[webmeister]

I think that the Torch exemplifies what RIM is best at. Integration. The device is such a great multi-purpose device. I bring only one device with me to work and it's my Torch. I can read my messages while listening to my large MP3 collection on my 16 GB micro-SD card and bluetooth headphones and also browse the web. I can do all of these things simultaneously without any appreciable lag, too.

Navigation:
This is where RIM got it absolutely right. They were able to put together a wide swath of features while making navigation quite painless and intuitive amongst them. The inclusion of a trackpad and keypad and touchscreen is a brilliant item all by itself. It's certainly something that RIM is likely to build on in future devices and quite frankly I find it to be one of the big differentiators between the Torch and other smartphones including RIM's own excellent range of products. I find the touchscreen to be quite responsive, even through the screen protector's film.

RIM's take on PIM:
My Torch and my wife's Bold 9700 are both connected to the family BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express (BESx). Appointments, tasks, memos and contacts are seamlessly, transparently and wirelessly synchronized in the background. All of our personal data is constantly backed up to the BESx, including all third-party app data, icon positioning, menus, etc. This is not a Torch-specific feature, but certainly something that (big time) differentiates it from other vendors' offerings. Of course, this is one of the reasons that we buy BlackBerrys in the first place, but I find it a real joy how RIM has integrated the touchscreen with the PIM functions. For example, swiping through the calendar is a lot of fun.

Multimedia and Screen
I haven't watched a lot of video on my Torch, but what I have watched has been fluid and beautifully rendered. If I need more pixels/mm^2 I'll watch on my PC or my TV. I've said it before (so I'm being consistent if not repetitive) that for light-duty web-browsing, but especially messaging, a high-density screen is a disadvantage.

I *do* listen to a lot of MP3s and synchronize with my iTunes library. The sound is quite nice. Of course a lot of this is dependent on how the music is rendered/digitized and the bitrate that it is sampled at, but that is true for any MP3 player. I can honestly say that the clarity is really quite impressive and easily surpasses any other MP3 player that I've had. Those RIM engineers know what they're doing.

Browser
Hey, it's a small screen. You can only put so much on a screen of that physical size (forget pixel density for a minute) before your eyes start to bleed trying to read everything. For those of us who are bifocal and corrective lens deniers, the pinch-to-zoom function is great. The fact that the browser renders so quickly and that so many well-designed sites automatically detect and adjust their layout to reflect the BBs' browser is testament to just how ubiquitous the BBs are.

Cool Factor
No kidding. I was at a hockey game last night with my son, and there were at least 5 Torches within a stone's throw of our seats, most of them in the hands of 20-somethings, a demographic that I am sadly no longer part of. It got me to thinking, and over the course of the game and several refreshment breaks and walking through the concourse I saw a lot more BlackBerrys than I did from that vendor with the fruit name. Young people and older people are embracing the product. It wasn't a very scientific poll, but still quite fun. Clearly a lot of BlackBerrys found their way into people's hands this Christmas in Canada.

Radios / Battery
How do they do it? A GPS receiver, 802.11 b/g/n, 3G and Bluetooth radio (count 'em ....4!) all packed into that little form factor? Sheesh. And it has a removable battery so you can maintain your productivity with a spare battery in your pocket. Who woulda thunk it? Not that you're going to need it, since even with heavy use my Torch easily lasts a whole day. Just put it on the charger at night.

Anyway, just so you folks know, I'm not a geek in the classic sense of liking blinking LEDs and things like that. I *am* a fan of well-engineered, and executed products like the Torch. Let's face it, on forums such as these you're going to see a lot more of the negative because people are typically reaching out for help when they post. If we all took a bit of time talking about the positives of such a great product (without coming across as fanboys) we'd all be that much happier. No need to be be so insecure.

[sedalia066]

Thanks for the reminders. You point out many of the reasons I have become a Torch devotee. BB goes without saying is a choice for functionality. Torch carries form and function to a new level.

For all the fans of fruit and robots, more power to them. So long as the device fills their need then fine. For me BB is the only way today.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jessassej]

Same here guys! Torch is indeed HOT!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[dcjr99]

Love my torch folks got it on first release here on ATT. Love it. Had to replace the first one as the plastic around the trackpad and on/off buttons came off. However, it's a great device that deserves it's recognition. I'm typing thos on my torch right now and had to let my neice use my ole 9700 unless we got her a replace fruit. What I find funny now is she has said replacement and won't give back my 9700 with os 6 upgrade lol. Good post guys. I thought it was going bt another omg the phone is on fire, type posts.

[webmeister]

Love my torch folks got it on first release here on ATT. Love it. Had to replace the first one as the plastic around the trackpad and on/off buttons came off. However, it's a great device that deserves it's recognition. I'm typing thos on my torch right now and had to let my neice use my ole 9700 unless we got her a replace fruit. What I find funny now is she has said replacement and won't give back my 9700 with os 6 upgrade lol. Good post guys. I thought it was going bt another omg the phone is on fire, type posts.

Great phone. I can hardly wait for whatever comes next!