[slinky#CB]

So I went into my local Circuit City to see whether it was only the Storms in the 2 Verizon stores that were laggy and very unimpressive. Here's my final report, FWIW, for those still wondering whether or not to just order the Storm:

Pros:

1) Screen: Very nice, high resolution screen. It's not the HTC Touch Pro's 640x480 but it's a *very* noticeable improvement at this enhanced resolution, no question. Multimedia is nice to watch, more screen real estate, a real pro.

2) Web Browsing: Excellent. I was able to view some pretty complex headers on one of my web sites perfectly, including the ajax components on this new Blackberry Browser. Scrolling up and down was reasonably fast as was zooming in. The zoom out was poorly designed though and ruined an otherwise superb, almost flawless browser for many purposes.

3) Standard headphone jack: You'd be surprised how non-obvious this plus is. Samsung's omni is a stupendous phone sans the poor horizontal resolution and failure to provide a standard headphone jack! No need to worry about proprietary headphone dongles.

4) Eye Candy Interface: Certainly nice to look at. Keyboard has a nice looking light up of keys pressed.

5) GSM - Awesome if you travel or plan to leave Verizon.

6) Unlocked GPS - I don't use it that much but it is GREAT to have this, perhaps one of the only Verizon phones without a locked GPS.

7) Included MicroSD Card - the 8gb that is included is nothing to laugh at and is a superb addition.

Cons:

1) Blackberry UI / Lack of Trackball / No one handed usage: The Blackberry OS screams for a trackball. I've never been so frustrated trying to slowly and awkwardly scroll through a tremendously cluttered home screen with rows of icons with my fingertip - and that's without custom apps being installed. If you look at all other phones they have MUCH better launchers that account for this. RIM was not smart in not including the trackball on this device. You'll definitely see it on the Storm 2 if the interface isn't radically changed, which I doubt it will. Getting around is so much slower than your Curve. The Omnia was MUCH easier with its optical trackball and so nice not to have to move your hand all over the screen and use a 2 handed routine - it's like a keyboardless version of your curve. I found it much more difficult on the Storm to select menu items as well and wished I had that old trackball back. Big omission.

2) Keyboard "button": I'm sure some of you will get used to typing better but if you're coming from a Curve, Bold or Worldphone, entering text will put you into a world of pain. Not just because you have to press the keyboard button down but because you will also have many more typing mistakes and go slower. I did not nearly have the same typing challenges on the Omnia, with an even more ludicrously thin keyboard even in Portrait mode. I don't think the "press" requirement was a good idea and I hope (and doubt) that RIM will eventually come out with a "touch sensitive" option for the keyboard. Another negative is the inability to even have the option of a full qwerty keyboard in portrait mode - it's suretype or multitap. This alone made the Storm to me a virtual no purchase. If my typing gets twice as accurate on this device - I'm still not happy with my input accuracy. This alone really made me decide not to go the Storm route. I can only hope there is touch sensitivity / no click option in the software or this will also be perfected in the "Storm 2."

3) Lag, lag, lag: Perhaps you need to do battery pulls but that is not a good sign. The accelerometer took a noticeable time to rotate the screen and it did some time on too many occasions for the keyboard to pop up. You 'get used to it' but it still doesn't mean it's a good thing - just that you become more 'accepting' of the lag because it's expected. The Omnia clearly had the Storm beat in terms of screen rotation and quickness/responsiveness of the device. Perhaps some of this can be fixed in the software - but that is an unknown factor.

4) Micro-USB - I think this is the case on this device. Time to buy a whole bunch of new cables and connectors. Not horrible but a mentionable.

5) Touch Screen Durability and Quality: I had serious question marks with this one - it just looks and feels awkward. I noticed that the "click" button of the keyboard screen worked best in some areas and not others. I think the laws of physics bear out this issue because I don't think there are sensors consistently laid out throughout the bottom of the screen. I didn't like seeing the screen go up and down either and felt that, with time, the "screen button" would fail, become less sensitive, or show some real wear and tear on this phone. Maybe I'm wrong here but I much preferred the Omnia, HTC, Treo or any other touch screen that just stays put.

