“I learned something last week,” David Pogue blogs for The New York Times. “In my Times print column, I reviewed the BlackBerry Storm, by far the worst product Research in Motion has ever produced. I had problems with its concept, problems with its clicky touch screen, problems with its speed, and above all, problems with bugs. (which the company refused to acknowledge, even when I sent them videos of the phone acting up and even locking up.)”
“About 100 readers wrote to say that they had bought the Storm and now regretted it,” Pogue reports. He then goes on to provide some rather hilarious samples, including:
• It has been an absolute nightmare…
• I rushed out last week to try the new Storm–and was frustrated, confused and bewildered by the device…
• One of my co-workers, who is almost militant in his disdain for all things Apple, couldn’t wait to get his hands on a Storm. Lo & behold, 30 minutes later, he was trying to figure out a way to get his money back…
• The bottom line: BlackBerry has created the Zune of touchscreen phones.
There are many more in the full article. Pogue also reports, “About a dozen new Storm owners wrote to say that, while they, too, found some bugs and sluggishness, they liked the phone nonetheless. But I also heard from about a dozen people who have not tried the Storm, but nonetheless poured on me the Internet equivalent of molten lead.”
“I’ve always thought that that vocal sub-population of Mac fans make up the world’s most watchful, most hostile grass-roots lobbying arm,” Pogue writes. “But now I see that I was wrong. There’s an even nastier one: the BlackBerry nuts.”
Pogue gives some examples of email from the CrackBerry nuts, too, in the full article – highly recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: After numerous reviews from many disparate sources, the fact is that RIM’s ill-conceived Storm sucks.
Like every other device-maker not named Apple, RIM is years behind, trying to cut corners and missing them widely, in a desperate, futile attempt to catch up to iPhone.
The CrackBerry nuts really need to relax, leave respected reviewers alone, take some time to get used to the new world order, and start praying that the right Steve wants to buy what’s left of RIM after the market drives the company’s price down deep into the discount bin along with all of those rapidly-returned Storms.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers too numerous to mention for the heads up.]
The “BlackBerry nuts” are not unlike those embed into the Microsoft Windows and Vista only world. Facts and reality have nothing to do with way they believe that Mac with OS X can’t compete with their PC. And as soon as they reboot or rebuild their PC they will prove it to you.
At least just about every Mac user out there can say they have used Winblows and, therefore, are informed decision makers. The same cannot be said of many of the people who knock Apple products.
I will say that I take a little satisfaction in RIM’s recent pounding, but I do hope that it leads to them getting over their misplaced superiority complex, and drives them to actually be competitive.
As much as I love my iPhone, Apple needs stiff competition to keep from loosing its motivation to innovate.
@Willie G
“LOSE.” The opposite of “WIN” or “GAIN” is “LOSE,” for Pete’s sake. “LOOSE” is the opposite of “TIGHT.”
Every idiot who makes this mistake should be put up against the nearest wall and shot immediately. It’s not a typo; it’s viral dumbassery.
@doc
Agreed. Some people are dumb.
“Apple needs stiff competition?”
You mean, like with iPod+iTunes?
The iPhone itself was produced by Apple in the absence of competition; they weren’t even in the market when they created it.
Apple is driven from within, not by a bunch of hopelessly outclassed dopes up in Waterloo, Redmond, over in Japan, Finland, or anywhere else on the planet.
“There’s an even nastier one: the BlackBerry nuts.”
SB, the Blackberry pits. They are the pits.
RIM, like Microsoft, Palm and “fill in the blank” sat on their earlier success and failed to innovate, failed to create a truly next generation platform.
Apple’s iPhone completely changed and expanded the “smartphone” concept as it’s literally a pocket/handheld computer platform, in a way that Palm or Microsoft WinCE (or whatever name it is) failed to EVER become.
The iPhone OS and interface are years a head of anything else out there. Every product that has appeared to “answer” the iPhone has ended up being poorly thought out, designed and implemented. It’s not just about putting pretty colors into the interface (like Windows) or adding a “touch-screen”. There’s so much more to it. Something that consumers get, but the phone makers clearly cannot even conceive of, never mind reproduce.
Apple was extremely smart to patent the bejeezus out of the iPhone from the ground up. Apple doesn’t have a John Sculley to give away the royal treasure to Apple’s enemies this time around, either.
