I have the Storm 1. I've updated to the 5.0 OS and so far it's made some very good improvements as far as responsiveness launching apps, email, and even typing and the pos screen is a lot better than before. 4.78 or whatever helped a lot as well but this new 5 is really great.
Imo the Storm isnt for business, cause if you have to type 100 emails, notes, memos a day on this thing you'd wish you'd stuck with a real keyboard....as I do!
Storm would be fine for a general purpose phone but come Feb I'm getting a BB with a keyboard! #blackberrystorm2
I appreciate the review - it is excellent, and appears quite accurate. We actually have one coming in next week for our office to test.
Even though this is a nit picky comment, the focus appears to be on the device as a consumer product competing against the iPhone and Droid. The problem with that is that the Storm 2 will primarily sell to businesses. I do not believe there is a competing business touchscreen product out there. The iPhone gave the middle finger salute to businesses with their Exchange mess. The Pre and Droid have not made their systems ideal for business customers and do not offer a small percentage of what a BES unit and BlackBerry device can for securing the phone. Unless I am missing something, the Storm 2 is the only game in town.
My comment is nit picky (if you hadn't picked this up, which I am sure you did) because those other devices are the only thing to compare it to, and certainly BlackBerry needs to be moving further in getting an iPhone OS quality device. All of the issues you mentioned need to be fixed. But, if I am shopping for a touch screen device for folks at my office, there appears to be only one choice at the moment. #blackberrystorm2
@Monty: How many business customers got the original Storm, though? I don't see many business customers lining up to get touchscreen Blackberries, especially ones where they can't type as fast as they could on, say a Curve or a Tour. #blackberrystorm2
@s73v3r: We didn't buy a Storm because we tested it first. From what I have read, the Storm 2 clears up the major problems with the original (ignoring the fact that it really needs an entirely new OS for it to be iPhone-like), so that is a major step forward. We have execs that would prefer to have the larger screen, and many begging for something that looks more iPhone like, even though it is not as good. So, if it passes our own testing, we may have half of our staff using these. Personally, I think the Tour is their best phone, but it is nice to see their touchscreen device getting good enough to maybe even use. #blackberrystorm2
What RIM/Verizon should do is offer a no-questions-asked upgrade path for purchasers of the original Storm. I don't mind paying SOMETHING, but I'm not going to sign up for another two years of suffering.
@mfielden: Does Verizon prorate your contract amount (penalty) for upgrading early? If so, they technically have that in place already, but I am not certain that is true. #blackberrystorm2
@Monty: You can do annual upgrades but you have to be on a high price plan and only the primary number can do it on family share plans.
But the Storm1 came out around Thanksgiving last year so you would still have to wait another month from now. The Droid will be out and about by then though. #blackberrystorm2
The Software Update Monday for the Storm 1 has improved the Phone enough that I can actually use it now!
If you have the original , I highly recommend the new software update #blackberrystorm2
So I take it I should just keep my Tour then? The only trouble I have with the Tour is that the trackball acts a little wonkey every now and then. #blackberrystorm2
@bagellord: when that happens, lock the device, press down on the trackball and with a fast jerking motio...erm.. with slight pressure rub it back and forth.. ugh.. I give up. Tour has a self cleaning ball. #blackberrystorm2
@TheSonOfKrypton: fool me three times, and i stab you in the face. fool me four times, then you must have turned into a zombie because i distinctly remember stabbing you in the face and coldly watching you die at my feet so right now, yeah, i'm a little frightened and wish i had my shotgun, but hey, maybe you just became undead so we can hang out and go watch where the wild things are, yeah, and we can hold each other during the frightening parts and cry with each other during the sad parts and rejoice during the victorious parts, eh? so maybe this is a good thing after all. #blackberrystorm2
@COCOViper: How absolutely unfeeling of you, COCOViper. Without dummy units, what would our dummies use for calling other dummies? Geez, the way dummyism has infected our society is just so aggravating. You just remember the next time you drive your automobile how many dummies died to make your life safer and maybe you will alter your skewed perspective. #blackberrystorm2
@Monty:
I simply assumed those crash test dummy guys had decided to start ordering their phones through telesales/the internet by now. I mean after a hard 8 hour day of crash testing, what sane dummy would want to go out? #blackberrystorm2
@Adam Spano: Not completely pointless in that you get to get a feel for the hardware. In the Palm Pre's case, I was so turned off by the build quality (felt so cheap) that I didn't even have to consider the software to decide that it wasn't the phone for me.
