I loved Blackberry. I even rocked a 7100t. Suretype sucked, but as far as smart-phones went it was much better than carrying a Nokia and a Palm Pilot (Phone + Organization!). Because unless you were living in Silicon Valley in the late 90′s it just wasn’t cool to carry all those devices. And in retrospect, it probably wasn’t cool there either.
BB was the ultimate smartphone. My pockets were happy. And because I was carrying less gizmos - I was more attractive to the ladies – in my mind. (NOTE: I have never, NEVER attached anything to my belt. That’s just not right. If you do. Stop now, or die single and alone.)
Fast forward, it’s 2009, and I’m carrying a BB Bold 9700 & and iPod Touch (Smartphone + Entertainment!). That’s right. I went from carrying 2 devices in 1999 to carrying 2 devices in 2009. What the hell? A decade later and I go backwards? Well, I’m in NYC again and no longer drive to get around. In NYC, music helps. It helps drown out the deafening roar of the subway. It helps drown out the crazy proselytizing homeless people on the subways. It helps drown out those street marketers with their loaded questions “Do you care about the environment / starving children / baby seals that get clubbed to death?” – No, I’m a seal clubbing, childless, BP exec who just wants to get where I’m going.
So I decide I need to do something about this 2 device thing. Again. It was cumbersome then, even more so now – skinny pants with 2 devices? Yeah, don’t think so. To be fair, BB does have a media player. And it sucks. And I can’t watch videos on it (easily) and it’s got CRAP Apps. Aye, there’s the rub – Apps.
So I tried it out. The experiment: 10 days in Berlin with only an iPhone – no hard keyboard. Berlin + unlocked iPhone (I have T-mobile – cheap, works well in the states and b/c they’re German it’s one of the cheapest ways to use your own number in Europe) And you know what? On edge speeds, on an original iPhone. It was great. Google Maps (Just like the BB), Email (Not as good as BB but functional), iPod (BB can’t compete here at all – 3 movies on the plane) and finally: Apps.
I used Apps constantly: Berlin Guides (location awareness – you’re on this street; the nearest museums are here, here and here – try that paper guide book) and a German phrase book – with audio samples. Amazing. Can’t order Currywurst? Click a button and hold up your phone.
Since then I’ve been using and iPhone exclusively. On T-mobile with a legally unlocked iPhone. I won’t pay ATT blood money. Apple blood money, fine. BUT NOT THE DEATH STAR. I’m on still on Edge not 3G (thanks Tmobile for not using the same 3G everyone else does!), but on a 3GS iPhone it all works fine. When I spell things wrong I miss the BB’s keyboard – but only until I hit send – then the music starts up, and I’m happy again. And the ladies love me - in my mind.