6) The Bold Factor: Having just used the Bold, it is VERY noticeable how much more quickly one gets around the OS on that phone and how much better data input is. It makes you wonder whether a keyboardless AND trackball-less Blackberry is a good thing without much more custom design making this possible behind it.

CONCLUSIONS:
If you do a lot of data input, e.g. emailing, texting, use work applications like a task manager, record your expenses, etc. then getting the Storm is probably not a good idea. This device is simply not nearly as quick and responsive as a Bold, Curve or even a Pearl. If you're a casual data entry person and just want a capable music and video player with a familiar interface, the Storm might work for you. If you're looking for a World Phone and are still in the casual data entry category, this phone may work quite well for you, especially if you also want GPS. But IMHO, none of these things are worth the time and frustration in learning how to do data input and the unknown factors that may not and cannot be fixed in the software.

[realitydigg]

If you pick up a store demo and it is laggy it could be just because the previous 100 people left applications open. So a battery pull or closing the apps would give you a true sense of how the unit should run, also i expect it to speed up with sw updates. Pulling the battery should not be a constant fix

[slinky#CB]

If you pick up a store demo and it is laggy it could be just because the previous 100 people left applications open. So a battery pull or closing the apps would give you a true sense of how the unit should run, also i expect it to speed up with sw updates. Pulling the battery should not be a constant fix

Unfortunately pulling the battery with the Storm seems to be the current "fix" and that is unacceptable. The lag time, though, is not just due to open applications as I closed them. The lag does happen and the unit is not nearly as quick and responsive as the Omnia.

[kittiesplay]

CONCLUSIONS:
If you do a lot of data input, e.g. emailing, texting, use work applications like a task manager, record your expenses, etc. then getting the Storm is probably not a good idea. This device is simply not nearly as quick and responsive as a Bold, Curve or even a Pearl. If you're a casual data entry person and just want a capable music and video player with a familiar interface, the Storm might work for you. If you're looking for a World Phone and are still in the casual data entry category, this phone may work quite well for you, especially if you also want GPS. But IMHO, none of these things are worth the time and frustration in learning how to do data input and the unknown factors that may not and cannot be fixed in the software.

The bold is really not true. Yes it takes a little getting used to before your' up to 100% but once you got you are in no way slowed down. IMO. And yes it's not your curve. bold etc. it's a whole new tye of phone if you wan a bold, curve, or pearl why even pick up the Storm.

No offense but you don't own the phone, playing with store demos can not give you the full effect of the phone A) because what prvios folks have done and B) because there are 50 billion threads on here that say the demos are crap.

[Sooks]

that is a fix for every blackberry ( disclaimer * just guessing)

[rimbuk]

i dont care how long you play with it in a store, you cant get a feel for how it works unless you use it yourself for at least a few days.
i no longer have any issues with the storm. any bugs i found within a day or two after i got it seem to be gone now. maybe its just that i learned to use it to avoid the bugs, or maybe when i played with it, randomly pushing buttons to test every possible outcome, I was creating non-realworld situations that actually caused bugs.

Even the apps that started out without full support (myspace, google maps, etc..) have had updates already to make them work perfectly.

[TXBlade]

Unfortunately pulling the battery with the Storm seems to be the current "fix" and that is unacceptable. The lag time, though, is not just due to open applications as I closed them. The lag does happen and the unit is not nearly as quick and responsive as the Omnia.

correct statement - BUT these "features" will be resolved with software updates ... look at the iPhone even the 3G had issues with things like battery life and that�s even with the Steve Jobs "Nobody can install anything I haven�t personally okayed" attitude. The iPhone had many issue but over time updates fixed the problems, why do people expect that a new device works flawlessly straight away. Would we want it to, **** YES but in reality that never happens even with the mighty iPhone, be paitent and report the bugs and wait and see�.
Blackberry has a history of developing good products, this is a new venture for them� do you think with the amount of money and effort sank into this product that they are not going to resolve the problems we are seeing.
No I have not yet received mine yet, will I gripe � yes but will it get fixed � You bet ya

[spotmark]

So far, it looks like everybody agrees, your review is an unfair assessment. Playing with it in the store does not give you anywhere near the amount of time you need to come to a conclusion.