Apple rules, period!!!
Since when has Apple ever not innovated? I don’t think that it is competition that drives them – I think that they think a little differently.
The Blackberry nuts are all part of the Anti-Apple-Taliban…
Pathetic.
@informed,
See my comment from earlier.
Ironic handle, too.
Oh my, so Blackberry fans are even nastier than Mac fans.
On MDN you get called names and you intelligence questioned if you criticize Apple, you are a whiner if you want an enhancement, and are flamed for typos and errors in grammar.
Remind me to stay away form BDN, if there is such a thing.
My favourite line: “The bottom line: BlackBerry has created the Zune of touchscreen phones.”
LOLOLOLOLOL!
@Informed, I was going to say the same thing. Can MDN iCal itself?
Don’t know why MDN keep quoting David Pogue like he’s some kind of objective commentator. He’s got his head so far up Steve Jobs ass he’s doing his talking for him.
@doc:
Thank you! That drives me nuts in the same way as the people that use apostrophes to pluralize words. Take a farking English class!
Reading the comments on The New York Times site for his story, one person mentions that you can now update the BlackBerry software from the shipping V.65 to V.75.
It does not have V1.0 software???
Seems people got sucked into buying beta version software.
Jimithy, check doc again. I believe he used the apostrophe correctly. For Pete’s sake. Meaning – for Pete his sake. Be nice!
Also – it’s not a typo, is correct. Go to the back of the class Jimithy and put on that pointed hat with a big ‘D’ on.
@doc: Whoose Pete?
seriously, agree with you that the use of “loose’ for “lose” is rampant on the internet. you could just about find that mistake on any blog.
“David Pogue” is a RESPECTED reviewer for MDN and others (including me) because he is well-informed about Apple products. He obviously reviews other tech products, but he generally does not make inaccurate statements (about Apple stuff) out of ignorance OR lack of attention to detail OR plain laziness to “look it up.” He also does not spin the facts (or lie through omission) to suit whoever is writing his paycheck.
I don’t know about his depth of knowledge for RIM products, but it is not a double-standard for an editorial (as in expressing a specific opinion) web site like MDN to “respect” some reviewers and call others idiots. If you want your news straight, without the editorial content, there are plenty of Apple news aggregation web sites that just link to the news item.
Personally, I like MDN more because they express an opinion, whether you agree with it or not. I tend to agree…
Ronald, I have read plenty of articles by David Pogue calling out Apple for shortcomings. While he has been a steadfast supporter of Apple over the years, what separates David from his contemporaries is not just his writing talent, but his insight. I’ve met David several times, sat in on seminars that he’s conducted, read countless books and articles by him. David is a bright guy, and takes time to really understand his subject matter, instead of the drive-by garbage that passes as articles today. But if David sees a flaw, he’ll cite it. He is a gentleman, and typically dishes out criticism politely. But his manner of doing so gets heard in Cupertino. That is why he is both trusted and respected.
That he slammed the Blackberry Storm should tell you something – that it reflects a product hastily brought to market in response to the tremendous reception to the iPhone.
Don’t get me wrong. I use both a Blackberry and an iPhone. The Blackberry isn’t the glossy, addictive device that the iPhone is. In fact, as soon as my contract runs out, I’ll thank RIM and ditch it in favor of my iPhone. In my experience, my Blackberry does email well. Its keyboard is quick to use. But its browser is pathetic, and adding apps is a nightmare. Plumbing its depths is not for the weak of heart. In short, it’s a great device for men who wear ties and heavily starched shirts.
But I have seen the future, and it’s the iPhone. I’ve gotten up to speed with typing, and find the iPhone is a much more enjoyable email, calendaring and all-around mobile device. Its software is light years ahead of the Blackberry, period. Apps are a joy. It is far more reliable. In a very short period of time, my iPhone has become indispensable to me.
So to say that David Pogue is Steve Jobs’ bitch, I must disagree. My experience (and I tested the Blackberry Storm – it was a nightmare) parallels that of David’s. Spend some time with David as I have, and I think you could quickly agree with me.
Have a nice day.
@doc
Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the words out of my mouth re: loose/lose. That drives me up the friggin’ wall, too.
What? Those RIM jobs are worse than us? We can’t let this happen! Quick, let’s flame Pogue! We want to be the worst, the most zealous, the most frightening group on the ‘net.