[Macworld]

Post your comments for Deathmatch: BlackBerry versus iPhone here

[jwlussow]

My biggest problem with RIM is their ongoing refusal to support the Mac. If you can't use over the air methods for app installation or Blackberry software updates you are stuck trying to use a friend's PC, taking it to a Blackberry dealer or using one of the poor third party apps that RIM has decided are good enough for us Mac users. I carry both my iPhone and a Blackberry 8830 (required for work). I use both everyday and I'm waiting for the day I can permanently retire my Blackberry.

[dzanre]

Just one comment of note. While it is indeed true that "out of the box" you cannot sync Novell GroupWise to an iPhone, NotifyLink Enterprise and even an iPhone app called GroupWiseSync can both bring your Novell GroupWise data to your iPhone. I've been using an iPhone exclusively for 9 months now with Novell GroupWise and both of these methods (tester extraordinaire here!), and I've never missed an appointment, email, or couldn't find a contact! And indeed this requires either a subscription or server, but then again since the BB requires a BES, for Novell GroupWise it's not much of a difference.

[neil74]

I use mac, own several ipods including an ipod touch and love them. In short I am an apple fan.
I also use a BB bold as my phone and main device to run my business when away from my desk. I suppose this is a mac site and an apple biased report was inevitable but I strongly disagree.
I'd say that other than apps, browsing an media I think the BB beats the iphone in every other way. In truth the review lost credibility for me when you described BB email as awkward are you serious? Having tried to use my ipod touch for email it would drive me mad to have to use the thing as my sole mobile device. It is one sexy piece of kit but no way would I swap my bold for an iphone.

[RonAnnArbor]

This is a great rundown -- an error, though -- you CAN autolock the blackberry keyboard as well, but you need to enable that. Most longtime Blackberry owners will immediately disable either the camera or the menu-switcher keys (the right and left hard keys) and change one or the other to autolock keyboard (done from options).
I have had the Bold/iPhone fight going on for a year -- I hate the touch keypad of the iPhone -- I don't care what some of the folks say, I can't get anywhere near as fast typing on it, even after two years now, as I can on a blackberry keyboard -- maybe 50 wpm on the Blackberry, at best 20-25 on the iPHone. I hate it beyond all measure.
BUT -- the inability to sync the Bold with a mac makes it a non-decision. After trying twice over the past year with PocketMac and the pay-for-app Missing Sync neither one syncs correctly with the Bold -- whatsmore, Blackberry issued a firmware update about two months ago for the Bold -- you can not upgrade the firmware on a Mac - nada - zip...
So for the second time in a year I switched from the Bold back to an iPhone....
I absolutely agree that at this point, RIM is behind the curve of modern communication devices, and their omission of Mac support and software sync is appalling when there are millions and millions of Mac users out there now. Maybe not in Canada -- remember, RIM is not a US company.
My productivity speed has decreased 5-fold because of the awful touch-interface keyboard, but I will take that inconvenience over the inability to sync the BB with my MBP.
I want to see a similar comparison, though, when the Palm Pre arrives in stores. THAT is what I want to see -- a touchscreen, with the option of using a real keyboard...but I want to see that on the iPhone. I want a real keyboard not this iPhone virtual keyboard...

[GregoriusM]

dzanre's comments about GroupWise should be updated in the article.

[Steve_S]

neil74 said:

I use mac, own several ipods including an ipod touch and love them. In short I am an apple fan.

Is that the required disclaimer before bashing the iPhone? ;-)

Quote

I also use a BB bold as my phone and main device to run my business when away from my desk. I suppose this is a mac site and an apple biased report was inevitable but I strongly disagree.

Actually, it's being reposted here and was originally published by and for Infoworld, which of course is not a Mac site. The only real valid reason for some people preferring the BlackBerry is the physical keyboard. For some, the touch screen is just not an option, no matter how well it's implemented. While I don't share that opinion, I do recognize it is an issue for some.

Quote

I'd say that other than apps, browsing an media I think the BB beats the iphone in every other way.

Yeah, other than the 40,000+ custom apps, e-mail, phone, web, media (iPod music and video), the BlackBerry is better?? Yeah, what's left?

>In truth the review lost credibility for me when you described BB email as awkward are you serious? Having tried to use my ipod touch for email it would drive me mad to have to use the thing as my sole mobile device. It is one sexy piece of kit but no way would I swap my bold for an iphone.

Having used both, the BlackBerry is good at messaging and push e-mail that's in text format. As the article mentions, it does have more robust security. However, from an interface perspective, I would have to agree that the Blackberry is considerably more awkward and archaic when compared to the iPhone. The versatility of the touch screen interface is tough to beat.