[rsarno]

damn, good review ... but i hate reading them because i had such high hopes for this phone

[kuroshio]

On the 'battery pull' fix:

I've pulled my battery once because of a phone lock up. Don't remember what I was doing but the Storm locked hard and that was the only fix. I do believe there are memory leaks but whether they're from the Storm itself or from specific apps, I can't say.

I will note one thing: if pulling the battery on 'berries isn't a somewhat normal routine, then why is there a program that simulates pulling the battery? (Quick Pull)

[slinky#CB]

The bold is really not true. Yes it takes a little getting used to before your' up to 100% but once you got you are in no way slowed down. IMO. And yes it's not your curve. bold etc. it's a whole new tye of phone if you wan a bold, curve, or pearl why even pick up the Storm.

IMHO, if you're telling me that there is NO difference between a hardware and software keyboard, you've lost all credibility. There is DEFINITELY going to be some loss with a software keyboard. I didn't know it would be this significant. When you do a LOT of typing, this loss is noticeable.

No offense but you don't own the phone, playing with store demos can not give you the full effect of the phone A) because what prvios folks have done and B) because there are 50 billion threads on here that say the demos are crap.

No offense taken but, if after an hour of using the phone I can't come even close to where I was before, "learning" how to use all this stuff to get an improvement of 50% still isn't taking me anywhere near the productivity I am used to with the standard, hardware Blackberry keyboard.

So far, it looks like everybody agrees, your review is an unfair assessment. Playing with it in the store does not give you anywhere near the amount of time you need to come to a conclusion.

I don't need to spend $200 with a 2 year contract to figure out the obvious. The keyboard on this device, plus the need for suretype PLUS the loss of one handed usage is too much of a loss for me. It's likely a noticeable loss for many people who do a lot of data entry. No matter how many times you want to convince yourself by repeating "you gotta own it" that will not change the fact that the device is much more cumbersome to enter data than most and it will become noticeable with heavy data entry, e.g. mailing, texting and application entry.

[rsh412]

No one handed use? Guess I have special hands or something doesn't seem to be a problem for me.

[slinky#CB]

No one handed use? Guess I have special hands or something doesn't seem to be a problem for me.

Using your nose to press the menu pop-ups does not constitute one handed use. The benefit of the trackball is that you can do but move/select and enter with one hand. That does not happen on the Storm. One handed use is, at best, extremely limited.

[realitydigg]

Unfortunately pulling the battery with the Storm seems to be the current "fix" and that is unacceptable. The lag time, though, is not just due to open applications as I closed them. The lag does happen and the unit is not nearly as quick and responsive as the Omnia.

I have pulled the battery once to see how performance would be affected. That is in a week of use.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[spotmark]

I don't need to spend $200 with a 2 year contract to figure out the obvious. The keyboard on this device, plus the need for suretype PLUS the loss of one handed usage is too much of a loss for me. It's likely a noticeable loss for many people who do a lot of data entry. No matter how many times you want to convince yourself by repeating "you gotta own it" that will not change the fact that the device is much more cumbersome to enter data than most and it will become noticeable with heavy data entry, e.g. mailing, texting and application entry.

Sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with you on this. The first time I rode a bike, I wasn't very good at it, but the more I did it, the easier it got, and the better I became.

[lorinser]

Using your nose to press the menu pop-ups does not constitute one handed use. The benefit of the trackball is that you can do but move/select and enter with one hand. That does not happen on the Storm. One handed use is, at best, extremely limited.

I agree with many of your points in your first post, however I must disagree with the one handed use comment.
I have no problem using the storm in portrait mode one handed.

[jazz_nh]

I've played with a Storm in two seperate VZW stores and I cannot say that I agree. I found the Storm just as easy/fast to type on as my curve.
Yes, there is a lag on it, but overall, not that bad... and am sure will be better with future updates.
I also did not find any of the edges of the screen unresponsive.
Reading all the negative posts here I was beginning to wonder if I should cancel my order and stay with the curve. However, now that I have played with a Storm myself,...... I can only say I think there is no problems with it.

