Sometimes, the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence

I have both an iPhone 3Gs and a Bold 9700 and I'm still in the air as to which one I prefer. I tend to fall back on my Bold as it has the superior notification system, as well as Battery life and reception of a cellular signal. My iPhone stinks at battery life and getting a signal, but it excels at apps and media consumption. I've always thought that the BlackBerry was odd in the way it handled media, even if it were just Music.

Syncing is faster on the iPhone, and I have to worry less about ending up with duplicate entries in my calender and contact lists. I can sync my data OTA with the exception of music. I have found an app for things that I've only dreamed of doing on the Bold.

Hmm... After reading what I've written, I am wondering why I switch back to the Bold...

I switched from AT&T to T-mobile because AT&T costs too much! So when I switched it was during a promotion that T-mobile was having so i got a new phone for free. I ended up getting a new HTC HD2. I thought it was great at first. I got an awesome huge screen, and it was a touch screen so I thought maybe it'll be good. I was so wrong! I'd never have more problems with a phone. The only app I really used on it was the flashlight! I like my BlackBerry because its easy to use and it does everything I need. The battery on the HTC HD2 had to be constantly charged, but my bb keeps a great charge for days! The camera was a little better quality but nothing so much better that it didn't make me want to get rid of the phone! I hated touch screen. So not my thing! The worst part was emails! I'm apply for jobs and it took me forever to send and receive an email if i could at all!

I put ads on craigslist to switch my HTC HD2 for a T-mobile BB9700 and when I finally got a BB back i was so happy! Its the best thing ever to have a phone that works and does everything you need. I've learn my lesson the hard way and i'll never change out of a Blackberry again!

I was excited about the Android and switched, but just for a week, and now I'm back. Blackberry's Autotext feature is the sole reason I'll probably never leave again.

I've had an iPhone and a Palm Pre. I was impressed by the intuitive use of the interface and apps for both devices but I always missed the functionality and battery life of my BB Tour. So now I've got a BB Bold and I found that in some ways the grass was greener but I love my Blackberry Bold for sure because of its usefulness and quality (except the web browser).

As a BlackBerry user, I hated to admit this, but the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

About a year ago, I purchased a Verizon Tour 9630 after being lured by the BlackBerry name and "mystique" at the time. As this was my first smartphone of any kind, I was pleased with the device at first. Now, not so much.

The problem is that my BlackBerry does what I need it to do, but not what I WANT it to do. Big difference. I have reached a point where the cons with BlackBerry far outweigh the pros:

I Love:
- BBM
- Email
- BlackBerry keyboard (much better than any on-screen keyboard and better than the physical keyboards on some of the Android phones that have them)
- Security
- Professional-looking device
- Outstanding battery life for a smartphone

I hate:
- Stuck trackballs
- Weak media capabilities
- Slow, outdated OS
- Hardware from a bygone generation
- Limited app selection, weak App World
- Battery pulls
- The spinning clock of death
- Three to five-minute reboots
- Tiny screen
- Puzzling business decisions by RIM (EOL'ing the Tour after less than a year, no OS 6 for the Tour even though it has the same technical specs as the Bold 9700)
- Nearly unusable for browsing the Internet. Opera Mini and Bolt have their own annoyances, and the default browser is a mess.

All of those cons add up to me being an overall dissatisfied BlackBerry user. Add to the fact that RIM continues to release "new" devices with horribly out-of-date hardware and software by today's standards, and there is really nothing to keep me as a BB user long-term. The Torch was the only thing that really spiked my interest a tad...but it isn't coming to Verizon, and it still horribly outdated in comparison to something like a Droid X, 2, or Incredible.

When I first got my BB I absolutely loved it, but now it is the opposite. For anything other than BBM, my 2G iPod touch can handle tasks like running apps, watching YouTube videos and podcasts, checking and writing Emails, and browsing the web with aplomb, whereas my Tour lags miserably behind.

I am eligible for an upgrade within the month on Verizon and I look forward to picking up an Android device. After playing around with a Samsung Fascinate the other day, it is painfully evident how weak BlackBerry devices truly are; they are basically just glorified Nokia E-series devices at this point. I applaud your loyalty CrackBerry Nation, but I think you have to get your heads out of your you-know-whats and see that the grass really is greener on the other side!

Well I started using a BB 2 1/2 years back & I doubt I'll switch anytime soon. Yeah I suppose I sometimes miss having something 'new' to play with, but I like my reliable BB, reliable because I know it inside out, all the Blackberry features, services, apps, etc. It does what I want. I got so attached to my previous Blackberry, that I had a hard time actually using my Storm when I upgraded!

I'm not one for games on a mobile device, I like using it to organize my virtual life. It does a great job in syncing my mails, calenders, address book & all that stuff. It offers 24/7 connectivity to family & friends abroad & offers awesome help when travelling.

Yeah sometimes the software is a little slow & buggy & perhaps the iPhone has so many more apps, (although the problems haven't been unbearable yet) but Blackberry has always provided me with what I need & I've always wanted one... for the longest time I only saw them on TV... perhaps I'm biased because of that, but I do think it's a great smartphone & a must have... at least for me & mine :)

Look BB has many different cool and reliable devices but they are way to behind in the game. I had a blackberry pearl, curve and the orginal storm and now I have a Droid X.

I loved all of my blackberrys. They were considered to be top high end phones when they came out but now there a joke now and RIM hasn't made too many adjustments from a blackberry phone from now to 2 years ago while every other platform is going way past them (even microsoft =( ). And I do like blackberry a lot because of BBM and Email and facebook on blackberry is way better then my Droid but as I've read in previous comments my droid is ALMOST capable of doing anything a laptop can do at amazing speeds.

My bro has the droid incredible and that to is 50 times better then anything blackberry has to offer for the time being. And my emails might come 15-20 seconds slower (if that) then my storm did but who really needs emails on there phone seconds quicker.

And apps are more then just games and entertainment. The productivity apps on the android market on incredible and that to me is what makes a smart phone, SMART. With my Droid X I have Chase and TD Bank app that work very fast and proficent and also an accounting/budget app and all my emails for work and school that work extremely better then any blackberry that i ever owned and these apps help me be profcient, productive and effcient.

And this is what I think RIM fails. Dont bash apps or say there a waste. I think apps are the reason to get a smartphone aside from email. They make your daily routines, transactions, etc easier and more productive.

Blackberry 6 is a start and the new webkit broswer but they still are way behind.

I come back again and see what a great job you did...until RIM steps it up even KEVIN knows, as hen laughed at the 9700 on video it sucks....6.0 is blah at best.

I am literally counting down the days until at&t allows me to upgrade phones. 79 days left to go. I own the Bold 9000 & I am sick of 1) the constant memory leak issues and 2) the latest 5.0 OS update. I figure the update itself would have been great, but apps that ran prior to the update are now having to be deleted right and left because my phone never has enough application memory left. I am a heavy app user, so it looks like I will be sacrificing call quality just to be rid of these two problems. Seeing today's article on the 9700 leads me to believe this is something that will continue on all BlackBerries.

So I guess I am going to the dark side just to have a faster phone that can do what it promises to do. I am sick of finding my phone dead with power left on the battery. I am sick of having to reboot constantly, especially when I listen to audio books. Hopefully some day, I will be able to return to a better BlackBerry.

I switched to an Incredible on launch day from a curve 8330 and couldn't be happier.

Things I miss on bb:
Superior battery life
Sleeper Magnet
Charging Pod (with cases wasn't too big of an issue)
BBM 5 didn't play nice on my phone but I liked it.

This whole argument is ridiculous.

Each platform has it's pros and cons and android suites my needs. Will it suite someone else's? Not necessarily, but one has to take a step back and say ok, which device gives me the most bang for the buck instead of I am sticking with bb or I am getting the next iphone because it's better, etc.

Will I be with android in two years? I don't know.

In the past 6 years I have had palmos, win mo standard, BB and now android.

I don't like to carry multiple items, so having a great camera on my phone is a must.

Sadly i have a Blackberry Storm (1), the camera is comical its so bad.

When i was w/ my friend who has an iPhone 4 i was amazed at the pictures it takes. Just like a regular camera.

I can't wait until my contracts up!

reason #2785737 why im leaving BB.

away from BB after my 9700. Never looking back.....

I still cant think of anything that I miss.

My first BB was a 8130 (Pearl) on VZW, and used that for a couple years then moved over upward to a 9630 Tour. Both were great phones, got great battery life, reliable, list goes on and on. Both of these phones had hybrids on them if they were avaliable.

Well, I got a Droid 1 from somebody and decided to test they hype out. I didnt want to waste an upgrade on something I may or may not like. I have been using it since end-of-july/early august. I do like it for what it does, but the battery life is horrendous. Now, I have installed a custom ROM (CM6), to be exact which is supposed to have decent battery life. My settings have all been adjusted to improve the battery life, and well, the BB is better in this area. I hate having to live near a charger and have to worry about having enough battery to get through the day. Thats a big issue for me.

Once I get into an area where I can use *611 for activation, back to the trusty 9630 I go. Battery life, email, physical keyboard, reliability are crucial for me. Now, I just want the 9700 or 9800 to come to VZW and my next phone decision will be made.

I've ran the 7290,8700,8700c,8330,8330m, 9630 and loved them until the past year. I was tired of a useless web browser, the static home screen, and the general slowness, plus I wanted a change.

So I switched to an HTC Desire and I must say I absolutely love it. What's surprised me the most that e-mails flow just a quick (both Exchange and GMail), the touch screen keyboard is actually really good (thinking I'm only ~10% slower after a few weeks of use). And of course I love the ability to actually view web pages on the go, full and proper turn-by-turn navigation, far better syncing of Facebook, Flickr, GMail and Corporate address books, and I think the address book is better too. Plus of course the ability to customize the home screens to have contact short cuts (know you can do that on BlackBerry 6 but its not avilable on US Cell, the company I have to run for work) up to the minute e-mail, world and tech news, SMS, google voice, etc all visible to you at the same time is really really useful throughout the day.

Only things I DON'T like on Android is the battery life (just use 2 batterys and swap after work, in the morning, as I did with my 9630, this experience is WAY better on Android because it boots up in less then 1 minute vs ~5 on my 9630), the Notification and Profile settings are very sup-par compared to the BlackBerry but I've gotten used to it, and the sleeper/holster mode that all BlackBerrys have.

With that said, I think switching to Android was WELL WORTH IT. No looking back for me. If you realize Android has only been around for 2 years vs ~ 10 with BlackBerry you realize over the next few years the margin is only going go grow and Android will become more and more of the superior platform so perhaps I'll see you on the other side :)

Bottom line is all these options are good for us and its great when someone has a device they think works for them so mobile on!

I have played around with other devices. And I think that each platform has unique features. I would love to have the Torch with a front facing camera, Amolod screen, wi-fi hotspot feature, and a flash player. But I have a been a BB user for 4 years now, a very good friend works for Nokia. The mobile device market is changing so quickly everyday. But one you get use to a devices features, the loyalty faucet turns on. I can every imagine typing out an email on a touchscreen.

