[PCWorld]

Post your comments for BlackBerry's Storm: Awkward and Disappointing here

[JeremyDevlin]

The limelight is harsh. Clearly a competitive device such as the Storm will understandably be scrutinized. As the mainstream media and website reviews begin to come in, the editorials will diary their "first time" user experiences with the Storm. The IPhone has indeed set a benchmark, but the IPhone should be set aside for the general critique.
In attempt to gain a larger market share, it seems RIM tried to tickle the fancy of the casual consumer or moreover the 18-25 crowd. One should note, very little mention in advertising of its business features that we are accustomed to. But more dependency on entertaining rather than executing emails efficiently.
All I can say is that one should approach this device objectively. All eyes are concentrated on RIM, as Verizon touts its network, RIM has to prove itself. If it proves successful with form and function in the general population I expect a short incubation period for a revamp in design. Something probably in the second quarter of next year. If its failure that's in store for this device, RIM has a sure footing with the bold, and and weather this passing storm.

[JeremyDevlin]

. . . "RIM has a sure footing with the bold, and can weather this passing Storm.

[Xelloss]

While the video clip did clearly show the issues you were having with the device, and as such form a valid complaint... one thing I do wonder at, is an online pal in the UK who grabbed a Vodafone model reports an entirely different experience, and is quite pleased with his Storm.
Are there functional differences between the Verizon and Vodafone Storm? Did he just get lucky, or PC World unlucky?
I was honestly suprised at this extremely critical review, which is at strong odds with almost every other review I have yet read - most of the Vodafone Storm reviews and my online buddy who got one have all been very positive about the Storm.

So, where does that leave us?
How does this disparity happen? Are the models different? Did PC World forget to calibrate their touch screen? Did I not read enough UK reviews? What gives?

[overdue]

I'm just glad the reviewer said what those "green phone" and "red phone" buttons were!
I have them on my cellular telephonic mobile communications device, too, and haven't been able to figure out they were for! I never pushed them, cause I was afraid something bad would happen.
Is that why I haven't been able to make or receive any calls for the past 10 years?
/snark

[yardena]

I'm sure we had the same phone. Essentially it's a matter of emphasis--glass half empty, glass half full stuff. i did like a lot about the unit, but I found the touch features just weren't well done. Most of the reviews I've read have many of the same criticisms, but they liked the good features enough to overcome any issues with the touch interface. My feeling is that many people will be looking at it primarily to get a touch interface, and since I don't feel it succeeds at that, it's hard for me to recommend it. Just one person's opinion based on trying dozens of smartphones over the years.

Yardena Arar

[Xelloss]

Thanks for the reply Yardena. My UK buddy actually just popped online not long ago, for long enough for me to pick his brain. After chatting a second, he was like " well yeah the screen isn't really great for a lot of typing". He does not experience quite the same issues with selecting menus , but he says he definitely types faster on his work-issued 8830 and strongly prefers it for email.
He says Opera Mini is good for browsing though, much better on a Storm than the default and as a general media device that it is outstanding. I have Opera Mini on my Curve, and while I don't use it a lot on my Curve, I can see where the Storms larger screen and beefier CPU might make it AAA class.
What I am piecing together, from all the reviews that are out now and some user testimony.. is that the Storm is really a much better Consumer device than Business device. Great media features, great video/audio playback quality + stereo bluetooth blow away the iphone but browser and OS is clunkier than Iphone.
People who are used to hammering out large volumes of emails on QWERTY , and using Blackberry shortcuts to do "a lot, fast" might want to be wary. If you just IM/SMS/email moderately for leisure purpose and want the other features like media/GPS - then you might be OK.
That's my personal take so far... I am looking forward to finally playing with one myself. At this point, I will be sure and spend more hands on-time with one before making a decision than I would have a mere 6 hours ago. Though as I do high volume typing, it is sounding like the Storm might not be what I am looking for.. which is a pity as I really, really wanted a nice large screen on a Blackberry.
/end $0.02

[musham]

i use a curve, and its the best phone i have ever had. just a thought regarding the numlock issue, on the curve one can set numlock on by pressing the alt key and then the shift key. have they omitted that in the storm?

[dalmanca]

I have seen a lot storm testing videos and this is the first one saying so many bad things. I am not sure if she read all the menus properly to use this phone. She also did not mention there are copy and paste functions in store while there are none in iphone. Plus you can switch applications in storm easily. Again I am not sure she knows how to use it.
Storm is not IPhone for sure and it is not as good as IPhone if you want it as a personal smartphone. But it is a great product for business users.

[saintjay68]

Just a quick note. If you want to type a series of numbers, you hold in the '!?123' button for 1-2 seconds and it locks in the number mode. Hold the button in for another 1-2 seconds and it brings it back to the QWERTY keyboard. This was fairly easy to figure out. Also, it mentions it in the user guide. I should think that someone doing a review of a new device should look at the user manual to figure out how to use the device before submitting their review, especially if they are going to slam it for not being able to perform certain functions.

[terekkincaid]

Agreed with Saintjay: RTFM! What kind of half-assed journalist are you to make a major complaint about something that isn't true? You spend more time whining about it than it would have taken you to educate yourself.
In the same vein:
When the keyboard is up, Menu -> Hide Keyboard. Holy crap, was that so hard.
You might have some legitimate issues with the device, but make sure you know what the hell you're talking about before you review it.

