I think for me it's addictive because I feel like I have the whole world in the palm of my hand. I don't have to be sitting home in front of the computer...I can take the computer with me and I am only an arm's length away from the web, email, text, phone. I love, love, love it. Also...I think whenever I have my blackberry next to me...I feel like I'm never alone! lol...
After spending months of my life trying almost every smartphone on the market, from the BJ to the Q, Tilt, Wing, RAZR, Curve, Pearl, 8820, Curve, 8310, 8320, BJII, and most recently iPhone, I think I have a bit of light to shine on the answer.
Really, since my travels into the Land of iPhone and back, I seriously think the addictive nature of the BB comes down to one thing: Communication.
Nothing else, not even the iPhone, brings together so many points of our life compass into one portable, easy to maintain package. It's a cell phone, email, browser, address book, IM client, and much more all wrapped into one thing that we all carry with us anyway: a cell phone.
It's not that other phones don't do these things, it's just that they don't do so many of them so very well. Even with the iPhone I felt disconnected from people, and this was even after having it use push email, browsing, spending time learning to type, setting up iTunes, all that. I maxed the thing out in about two days - and felt disconnected from the world.
It's the instant-on microwave culture experience. You know immediately if and who wants to contact you at any given moment, and can choose to communicate with them or ignore them or hold off until later. There is also the infinite number of ways you can configure the phone to fit your needs. Carry it in your pocket and want it to vibrate? Great. iPhone - one switch, little buzz. BB - one vibrate for incoming email from one account; two for incoming from my desktop; three for a phone call.......i can ignore one and two, but better check three.....if one or two happens then I probably have it in the back of my mind that there's something waiting for me, but I can check it whenever. Really nice, really smart.
The multimedia capabilities are nice as well; it's a complicated iPod, an adequate movie viewing experience, and a lousy radio. It's almost all things to all people; at least those who take a bit of time to learn it. The iPhone is some things to all people and has NO learning curve; and that's what some people crave. My wife, for example. Loved her BB, loves the iP.
I like to find solutions. It's kinda like working a puzzle or soduko.... I also like to share knowledge. And, I still need help sometimes. I also want the next level... Abuser! Then the next and the next and the next.......
For me, it's addictive because I've never owned a smartphone, palm pilot, PDA -- whatever. There's still so much for me to learn and get adjusted to. It's a great tool, and I milk it for all it's worth. :]
I agree Cate, I've never had so many options and things to be able to do! I mean being notified of an email within seconds and not being near a computer, who would have thought!
i think i'm addicted because of the phone and this site. there is so much to do on a bb and it seems that even the most experienced people can still find something new to do on the bb. the iphone seems much more limited in its possibilities while the bb just keeps going up and up. not to mention that there are tons of models of bb's to fit everyone's needs, not so with the iphone.
i also like that my screen doesn't get all smudged with fingerprints all the time.
not to mention that apple products seem to suck usually and getting an iphone replaced is a hard task (so it seems, for my mom and brother) and i'm on my 6th ipod...
i just love that everything i do on a computer, i can do from my phone, and i'm excited that there is more for me to learn!
you know how everyone has an ipod to fill in that... 'gap' in daily routines? i fill it with a bite from my berry! when i get into a train, when i'm waiting for people, OH when i want to start convos with people (all hail viigo), when people are just.... generally boring and feigning interest is boring and they don't really seem to notice that you are, in fact, feigning interest, when i'm lost and i need help i can now be stuck up and manly by not asking people for directions, when class is boring, oh the list is endless.
after reading that i just realized i sound so jobless! hahaha, well i'm not. i'm just talking bout those times in the middle.
you know how everyone has an ipod to fill in that... 'gap' in daily routines? i fill it with a bite from my berry! when i get into a train, when i'm waiting for people, OH when i want to start convos with people (all hail viigo), when people are just.... generally boring and feigning interest is boring and they don't really seem to notice that you are, in fact, feigning interest, when i'm lost and i need help i can now be stuck up and manly by not asking people for directions, when class is boring, oh the list is endless.
after reading that i just realized i sound so jobless! hahaha, well i'm not. i'm just talking bout those times in the middle.
Talk about I usually don't know what to do with yself when the train goes into the tunnel arghhhh there's no signal......
Think of how much worse it will be with unity4life. I don't know much a bout it but nothing will beat the satisfaction of controlling my tv with my phone.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com