Had a Bold 9000 since it came out, waited patiently for OS6 and the Torch. I was finally disappointed enough to jump ship to Verizon and the Droid 2 with Android 2.2 and full flash support. I get to use this now side-by-side with the phone that my job gives me, which is a Bold 9700... so I see the differences everyday. Ok..for pure, raw, plain old messaging, the blackberry is the snappiest. But it isn't THAT much snappier. And here is what struck me the most...I enjoy email MUCH better on the Droid2. No more truncated, contorted mess. Emails look like they do on my laptop... and so do web pages. Every app I had for BB is either on Android or an equivalent that is the same or even better. Sorry, but when I have to reach on the other side of my belt for my work BB, I feel like I just stepped back in time 10 years. I work for a major IT services firm supporting many federal agencies, and there are MANY people like me now. They are now clamoring for Android (and iPhone as well) to be used as their work email devices. RIM is in trouble. People are realizing that you CAN have it all (great multi-media full PC like experience AND quick secure messaging), and they are not satisfied with the dinosaur that is BB. The Torch was a major leap for BB, but it was a baby step towards Android and iOS. My firm is about to support Android and iOS for corporate email as well, and I can't wait 'til I have an Android phone on both hips. Sorry RIM, and sorry for the long comment.

Many self-proclaimed BB ex-patriots probably shouldn't have been BB users to begin with. Just like with Palm Treos, some people had BBs for the street cred: BBs were seen as "hi-tech" and cool and satisfied some people's desire to seem important and busy even though the actual need for such connectivity was debatable (yeah, you just have to have access to all those forwarded email jokes while on the go!).

If email to you means Gmail and messaging means instant messaging and Facebook, you're not really realizing the true advantages of BB. And while RIM certainly has broadened the appeal of BBs over the years, you historically aren't RIM's target demographic. I'm not trying to disparage anyone here, but I get tired of reading blogs and phone reviews that rate the device experience based on Gmail and Facebook integration and YouTube performance. Tech journalists can appear like a homogeneous bunch and tend to think that everyone else's needs are the same--or should be the same--as theirs.

When it comes to email, there's Exchange (and maybe Notes) and then there's everything else. Is Gmail better than Hotmail and Yahoo? Maybe. But to me, those are consumer-grade email services, and I don't spend enough time in personal email to care about the differences. I live on Exchange. And while the major mobile platforms have support for ActiveSync, it's still not as good as BES--even on Windows Mobile, which likely has the best ActiveSync support of all platforms.

For the people who are tempted by other platforms, but claim to be unable to give up BBM, I have to question the facts. If you are tempted by iPhone and Android, chances are your friends and family are, too, and half of them probably have switched. It's hard to believe that you're the only pioneer who would change platforms if it weren't for everyone else dragging their feet and sticking with BB.

I'm not saying that some of the criticism around the BB platform isn't valid. I'm just saying that you can't be disappointed in RIM for not making a phone that better meets your needs. The reality is that BB met your needs for a while because you had limited options. Really, you were making your needs fit the BB. However, with the introduction of the iPhone and Android later, you now had platforms that catered to your needs right from the start. However, there's still many of us that fit into RIM's target demographic and for whom BB is still the best solution for our needs. Granted, as a demographic we might be shrinking, but that's partly because innovation around the business demographic has stagnated. The needs are still there, but some people are willing to compromise on their desired corporate integration in order to gain the mobile app and multimedia benefits. But as RIM's dominance and influence shrinks and Apple and Google fight over the average consumer, it leaves the door open for a new player to come in and capture the needs of the corporate user.

The thing that concerns me the most about the Torch and BB 6 is the reports of slow-downs. I'm ok with the idea that a BB might not need a 1 Ghz processor, but a big reason I switched to BB was for the speed and efficiency. If typical Torch usage involves seeing slow-downs and hour glasses, then in many ways it's a step backwards. Speed and efficiency are BB must-haves. At the end of the day, the eye candy and UI changes are nice-to-haves and shouldn't come at the expense of the must-haves.

I think the author of this article is me, he has pointed it out so effing well that I can relate myself to this article, I have switched to other platforms twice like to the iPhone and Android but always came back to BB and hugged it coz of the reasons that made me miss it. Surely, You Don't Realize How Good BlackBerry Is Until, You Leave it.

Now we see a lot of use do know the grass is all shades of green on the other side, and RIM needs a rain fall before the crops turn to dust.

Owned my first Blackberry, the Storm 9530, for the last year. Got tired of doing constant battery pulls to fight for what little memory I had. It would constantly drop every couple hours and I was constantly seeing a loading clock on screen whenever I tried to do anything. Switched to HTC Droid Incredible, and the only thing I wonder is why I didn't get a Droid in the first place. Other than Push Email, Android dominates Blackberry in all aspects of hardware and software.

Two years ago I purchased my first smartphone, an iPhone 3G, through Fido. I liked it, although I thought it was better as a toy than a phone. The phone and email features were poor, and the lack of Google integration, as well as the general anti-competitive nature of Apple bothered me. When iOS 4 came out, I decided to skip the "upgrade" and purchased a Nexus One instead. It was a great upgrade.

The *only* reason I ended up with a Bold 9700 was because I signed up for a corporate plan that required a 3-year contract; with this I ended up with a 9700, which I intended to sell. But I didn't sell it. It's not my primary phone, because it handles PHONE and EMAIL far better than both the Android and iOS do. The fact that I can get home from work without having to plug the phone into a charger is also an added benefit. Keys are also a massive plus, as the Nexus One's keyboard drove me insane (the slightest touch of your palms on the border of the screen will cause havoc when typing).

I'm looking forward to OS 6.

I had a bberry 8300 and like it alot and then when everybody started talking about android this android that i thought id be out of the loop if i stayed with my 8300 so i got a motorola cliq and yeah it was cool and it did alot of stuff for some reason i missed having my bberry so i tried to stick it out but i just couldnt so i ended up leaving the android community and went back to RIM and now i have bberry bold 9700 and i LOVE IT. I love it so much more then my android im a bberry girl FOREVER:)

Sunshine,
Thanks for your reply...just trying to give you my experience since the background was similar to yours. No problem with your decision. About the iPod for entertainment, I am sure that would be the way to go. I had a couple of game apps on the BB and the Android but it is not a factor in my decision making. Again, I find the Droid Incredible notifications about equal to BB (I have e-mail set to retrieve @15 minutes no need to set at 5 minutes) and the UI dramatically better than BB. I prefer texting on the Incredible and love being able to get the complete e-mail instead of truncated BB version. But don't do it on my say so...just passing on info FYI. Wish you well on your decision.

EPH, I agree that each has pros and cons, but for me the cons of the android phones outweigh the pros. I also read this site regularly and see people mentioning poor notifications and UI. That's a problem since I use my BB primary for texting and browsing (I read my email but rarely reply lol). I'll give droids another look, but I think BB is the way to go. Perhaps I'll pick up an iPod touch for entertainment.

Racing,

I also had the Pearl and loved it and then the Storm 1 and liked it very much in spite of weaknesses I mentioned in a prior post. Sorry you went to the Droid Eris though. The Sense UI part is nice enough although an older version of it but the memory and processor speed cannot be compared to the better current Androids. You had problems typing on it and so did I when I first started typing on the BB but 2 days is not enough time to adapt. One week should be enough if you notice that the HTC keyboard starts correcting your typo errors as it learns. I can mis-hit many keys and still get the correct info. Or I can just enter Google voice to text and speak my text entry.

Also just to correct a statement for accuracy, the Android does not need to have apps closed all the way since the OS can manage the memory better automatically than a BB. I am used to closing apps on the BB but this does not usually cause much of any battery problem unless it is a GPS program just like on the BB. As long as the device has a good amount of memory you would be fine. The battery issue is when an app or widget is constantly accessing resources instead of being in the background. Still Storm battery life is better.

I agree with you though I would rather have Storm 2 than the Droid Eris. But the Droid Incredible is a different story.

Sunshine said:
I still have my original Storm (works just fine), and have an early upgrade on Verizon waiting for me. I don't know what to switch to! I love the touchscreen for the web and typing in landscape, but Androids don't tempt me, and the Storm 2 doesn't seem that great. Might get a Bold to have a solid device until a better touchscreen comes to BB (or iPhone to Verizon!)

Reply to Sunshine,
I was using my original release date issue Storm 1 until last month and it was still working fine, sort of. I liked it fairly well in spite of the weaknesses...not enough memory, memory leaks, battery pulls, slow browser. Almost never typed in landscape by the way. Like you I would not leave Verizon so here is my advice since I still carry a Bold 9650 which is fine but no touch screen.

Try the Androids but primarily the HTC variety with Sense UI which means the Incredible. You will have to adapt to no Surepress technology but that does not take long. The Droid X is nice in a way and has better battery life than the Incredible but the HTC UI style is smooth. Battery is not a critical issue since I charge every night (in Alarm bedside mode like the Storm) and am able to top off the charge anytime I'm in the car to keep from getting too low. Of course I wish it lasted longer just like I wished the BB didn't require battery pulls.

I doubt I would ever go to the iPhone (not bashing) even if it was on Verizon since the better apps would not make up for the weaker overall messaging. I find that 5 weeks into the Incredible the messaging suits me just as well as BB has for the previous 5 yrs. Seven customizable home screens on Android really allows me to set up communication tools in very usable groups for quick easy access. I still use the Bold as my BES company mail but I can type much faster on the Droid due to better predictive text correction. The original Droid would not have tempted me.

But I would find it hard to have my Bold 9650 (yes I like it for all it is) as my only phone so I would not recommend it for your situation. For phone use and occasional e-mail and text message the Bold is fine but I prefer to get full e-mails instead of truncated ones.

Anyone happy with the Blackberry then I am glad for you. I still read here almost daily to be up to speed on BB issues and my Bold. Just saying.

i started out with the old school pearl. loved the phone and everything it had to offer. as soon as i was able to upgrade i ran out and got the storm2 i absolutely love my phone, however i have problems with the internet running slow. so i decided to switch and try the droid eris... boy was i wrong to switch .. i couldnt stand the typing on the phone everytime i hit one thing something else popped up. i used the phone for 2 days and i couldnt stand it anymore.. now im not sure if this is just me but i know when i get out of an app i have to hit menu and close or exit app. droid phones dont do that! and then it kills your battery majorly not cool!

im definetly sticking to my blackberry!

Switched over to the new galaxy s phone for verizon. After about three days of using that POS(not getting my email, poor reception, etc). I just had to come back to my BB, even though it is the original Storm.

This is so true. before I bought my first BB (Pearl 8100) I had this fantastic little indestruckable LG flip phone. considering it was my first cell phone, I thought it was pretty cool. Never texted though, seemed like too much work, pushing a 7 three times just to get a "P"? No thanks. saw texting as pointless unless, then, I bought my Pearl and saw the light, became a texting maniac and BlackBerry addict. Last year I graduated to a Curve 8530 and not only was an avid texter, but also started using FB on it. Then, due to hard times and other issues... I got behind on the bill and had to borrow one of my friends Motorolla Touch Screen shits. Bad. I hated it. Couldnt text on it, never figure out how to type in general, take pictures, anything. I will never be leaving BB.

I still have my original Storm (works just fine), and have an early upgrade on Verizon waiting for me. I don't know what to switch to! I love the touchscreen for the web and typing in landscape, but Androids don't tempt me, and the Storm 2 doesn't seem that great. Might get a Bold to have a solid device until a better touchscreen comes to BB (or iPhone to Verizon!)

