I lay in bed with my phone resting against my ear. I am bitter and speechless.
“I know what it’s like,” my boyfriend voices softly on the line. His words offer little comfort.
I groan again.
“I know what it’s like to have no Internet.”
It was Day Three of a spotty wireless connection at my house. We’re getting another new box soon, but still, it’s agonizing. No, this isn’t a post about my a-a-addiction. It’s too late for intervention. No 10-Step program can pull me out at this stage.
This is a post to ask you, my readers, the Big Question:
Blackberry or iPhone?
I’ve written about my slow adaptation to modern technology, but now is the time for me to enter 2008. I don’t know how I’ve gone without an Internet backup for this long. I can’t let this go on.
But I really can’t decide.
I want to check email.
I want a personal calendar.
I want to browse the Internet.
I want something pretty.
Also, I don’t want to constantly trim the fingernail on my right pointer finger, if that makes any difference.
I understand this shouldn’t be that difficult of a decision. The phones are so different. I guess I’m like those elusive undecided voters, who people hate but still pay gobs of attention to. Treat me like one. Yell, scream, tell me I’m an idiot for not knowing much about these devices even after they’ve been out there for so long. But also help me choose.
Please.
Thanks.
21 responses so far ↓
1 Elizabeth // Oct 23, 2008 at 10:36 am
I got an iPhone a few weeks ago, and have been loving it. I have a MacBook, so everything integrates so well, and I’ve been having a lot of fun finding new applications. I love that it is an MP3 player also.
2 Joy @ Big Time Fancy // Oct 23, 2008 at 10:44 am
I loooooooove my Blackberry Curve. I bought a refurbed on specifically so I’d be ready for the Bold.
The iphone is AWESOME for all its applications, but the whole touch screen aspect, especially for texting, throws me off. And I don’t think you can text pictures with it - you have to email them. Also, I live in Chicago where winters are LONG and FREEZING - I don’t want to worry about keeping the thing in some kind of “optimal operating temperature.”
Also, I like having real keys.
So I’ve been going to the Apple store and tooling around with the iphones, and I’ll probably dick around with the Blackberry Bold, too. Just to make sure it’s what I want before I commit.
3 downbeat // Oct 23, 2008 at 10:48 am
I love love LOVE my iPhone. I’ve had it since they first came out, and it’s magical. It beats having to get out of bed when I want to look something up or check e-mail really quickly, and I adapted to the touch screen in about 48 hours. It’s been love ever since.
4 well-intentioned heartbreaker // Oct 23, 2008 at 10:56 am
okay so i just got the blackberry curve. well, like, a month or something ago. whatever. september 17th was the date if we want to get all technical, which apparently i do.
i adore it.
i sometimes get jealous of people on their little iphones and whatnot, but as a journalism student, i find the phone a lot more practical in the business/networking sense.
i still have twitterberry on it.. i read blogs, i play games. but it just made more sense than the iphone for me.
oh, and the iphone touch screen terrifies me. my girlfriend had a touch screen phone before, and after the first year, it went all wonky.. so signing a 3 year contract to a touch screen phone makes me nervous.
5 nicopolitan // Oct 23, 2008 at 11:08 am
I must admit getting used to imaginary keys on the iPhone took a bit of effort, but the reward of the iPhone is its versatility and general fun-ness. Blackberries, however, are more of a power communication tool, can manage many many email accounts, and get along with a lot of PC technology. (we have some in my office).
So:
Blackberry = get down to business
iPhone = the business of getting down
6 thatshortchick // Oct 23, 2008 at 12:00 pm
i’m personally a blackberry girl (the “keys” on the iPhone do nothing for me) but then i’ve always been more practical and less all about the glitzy-ness.
although i have read and heard all about the fun apps that the iPhone features, so that may be something to consider.
7 Jessica // Oct 23, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I don’t have either, but I am IN LOVE with Blackberry’s and am getting one as soon as my contract is up. Go for the blackberry!
