Touching a Storm

“I went back to using my original iPhone
after using the Storm and it is like a breath of fresh air in the touch screen device category. The iPhone is slick and so much easier to navigate and faster
to enter text on.”

So says Mathew Miller of ZDNet.com And that
just about sums it up, doesn’t it? I mean, we’ve reached that point that in the
market, if something has a touch screen and it’s portable, it’s going to be
compared with the iPhone. And ultimately, it was Apple that forced RIM’s hand
on the matter. BlackBerrys are known for their full on QWERTY keypads; it was
their bread and butter. But unlike other features du jour, touch screen technology
is hard to omit and still consider your brand as evolving. It’s not a gimmick
in most cases, but simply put, a better means of navigating and operating a
device. However, when a reviewer states that the touch screen “is unique and
cool for a few minutes” (emphasis
added) as Miller does, then you have to question the technology’s
implementation.

Miller’s article “David Pogue forecasts a
depression for the Storm and I completely agree” is a short piece in which he and
fellow tech guru Pogue share affable nods of agreement on the lameness of the
Storms touch screen. The bottom line for both critics is that the process of
touch navigation on the Storm is more of a chore than a treat. And so Miller
says “[i]f you think you are going to be productive and efficient on the Storm,
think again.” That’s a pretty deadly blow to a product aimed at the business
elite. And let’s face it, they’re not the most patient of consumers.

So what is the Storm then? Either it’s an
attempt at a more mainstream audience with its touch screen interface or it’s
an endeavour to bring that same technology into a more refined business device;
but no matter what your perspective, it fails. And yet RIM felt confident
enough to enter Apple’s touch screen territory. Perhaps the Storm is just a
statement: ‘See, we can do touch screen too. Now everyone go back to your
keypads.’ Whatever the case, they’ve achieved an unfavourable result; as Miller
summarizes: “I prefer the iPhone much more over the Storm.”

Source

Steve | My Bio & Articles

Steve is a self-confessed gadget addict with a soft spot for all green gizmos. He has a BA in English Literature and is currently completing his MA in Communication and Rhetoric.