I had been a BlackBerry user for more than 3 years. My experience till Bold 9000 was good and that encouraged me to go for Storm2. But after getting Storm2 entire experience with BB sucks.
There were some business apps that used to run on Bold 9000 but surprisingly it never ran on Storm2.
Then comes OS 6 and using this forum I went for Storm2 with the memory specs. When OS6 came RIm is maintaining a big silence and now it appears that Storm2 which is still top edge RIm Touchphone in major countries across world will not even get the latest OS6.
Then comes Beta Zone of Blackberry and I think better rename it Messenger Beta Zone. Useless.
Still to come for some of my apps I came to know that it doesn't work with just BIS/BES Plan so I had to pay extra to operator for additional Data Plan. So two data plan on 1 phone. Now this is what technology is all about.
Let's talk about Games and then better BB is in Stone Age.
BB Storm2 gets auto-boot on many occassion and then if u r on urgent call then forget it just wait for super long booting time.
Then talk about Office Document. The free version of DataViz comes free but then look at Excel. You cough up premium to create a new spreadsheet.
How about Browser? Can't RIM come up with Webkit for Storm2 and other new devices if not the OS6?
I searched entire web for some BI Tool or Pivot Table Tool on BB. Not a single tool and then even if there is one guy he will charge me premium.
Now don't blame me why all local business didn't makes app for BB and making for Droid or iPhone.
It seems this is a desperate way of some hired ids by BB who will post and justify anything against BB.
Go ahead and do it. Stats is talking and will talk and if RIm doesn't correct or address this then Storm2 is my last BB. Cheers!!!

At this phase, I’ll be surprised to see RIM hanging on for a few more years. Don’t you learn anything from Palm?

Sorry RIM, you need a new leader who is adaptive and has a better vision for the sake of the company's future.

Look at what Nokia's doing.

I had been a BlackBerry user for more than 3 years. My experience till Bold 9000 was good and that encouraged me to go for Storm2. But after getting Storm2 entire experience with BB sucks.
There were some business apps that used to run on Bold 9000 but surprisingly it never ran on Storm2.
Then comes OS 6 and using this forum I went for Storm2 with the memory specs. When OS6 came RIm is maintaining a big silence and now it appears that Storm2 which is still top edge RIm Touchphone in major countries across world will not even get the latest OS6.
Then comes Beta Zone of Blackberry and I think better rename it Messenger Beta Zone. Useless.
Still to come for some of my apps I came to know that it doesn't work with just BIS/BES Plan so I had to pay extra to operator for additional Data Plan. So two data plan on 1 phone. Now this is what technology is all about.
Let's talk about Games and then better BB is in Stone Age.
BB Storm2 gets auto-boot on many occassion and then if u r on urgent call then forget it just wait for super long booting time.
Then talk about Office Document. The free version of DataViz comes free but then look at Excel. You cough up premium to create a new spreadsheet.
How about Browser? Can't RIM come up with Webkit for Storm2 and other new devices if not the OS6?
I searched entire web for some BI Tool or Pivot Table Tool on BB. Not a single tool and then even if there is one guy he will charge me premium.
Now don't blame me why all local business didn't makes app for BB and making for Droid or iPhone.
It seems this is a desperate way of some hired ids by BB who will post and justify anything against BB.
Go ahead and do it. Stats is talking and will talk and if RIm doesn't correct or address this then Storm2 is my last BB.
Cheers!!!

Ill just jump right in here.....early on I was a windows mobile user out of sheer availability, I then purchased a G1 because WM was way to slow and buggy. Six months later I bought an 8900 and while I initially missed Googles' os and often times called T-mobile switching back and forth between the two. At some point the G1 became a standby if I found myself without any juice (which has yet to happen). The only thing I honestly miss on my G1 is the free turn-by-turn navigation. Although its os is a pleasurable experience and I'd love to have one of the newer models, I purchased the 9700 instead. IMHO, those who complain about blackberrys' os haven't realized that BB is not Android or Apple nor are they trying to become them. They do however realize that they are loosing ground in sales hence we see commercials now and different attempts at advertising but I think we as consumers should appreciate a company who believes in staying true to what they do best. We should stop trying to compare apples with oranges, BBerry's may not need the same processors to run there os as Android so why compare those numbers. Don't get me wrong I am not biased to either os, I love having options but BBerry works for me because I can do nearly everything the other os's do, twice a long.

5 year plus BB user and long time fan. BB7250, 8130, Storm 1, Tour, Bold 9650. I carry 2 devices and they used to both be BB's. Last month I switched my Original Storm from release date to Droid Incredible. Now carrying Bold 9650 and Incredible. I remember when I started with BB's years ago it took me some time to get used to the OS capabilities/menus and realized the same likely to be true with Android and it is. However after the first Android week I was way ahead of schedule. After 5 weeks now I only pick up my BB when I have to see company e-mail. Any thing else needed and it is the Incredible.

Modern smartphones are communication devices. Many on BB's have tried to point that out and I completely agree. If the Android was not a good communication tool then I don't care if it is cool or new. But Android IS a good communication tool and to me that means not only e-mail and texting but Internet browsing, free turn by turn GPS etc. It has notifications capabilites via LED and icons almost as good as BB. My smartphone needs to be a Swiss Army Knife type device that is good in all of these and Apps. I miss one or two very good BB apps but as a whole there is no comparison.

RIM will have to make significant hardware and software improvements to get me back other than the company 9650.

I can do the WORK I need to get done faster on my Incredible than the BB for now because it can do more work. Any game apps are nice but of secondary importance. If your BB does what you need you should stay with it and enjoy.

Well i used to be a long time blackberry user (for personal use) now i only use my blackberry that was provided to my from my job. I left blackberry for android I have a Google Nexus one. When i was pondering on the decision whether to stay with the crackberry nation or to leave,i saw there was something in "particular" in the nexus,rarity if you will. It was either i got the nexus one or stayed with blackberry no other options. I used to pride my self on how many bb's i had collected and used over the years my last bb was the blackberry bold 9000 i must say i do miss it at times. I still have it and wont sell i customized the housing (myself) so it was all gold. But i digress, i saw,studied, and researched the future of blackberry's device form factor and OS and wasnt impressed,ultimately the main reason why i left. But i do want to turn my bb back on and use it with a data plan only and as a second phone(3rd really).

You have to post about people coming back to the dying BlackBerry platform to feel good about sticking with outdated technology!

BlackBerry's applications suck, their processors suck, their cameras suck, the fact that they are still launch OS6 phones two months after BlackBerry OS 6 debuted sucks, and in general, the phones themselves suck. They always echo when you talk on them.

With phones like the T-Mobile G2, DROID Incredible, iPhone 4, and HTC EVO, Desire HD, etc. out there anyone would be foolish to get a BlackBerry and forced into a contract with a data plan for two miserable years.

With Windows Phone 7 launching in October, this platform will surely die like Palm essentially did, except I don't think any company would spend money to save RIM. At least webOS is extremely decent.

I'm not going to say that i'm not going to mis my BB 9700, but for me, it's not so important to receive and send e-mails, or the be connected to facebook, bbm, windows live, etc... For me the organizer and the camera is the most important thing, i bought my first bb 5years ago, just because i started working in the telecom sector, and bb was the nr one business phone back then, nobody had it except business man, it hadn't a camera back then, i loved it until i bought a sony ericsson K800i , i loved the camera, after 2 years of using bb and sony ericsson, i bought a new blackberry 8520. Then an 8900, and since 7months, now i have my bb 9700, i love it, but still i want a great camera, that's why i'm so excited about the Nokia N8, i'm going to get it, and won't use my BB anymore, i had a Nokia X6 to for some weeks to test the device, and i really loved it, i'm not going to say that i'm not going to miss my 9700, but i need a good camera on my phone. We go to allot of meetings and horse riding competition, if my girlfriend competes i always help with everything, and i always have my video camera, and my photo camera, and my BB, i now a dedicated video or photo camera will be better then a mobile phone, but it will be allot more handy to have one device to do it all! And the last reason is, now everybody wants to have a blackberry, even children of 14year old, and that's not my thing, i sometimes even hate it that i receive my mails on bb. And allways being connected. So i will be going to N8, and won't say that it will be better on all things, maybe i will be switching back when bb 9780 comes out.

I love my 9700 and looking forward to the torch...

but if the Galaxy Q comes in NA 3G...that could drag me away...specs of what the torch should have been

I left the BB9700 for a Droid in June. Swapped those out for Droid X on July 15th when it came out. Will never come back to BlackBerry unless they come up with something new. I still check out Crackberry, but it's the same old stale stuff! I love everything about the X, but I do miss BB Messenger. Google Talk works, and actually is better because i have the option to use it from my PC!

my blackberry's are perfect for me....keyboard=best email/messenger= perfect; music player--fine for my needs(with my awesome Motorola S7-HD bluetooth phones) camera=adequate ( I have a nice digital camera, and HD mini camcorder for real videos and pics) as for watching quick videos on youtube,etc..it's fine. Tethering my laptop with my unlimited BB plan thru tmobile when I travel=fantastic. As for watching movies on it--I have no reason or desire to..laptop is 17 inch beautiful screen for mobile, and 50 inch Samsung Plasma/Pioneer Blu-Ray and Sony 7.1 surround system is how I watch movies.So they can keep their Vibrants,Droids,Iphones for their silly gimmicks. Besides, with the holster and gel skin, I never feel like I have to "baby" my phone. I do wish the Torch was on Tmobile, as buying one off contract/unlocking it at this point is more than I wish to spend,plus losing the 3G because of differing netork bands is a big drawback.

I am a huge fan of the Blackberry Platform. I love its simplicity, the quality of the devices, and more. I have played around with other platforms, like iOS and Android, they simply don't have the "it" factor. While the App selection is smaller in AppWorld vs the Other Guys, I can still find an App for what I need. I am confident as OS6 begins to roll out, all that will change. As for now, I am going to stick to my Blackberry 9559, soon to be a Blackberry 9330.

I bought a Nexus One when they first came out and I will be the first to admit that I love the device. I got rid of my unlocked Storm 2! Got to give it up, the N1 was the first phone to beat Iphone in several head to head battles, thus knocking it off its high horse.

At any rate, I sold my N1 for a ton of cash and I picked up the Samsung Vibrant. Like the Nexus One, I love it, but thoughout all of my Android experience, I kept my Bold 9700. I get my email, IM, and BBM in a flash. Android isn't capable of this. Also, the battery life is terrible. I don't care how many app killers you install or number of times you update the OS, they don't touch BlackBerry in this department as well.

If I have to give up my Android and strictly use my BB, it wouldn't be a huge problem so long as BB continues to take two steps forward and not two steps back. Like most of you I am still on the fence about the Torch and mainly because of screen dimension and not so much the resolution. That 3.1" screen needs to be bumped up to minimum 3.5". Just my opinion!

