[awilson10]

This is my first post here and my first endevor into choosing a smartphone so please be gentle! lol. I have Verizon for my carrier and I am currently using a Moto Razer V3c. It is time to move into the 21st century! I would like the help of expierenced users to decide which phone is right for me and not just the hype of a salesman trying to make a quota. This phone will be entirely for personal use.

Here is what I need/want the phone to do:
1. Integrate easily with my pop email account.
2. Share contacts and appointments with MS Outlook 2007.
3. Access the internet to monitor personal finances.

I have considered the 9550 Storm 2 so far because I like the idea of the touchscreen but am still open to other models.

Thanks in advance for you help!

[phonejunky]

Yea sounds like a storm 2 will be well suited for you, but you could also grab the 9650 bold if not have a physical keyboard isn't yoour liking.

[pr1nce]

The 9550 is the only touchscreen BB that Verizon has right now. I would recommend the Bold 9650 as well. It has 512mb of memory, trackpad, WiFi and is OS 6 capable. It's a terrific device.

[awilson10]

Thanks for the reply! I was starting to wonder if I had pissed-off the entire community by asking for help here! lol I've been reading the forums here a bit and have found some things that are very helpful in making my decision and have me leaning more towards a Blackberry but the same time I have seen much that makes me wonder if I should be considering a differrent platform. I've had my moto razr for around 5 years and have had no problems with what I have needed it to do. I'm even still using the original battery. From reading these forums it seems that a majority of blackberry users or at least a very vocal minority have had endless problems. The last thing I need in my life at this point is another source of stress and frustration. What are the things that influence you to reccomend Blackberry over another platform?

[phonejunky]

I'll send you a personal email I do t want to start a platform war in here because I choose iPhone over blackberry.

[K Bear]

Why not go with a Droid X since you are on Verizon?

[awilson10]

That may be a good idea! And for everyone reading this thread my intension is not to start a platform war but to gather useful information from expierened smartphone users of any platform to help me decide which one best meets my needs and wants which may be very different from your own. I appreciate all constructive opinions and advice!

[pr1nce]

In my opinion you can't beat a Blackberry for receiving/sending emails and texting. The 9650 has a really nice keyboard. I'm a heavy user with a ton of work and few personal emails daily, the 9650 just works. The trackpad is great for navigating. The current OS has been solid for me and it's ready for the new BB6 which is coming. Finally, with the additional memory you're not limited with the number of apps you can run.

[awilson10]

K Bear
I haven't ruled out the droid but so far the information I have gathered suggests that the blackberry performs the functions I am mainly interested in better. The droid seems to have a lot more bells, whistles and flashing lights at this point but as far as their usefulness for me I'm not sure it would justify the cost difference.
Have you used a droid and if so what do you feel it did better than other phones you have used?

[awilson10]

princebb
Email access is a key feature for me. What type of email account do you have and do you use MS Outlook for email and scheduling appointments on a pc at home or work?

[pr1nce]

My work email is through a Microsoft server and I use aol and at&t for my personal email. I don't use Outlook.

[K Bear]

K Bear
I haven't ruled out the droid but so far the information I have gathered suggests that the blackberry performs the functions I am mainly interested in better. The droid seems to have a lot more bells, whistles and flashing lights at this point but as far as their usefulness for me I'm not sure it would justify the cost difference.
Have you used a droid and if so what do you feel it did better than other phones you have used?

I prefer a physical keyboard over a virtual one and I'm not much of a Moto fan at all. I prefer HTC's hard ware ten fold. I know that the HTC Incredible is really nice and so is the Samsung Galaxy S series. (I'm not sure the name of the Verizon variant, but the AT&T Captivate and the T-Mobile Vibrant are really nice touchscreen devices). I've played around with quite a few Android devices.

The plus with Android is that you can really get into the nuts and bolts of the device to make it what you want and work the way you want. Blackberry is what it is. There's not the same ability to customize it. It just does messaging, e-mail, and calendar events well. Otherwise it's a pretty disappointing platform.

The Storm is more of a toy (read iPhone like), than a really useful Blackberry. Storm 2 is a vast improvement over Storm 1, but at the same time, this devices is heading for EOL quickly. I would never in good conscious recommend a device that will no longer be supported. If we knew for sure that the Storm 3 would be dropping shortly with it's ability to support OS6, I'd be more apt to suggest it. As we have no real info on this refresh, I cannot in good faith suggest the Storm series to you.

If you are going to go Blackberry, go with the Bold Series, which would be the 9650 for you. It's a solid device, though void of a touchscreen.

[Spiral_ouT]

With your needs, I would go for Bold 9650. OS 6 ready, top notch physical keypad, 512mb app memory, excellent battery life and the best email on a cell. Also the LED makes it easy to see when you have a msg waiting for you if you missed the initial alert.

