I don’t hate it: Blackberry Storm review

After several days of testing out and playing with the new Blackberry Storm I can honestly say that I actually think it’s cool - IF Blackberry is the way you roll.

Here’s the thing: after a year and a half of iPhone use, the Blackberry Storm navigation is about the most counter-intuitive I’ve ever used. Ever. BUT for folks who live and die by their Blackberry, this phone is sure to delight.

From the first minute I put pressure on the Storm’s clickable touch screen I was giddy. There’s just something about buttons and clicking noises; can’t help it!

After that initial glee wore of though, I always wound up frustrated and confused about things like how I got to my current menu, how to exit and FOR THE LOVE why won’t this internet browser let me Google anything? I’d have to put it down, count to ten and come back to try again.

Then there is this odd tendency for the Storm to misunderstand which direction is up. Like it has an inner ear issue. When I set it on the table, the screen sometimes launches horizontal for no reason. It’s doing it right now, in fact. (per the above photo; yes that is a glass of wine, too) See! That's weird!

I’ve tried to download music (Britney Spears baby!) and take photos. Each time I catch my attention span trailing off with the slowness of these applications. The video feature is really cool though. My iPhone can’t do that.

The biggest plus is the battery life.  I’m on day-four with this phone and I’ve yet to charge it. I’ve had three different folks playing with it and it STILL has 40% battery left. That, too, is an impressive feature the iPhone can’t boast.

But back to the point of the pitch: the PR gal who contacted me shared her belief that this phone was the must-have productivity tool for busy, multi-tasking moms. So, I handed it to one named Abby.  Her verdict: “I can’t do this. It is the most frustrating cell phone experience I’ve ever had.”

To be fair, Abby is a recovering Treo user and newly converted iPhone evangelist. Thinking she might be a tad biased I sought the opinion of another type-A busy mutli-tasker: a local TV station camera dude. Turns out he actually packs his own Storm and sings its praises. His favorite part – the clickable screen. His least favorite part – he feels like it’s going to break every time he touches it.

When asked if he finds the navigation cumbersome he doesn’t take the bait. “No, it’s not cumbersome if you are used to a Blackberry.”

If you have never used an iPhone you will most likely love the Blackberry Storm. The biggest downside to this phone is the navigation, which is simply not an issue for the Blackberry baptized.