I don't know, I had BB's in the old days of the thumb wheels, huge clunky phones that you couldn't kill. I worked for HP at the time and they were doing a study of phones, I joined up and got to test some phones on the Windows Mobile platform, horrible phones, you'd get a call push the button and it would freeze consistently. I then went to normal phones and found that I NEEDED to have all the info that a smart phone had. A couple of years ago I got a Bold 9000, and I loved it! What a great phone, I've played with a i-phone a few time (even have a touch), and I just can't get used to the "virtual keyboard". I've been on Nextel, t-mobile, at&t, and now Verizon. And now I have the Bold 9650, would have liked the Torch, but the $$ difference was too much (wife and kids were already on verizon). I haven't found any crippling of the phone (bt file transfer isn't important to me). Unless something really changes I'll be on BB's forever.

Is that every carrier has something different and not even on the same page kind of phones. I've had VZW since the beginning of time, and it annoys me to no end how every carrier has different BBs. I've had an 8830, 9530 and 9550, and just recently converted to Droid X. I'm not here to bash BBs, I LOVE BlackBerry and will probably go back someday. And if VZW would have gotten the Torch, I wouldn't have strayed anyway. I need the better browser because I basically use my phone for web browsing, and hardly ever a computer, which is what the browser in OS6 coulda given me. But VZW didn't have a phone that could provide me that. And I couldn't justify throwing down $150 to $200 for a "refresh" Storm 2 or a Bold that's already outdated. But seriously, I understand that different carriers can get different things, but why not have something at least comparable? The Torch comes out on AT&T and why not on VZW? I know they use different chips, but why not make them at the same time? It makes no sense to me and RIM lost BB a customer for the time being. The two best BBs on the market are on AT&T (Torch and 9700 - soon to be 9780) and that just drives me absolutely nuts. I don't want to switch carriers, and won't, just to have the better BB. I don't feel like I should have to suffer with outdated or "refreshed" phones on VZW just because AT&T's coverage in my area is spotty and all of my friends and family have VZW so texts and calls are all free. That is all. Thanks for listening to my rant. :)

I agree with the last reply. The Epic 4g kills all sprint phones. I've never been happier since dropping my 9650 for it. I missed bbm but I got over it quickly

After trying the iPhone, Droid X, Droid 2 and the HTC EVO I finally got an Epic 4G last week and it was the smartphone that caused me to leave BlackBerry. Call it what you will, but the physical device and the BlackBerry OS is a major problem. To be totally fair (I've been on BlackBerry for 10+ years) I tried the Torch and found that to me it felt like the same basic BlackBerry OS with a new coat of paint. Some of the new features are really solid; however, the "user experience" is no where close to Android or iPhone. Plus, the Torch feels bulky and the slide-up access is awkward although I understand they did that so that traditional BlackBerry users would have the familiar keyboard orientation. Aside from what seemed like a sluggish phone to me, the display on the Torch is considerably worse than all phones that I tested prior to the Epic. It's sad, but the ONLY advantage that I can see with BlackBerry is battery life. I thought the "push" email was better on BlackBerry until I installed System Seven on my Epic and the Epic consistently receives emails 4-6 minutes sooner than the BlackBerry. I agree with what a lot of folks have posted- the smartphone user's needs have changed and BlackBerry hasn't. I wasn't a smartphone user that simply let battery life dictate my staying with BlackBerry- I went and bought a desktop charger and a spare battery (same thing I've done with BlackBerry for the last 5+ years) and no, the Epic doesn't get the battery life the BlackBerry Bold 9700 gets; NO smartphone with a brilliant display and fast processor will EVER get the battery life a BlackBerry gets. I suspect that's why the Torch has a weak display and mediocre processor- to save battery life. It isn't all about Apps, either...BUT it is really great having Google Navigation coupled with Places. Apps do matter...I read a while back that someone had suggested RIM make a completely different product offer with a totally new OS geared to compete with the iPhones and Androids and keep their core BlackBerry what it is...Too bad RIM didn't read or listen!

I was a die hard blackberry guy. I had the tour and then upgraded to the 9650. I had the same argument the some of the blackberry fnas have. I said 1)I need the reliable blackberry keypad 2)blackberry had better security 3)I don't need all of those pointless apps. Let me tell you guys something. I got fed up with my 9650 and waiting on os6 so I got the Smasung Epic 4g w/ sprint. It's the best phone ever. Even if os6 scored better on a acid test it doesn't matter. The processors on the blackberries are so weak it's always going to be slower. Until the porcessors improves and they get a Super MOLED screen, there's no comparison. The Epic had a great keypad and it does everything better than my blackberry. Even the crappy apps on my blackberry are better on the Epic like the bank of america app. So much faster. I can go on and on. What's the real argument on the blackberry side. Security??????? Maybe that's it. If that. I was so wrong thinking blackberry was everything.

I have been a blackberry user since the 7100i and have enjoyed the reliablilty of them every since. To me you cant beat a Blackberry. I have tried the 1st Droid and to me it is an amazing device if you want a phone to have fun with but when it came down to business if i didnt have my emails forwarded to my gmail account i would have missed unscheduled meetings & lunches or even lost my job so inorder to keep all my emails seperate & have a life and job Im sticking with my all around user friendly secure & reliable Storm2. You have all these different smartphones out there but really dont have much to compare to Blackberry besides:
Palm, MotoQ, HTC HD & TILT
You have to take phones like iPhone & Android (NOT BLACKBERRY, NOT EVEN TORCH) and compare them in a seperate catagory because they are closer in functionality.
No matter how you catagorize a smartphone Blackberry best all around device. RIM is just REALLY slow at keeping up with the times kinda like the US Congress too many old farts calling shots.

Bottom line is Blackberry is dying.

Most people lie anyway and say I brought a droid X and man was it bad, I took it back the next day. LMAO

these are the same people who are on another post saying I am waiting for my upgrade to get a BB XXXX, they just lie and say they had it for a week or something and came back to BB, lol.

I am sure some have done this, but a lot of this is BS, Kevin was on video bashing the old OS as soon as the 6 landed and he reviewed the Torch, he kept saying how laggy and buggy the same devices you guys are using are.

Egadget, phonearena, and phonedog....are honest and know that RIM has not caught up and the few core features people love are now not enough to hold even loyal customers.

Can't wait for that Clamshell...LOL

"My wife would love the clamshell no more pocket dailing"

"I will buy the clam shell on the first day, can't wait"

"this is such a cool retro design, and I bet I wont have to plug up my clamshell throughout the day"

LOL you guys need a hug and a girlfriend.

I am currently using two phones: a BlackBerry Storm2 and an iPhone 4. The BlackBerry definitely handles my mail better, but in my opinion, it appears to be subpar in other areas that I use on a day-to-day basis. I enjoyed the Storm2 (and original Storm), but feature-for-feature, it isn't difficult to see which one offers more...

I have a Storm2 - which VZW gave me to replace my horrible S1 that I purchased on release day back in 11/21/2008. I am up for a new phone in November and haven't decided what I will do. My problem with BB isn't the OS - I am used to it and it works for me - it is the hardware. RIM needs to up their game with larger higher resolution screens, thinner designs and faster processors. My small Storm screen doesn't cut it. If I leave BB this fall for either an iPhone4 or Android phone - it will be because I want better hardware. I hate the low resolution small screen on my phone.

So...what will those changes do to battery life? Sure - a higher resolution larger screen combined with a faster processor will reduce my battery life on a daily usage. But I don't get this. I have a charger in my car...the phone sits on the charger at night and I can alway plug it into the USB while at work. Maybe some people need 48 hours of use away from a charger...but I (and most people) do not. All I really need is for my phone to easily get me through the day.

As it stands now...RIM has become a boring appliance or like a boring midsize sedan. Sure...it is reliable and serves the basic function well. But I want something that looks better, is faster and has more high end features. RIM is in danger of becoming the bargain basement smart phone...and releasing a $30.00 new device isn't helping that.

I want a high end phone...and right now RIM has NOTHING to keep me a customer. If the Storm3 doesn't impress then I am gone.

what is also not taken into account is how many people are switching over FROM other devices to BB for the first time. Before having the BB I never owned a true "smart-phone" but my previous phone, the Sony-Ericsson W995i basically had most of the features a smart-phone has. I was able to install opera-mini on it, it had GPS and some sort of mapping software (can't remember if it was google-maps or not). Anyway, when I jumped up to the BB 8900 about 5 months ago, I was one of many people to take the leap for the first time. To be honest, I couldn't be happier! It took a while to get used to the QWERTY key-board as i was a master of predictive text input, but once i got the hang of it, i loved it. I live in South Africa and out here, i see nobody, repeat NOBODY with an android device, and not many with iPhones either. There is one thing i see loads of, Blackberrys in all shapes and sizes! some times i get jealous when i am looking at the specs online of some of the android devices but then i look back at my trusty 8900 and remember why i love it so much. Another example is my Dad, who recently converted from iPhone to the BB Bold 9700. He's loving it too. And so you see, there are just as many people if not more in my opinion jumping TO Blackberry are there are those jumping away FROM it.

All the other phones in my ATT account are iPhones, many of my clients use them and I was bored with my 9700 so I decided to get an iPhone4 about a month ago.

The camera is awesome, wonderful photos to go with a wonderful screen. Lots of useful apps that allowed me to monitor and even support client servers from my phone, very valuable. Every company in the web seems to feel they must make an app. Great device.

But this is a "passive email" device where you must remember to go read you email as opposed to an "active email" device like the BB. I know they have their version of "push" email but it is really just a patch, not a real methodology. I was lost for a while but learned to live with it, not quite happy but figured I would get used to this and the screen keyboard.

Call quality was poor even with Bluetooth, bumpers, tape and OS 4.1. This is an iPhone 4 issue, not an AT&T issue as people love to claim - I am in a good signal area and my BB call quality is excellent - as a phone, this is not a good device maybe it was just my particular phone.

What really bothered me was the battery life, the thing would just die in the afternoon which is way below what I get from my BB9700. To be honest, the BB9700 has a much smaller screen, a slower processor, etc. but you should at the very least be able to get through the day.

Finally, there was this intangible "man in a gilded cage" feeling where I felt trapped by Apple and Steve Jobs deciding what I could and could not do. I cannot deal with other people running my life regardless of the quality of their product or service and this, surprisingly, became a major issue.

So I came back to BB. I miss the iPhone apps and the camera but yesterday I had a very heavy email and phone day which the iPhone could not have handled and my BB was just perfect - everything worked and I had over 50% of the battery left at night. I would rather have this than all the apps in the world.

I've stayed with BB only because I'm a year into my new contract with my Storm2. I started with a Storm. I thought, wrongly, that the Storm2 was going to provide a better experience... but the experience in built into the OS, and the 5.0 experience wasn't different from the 4.0 experience.

Now I wait for 6.0, which will never come to the Storm2. Why should I buy a third BB to get what I need? The upgrade path that RIM is on is a poor choice for the consumer, and it's the consumer that drives sales. Nothing in the OS sold me on BB, and since I'm touchscreen... I don't care about how great the keyboard is.

What I need is functionality, and integration. Yeah, a good Facebook app would be nice, but that's not what I use my phone for. Since developers are looking to iOS and Android before BB OS, that means I constantly am lacking ability to do things I could do with other phones. I seem to spend a lot of time contact companies and begging them for an app to use on BB... why isn't RIM doing that instead.