[Ne0LyFeism]

Yardena,

I respectfully have to disagree with you on the criticisms you had with regards to the Storm's touch screen. Having had ample opportunities to play with this gadget, I found the touch capability to be in line with exactly what RIM set out to do. I had no issues when scrolling, choosing menus or clicking on selected applications. Furthermore, typing on the virtual landscape keyboard on the Storm is not only easier than the iPhone but clearly more practical. While I can't say for certain that your concern for the overall wear and stress that the physical button can handle isn't valid, it seemed pretty well built in the few hands-on experiences I have had. Additionally, I found myself have little to no (e.g., 2 or less) typos when using the keyboard - it clearly felt much more natural to use than the iPhone. With respect to nuances like scrolling through contacts and the like, I can't speak anymore to that as the versions of the Storm I've used didn't allow me to add information (i.e., contact info) that would allow me to do more testing. I also firmly believe that the accelerometer functions better, even a tad bit faster, than the iPhone's. I didn't notice any lag or delays when scrolling or selecting an application either. So I have to wonder like another poster noted above whether you may simply have had a bum phone.

At the end of the day, the whole idea of being an iPhone killer is silly. Apple deserves credit for being an innovator and forcing other cell phone makers to change their approach. Nonetheless, it simply comes down to preference and in my mind, the Storm does, and will do, everyday tasks better than the iPhone will.

[yardena]

A fair criticism--I did not have time to look up the number lock key in the manual, and will make a note in the review. But I don't think figuring it out is easy since none of the editors I showed it to found that solution either. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

The review unit arrived Tuesday morning, and I tried out various tasks most of the day Tuesday and Wednesday morning until I had to start writing. I'm assuming other reviewers had similarly short windows. First looks are invariably imperfect, but I don't expect to change my overall opinion about the touch interface.

Yardena Arar

[oneuser]

I saw your video and one point to make is that if you hold the numbers key, it will lock and allow you to enter multiple numbers at once. I discovered that after minutes of use. Your review gives inaccurate info about this. These sorts of things, I am sure, are covered in the manual which has been online for weeks now. It seems that your review is slanted, and not totally objective. thanks anyway.

[Dstreeter]

Couple things on your Review.

It is really obvious that you don't have any experience with a blackberry in general even though you "have reviewed many deiveces over the years"

I am not sure how you can write a review about something and make this comment
"I did not have time to look up the number lock key in the manual"
If you don't have time to research the basics of a review then don't write it.

So you write a review without knowing how to use the device... I don't think you can really make a good assessment.
Some things to note:
This is not an Iphone so comparing them par for par is silly, its a touchscreen phone made by seperate company and should be reviewed for that with an open mind, not a very biased opinion of how you like an Iphone.
Anyone who has used a blackberry for any length of time would know to hold down the num key to lock it
Blackberry users are used to using a full keyboard they have to press down on and are very used to the feel.
If you press the call key and then the first letter of a contact it will sort to that letter, and the more letters you add the tighter the sort gets and it is much faster then opening a contact list application and then pressing a letter, then scrolling to where you want to go.

[kbromberg]

Seeems the review should have said: "I don't know how to use the Storm, and that was frustrating to me."

Good Heavens! Most of the complaints and text were devoted to not knowing how to use it!

[yardena]

Just for the record, here are some of my reviews of BlackBerry handsets:

BlackBerry 8300 Curve

BlackBerry Pearl Flip

BlackBerry Pearl 8120

BlackBerry 7100t

I've admired many of RIM's BlackBerry models over the years, and was an early fan of their SureType predictive text-entry technology. As I say in the video, I think they're generally great at hardware keyboards. I'm hardly someone who's never used a BlackBerry.

You're free to disagree with my opinion about the Storm's touch interface, and I wish I'd had the time to read the 96-page manual in a single day so I would have known how to enter multiple digits. But I don't believe that oversignt invalidates my other observations or makes me unqualified to write a review.

I have no axe to grind with RIM and hope they produce a better touchscreen handset down the line. It would be in everyone's interest to have better competition with the iPhone in this regard. But to suggest that the Storm should not be compared to an iPhone is unrealistic. I stand by my review.

[Dstreeter]

It really seems on with your "extensive" experience of a blackberry's systems that you fail to know two things that anyone who uses one for a day would pick up on without reading the manual.

No one uses the full pad of thier finger to select things onscreen, it's just crazy to think a screen would know where you were selecting with a full pad pressing on it and thats why you had a hard time with the menu system.

You, from your review, were so dead set on comparing it to the exact way an Iphone works you didn't take the time to learn to use it and as i said if that is because you didn't have time then don't go to press with some half assed review full of false accusations from your complete lack of experience. As a "senior editor" you would think it would be common practice to have real facts not slighted opinions.

You stand by your review because I'm sure you still have no knowledge of how it actually works but just need to get your name out there like every other ambulance chasing reporter making up a story.

Have a good day.

[saintjay68]

Good comments regarding the overall review and its perceived lack of objectivity. It may not have been intentional, but it was there. Here is a link to a different review of the Storm. The reviewer still discusses flaws in the Storm, but they are backed up with explanations as to why they are issues. There were positive and negative remarks so it came across as a very unbiased review of the device.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331978,00.asp

[itproandteacher]

Yardena,
Good effort and valid concerns, but as many pointed out since you didn't have the time necessary to make a fair review without the obvious 'I am going to prefer the iPhone regardless' mentality going in, you should have made that disclaimer up front. You may not realize your unintentional bias, and it's often difficult to see shortcomings in something you'd worked so diligently on. You did cover the plusses and minuses of the device well, just spent at least a bit too much emphasis on the negative and if the Storm is an exact iPhone clone/killer. iPhone does well what it does well, and its shortcomings are primarily what the RIM models EXCEL at (primarily enterprise business use) - I don't see a bunch of PCW and other reviewers hammering Apple device shortcomings, they typically sound like fanboys or press releases. Why the blind loyalty to Apple, and different treatment of other vendors' devices? That's our point, as I see it. Thanks for your effort, hope we brought to light what we expected and how you can improve in the future.

Just my .$02