@jibbly: I'd be extremely wary of judging the feel of the hardware from a dummy unit. Assuming they have any concern for accuracy, You could rely on maybe the size at most. Dummy units always feel lighter (they're empty), flimsier (they're empty), and in some completely idiotic cases don't include all the moving parts of a fully functional unit. Thus, dummy units = not worth my time. #blackberrystorm2
@OCEntertainment:
Dummy units never manage to give you the feel of weight or quality of the hardware, the buttons never feel the same either.
Hardware is usually the least important of my worries, interface ALWAYS comes first, and if I cannot test or try out the interface, it's not even worth picking up. It's like a slap in the face of the consumer. #blackberrystorm2
@OCEntertainment: Ah, I always thought they were the actual product. Thanks for the tip.
FWIW I revisited the Pre at a corporate Sprint store and while the software was nice, the hardware still felt chintzy. And Giz wasn't kidding about the razor sharp ridges. #blackberrystorm2
I thought for sure the rest of it was going to say "Storm 2 dummy units arrive at our office"... At least then you know someone there has a sense of humor. #blackberrystorm2
10/30/09
Imo the Storm isnt for business, cause if you have to type 100 emails, notes, memos a day on this thing you'd wish you'd stuck with a real keyboard....as I do!
Storm would be fine for a general purpose phone but come Feb I'm getting a BB with a keyboard! #blackberrystorm2
10/30/09
Even though this is a nit picky comment, the focus appears to be on the device as a consumer product competing against the iPhone and Droid. The problem with that is that the Storm 2 will primarily sell to businesses. I do not believe there is a competing business touchscreen product out there. The iPhone gave the middle finger salute to businesses with their Exchange mess. The Pre and Droid have not made their systems ideal for business customers and do not offer a small percentage of what a BES unit and BlackBerry device can for securing the phone. Unless I am missing something, the Storm 2 is the only game in town.
My comment is nit picky (if you hadn't picked this up, which I am sure you did) because those other devices are the only thing to compare it to, and certainly BlackBerry needs to be moving further in getting an iPhone OS quality device. All of the issues you mentioned need to be fixed. But, if I am shopping for a touch screen device for folks at my office, there appears to be only one choice at the moment. #blackberrystorm2
10/30/09
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But the Storm1 came out around Thanksgiving last year so you would still have to wait another month from now. The Droid will be out and about by then though. #blackberrystorm2
10/30/09
10/30/09
This is what I think of when I hear "Four piezo-electric buttons that live under the screen". How accurate is this? #blackberrystorm2
10/30/09
If you have the original , I highly recommend the new software update #blackberrystorm2
10/30/09
10/30/09
As a side note, products sure do look that much nicer when taken in the dusk/early morning light. #blackberrystorm2
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10/26/09
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10/21/09
I mean who really cares about dummy units for the Storm2? #blackberrystorm2
10/21/09
10/21/09
I simply assumed those crash test dummy guys had decided to start ordering their phones through telesales/the internet by now. I mean after a hard 8 hour day of crash testing, what sane dummy would want to go out? #blackberrystorm2
10/21/09
Most pointless peice of marketing material ever. #blackberrystorm2
10/21/09
But yes, nearly pointless. #blackberrystorm2
10/21/09
10/21/09
Dummy units never manage to give you the feel of weight or quality of the hardware, the buttons never feel the same either.
Hardware is usually the least important of my worries, interface ALWAYS comes first, and if I cannot test or try out the interface, it's not even worth picking up. It's like a slap in the face of the consumer. #blackberrystorm2
10/21/09
FWIW I revisited the Pre at a corporate Sprint store and while the software was nice, the hardware still felt chintzy. And Giz wasn't kidding about the razor sharp ridges. #blackberrystorm2
10/21/09
10/18/09