I'm 90% sure I'll leave BB when I can, as they consistently have underperformed, and under delivered to my expectations. I know my expectations are not too high, as the functions I'm seeking are available on other platforms. RIM needs to get that fixed... but their product introductions (hardware and OS) shows they can't seem to do that quick enough.

I didn't read all the posts on this comment board but I have a few things as to why I love blackberry

As to what everyone here states, the battery life on a blackberry is unmatched. Where I work everyone has droids or iphones but the corporate side everyone has blackberrys. The life span on battery life is fantastic and my friends driod is always drained. He brings his charger as well as the i phone chick. I never brought my charger once to work.

the short cut keys and quickness of navigating through the phone are un matched. Also I think the droid phone looks childish. It's not professional by any means. I think they are terrible in design.

Also, KEYBOARD KEYBOARD KEYBOARD! We can all argue that iphone and droid phones are faster, smoother, etc blah. BUT what about the millions of people out there that DON'T WANT A TOUCH SCREEN PHONE? What are they supposed to use? the LG EN-V? come on seriously.

Blackberry is creative and hands down one of the best smart phones out there. It doesn;t only cater to a certain market. It might lack in the touch screen market, but we all know it's dominating the keyboard market on cell phones. No question.

As soon as I read the title of this blog I knew all the Android owner will come in to defend their device. The OP asked for people that tried the other side and came back to post, not the ones that tried the other side and stayed. Are you ever gonna leave a thread alone? Seriously considering leaving this forum for this reason alone, every thread turns into a blackberry vs android vs iphone fight.

This article is targeted at members who are on the fence and looking for a better alternative to crapberry. Guess what! Jump in ANY direction lately and you will be rewarded by many advantages. I can't even look at my old BB's anymore without pitying suckers who are stuck on a BES through their joke of an IT department. Then I remember that they are cheap SOB's who won't spend their own money on a phone and realize it's not my problem. LOL SUCKERS!!!

I was a bb user for many years starting from the pearl, to curve, then bold, then storm. Blackberry failed with the storm. the OS is to much for it to handle, they needed to make an exclusive simple OS for the storm, simplicity sells. All the phones have similar problems, constant battery pulls, the annoying hour glass, takes 5 minutes to boot a phone - thats just retarded, and at 30% you have no radio signal, poor engineering. The app world = fail, where are trial apps not enough, where are .99 cent apps. i switched to droid/milestone, best decision ever, it does everything that my bb did with accept bb messenger. Its responsive, has a larger amount of apps. Plus not one single bb can even come close to the htc evo or droid x. Blackberry dropped the ball on the phones. If they dont come up with something better then using outdated and old technology in the new torch, they will be kicked to the curb and forgotten, which is already happening and iOS and Android, are coming up on top.

I've had a blackberry for about 5 years now I've tried other phones for the 14 day period in which I can return them, and I've had every "cool" looking phone on tmobile and always ended up with my blackberry, the samsung vibrant caught my eye so I bought it I played with it for about a week or two and I just don't see myself sticking with it I seen my white blackberry 9700 just collecting dust still looking o so beutiful haha and I just had to switch the sim u really don't appreciate ur blackberry until u try something else, I LOVE my blackberry bold and I'm now in the process of selling my samsung vibrant, I guess I am and always will be a blackberry crackhead!

Having used BBs, Treos(palm os and windows os), Moto Q, and iPhone 1G, 3GS, and 4 on various networks (Sprint/Nextel, Verizon and at&t).....

I think a physical keyboard BB and an iPod touch are the perfect combination.

Blackberry(RIM) made their name by having the best email/push/text communicator on the market. Apple's iOS, App Store, and overall design is the best. With that said, the 4th gen iPod touch and say, a Bold or Curve will allow a user to have the best of both worlds. Albeit, you don't mind carrying two devices.....

Just my two pennies....

When the iPhone, BB, and Android are all on similar networks we'll know how it shakes out. AT&T stills hamstrings the iPhone. Apps aside, BB really needs to up the browser game. The fundamental smart phone functions are calls, texts, email, and browsing. RIM is losing on the last function. I don't worry about apps. BB will get the REALLY useful ones, assuming that RIM's email security doesn't really handicap the ability to write certain kinds of apps.

When my contract was up on my Pearl 8100 I looked at the Droid and also the iDevice. What I found was that what I wanted was a phone that I could get email on. I have an enterprise server account at work, but also check two other corporate accounts using BIS. No other phone on the market could do that and I beleive that is still the case. I also am not a big fan of virtual keyboards, I like the feel of the keys. I have looked at other devices recently but feel that for its' functioanlty the BB is the best device on the market now for what I need.

Love BB and not leaving.

It was a while ago, but I left my bb pearl flip for a LG vu, huge mistake on my part ! I missed all the features on the bb such as the apps and the email. The VU was alright but it was constantly freezing and the touch screen wasn't the greatest. I went back to bb curve and couldn't be happier :)

I just bought a BlackBerry on eBay a couple hours ago. I've used BB for about 4 years but thought I would try out the iPhone. I've used the iPhone for about 10 months to honestly give it a go and I have been wanting my BB back for months. The iPhone is a great device for media but I didn't use it that much. The main apps I use on my iPhone are Mail, Messages, Facebook, and Twitter. All 4 apps can be centralized in the "Messages" folder that BB offers. I really missed that feature. I also missed the LED notification like crazy!! I'm back in Black(Berry). :D

The grass is greener. I cant wait till my upgrade is here. BB is stuck in the early 2000's. The apps suck and the browser is always down. BB has nothing to offer anymore. They started the game but Google and Apple has put the touches on it. Funny because when I went to the Verizon store to get another charger the rep chuckled and said you still have a BB. LOL. Whats even funnier is when they pst the BBM parties with the class z stars and the pics they post of people carrying them.

I have a BB right now, with Telus. Was just at Yonge/Dundas square in Toronto and Bell has a display with Torch's. I have used friends other smartphones (Iphone 3 and 4, Samsung etc) I will be getting the Torch once its out in Canada. The Iphone battery doesn't last a day with phone use and other functions (email, apps, music etc) and without the option to have a backup battery its not an option for me, not to mention I need a secure system for my emails that the Iphone doesn't offer (friend emails got out etc)
The Samsung was cool, watching slingbox etc, but my friends had issues (screen had dead pixels).
With the amount of time I am on a phone (2000-3000 minutes a month) and the number of emails I send the Torch is ideal for me, not to mention if countries are crying its to secure they can't crack them to read emails, I like it, and sure my clients would prefer their documents being secure. After my friend has his issues with Iphone emails, I have stopped sending sensitive emails to people with Iphones.

MD

I started off with a storm 9530 shortly after it had launched. I was pleased with it for about 4 days then the memory leaks went spiraling out of control. After braving the storm for two years I decided to pick up an older curve 8330. I was actually more impressed with this phone than I was with my storm. After getting tired of countless battery pulls and lack of interesting applications I thought maybe I should pick up some new hardware. I grabbed a blackberry torch from my local at&t I was happy with it for about a week when I realized there were little changes between OS 5 and OS 6. I returned the torch and cancelled my at&t plan and went back to Verizon and grabbed the HTC incredible. All I can say is wow. The phone has everything I need and more.

The only thing I miss about blackberry is bbm.

With my incredible I never have to do battery pulls, and I l never have my phone lock up in the middle of a text message. I appreciate blackberry for introducing me to the world of smartphones, but I'm happy I went Droid and I will probably never go back.

Blackberrys:
8330
8130
8530
9630
9530
9550
9650
9700
9800

iPhones:
3gs
4

Androids:
droid
droid eris
incredible
devour

webOS:
pre+

All of these phones had there positives. Every time I switched from one to another, I always went back to a blackberry until I got a new phone. Blackberry was my comfort zone, as it was my first smartphone and I knew it best.

When I switched from verizon to AT&T, there were a lot less android and webOS devices to choose from. The 9700 was my baby for a long time, as the 3gs sat on my desk for whenever I knew I would need some web browsing speed.

When the iPhone4 came out, I got it day one as a birthday gift to myself. It was awesome- almost everything was perfect for me. It was THE phone for me.

recently the 9800 came out, and I had to give it a try. It was another great phone. but it didn't have the camera I
would have liked, the screen that i had grown accustomed to on the i4, and it didn't have Osfoora (the little things (: ). But I loved it. It was the blackberry OS i know and loved and it actually had a usable web browser!!

Currently, I still have both the iphone4 and 9800. I have a microsim adapter and ATT on speed dial so I can be up and running on either device within two minutes. I like switching it up bi-weekly just for a change of pace.

I learned from multiple devices that Android is not for me, and although webOS is a wonderful, fun environment for a phone, the battery life, keyboard, and simplicity is just not for me either.

I am a crackberrian for life, and will always have my blackberry nearby. But that doesn't mean I don't love and respect everything about Apple and iOS. Without the iphone, who knows where we would be. It's a revolutionary device and one that deserves a place in my pants (um... yeah. don't judge).

I ditched my t-mo bold 9700 for a nexus one...came back 2 months later. Just ditched it again for a Samsung Vibrant...guess what. I'M BACK AGAIN...this time for good!

I missed:
"instant" everything
BBM
that amazing blinking led...very soothing that red light!
best bluetooth connection to my Ford Sync for phone and pandora streaming!

the grass is NOT greener on the other side, it's just prettier!

I am a repeat offender. I have had 4 different Blackberry phones and 3 different models. I have had many others most recently the maiden release of MyTouch with droid to MyTouch 3G to the HTC TouchPro 2 with Win 6.5.
Between each and even prior, I came back to BlackBerry; overall for function and usability including fun things like videos and the web you cannot beat it.
Or perhaps I have been BlackBerrified and I don't even know it. :)

Had the iphone, incredible, numerous BB's..played with the pre, evo, dx, etc....hands down, BB is for me and Ill never give it up.

I am one of the people that love my blackberry. I have a Tour, serves me well. Never leaves my hand! I had an iphone. I definetely loved the apps! Sorry blackberry, you need work on that. But I missed BBM, and actual keys to type on. I have everything synced to my BB. It came down to letting the iphone go, got an ipod touch and sold the 3gs. I love my BB. In the past year I have gotten 3 other friends addicted to their BB, and they say they can't remember life without it!

I had a storm2 and went to the droid x and I couldnt be happier. Only thing I miss is the better email on the storm2.

After I heard that the storm2, after not even being out for a year, wasnt getting os6 I was furious. Here the droid1 came out a month after the sotrm2 two and its getting everything the other droids out are getting.

I was tired of being the bastard phone of the BB group. Didnt like the apps and the phone had to be reset anytime I wanted to use gps. Im glad I got rid of that phone.

It just seems BBs hardware keeps it from being like the rest.

I admit if I were just a strict buisness user i would have tossed the storm2 and got a bold but I like to have fun. I like camera apps, video game emulators, great free turn by turn gps, full screen horizontal slingbox support. I just get so much more from my DX than I did with the storm2.

My girlfriend is on my Verizon Account. She needed a better phone and I couldn't see upgrading to a phone I didn't want. The Verizon Rep actually tried to talk me into a Droid. He said that the Blackberry platform is boring in comparison. I actually agree with him. I have the 9530 and it's ok for what I want it to do. The web browser needs a major change though. I admit I'm a Touch Screen fan. The thought of using those trackballs just rubs me the wrong way. It makes feel like I'm playing Centepede, the retro arcade game. So I'm stuck at the moment until Verizon comes out with something better. It reminds me of being in phone limbo waiting on the 1st gen Storm. I had a Palm Treo 700W prior. This Blackberry Storm 4 aka Triton, better be one hell of an improvement.

