Comments on: RIM’s BlackBerry Storm and NY Times’ Pogue don’t mix

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:46:03 +0000

I have now owned 2 BlackBerry Storm phones (1st one broke of my own faults) and I would never consider purchasing another phone other than Storm. I happily purchased the 2nd one at full retail and I can not wait for the Storm 2 to come out. I admit it was a bit buggy at first but nothing that ruined my life. If you know your way around a BlackBerry there are some new features that are very helpful with this device but all in all i believe its a great addition to the BlackBerry family. Dare I say.. I work for AT&T and use a BlackBerry Storm rather than an Iphone and i find the competitions’ (Verizon) service much more reliable. But Shh keep the people loving the Iphone so I can make my commission!

By: James Burland

James Burland — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:12:02 +0000

6 months later and how has the Storm done? Sales figures are okay I guess, but the general vibe about this phone is extremely poor, and I’ve yet to see anyone rave about it. Looks like Pogue was right doesn’t it?

By: scott

scott — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:25:58 +0000

I have had my Storm for a few weeks now and I share many of Pogue’s gripes. The first day I had it, I had several hours to kill, and used the phone a LOT. (Literally for a few hours over the course of a 5-hour “down” period). So the whole “use the phone before you complain” argument doesn’t apply here.

This phone is terribly sluggish, switches between applications (mostly to the camera) for no apparent reason, locks up quite a bit, and is very difficult to get used to as a messaging device. I also had an issue with the import (and with subsequent syncs) between the Storm and Outlook… mostly in the area of the calendar (meetings would be moved from one time to another for no apparent reason – a lot of manual clean-up was needed to have my calendar sync properly).

I am very disappointed with this device… and wish I would have just gotten a Curve or something else.

A guy in a corporate Verizon store told me he wouldn’t sell the phone to people unless they understood a lot of its shortcomings because he was tired of dealing with irate customers bringing the phone back to him a few days after they purchased it.

I don’t have an iPhone, but I have plenty of friends who do – and I can say that the iPhone performs a lot better in the accelerometer(sp?) department. Aside from that, I can’t offer much commentary that won’t be misconstrued as Apple-bashing by some, so I’ll refrain.

By: Tome

Tome — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:06:51 +0000

Very few productive comments that can actually tell you the good and bad sides of this phone…
The rest is just a silly war between iPhone and BB fans. Come on get real!

By: pal

pal — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:58:02 +0000

Here’s the deal with the iPhone. It just doesn’t have enough features. Sliding things up and down, left and right and enlarging the screen is brilliant on the device….but it doesn’t have enough on it to get things done… unless you count mistyping because the oh-so-beautiful touch screen is way too damn sensitive. And you NEED wifi with ATT’s network. I tried it out, and their 3G is slooow, or is nonexistent in most places. But hey, I’m comparing to Verizon where it’s omnipresent and beefy fast as hell.
The BB just really kicks over the iphone in just about everything. Ok, except as a fun toy. . . which brings me to apps. everyone talks about the iPhone apps. Hundreds more than BB’s, thousands more than BB’s, tens of thousands more than BB’s. Whatever…. but, hey, why can’t any of them, uhhh… send a picture message (effectively)? Or why can’t any of them say, oh my…copy and paste? I’ve seen your iPhone app store. I’ve never seen a more sordid collection of a waste of time. Are you 12 years old? Do you really need all that junk? I have a job, and kinda don’t have time to use those games…er, ‘apps’, er…games. I need a device to get things done. For games there’s the Wii.

ps… btw, the BB’s have had app stores for years… ones that actually make you productive. When we get to the gaming or hobby section, then we’ll talk about how the iPhone app store kicks butt on the BB’s. I’ll give you that.

pps. And incidentally, I AM an Apple fanboy. (but, c’mon Jobs get the iPhone right finally!) I’m going BB until hopefully iPhone 3 get’s it together.