8 Heather // Oct 23, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I have had my iphone for a few months now. I LOVE it, except for days I don’t. :0) My best advice go to your nearest At&t store and play with both. You’ll be able to make up your mind pretty much on your own. If you need any other help, check out the app store on iTunes, that helped me a lot. The app store is AMAZING!!
Hope that helps! :0)
9 Di // Oct 23, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I don’t have the iphone, but my friend Mike has both, one for work and one for personal and he says he prefers the blackberry a ton more. He’s annoyed with the touch screen and says text messaging is a pain. I have a bb pearl and I love it - but I don’t know any other :)
10 allthewine // Oct 23, 2008 at 1:35 pm
iPhone. I’m telling you this from one, I rarely turn on my computer for random web surfing. And the apps are becoming more and more useful. It’s the wave of the future.
11 Kyla Bea // Oct 23, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I have used a Blackberry and an iPhone and I really prefer the iPhone. This is my rationale:
- BBs aren’t wholly mac compatible. This alone is a deal breaker for me, I don’t want to pay for something I can’t totally use
- The BB operating system is off putting to me, it seems clunky and like it could break out into DOS at any time - the Apple OS is clean, intuitive, and so much easier to use.
Purely Pro Apple:
- You can customize your desktop with the iPhone, easily, and you can customize the pictures that display in the buttons.
- Tons of awesome free application downloads
- Screen that’s better for visuals, for me. I read a lot of fashion and design blogs and if I couldn’t zoom in and have a large screen I would be a sad panda.
- The GPS/Search feature is extremely easy to use and intuitive. There is a lot of built in Google support.
- There seems to be more development interest in the iPhone, which for me is why I would take it hands down. If people are accommodating it then that’s where I want to be - it’s why I have an XBox and not a playstation.
Best advice: go play with both, one will probably feel right while one feels weird.
Good luck!
12 Kyla Bea // Oct 23, 2008 at 3:18 pm
PS - I’m sorry my comment was so obnoxious and huge lol
13 Erin // Oct 23, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I don’t have either, but I do have an iPod touch, which is basically an iPhone that doesn’t make phone calls. I love it. It makes me desperate to have an iPhone. The typing is a little strange at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly.
14 katelin // Oct 23, 2008 at 5:50 pm
i have neither but my vote would be an iphone, they just seem so spiffy.
15 alexa // Oct 23, 2008 at 6:35 pm
i’ll just say that i have a blackberry but i wish i had an iphone
16 m@ // Oct 23, 2008 at 8:24 pm
While the iPhone workflow is polished, it is garbage that they don’t have real buttons. Interfaces that you have to touch should have tactile feedback. It is the only Apple product that I would never purchase.
My opinions on interfaces aside, what’s worse? Flaming Hot Cheetos fingers on your buttons or on your screen?
17 Jamie // Oct 24, 2008 at 12:24 pm
iPhone. iPhone. iPhone!
18 horace // Oct 26, 2008 at 10:10 am
The HTC G1 running Google’s Android operating system. Just went on the market October 22 — what timing!
19 maggie // Oct 26, 2008 at 2:20 pm
blackberry, just because it is named Blackberry.
i mean, cmon. that’s awesome.
xo
20 Phil // Oct 26, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I don’t have either, so can’t make much in the way of an informed opinion. I use the LG Voyager (I’m on the evil Verizon network, but for some reason I still like Verizon). I hope to one day get an iPhone, though.
Also, don’t forget that the Google Android is available now. I’ve seen two people with those so far, and they don’t seem half bad. Worth looking into, for sure, if you don’t mind TMobile.
21 Lily // Nov 10, 2008 at 9:00 am
If you haven’t already made your decision (I just found your blog and have some catching up to do before I get to your most recent posts!), I strongly recommend the iPhone. Then again, I will always choose Apple over a competitor, but seriously. I’ve had it now for 2-3 months and am still as obsessed and in love with it as I was on Day 1. Having Google Maps and other really great apps is so convenient and awesome. So, yes. One more vote for iPhone!
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