I was in downtown Boston today and there was a booth set up where they were showing off the Dell Streak. It's a cross between a Touch Screen Phone and a Tablet. It was a great device. A little big (5 inches long) but nice. I would have bought one on the spot had it not had AT&T as a carrier. I'm not knocking AT&T, but I've heard too much bad press from my friends about signal loss and the like, that is in Boston. Outside of Massachusetts I hear it's great. Anyway, they said that if the streak does go to a second carrier, then it will be T-Mobile.

My first smartphone was a Palm Treo 650 and I had it for three years. Decided to jump to an HTC Tilt and had that for two years. Neither one was perfect but it fit the bill for what I needed. Got the opportunity to get a Bold 9700 for free and I am so glad that I did.

Now I truly understand what the term "crackberry" really means and I doubt that I will ever NOT own a Blackberry although I may own more than one smartphone. I personally hate iPhone (not an iPhone h8r though) and have not had an urge to try Android.

I've recommended Blackberry to friends and a few have made the jump, others didn't. A smartphone has to be an extension of the user and be effortless to operate in all situations. There's a smartphone (and OS) for every user out there.

On a side note, I think I'm going to be even more addicted once OS 6 is released for the Bold 9700!

I've also been considering switching to an Android phone but I want to hold off all the way fall 2011 to see what RIM has in store for us.

I am also a multi-platform user as well. I carry two phones with me at work usually. My Palm Pre is my "personal" line and my Blackberry 8900 is my "work" line. I am currently thinking about dumping my pre and getting something with Android on it. I like the appeal of Android, the openness of the platform, the diverse apps, Google services rock, etc. From my personal needs this is what I like and dislike about all the platforms I've used.

Blackberry Pros: Keyboard, battery life, reliability
Blackberry cons: screen size, screen resolution, UI not exactly intuitive in many areas, weak hardware

Palm Pre Pros: Web OS "Cards" multitasking is amazing, easy to hack and install homebrew apps.
Palm Pre cons: physical keyboard sucks, hardware is junk (I'm on my third Pre replacement), Web OS is very buggy and crashy.

Ok this has gotten really long I'll sum everything up quickly.

What it comes down to is each users unique needs and wants of a device. Do you want a flashy OS but is buggy and frustrating to work with? No. To me, a "phone" is for communication and Blackberry, although it has a simple UI and basic features when compared to Android, iOS, etc. what it comes down to is it is the BEST for communication. Calls are excellent, reception is excellent, battery life is excellent, email is excellent. If that doesn't matter as much to you, find a different smartphone OS.

I started with a Pearl 8130 then a curve 8330 then a storm. then i seen the devices RIM came out with curve 2(what a joke) no flash, cheap plastic screen cover are they moving backwards, then the tour , bold, tour 2, and the storm 2, none of their devices were any different then each other except 1 had no wifi the other 1 did and added a little memory. now thats the hardware side of why RIM is failing.
Now the software side, don't even know where to begin, besides, can't get full emails because they are always truncated, can't download more the a 3MB file(are you kidding me), and their browser sucks major balls,there software has more bugs in it they the roach motel, always had to do a battery pull, and had to wait for other people to make hybrids to at least help fix some of the issues, and 6.0 does not impress,bb app store is a joke.
picked up my droid x and will never look back a RIM sorry you guys had long enuff to at least catch up or try 2 and you just keep falling more and more behind, look how far google came in just 1 year, and you guys had how many..there is a lot more i can say but why beat a dead horse..

does anyone know if android or iPhone do two way sync of read/unread status for IMAP email?

(we already know that the BB does NOT).

thanks

I started back with a 8700c. Then went to the Pearl, Curve, Bold 9000 then the Bold 9700. Back in the spring I traded my 9700 for an iPhone thinking I would like it. It wasnt bad so I bought the iPhone 4 when it came out. Within the 30 day period I took the i4 back for the 9700. I have really enjoyed being back on the BB. I just got a Torch and am really loving what I am seeing in BB6! Cant wait to see future BB6 devices released!

Bla1ze, you are right.. The grass isnt always greener!

I have both the BB Bold 9700 and the iPhone 4 and here is what I think...

EVERYONE does e-mail now and nothing is better than Blackberry at doing this. I have been tempted several times to go back to the 9700 as my primary device. For this reason as well as the battery life and the simplicity.

However...

I cannot be without my iPhone 4 because of apps like logmein and that screen is second to none.

However...

One thing that I dig about the Blackberry is that if you get one, they last for years for years and what irritates me about the iPhone is the annual releases. I know that BB updates their devices annually but each one has its own "personality" so to speak.

I also think that Blackberry missed a HUGE opportunity with the Torch. I was following this hard for months and to find out that screen resolution was a HUGE dissappointment and kept me from buying one.

And before any of you jokesters aske me how the antenna is on the iphone 4, I can duplicate the same thing on my 9700. Both devices are awesome....no doubt.

for you business people, Docs to go on Android is 15 bucks. Thru App world the same app is 49.99 can someone explain that? Forgetting for a second that Dataviz sold out to RISM.

I know leaving a comment was meant to be for consumers that have left and returned to Blackberry but I just wanted to say thank you for this post. It actually irritates me when people say 'Blackberry no more because it lacks x y and z'.

The thing is people should pick a device that they can use and like rather than think I have the most powerful machine that offers everything.

I have been a storm user since the first storm was released. Now on my second storm (Storm 2) I plan on sticking with RIM and hopefully get the Torch or wait for the Storm 3 (I like surepress). For me the iPhone has too many apps that I consider a gimmick since I don't play many games on my mobile anyway (too busy for games). And I'm not so sure about the open android platform, too much can be changed in my view.

So I stick with RIM because it gives me the business feel I think I need as well as a qwerty keyboard I really like and it is also getting better. If I really cared about other things then maybe I would have left. But if you gave me the choice of a new iPhone 4 and BB Bold 9000 I wouldn't hesitate with my pick of the 9000.

Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts. I believe RIM has given me what I need and I look forward to any advancements they show. Its like me sticking with Vodafone even though I know they may not be the cheapest but the service I receive from them is better than any other place I have been, maybe because I'm a nice guy lol.

So people stop complaining in the forums about how bad BB is...YOU either like it or not, but YOU don't need to decide for ME.

for me, i didn't like that iphone didn't have privacy. the fact that ur texts and notifications come as a pop-up. basically whoever has your phone is gonna see what it says. i like the fact also that bb has the notification images on top so u can check it. if bb had the app platform apple had and a freakin browser (for those not on OS6), which i dont understand like android and iphone, they have universal upgrades for their phone.

just seems that the updates come later than sooner. that's my whole deal. i've used the iphone for a month before and it's OK but the fact it does everything i want it to i keep wanting to switch over.

sucks being tied to an agreement also. it's so dumb. it's a phone!

Is not bad. Would just like to point that out. It is no where near as bad as what people make it out to be. Two weeks is not enough time to get used to Android

Had a choppy crappy...trackball tour, enough said

And now I have a Droid X, that I can type on faster than any other keyboard

It doesnt take 10 min to reboot I dont get a white clock of death....

Enough said...

:)

Back at the very end of August I left the BB realm (I had a curve 8530 on Sprint) for the new Samsung Epic 4G and though I was impressed with many of the Epic's features I wasn't impressed by its complexity. After a week of using it, and not having my email arrive as quickly as I would have liked, and also having to use separate inbox's because I have 3 accounts (the combined inbox wasn't working for me), I came to the realization that I missed the simplicity of the Blackberry. I returned the Epic and ended up exchanging it for a Bold 9650 to replace my Curve, and I'm happier now than I was when I had the "really cool" phone. The epic was cool, but it's size and the mild complexity of Android made me realize that BB was better for my needs.

To the Blackberry platform before I would even consider returning. I do miss my Blackberry sometimes, I guess you could compare my feelings to getting rid of your first car. It was probably used and didn't always work the greatest but it was comfortable. Going to Android was like junking out that first car and picking up a nice new camaro or mustang. There is so many new things to learn and experience but it might not be as comfortable right now as my Storms were. That being said the connection to the old always fades and you grow comfortable with that new reliable stable whatever it is be it a new car or a new smartphone. The only real gripe I have towards Android is the battery life. Its miserable, but I can deal with it. When a device does 100x the things your old one did you should expect a decrease in battery life. Apps are availbe in bulk, and many of the same apps I used on BB are free on Android, the speed is unreal, the browser is amazing, and Flash on a smartphone is mind boggling. Another gripe could be how to customize the damn thing. I have an entire screen devoted to Today in History. Its an HTC widget that gives you the events, births, and deaths that happpened on this day in history complete with links to Wikipedia, its awesome but it takes up one of my 7 screens lol. Also the use of folders is perplexing, with folders I could pack just one of my 7 screens with every app I have its crazy. Ah well here is to hoping BB 7 is something special, because 6 doesn't cut it, and RISM's decision and lack of ability in getting it on the 9550 was disgusting. Also the damn thing decided to spin itself into an endless reboot cycle the night I needed it most. I needed just a phone and the damn thing failed me. So I have sincere personal reasons for dumping the squall I meen Storm. I still love Crackberry though, and while I might not check it several times a day like I used to I still stop in a couple times a day just to see whats up.

I was on the WebOS team and switched to blackberry because my sister had convinced me. I loved the idea of touch phones, but I don't plan to go back because I was always constantly cleaning my screen and load times for things as simple as a txt message is about 2 sec but with bb it is a blink of an eye you can do things faster and that is why I love blackberry and don't plan to leave anytime soon. Android os is just ugly also. IMO

BIG mistake abandoning my beloved Android.
I miss the customizations.
Can BB do that? not in my foreseeable future.
I can't wait to get back on Android with the G2 once it's released.
It's shame for RIM to neglect the consumers. RIM failed to please me as a consumer.

The App World is pathetic and gaming on BB? what a joke!

Only thing I truly like about BB is BBM, that's it.

I have to admit, I hated blackberry, to me it was a stupid that made people addicts.. I was right.
I have had many many smart phones, the last thing I wanted was to change to a blackberry, I even talked people out of it. Finally I owned one, got use to it, then liked it, then loved it. I decided to try some of the newer smartphones then end up coming back. If you like apps, try apple, if you like cool stuff to show off try droid. Like everyone said, I found something that suits me, for practical everyday communication then you can't beat a blackberry"

I had a blackberry, it was an older one, the battery ended up completely dieing on me, AT&T's answer was for me to just get a new phone (since my bb was over 2 years old) I got a nokia something (I don't even remember) and every day I would tell my husband that I would rather throw that phone accross the room rather than use it. I was so un-happy with it. I returned it to AT&T and got myself a curve and have never looked back.
My father in law has a droid and he thinks it's God's gift to humanity, I think it's crap. It feels cheap and trying to type on a touch screen is a joke.
I've used iphones, droids, nokias, LGs and I am VERY happy with my blackberry.

