My New Droid Android vs My Old Blackberry

iPhones are cool but are only available on the not so reliable network AT&T. I use my phone mostly as a communications device: Voice, Text, Email and Instant Messaging.

I got my first blackberry two years ago and loved it. Now my contract was up and I was due for an upgrade. The guys here at RustyBrick have always contented the iPhone was the way to go. "Yo look at how I can shake it find random songs" or hey "I can browse the web and then use Multi touch to zoom in" they would say. But when I keep seeing them going to the window and leaning up against it whene ever they needed to make a phone call (if the windows opened they would probably lean out just to get a half bar). The emails never come in as fast at the Blackberry. I figured, the iPhone was not for me. 

I started looking at the new Blackberries that had come onto the market recently when the marketing guys at Motorola and Google Droid got to me. Here comes the the Android. So last thursday I went to the Verizon store to pick on up. I have been using for a weekend and here is my take:

Blackberry is more intuitive and user friendly you pick it up and you know how it works. I don't think I ever had to look up any basic feature in the two years I used it. The BB email client works much better. You can easily see conversations you have had or having. It groups all your messages into a central message box. Notifications were easier to set up with what seems to be a lot more options.

The Droids screen kicks @$$. Internet is better. It interfaces with my Gmail account great, but hey I also have an MSN account. Guess what it stinks. It keeps showing me emails that were read as unread. It forces me to sign up with my gmail account. Some basic apps that were native to the Blackberry (memo pad, task manager) do not come with the Droid but I can choose from many options in the app store. In short I need to use it for another week before I decide which way to go.

Of course the one thing that I do not have on my Droid is the BBM. That is the built in Blackberry Messenger which is only accesible to Blackberry users. Unfortunately most Blackberry users are not technical enough or their corporate rules do not allow them to download AIM or other IM clients that are just as powerful but are open to other users. So for now I am out of contact with some people...

Only time will tell if I will stick with the Verizon Droid or go back to the Blackberry.

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