[Xavier DMar]

Been using the storm 1 for the same reasons u listed and love it. I personally have not had any problems with lag and mem leaks are that bad. Skipped the storm 2 cause it was not a big enough change. But if u can hold out till the end of the year or early '11 the storm 3 is looking real good.

[trjnberry]

I have to come to observation that a BlackBerry is a device that you primary use for typing, while the Iphone and Android are devices that you primary use for graphical user interface. You use a BlackBerry for activities that require typing - email, texting, note taking, calendar appointments. You use an Android or Iphone for activities that best take advantage of a graphical user interface - internet browsing, videos, and graphical games. When choosing a smartphone, you want to decide HOW do you want to use the device - typing or via a GUI?

When you browse the internet on a BlackBerry, you go to sites where you can type - Wikipedia, to look up stuff; Google, to search stuff; Crackberry.com, to type in your replies to posts, as examples. On a BlackBerry, you are always looking to type, hence why so many BlackBerry users prefer a physical keyboard. It is easier to type on a physical keyboard than on a virtual one, especially if you don't want to look at the screen when you type.

On an Android or Iphone, you are looking to enjoy the graphical user interface. So, you are watching videos, browsing the internet, and playing games. When you use productive apps, you're looking for apps that have minimal typing.

All three of these platforms have apps for listening to music & podcasts, reading books, doing banking, and numerous other activities that don't relate to the primary reason you may choose the device. But if you choose a smartphone that is the opposite of how you want to use device, you may find yourself disappointed in its offerings. Thus, if you're a typer, choose BlackBerry. If you prefer a GUI, choose iPhone or Android. If you want the BB experience and a GUI, the Torch or an updated Storm will be your best alternative to iPhone and Android.

[K Bear]

I have to come to observation that a BlackBerry is a device that you primary use for typing, while the Iphone and Android are devices that you primary use for graphical user interface. You use a BlackBerry for activities that require typing - email, texting, note taking, calendar appointments. You use an Android or Iphone for activities that best take advantage of a graphical user interface - internet browsing, videos, and graphical games. When choosing a smartphone, you want to decide HOW do you want to use the device - typing or via a GUI?

When you browse the internet on a BlackBerry, you go to sites where you can type - Wikipedia, to look up stuff; Google, to search stuff; Crackberry.com, to type in your replies to posts, as examples. On a BlackBerry, you are always looking to type, hence why so many BlackBerry users prefer a physical keyboard. It is easier to type on a physical keyboard than on a virtual one, especially if you don't want to look at the screen when you type.

On an Android or Iphone, you are looking to enjoy the graphical user interface. So, you are watching videos, browsing the internet, and playing games. When you use productive apps, you're looking for apps that have minimal typing.

All three of these platforms have apps for listening to music & podcasts, reading books, doing banking, and numerous other activities that don't relate to the primary reason you may choose the device. But if you choose a smartphone that is the opposite of how you want to use device, you may find yourself disappointed in its offerings. Thus, if you're a typer, choose BlackBerry. If you prefer a GUI, choose iPhone or Android. If you want the BB experience and a GUI, the Torch or an updated Storm will be your best alternative to iPhone and Android.

You're assumption about Android devices would be spot on, if all Android devices lacked a physical QWERTY keyboard. Not all Android devices are touchscreen only.

[trjnberry]

You're assumption about Android devices would be spot on, if all Android devices lacked a physical QWERTY keyboard. Not all Android devices are touchscreen only.

True, but the current hottest selling Androids don't come with physical keyboards. I have read more complaints about the Android physical keyboards than about any other feature of the Android platform in technology blogs. BlackBerrys are not all physical keyboard. Our touch screen devices are considered to be the worst in the business if you read the Crackberry forums.

The point is that both platforms have features that you can get on the other, but it is just that they each have a different primary method of use. BlackBerry's tend to focus on activities that require typing while Android tend to focus on activities that best utilize the graphical user interface.

[K Bear]

True, but the current hottest selling Androids don't come with physical keyboards. I have read more complaints about the Android physical keyboards than about any other feature of the Android platform in technology blogs. BlackBerrys are not all physical keyboard. Our touch screen devices are considered to be the worst in the business if you read the Crackberry forums.

The point is that both platforms have features that you can get on the other, but it is just that they each have a different primary method of use. BlackBerry's tend to focus on activities that require typing while Android tend to focus on activities that best utilize the graphical user interface.

Last time I played with a Droid, it had a physical keyboard. Granted, HTC makes better physical QWERTY keyboards than Moto, it's not a bad keyboard. From my POV, having a keyboard where I don't get my nails caught on a regular basis is a huge plus for me.

[awilson10]

Trjnberry,
Keyboard or Gui is something I will need to explore. I currently do not use texting very often. I do not use my current phone for email at all because it has the numeric pad as the keypad and I get a bit frustrated trying to type with my thumbs (they may just be to large for texting). I may just need to become more proficient at thumb typing. But I guess the only way I will be able to truly decide which will be best for me is to play with both input types.