I switched to HTC twice, the first time by choice, selling it right after I got it, realizing how terrible it was (HTC 6800 with Windows Mobile). The worst part was that when I was using my Bluetooth headset, ppl couldn't hear me very well at all. The same BT headset I used on other phones just fine.

Later on, I was forced to switch to HTC Touch Pro with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional on it, and what a nightmare that was. Speeds were terrible with lag all the time, and user-friendlyness out the window. It ended up somehow getting really badly damaged, and my work was forced to buy me a replacement BB. That Curve 8330 was saweet, it felt soooo good to have a BB back in my hands.

Never have I strayed away from BB again. I've yet to see another platform perform push e-mail like it. But all-in-all, sure BBs have their disadvantages, but they have so much functionality that I know and love, that it'd be very difficult to have me stray away from them (I only have 4 BBs right now).

Loving the others for trying to match it, as that'll only encourage RIM to further improve the BBs :-D

i have been using a bb for the last 7 yrs. Best email/organizer phone i thought.

i was always amazed at the advanced ui of the iphone but never jumped ship because i didnt want to wait 15 min for my email to arrive and i didnt think much of on screen keyboards.

after getting my first macbook and then macbook pro a few years ago i began to drink and enjoy the kool-aid served up by mr.jobs.

then i bought an ipad.... this will be the halo device that i think will really help apple sell more iphones and macs.

i experimented with the ipad and added a mobileme account to see how the email would perform vs bb and also syncing my ical and contacts.

after a few months i took the plunge and got an iphone 4 and sold my 9700 on CL.

my email arrives faster than on my bb, i type fast on the iphone because the predictive text is much better than bb, plus the syncing of my contacts and calender are priceless.

if you buy into the apple eco-system (i am not a bes user)your experience will be richer but you have to take the good with the bad.

let me be clear...bb has some great short cuts and better notification and i didnt switch for better media but the overall look, feel, performance and integration with managing my life through mobileme was worth it.

RIM is in trouble and they need to step up on the hardware design side as well as the ui...the torch is a poor release in my opinion and i have no regrets moving to the iphone 4.

i also think this rumored "black pad" will be a flop and mistake. they need to stop chasing apple with "me too" devices and start pushing their own envelope forward not the competions!

I really didn't want to believe there was anything better than BB, and I was with blackberry through 2 storm 2's, and I have a Bold 9700 with work. I felt like everyday I was battling my storm 2 just to do basics, browser was better than previous bb, but it was slow. I had this annoying glitch that when someone called me and I pressed the screen answer button it would not answer until the screen shake thingy decided the phone was upright. It literally took me 10 seconds to answer a call, and I would miss some of them. The guy at the store said I just need to use the physical button and I would avoid the problem. Why is there a problem?? Don't give me a software answer button then!! The folks at the store said all my apps were clogging up my memory. I had like 20 apps on it. I went to HTC Droid Incredible a couple weeks ago, and I have to say it lives up to the name. It just works, and fast!! and I'm enjoying my phone now instead of fighting it. Phone function and quality was the same or better(no glitch in answering), browser is fast and incredible, app downloading and app updating is incredible, no rebooting phone anymore and waiting 5 minutes for phone to reboot, and booting up is much faster. Some apps have more options than bb version although I it goes the other way as well with certain apps. Definitely more apps available in marketplace. Better camera. navigating between functions is a whole lot faster. Did I mention the browser??? Some problems never go away, one is battery life. Still sucks on the incredible and sucked on the storm 2. There is one annoying thing with the incredible and that is you have to hit the power button on the top to wake it up and then swipe it, but I'm getting used to it. It took me a couple of days to get down the new way of using a different platform, but man I have to say it just works. I think it goes back to the same old choice though. If your a heavy email and message person you can't beat a blackberry, better mail client, and BBM rocks and I still have it with my work Bold. I am not a heavy email, text, or messenger person. I am in the middle and do a little of everything. This phone works for me. I still love blackberry, but I am in love with my droid and look forward to a long relationship with her.

i went through a lot of phones over the years

started with the 8100, got a 8300, then a 9530, then 9550, then the droid, then the 8900, and lastly the 9700. but in the end i still use my 8100 as my daily phone because i love the keyboard.

the android is a nice platform and you can do a lot, like tethering over wifi or google maps with shout out directions or w/e. love the gorilla glass and the fast internet browsing too. but the os feels clunky...at best. it really does not feel like a complete os, especially if i have to spend like a day download apps and making changes just to get basic functionalities like a battery meter....its really lame. also, setting up emails is a pain in the ass. no uma, so im sunk if i walk into a huge lecture hall. no exchange support. not to mention that the phones are Ugh-Guu-Lee!

but blackberries have a lot of faults too. lag, phone locks up, no wifi tethering, sloooooow processors, slow internet, its very plain, and it just isnt much fun to use. i dont need a toy, but on the flip side, i dont need a work horse either. it would be nice if they released the dakota. that might be more of what im looking for, but it really is hard to find a device that can do both work and play well.

BlackBerries cannot be replaced by what should be a cool/fun device. I can't put it any other way.

I bought a Bold 9700 last November 16th, the day it was released on T-Mobile. I loved it but after a few weeks it started dropping calls like no tomorrow. It dropped the fourth call in one day and it so happened I was talking with tech suport when it did. So I sold it and got a Touch Pro2. I liked the big screen and the apps available suited me. But I had software and hardware problems. T-Mo sent me phone #3 and as soon as I got it I put it on ebay. Bought another bold this time frost white version. This is the best phone I have ever owned. It serves me well and I have had no problems at all. I can't see me owning anything other than blackberries for a long time. Now just get me os6.

I have an EVO and a Torch, they are very different. I do not think one is better than the other. I like both operating systems, but if RIM doesn't do something they are going to lose a lot of customers.

After much research and handling the different platforms in stores and friend's experiences, I've decided to go with Blackberry and I'm thrilled I did based off of the problems my friends are having with iPhone updates and Droid's battery life and screen issues.

My first blackberry was the curve from T-mobile. I was coming from the sidekick 3 and man it was the most amazing thing to me at the time. Then I ended up getting the 9700 and I really fell in love. After a few months though I got the touch screen itch and really contemplated leaving Tmo for the iphone however after reading the reviews for the myTouch 3g slide I decided to give it a try. It was a great phone but I really missed the BB. Once the Torch was released I could not help myself. One morning I found myself at the ATT store and did the switch to the Torch. I could not be happier I really love the device and it does offer the best of both worlds.

I made my decision based on what works best for me and me alone, not what others were using that they thought were cool and new... But what people fail to miss what what really works and works for them only.

No matter what device you choose, make a honest decision on it.

YOU

One week with a Droid Incredible and right back to Blackberry. It just works better for me.

Of course your droid x blows away your Storm 1 there are nearly 2 years difference in manufacturing. Same as other devices, why do some people even try to compare new technology to old?

I was a Blackberry user for several years before leaving for the iPhone back in 2009. After, using for several months I was able to determine what was good and bad about the iPhone. The things I used most were the crappy qualities tho. So here I am back to the Blackberry platform enjoying my 9700's loud phone calls, extended battery life, ease of communication, and lots of other features while my iPhone gets the glory of sitting in my car to be used as an iPod and internet when I need it on the road.

I first tried the Droid, came back to BlackBerry.

Tried the iPhone, came back to BlackBerry.

Got a Pre+, tried the BlackBerry again, gave it up for the Pre+. Sure I wish the email program was as good as the BlackBerry, but other than that WebOS is so awesome.
Everything is smoother on the Pre. There are NO bugs to speak about.

WebOS is also, FUN! Something the BlackBerry has failed to do in every OS version they have come out with.

I used to love BlackBerry's; but I have to say, I hate using BlackBerry's now.

After owning various Blackberry models over the better part of half a decade, I started to get tired of the same OS on every single device that is put out. This is the same reason I moved to the BB platform after the previous five years of using Palm devices...substantially the same software coming out on substantially the same hardware. It is frustrating to sit and watch the slow death of an innovator while the competition is cranking out new stuff continuously.

So I tried out the Droid Incredible for about 10 days when it was initially released. Battery life was an issue, but more so was the relatively poor notification system.

I will at times use my phone for streaming audio, RSS feeds and maybe a little light mobile browsing, but the vast majority of my time is spent with messaging.

Messaging and notifications are really where the Blackberry shines...so that's where I am for the time being. I'm certainly not tied to any one OS and am keeping an eye on what the future brings. I'm willing to pay full retail for the right phone.

I'm hoping that RIM won't go the way of Palm and will get back to being an innovator, but I don't hold out much hope that they will keep up with Apple or Google in the handheld market. And frankly, it saddens me.

Proof read much?

After using a BlackBerry for 7+ years I decided to switch to the Droid in July. I heard all the hype about Android and how it could run circles around a Blackberry. I will admit that the Droid and the Android operating system are easy to use. There are numerous apps. And, as a whole, I didn't find the user experience lacking. However, after a month and the newness wore off, I felt like I was carrying around a glorified toy. I am a heavy text and email user and the Droid just couldn't keep up. I work in the medical field and I need quick responses to emails; I don't have time to "check" mail every few minutes. I opted to return the Droid and get a Storm 2. Now I feel reconnected. For all the Droid does...my BlackBerry already did.

I orginally started with a blackberry from work and had blackberry thumbs syndrome. :-)

left the company but at that time RIM was new and signal sucked

After I returned from Iraq, I got the tilt1 from att was not impressed that the video graphics were low class.

But did like the fact that there were many cooks for custom roms, bare roms, full blown.

The most i liked about it was that alot of new devices come out with new software apps that was exctracted and made compatible for the older devices. so it made my old feel like new again.
Also alot of "apps" like weather, word,excel, business card reader/scanner and others came standard.

with RIM you get a free/trial version but very limited had to buy full version like anywhere from 5-15 bucks.

Since you can install your apps on sd you never had to worry about memory space.

With the iphone it was new, cool, the new wave which i welcomed because now all these phone developers had to reinvent the wheel, if not we would be still stuck on BB OS 4. something, windows mobile 5.0. or low internal memory Android was new with T-Mobile and it only took time to show its full potential.

I liked that android os can be working fully on some windows mobile phones, along with ubuntu,

i like the iphone 2g can run android on it,

i like the push email notifications on BB

i like that android is now on 2.2 and going on 3.0

i just hate that all these phone carriers criple the devices, like no wifi on storm 1 or browser slow, or skype only with verizon but you cant talk unlimited to a local number,
or bloatware from every carrier that gets pushed or if deleted through root, or hybrids you loose warranty, (true you can always restore) but if you buy a device it should be yours to customize and not worry about If you really are buying a device it should be yours to do what ever your pleasure is. or are you buying the services with a leased device?

i am on a android currently, miss the blackberry storm that i can type like crazy on it and accuratly but not enough to go back. Maybe after the dust settles I will make my decision, global android device from verizon, wm7??? or Iphone 5th generation or Blackberry ( if you do not get restricted on internet use. I was not liking the fact that the servers went down and had no data for a day or two.

I had a curve for a couple of years and was really happy with it. I felt I was missing the smart phone revolution and waiting till the latest iphone came out and got an iphone 4. Though I really liked the calendar and the app store, here are the reasons why I came back to BB:

1) Phone - Iphone 4 was dropping calls. The attenna issue aside, a lot of the times the ip4 was lying on my desk and it was still dropping calls.

