Which is more addictive: Blackberry or iPhone?

As I was obsessively checking my Blackberry at OSBC I realized that my usage is no longer about anything but the data. That is, I have no interest in the user experience or how I get from piece of information to another. I only care about the constant flow of information.

Counter that with my experience with the iPhone and an informal poll I did in which iPhone users said that they feel like they are participating with the device, not just consuming it like the Blackberry.

Leaving the form factor aside (I for one, like the BB keyboard) and focusing on the interface, Apple has done a far superior job to RIM and certainly to the carriers who have bastardized the BB interface.

As a Verizon customer (and happy with the coverage and reliability) I find that the Blackberry 8830 that they sell is good, except that the VZW interface tweaks are so lame I don't use the device to it's full functionality. AT&T simply doesn't work at my house so I am limited in my ability to use an iPhone.

Overall, the iPhone is much more engaging than the Blackberry. On the other hand, those who love the Blackberry do so because it's a utility, not an experience.

I'm curious to hear what other people think about this...

[Kingdaddy2000]

I had a BB Pearl. Hated the browser - worked like crap. I bought an iTouch as my first iPod, and liked the functionality so much so that I decided I didn't want to carry both it and the BB Pearl, so I got rid of the Pearl, took the iTouch back to Sam's Club, and bought an iPhone. I love it! I use the browser all the time. I also use YouTube on it, which I don't use on my PC, I like the weather functionality which didn't exist on my BB, and so on. The only thing I haven't solved yet is how to eliminate spam coming in from my server - I use MS Outlook, and i receive emails on both my iPhone and PC at the same time, and there is no junk filter on my iPhone. However, with the Apple sw they opened up to over 100K developers, it won't be long before that problem is solved. I'm really excited about the possibilities that are coming for the iPhone. It is a true game-changer.
You can view my review of it on CNET at: http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/apple-iphone-16gb-at/4864-6452_7-32851722.html?ctype=msgid&messageSiteID=7&messageID=2557680&cval=2557680&tag=uolst

[ronwr2501]

I had one of the original RIM BlackBerrys (99 or 00?) that I got from JavaOne, a conference, and absolutely lvoed it! And that was in the rudimentary stages. Flash Forward several years, and I needed a new phone, and I'm a huge gadget guy, so I actually narrowed down my choices to a BlackBerry or iPhone. My company stopped paying for my phone 2 years ago, when I moved out of a travelling position, so the choice was easy. I saw the BlackBerry as utilitarian, and the iPhone as more fun and casual. I opted for the iPhone and believe it is a far superior communications tool. As a developer I am excited to see the SDK progress, and I know that the jailbraking scene will push the "official" applications much further, as jailbreaking is now available to almost anyone willing to try it. And the ability of the browser to handle Web 2.0 applciations leads to even more functionality not available on most other devices in this form factor. I enjoy the fact that I can jump on wireless when available, and have really enjoyed the speeds for both EDGE and wireless.

As for SPAM tools, I believe that should be handled on the server. I use Yahoo and Gmail (IMAP). I have my voicemail forwarded to my Yahoo account (because they support push), and setup the phone to check GMail every 15 minutes. I have found this setup to be more than efficient for me.

There are pitfalls with the iPhone, and with all the praise, I'll also list those: EDGE is slow; lack of true GPS is frustrating; Some codecs missing for WAV: I have to use a service iphoneconvert.com. I am also frustrated about missing calls while on the EDGE network, and the vice-versa, which is I can't get on the EDGE network to look something up while on a call is ludicrous.

So, while its more of a review, I believe my iPhone experience is about both the availability of data and the user experience. Like the weather and stock widgets, Apple has taken raw data which could be displayed on any device, and really polished it. I expect to see similar treatment of common data as the new apps rool out from the SDK. I could go to weather.com to check the weather, but why should I? Apple has made the communications layer transparent, which is the key to the new web (SOA, etc). Any device can display data, but the iPhone does it with style.