I love it. Everything is seamlessly backed up for
free, everything works, and everything works integrated. I get the multiple
applications running of a blackberry with the coolness of the iphone with out
the "trendy"

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mattmaroon
My second biggest gripe with the iPhone, after the virtual keyboard, is,
ironically, the phone. I just can't hear the damn thing, even at max volume
(perhaps due to too many years of using an mp3 player) when in public. The
ringer is too quiet as well, all of my friends who have iPhones always end up
missing my call and calling my back.

But then maybe they just hate me because I'm still rocking WinMo.

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tallanvor
I _really_ miss my Blackberry Pearl. Currently I have an HTC from work, and
it's complete crap. It's bulky and constantly restarting. Having to slide out
the keyboard and wait for the screen to turn is also annoying when you want to
send a text or respond to an email. I also never warmed up to the idea of the
iPhone's virtual keyboard or the inability to run apps in the background.

------
gne1963
I never left my Blackberry... when I first saw my buddy finally whip out his
BB after struggling for 5 mins to find a location on a map... a knew i'd keep
mine...

Then I meet my best friend for lunch to weeks in a row. Both days, he's having
iPhone problems and just can't bring himself to return it...

------
unalone
The Blackberry Bold is an excellent device. I prefer the iPhone for the stuff
that I do - I rarely need a keyboard - but the Bold is beautiful.