2) Bluetooth - The ip4 didnt work well with my 975 plantronics ear piece. Both sound quality and distance away from the phone

4) Keyboard - I really need a physical keyboard. Probably over time, I could get used to the virtual keyboard but I was starting to get fustrated and started typing with a single finger.

5) Email - With all my email accounts, using the BB mail service on POP3 was the biggest reason for going back to BB. Since I use this for work, I probably get 100+ emails a day. If I look at an email on my phone and answer it, I want the option to delete it from the server or keep it there so I can retrieve in in Outlook. With an IP4 you only can set it one way or another.

excellent article. and i agree with it 100%. even with my old beaten up storm - i can get the job done much faster than with my gf's iphone.

I first got a Blackberry with Nextel: the 7100i and I loved it, even with the keyboard style. I moved to a Motorola: I can't remember the exact name and then I went to Verizon Wireless and got an 8703e and loved that also (and yes, I thought that it should have a slot for a memory card)and wish the sturdiness was still around. I also had the Palm Treo and with the Curve1 and Tour up to the Bold 9650 with the trackpad, I am sticking with Blackberry because of the integration of email and also because of the bedside mode which I now use as my alarm clock exclusively. Only time will tell with 4g what RIMM does and if I actually stay.

DJ

I had two blackberry devices for over a year.
Bold 9000 and Storm 2. I was looking around for Nokia or HTC, but i can't leave without the excellent qwerty keyboard, the pure quality of BB's and of course their simple UI and OS.
So, in a few days i ll be a happy owner of an 9700 bold :)

I went from a 8330 Curve to a Droid. Had the Droid for 2 weeks and HATED the way it handled email. The native app was bad, and aftermarket apps not much better. Fortunately Verizon lets you and your device back if you're not happy, so I did that and got a Storm 2, which kicks the Droids butt. Yeah, the Droid display was prettier, but in the ways that mattered to me the Blackberry was miles better.

I went to the local ATT store and tried the 9800 and OS6. After all the fanfare of that launch I was prepared to be amazed. To say the least I was underwhelmed. Granted OS6 is a step forward compared to OS5 and the 4 series but...
A few days later I stopped at a Verizon shop and looked at the Droid X and Droid 2. I was not expecting a lot because I am not a touchscreen kind of guy but was amazed at the functionality.
Unless RIM hits one out of the park soon (OS7?) I see myself moving on when my contract expires.

I went from 8700 to a pearl to a 2g iphone to an 8320 to a dash to an 8900 to a 9700 and I'm holding out for os6 I hated the iphone because I couldn't send or get pics and I couldn't feel the keys. The dash just sucked. I want blackberry to release a pixi like phone with a touch top half and hard keys on the bottom. No more of this slide bs

Had a curve 8530 for about 4 months then switched to an android. The os is awesome and all but there is nothing like a blackberry. Will never make that mistake again.

I currently have a Storm 2 and am due for an upgrade in August of 2011. I am hoping that Verizon will have the Torch by then. If not, then I am constantly watching posts like this one to help me decide if I will stay with BlackBerry or go to another platform. I really enjoy my Storm 2, it just hangs up a little too often for me and the battery pulls have to be done once or twice a day. Until next year I will keep watching.

I think RIM has taken baby steps in revamping their OS (BB6), putting out unique hardware (Storm & Torch), and marketing to a more consumer based audience while not forgetting it's business roots.

The only problem is that these baby steps are still far behind the advances in the cell phone world right now. In a world where specs are changing every six months or sooner, it can be hard to keep up with baby steps.

RIM needs to push the envelope with a drop dead sexy device that combines top of the line hardware, software, along with strong developer support in their app world. Combine all that with their roots as a strong business device, and you'll start turning some heads. I know that's asking a lot, but I think it's doable. They came close with the Torch, but didn't quite knock it out of the park.

With all that being said. . . I'm not moving from BlackBerry anytime soon, and I'm willing to stick it out a little while longer to see if those baby steps turn into longer strides of awesomeness.

About a year ago, I switched to the Iphone 3GS and after many, many, bad itunes updates (which totally blew apart my iphone), faithfully went back to my BB Curve. Last month was getting an itch for another new phone and thought about the Droid or trying iphone again; thank god I didn't. Got the BB Torch and couldn't be happier! It's fast, its sleek, it does everything I want it to, has plenty of apps but best of all, NO ITUNES!!!!

As much as I love RIM and Blackberry, I switched over to a Samsung Captivate and I am completely happy. I did check out the Torch, and there was some great things to love about OS6 *feeds, web browsing is definitely improved and over all BB feel*, however, there was quite a bit of downsides in my opinion. The web browsing has improved over os5 and older, but it still was sluggish and loaded primarily mobile sites, where the captivate will load full sites and some mobile sites. The touchscreen was not as responsive as I was expecting it too be and the onscreen keyboard was not as good as stock android. The physical keyboard is way too small for my hands to comfortably type on, even the 9700 was too small for me as well. The universal search is great though, however, the menu in options have changed a lot that made it feel less like a BB in a sense with OS 5 and older, easy to customize where as in OS6 takes a bit more searching through..

Just my opinion though!

My old Curve 8900 (I think it was) for a T-Mobile G1 when it first was released. I stuck with the G1 for a couple of months purely just to have the latest toy.

I realized that after a few weeks, my old BB was far more functional than Android. I'm sorry, and some will see this as nitpicking but I simply cannot use a "smartphone" that can't get copy & paste right. Anyone that's tried it on an Android phone should know exactly what I mean.

You either get some of the text you wanted to cut/copy or you get none of it. It's horrible.

Additionally, while I do like that Android has so many apps available, I don't like that very few of them are well integrated into the OS. With my BB if I save a number in notepad, then click on it, it dials.

Ditto that for the web browser (in Android this only worked sometimes). It really is the simple things that have kept me a Blackberry customer.

Now, if they'd just release OS 6 for my newly acquired 9650, I'd be eternally grateful.

I have been a tour abuser for a little over a year (and tested out other BB devices), and I have thought about switching to droid if I had a chance to test drive their product for a bit. I know ill NEVER go to apple.. Because they are crap anyway.(Thought they were crap ever since they started coming out with macs.) I will most likely stay with BB for a long time. The only way I'm switching is if I get to test and like droid or if all the companies come together and make a "I-Droid-Berry-7". :P

I had a Blackberry for years. Then when the iPhone came out, I got one for Christmas. I thought it was cool at first, I guess a shiny new toy, but after a month, I was out of my mind because I missed my buttons,and I miss how Blackberry integrates with mail, push, etc. and I REALLY missed my blinking light LOL. FOR ME PERSONALLY - I love Blackberry, I am more of an emailer, texter, Twitter/Facebook person. I do not really use a lot of apps in which I think the iPhone is great for. Just not my cup of tea. I still have my iPhone and I use it for an iPod and to hold all my pictures and the only apps I use really on my iPhone is Twitter/Facebook and Words with Friends.

I think that all these phones are great and they all have their flaws. I agree it is what phone and OS is going to work for you. I think they are all unique in their own way. I love MAC and will use MAC forever, but I love my BB. I do in my own opinion think that RIM could do so much better with certain things, but I feel that its almost like they are scared to take a chance. Do you and use the phone that does what you need it to do, not because its flashy and your friends have it. That's how I look at.

I currently own an HTC EVO and a Blackberry Curve 2nd series. I love them both. Surprisingly Twitter is much better on my blackberry than on my Evo. As far a multi-tasking my Evo is much better than my blackberry. I hate the memory leaks on my bb, although it's much better than my 8330. I feel like I have the best of both worlds.

i went to the samsung fascinate, and my reception was horrible, and got bored with android..im back to my 9650..

Don't get me wrong, I really like the things that BBs do well, and I still feel a bit of nostolgia when I see my old Storm (my 3 year old still sometimes asks where "Daddies bwakberry" is). But I wouldn't switch back for anything RIM has out right now. I truly hope the Storm 4 (or whatever the 4G phone is called) makes a compelling reason to want to switch back, but at this point the difference in capabilities between the platforms is too great to ignore, even if I had to customize a bit more of the X in order to do some things the Storm did out of the box.

... After 28 days of a Droid X. I missed my 9530 Storm, but I gave it away so I got a 9650 Bold instead. Love it!

I loved my Storm, and considered going to a Storm 2 until my dad got one. I just wasn't impressed. It wasn't enough of an improvement to warrent dropping the $ on. I moved to a Droid Incredible and I can honestly say that the only thing I miss is BBM. Google Talk is a pretty good replacement though.

I was looking at some other 'latest' devices this past week, not having ventured outside of BB land for a while, and was struck by just how much better my BB is for me than any of them. I an read an article a little while ago in which the author was saying that of all devices around, only BBs and the iPhone actually felt like the finished project, and that everything else just seemed like a valiant effort - nice try, well done, but not up there with the grown ups. I think I probably agree.

Switched from a storm 2 to a droid x i was skeptical at first but now i love my droid x it blows my storm2 out of the water and my storm 1 before that was a joke

I am almost at my 30 days with my Torch. I have been thinking about exchange the 9800 for an iPhone 4. Like most people who are contemplating a switch from the Blackberry platform, I am torn. The big reason for switching from the Blackberry platform is the Apple App store. Apple has become the go-to platform for developers, and I want access to the depth and breadth of applications available for iPhone users. I've filled the gap with the iPod Touch. That may be acceptable. I guess what I am trying to figure out if I am a email-type/communication type or a media consumer type. The iPhone 4 offer much by way of media content and games.

I have a day or so. I suppose I can exchange my Torch, and try the iPhone 4. If it doesn't work out I can always go back to the Blackberry 9000 (which I haven't sold yet). I love that phone even with its anemic memory and lack of cool apps.

I am almost at my 30 days with my Torch. I have been thinking about exchange the 9800 for an iPhone 4. Like most people who are contemplating a switch from the Blackberry platform, I am torn. The big reason for switching from the Blackberry platform is the Apple App store. Apple has become the go-to platform for developers, and I want access to the depth and breadth of applications available for iPhone users. I've filled the gap with the iPod Touch. That may be acceptable. I guess what I am trying to figure out if I am a email-type/communication type or a media consumer type. The iPhone 4 offer much by way of media content and games.

I have a day or so. I suppose I can exchange my Torch, and try the iPhone 4. If it doesn't work out I can always go back to the Blackberry 9000 (which I haven't sold yet). I love that phone even with its anemic memory and lack of cool apps.

LOL! I had switched from my BB 9700 to the HD2 when the HD2 was first released and OMG, I learned that was a HUGE mistake. NEVER AGAIN will I ever leave my BB. I took the HD2 back 4 days after I bought it. It was HORRIBLE. TIP# Never Leave BB for a Windows Mobile Device!

i have thought about trying another platform-but i think i was drinking-alot......BLACKBERRY RULES! PERIOD

I had a BB Tour and left for the Droid X. That was a mistake! Two Droid Xs and a lot of crap from the vz authorized dealer cellularsales, I'm back on the Storm 2 and couldn't be happier.

Two morals:

1) The grass isn't greener; and,
2) Don't buy from authorized dealers.