By: R8trfan

R8trfan — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:43:04 +0000

After having this phone for a week, I have to say I find most of the negative reviews a bit confusing. I have no big issues with it. I have noticed a lil lag going from portait to landscape once in awhile. Use it for more than 5 minutes before you start knocking the phone. It takes time to get accoustomed to the keyboard but once you do you will like it. On thanksgiving I had my son and nephews use it. 5 iphone users and 1 G1. They all thought it was cool, they all did mention the wifi I said for me it’s not that big a deal because I prefer my laptop. They did like the speed of the broadband connection, especially when I tethered it to my laptop and the speed was very good. MY company uses Verizon and AT&T because we have international travelers so we also have the Bold which we also like other than AT&T service.

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:55:21 +0000

Of all the posts I’ve read, I can’t remember one regarding the limited number of colors on the Storm’s camera. I suppose it seems like a really, really minor item, but I just took a picture of a cherry red Mustang and it came out as pumpkin orange. Like I said, it seems like such a small thing in the scheme of things, but then again a huge issue when you don’t get an accurate representation of a picture you’ve taken.

On the big issues, for me anyway, again neither of which seem to get a lot of comments: the voice quality on the storm seems very good to me, and synching Outlook’s calendar, contacts, and tasks on the Storm has worked well. Most comments I’ve read would lead one to believe the iPhone is significantly deficient compared to the Storm in both of these regards. Are these assessments valid?

By: mark

mark — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:28:04 +0000

I have two business and two mobile numbers. One runs an Apple iPhone the second has a Blackberry Storm, so I think I’m in a good position to judge (too long to explain here why I don’t have two iPhones). The Storm is TOTAL junk compared to the iPhone (in fact is total junk compared to anything really). After 48 hours the Storm blacked out and died and now needs replacing – a search of the web indicates a common failure. Like the Apple Mac computer OS the iPhone is intuitive, solid, fun…I could go on and on. The iPhone is a gem of industrial design. The Storm OS is clumsy and awkward in comparison, the screen and controls feel cheap and nasty. No WiFi…not compatible with Mac OS without downloading third part software…ugh!

By: e-Crave.com

e-Crave.com — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:49:48 +0000

Hopefully these are pre release issues that will be worked out before the masses get their hands on it.

By: davesmall

davesmall — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:23:11 +0000

It’s beyond comprehension that someone would knowingly buy one of these when a much better alternative is available in the iPhone. Did I say much better? That’s a gross understatement. The iPhone has a real industrial strength operating system, WiFi, and the amazing App Store. RIMs entry is underwhelming and over a year behind.

By: Chief

Chief — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:11:55 +0000

Hey iPhone Users,

Try this:

Go to your email (exchange or lotus) and create a calendar entry. In this entry put a conference call number with corresponding passcode. Should look something like this:

8885551234×1234567#9876543#

Send out the invite.

Now go to your iPhone, open the calendar, and press to dial the number.

HU? Doesn’t work.

That’s why I have a blackberry. And oh by the way since apple has a one dimensional screen there are only so many touches that can register differently. The tactile screen gives the BB many more options. So good luck with the copy & paste features too.

By the way I also tried an iPhone and returned it. Business people really need certain functions. The iPhone is fine for the casual user, music listener, video watcher,… But not for me.

By: Simon Sage

Simon Sage — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:31:30 +0000

No way, Jose. Apple knows how to appeal to a mass market exceedingly well, but they’re a far cry from innovators. They repackage established technology when (and only when) it fits into their utopian vision. MMS, browser Flash, cut and paste, and running multiple background applications are all examples of features which didn’t fit into that vision, for whatever reason.

I’m not saying BlackBerry is any more innovative – in fact, Apple’s evolutionary strategy is very similar to RIM’s. iPhone sales are certainly impressive, but that’s more due to good UI work and an extensive marketing campaign than it is innovation.