[shawn122]

after reading countless reviews on these forums regarding the Storm I want to weigh in on one point.

The Storm isn't geared towards so called 'power-users'. if you do alot of text input then that demands a real keyboard. Someone who is in graphic design or 3D animation or the like won't purchase a laptop to meet their needs. Most likely they would go for a desktop computer with the hardware capability to meet their needs.

Furthermore, they would probably purchase a decent monitor (22" +) just for the screen real estate. I myself am in this position. As much as the advances laptops have made in the past, it doesnt compare to a 24" monitor no matter how you slice it.

I believe the same goes for the Storm/Bold or Curve Comparison. If you are a power user, then a touch screen phone IS NOT for you. For the majority of users that want a device that can do it all, the Storm is THE device for them.

I myself have the Bold at the moment. I do alot of emailing so I knew from the get-go I need something with a physical keyboard. It doesn't make sense comparing touchscreen vs. keyboard phones because I believe they are geared towards different users.

Simple as that.

[slinky#CB]

Sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with you on this. The first time I rode a bike, I wasn't very good at it, but the more I did it, the easier it got, and the better I became.

And no matter how long you rode that bike, it would never come close to being the motorcycle you were using. Sorry to say, the Storm is not a hardware keyboard. No matter how hard you want to convince me that it will be a hardware keyboard equivalent, this just isn't happening. Working with the Storm for at least an hour on 2 occasions, I'm convinced like numerous others that the push button of the keyboard combined with the rest isn't a great system. May work OK for some but it's quite unwieldy for others and one will be fortunate to do well just as a software keyboard. Just my opinion and I'm far from alone on this. I'm happy to hear you're doing well with yours.

I find it hilarious that so many happy Storm owners rush in to somehow claim that even the software keyboard is as good as a hardware keyboard. Zero credibility guys. That's probably the easiest way to tell if someone's reported experience is not honest. I can't imagine anyone saying typing on a Storm is as simple as on a hardware Curve. It isn't and won't be, even according to RIM. The question is how good of an input system is it as a software keyboard? IMHO, it's nowhere near good enough if you're doing any significant amount of keyboard/data entry and you don't have the time to waste correcting, etc. As I mentioned, I was surprised to find it was easier and less stress on my fingers to use the Omnia, a Storm comparable for data entry.

[slinky#CB]

after reading countless reviews on these forums regarding the Storm I want to weigh in on one point.

I believe the same goes for the Storm/Bold or Curve Comparison. If you are a power user, then a touch screen phone IS NOT for you. For the majority of users that want a device that can do it all, the Storm is THE device for them.

Simple as that.

I snipped part of your post but that's perfectly stated. No matter how often the Storm owners want to desperately believe what they are peddling regarding the keyboard, it's just not the same. If you can identify your needs first you'll have a very easy time knowing whether the right device for you is a Storm or Bold/Curve.

[Train13]

I want to know how you guys are using the phrase " power user "? How are you determining that?

[slinky#CB]

I want to know how you guys are using the phrase " power user "? How are you determining that?

At bare minimum, which is "light" usage, I'll answer at least 15 emails a day, read at least 50, write about 10-15 text messages, use a task manager like the rex tools several times a day, and will add in a few appointments or to dos. Even with that "light" usage I'll seriously notice the keyboard affecting my ability to just get things done without it wasting a chunk of my day. Most power users will be doing at least 30 emails a day (not unheard of) and probably 30-100 emails, exclusive of adding in dates, text messages, etc. I think any time you're doing 20+ emails a day or more, you're just asking for trouble with the Storm. Some people are willing to put up with the lags and the delays that won't zip you around like the Curve or Bold - and that is their right. Just don't expect miracles because it's not going to happen. Go into the store and see for yourself. The Storm is what it is and "efficient" is definitely not one of them. Decide the trade off for yourself.

[dave421]

I find it hilarious that so many happy Storm owners rush in to somehow claim that even the software keyboard is as good as a hardware keyboard. Zero credibility guys. That's probably the easiest way to tell if someone's reported experience is not honest. I can't imagine anyone saying typing on a Storm is as simple as on a hardware Curve. It isn't and won't be, even according to RIM. The question is how good of an input system is it as a software keyboard? IMHO, it's nowhere near good enough if you're doing any significant amount of keyboard/data entry and you don't have the time to waste correcting, etc. As I mentioned, I was surprised to find it was easier and less stress on my fingers to use the Omnia, a Storm comparable for data entry.