What RIM has going for it is corporate lock-in. iPhones aren't an option on my company's network. Still, I'm seeing more and more people choose the iPhone for personal use ignore their company supplied Blackberry.

[dbutenhof]

Between my previous Treo's physical keyboard and the iPhone's virtual keyboard, I'd have to say that both are awful for "real use". As a touch typist, I find neither particularly usable -- but then it's not physically possible for any mini keyboard to be usable. Hunt and peck is for the birds... and mobile device users!
The only real issue, beyond the inevitable size problem, is the glass optical illusion effect mentioned in the article. It's true that those edge keys remain remarkably easy to miss, even though the frequency decreases with regular use. The iPhone's autocorrect often gets the right result, but it's cumbersome all the same. (And it's noticed instantly by anyone who tries to type on my iPhone, giving an immediate negative reaction... after the inevitable "it only works on AT&T, though; gross," of course.)
The ability of the iPhone keyboard to show the effective character for each key during shift operations more than makes up for the weaknesses, though. Even the main labels on physical mini keyboards are hard enough to read, and adding secondary shifted labels just makes the primary labels smaller; and the secondary label is small enough to become difficult to read in bad lighting.

[auludag]

he said that one of the weakness for iPhone is to be stuck at exchange. well as far as I know, this is not true, you can use communigate messaging system with iphone, easily. (even you use activesync-like synchronisation.)

[ambhci]

I have both, BB for work and Iphone for personal use. Iphone hands down. BB is a dinosaur.

[wase]

this should have been a comparison between the Blackberry STORM, and the Iphone, NOT a BB bold..

And, no mention as to how much ATT wireless 3G network SUCKS, drops calls has TERRIBLE call quality, and generally is horrible in many major metro markets..

I loved my Iphone, but had to dump it for a Verizon BB Storm, so I could make CALLS on my CELL PHONE!!

BTW, I live in Chicagoland, NOT bumblef*ck Nowwheresville...

[jwlussow]

I do understand that some people hate the AT&T network. I came over from Sprint/Nextel and AT&T was a breath of fresh air compared to Nextel. I live and work in the western suburbs of Chicago and I have NEVER had a dropped call with my iPhone. My Nextel wouldn't even have service in my house where AT&T is consistently giving me 3 to 4 bars. I'm only 16 miles directly west of Chicago and well within the Chicagoland area. I haven't personally had any problems with the iPhone (2G or 3G) or the AT&T network. I do understand that my experience might not be the norm but no complaints at all here.

[tjh8spamtrap]

I don't feel that the reviewer adequately investigated some of the features of the BB. Having used a BB 8800 for a year and a half and now using my iPhone for the past six months, there are a few points on which the Blackberry models still excel, which weren't even covered.
1. Battery life - I could go about three to four days without having to recharge the BB. If I make it more than a day and a half with my iPhone I'm psyched. Granted, I use the iPhone more and it generally has WiFi turned on all the time, because it's annoying to constantly turn WiFi on and off when I do or don't need it. Still, even when disabling WiFi and reducing usage, the Blackberry lasts far longer. That's huge for mobile professionals.
2. As mentioned, there are tons more options on a BB that weren't even discussed or found, as evidenced by the reviewer's assumption that the BB doesn't autolock. Not only can you turn it on, you can decide how long before it autosets and you can decide how long until the security password activites.
3. Maps - Google Maps is available on the BB and just as functional as the iPhone, so it's silly to declare the iPhone a winner on that front, just because he chose to use the BB app instead of the same freely available app.
4. Reception - my BB had FAR better reception than my iPhone ever has. It drops calls at at least three times the rate the BB did in the exact same locations.
5. The email search capability is far underrated in this review. To even get it on my iPhone, I have to go to the Gmail site in Safari.
Anyway, I like my iPhone and as soon as I started using Things on my Mac and iPhone it became a no-brainer because that alone made me more productive. I just think it's disingenuous to write an article comparing two pieces of hardware and not fully explore them accurately.
T.J.

[Mach1_8]

As a die-hard Mac fan I feel like I've got a little credibility in what I'm about to say. I'm glad the reviewer took the time to use both products, but he clearly dropped the ball. In all of my extensive experience in mobile tech, I have NEVER heard of someone complain about email on a Blackberry (especially when compared to the iPhone).
Furthermore, one of the main reasons the BB gets the nod in my quiver of tech items is its ability to multi-task. Easily swapping between contacts, email and calendar while cutting and pasting info between them is priceless.
Nobody I work with chooses a BB because the iPhone is too "flashy" or too "fun to use". They (and I) choose the BB because the iPhone lacks features (and a decent network for that matter)...and there is no denying that.