By: David

David — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:11:20 +0000

Just found out Mr Pogue was a colmnust for Mac World, and wrote many Mac books, as the “Missing Manual” on a lot of Mac Product. He also wrote Macs for Dummies, and if you google his name you will find that he has had nothing but extreme praise for the IPhone, from its inception. I would have to say that any other person offering this review would merit some credit, but Mr. Pogue and the New York Times have no credibility on this review. With the Storm being labeled as the “IPhone” killer, it is of my opinion that Mr Pogue did a very Biased review of this product.

By: Ty

Ty — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:03:11 +0000

The problem is in the comparison itself. The storm was not meant to be an iphone. It was meant to be a BLACKBERRY with a touchscreen for those of us who love blackberry yet are intrigued by touch screen interfaces. If I remember correctly the iphone had problems too when it first came out, correct? So now that Apple is on its second attempt it is an awesome device. The storm is an awesome device. Everyone is not a Blackberry power user. Some of us use it for business but still have a LIFE outside of work where we want to take pictures, videos, and just want a solid cool-looking device. No wi-fi? So what? I never go anywhere where I don’t have full coverage, as probably a lot of storm users do. And if you’re so important that you need wi-fi on your phone then you’re probably important enough to have a LAPTOP. Last I checked there is not a phone out there that can function to the capacity of a laptop. Lagging OS? So you’re saying your windows has never crashed? You have never downloaded a software update for ANYTHING? Of course not. You deal with it until there is a fix. Else throw your iphones away, because I know there have been several updates since its inception. Truth of the matter is blackberry does cell phones like no other device, so quit hatin’

By: Jose A Vivas

Jose A Vivas — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:50:18 +0000

The iPhone is really a master piece of innovation. In one year Apple show us how a great innovator is. RIM have a lot of experience in this market than Apple. Just let one year more to see how the iPhone [of course I bought a G3] beat in some features that Blackberry is superior.

The OS X is by far best than RIM OS. The iPhone in 2 years could be a serious player at the Business side.

By: J.N.

J.N. — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:25:42 +0000

Regarding Parvis Jurney of whatever his name is,. commenter, “if you want a toy get an iPhone” WUT? My iPhone allows me maps, phone, banking, buying, navigating, composing on various music apps, notes…don’t even make me keep going. My iPhone is a valuable part of my life at this point! shopping lists, drink recipes, pedometer, guitar tuner, calculator, news feeds and podcasts, are you crazy??? Listen, if you wanna sell your particuar brand, fine. But don’t throw in stupid juvenile untrue lines about the iPhone. it’s too pricey to be a toy, and it’s too valuable and efficient and timesaving and organizing to be called a toy. Although I admit…it is a toy too! Fool.

By: Enzy

Enzy — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:20:36 +0000

Sadly, Pogue is right. I suspect the few people slamming his well-articulated critique are paid employees of Blackberry. The rest of us understand too well what he means. BB tried to rush something out to compete with iPhone’s draining sales away from BB but it is weak.

By: Trad

Trad — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:17:03 +0000

Pogue has been an Apple man for a while and I guess it’s good to have him at the Times pushing Apple. I believe his articles have helped to increase Apple’s market share. But, he is in the wrong with his current review of the Storm. Not to say the Storm doesn’t have problems I’m sure they have just as the iPhone did. For me, the Blackberrys just fit and the iPhone doesn’t at this time.

I’m just glad the iPhone has changed the face of mobile phones. Without the iPhone we wouldn’t have the Storm or the G1.

By: Chris - Digitpedia

Chris - Digitpedia — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:53:09 +0000

I have a Pearl myself and can’t believe RIM have allowed a product which is getting such terrible reviews (not just by this website) to go to market. I know they can improve it but the problems reported seem fundamental errors

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:15:33 +0000

I laughed like a drain at the posting by “Jarvis Ray”. This is so clearly the work of a PR hack it has a kind of brilliance of its own. I particularly liked the reasons given why the Storm “hands down kicks butt on the Iphone and the G1″: “How about not being tied and forced to use GOOGLE!” “What about license agreements that let Google or Apple remotely disable applications on your phone?” ROFL!!!