And I find it hilarious when somebody tries to tell me what my experience has been like without knowing anything about me. That's probably the easiest way to tell if someone is full of it. I hate to tell you and I'm sure you'll come up with an excuse to explain it away but there are quite a few people out there that have a hard time with hardware keyboards. I have big hands and I was CONSTANTLY correcting mistakes with my Curve. The LARGER keyboard on the Storm is much easier for me to use without making as many mistakes. That's with less than 2 days of use! As for that insane idea of the "button" screen, that's why I own the Storm rather than an iPhone, my old i730 & i760, etc. I personally ENJOY not having to hit the back button a dozen times because I accidentally hit a button on a regular touch screen phone.

As for one handed use, I have no problems. I prefer the Storm's interface to my Curve. I REALLY enjoy not having to deal with defective trackballs or having to disassemble the phone so that you can use it when the trackball gets dirty. Since we're talking about the trackball, I'll go ahead and point out another area where you're flat crazy. A touchscreen phone does NOT need any sort of trackball/pad device to make it easy to use. Have you ever heard of the iPhone? It's only the most popular touchscreen phone made (by a huge margin). I guess I must have missed the trackball on there. I wonder how so many people can use that phone without it!

Your post and many of the others that I've read on here have done a really good job of reminding me of something that I learned many years ago. You really have to be careful when you listen to someone that tries to come off as an expert when they really aren't. If you don't own the phone then you really aren't qualified to speak about its merits. You PLAYED with a phone that has been used by dozens of people (probably hundreds), hasn't been updated, & who knows how it's been treated. Buy one, USE it for a few days and then come back and tell us how it is. Right now, anyone that can honestly recommend a WM phone over any BB is smoking crack or obviously doesn't know what they're talking about. A BB that has half it's features crippled is still twice the phone of any WM device.

[kittiesplay]

IMHO, if you're telling me that there is NO difference between a hardware and software keyboard, you've lost all credibility. There is DEFINITELY going to be some loss with a software keyboard. I didn't know it would be this significant. When you do a LOT of typing, this loss is noticeable.

No where in my post did I say there was not a difference. I actually said the opposite there is a difference, it's a whole different type of technology than your hard keyboard, and very diiferent for qwerty users. What I said was after getting used to it your typing and productivity will be back at 100% and productivity wise you will not see a difference.

I type, text, IM quite a bit throughout the day at least 50-100 easy. I often hold entire conversations typing via phone or computer. After a few days maybe 2, I was up to typing at a point where I can carry a typed conversation with out skipping a beat. Most folks I've talked to can't even tell if I'm on my Storm or on my computer, because the messages are so fast and accurate.

Look I'm not trying to change your mind I have my storm and I love it, you have your whatever and be happy. I only responded because your statement was telling others what the can and can't do on this phone. Which is hilarious because a) you don't own the phone and b) you don't know everyone their usage and their ability.

[slinky#CB]

Look I'm not trying to change your mind I have my storm and I love it, you have your whatever and be happy. I only responded because your statement was telling others what the can and can't do on this phone. Which is hilarious because a) you don't own the phone and b) you don't know everyone their usage and their ability.

I'm saying that, no way no how, can you expect to be able to type as quickly on the Storm as you can on your Curve or Bold. I don't believe it and neither would most. I don't need to own a phone to know this. Now... with regard to "everyone's usage", if you somehow can defy the laws of gravity and whatever else, then I'm happy for you. For many of us, especially those who are used to the hardware of a Curve or Worldphone, you should expect a significant and noticeable difference in your efficiency. It's the transition from hardware to software. It's not rocket science. For those who can be the exceptions to the rule, invest time, get Mavis Beacon teaches typing on the Blackberry Storm... G-d bless them. For the rest, there will be an investment in time in just trying to type on this keyboard and the results of your time and money investment are uncertain.