[ifonline]

Originally Posted by rumpole

I think there are very few, if any, phones out there that can compare to the IPhone when it comes to industrial design and build quality. That's pretty much the hallmark of Apple products. How does the Curve compare in build quality to more recent BBs like the 8800 or Pearl?

The Curve, to me, is a lower quality build than the Pearl is, and even more so that the 8800 series is. Just seems "cheaper", although I can't specifically state why. I'm not suggesting that it is junk, as it is not, but to me isn't as solid a device as the other two I mentioned.

[BoostedSupra]

Originally Posted by Srwilliams

I am a BB Adict and absoltely love my curve. I went over to ATT today because I like to keep up with the market. I spent 20 minutes with the IPHONE and I must admit, it is one fantastic device as far as conceot is cincerned. I absolutely loved the touch screen qwerty and oddly I found it faster and easier to type on than my curve. I truly did not expect this and almost called the store rep a liar when he made this claim. I will tell you, if the keys on the IPHONE were just a tad bit larger, it would have blown the curve qwerty away.

I did not like the volume on the IPHONe as far as speakerphone is concerned. But I have to admit that the IPHONE conceptwise is setting the mark and RIM and other manufacturers are going to have to do something to stay current.

Before I am flamed, remember I love my curve and I know that overall the IPHONe pales in comparison. But from a concept standpoint I found the IPHONE magnificent.

No 3rd party software , and no mms. Pics have to emailed.

Friend of mine has the iphone and gets jealous lookin at all my programs

[davidlw]

I have had 2 iphones and returned both of them. As nice as they are, there is no search feature on it and I must have Search because I have over 1000 customers and need to search by company, name, items etc. Also not being 3G was a bummer. The volume on the phone was not quiet loud enough for me and the reception was not as good as other phones. I am now using the Motorola Q9h and it has all of the features that I need for business. Now when BB comes out with 3G, I will be back with them. Hurry up BB!!!!!!

[Srwilliams]

Originally Posted by rumpole

I think there are very few, if any, phones out there that can compare to the IPhone when it comes to industrial design and build quality. That's pretty much the hallmark of Apple products. How does the Curve compare in build quality to more recent BBs like the 8800 or Pearl?

Rumpole:

I had the 8700c before the curve and that was a rock solid unit. Even so that I refused to get rid of it and use it as my backuo unit. The curve ius also nicely cinstructed, do not get me wrong. I was just blown away with the indutiral design and overall construction of the IPhone. I quess I should have expected it given i have been using an Apple Powerbook G4 for over four years. Like you pointed out, Apple places a premuim on fine construction (You framed this better than I).

The curve is a great unit. But I am now awaiting the 9000 series. I am ready for something really innovative from BB. Let's get into the game. Who says you cannot marry innovation, style with functionality

[Alex Alexzander]

It's somewhat odd from my point of view to hear about 83xx units that feel not so well constructed. I bought an 8800 from the AT&T store about 6 months ago or so. I felt like it was perfect, slim, etc. And you could pull the back off and replace the battery. Something you cannot do on the iPhone. Just about a month ago I bought the 8310 from AT&T, and again I feel like it is extremely solid, yet I have access to the battery.

I also bought the first G4 Titanium 500 MHz G4. My best friend and I bought the laptops at exactly the same time in the same store. They were on reserve but we both bribed him with $100 each to sell us the laptop. Mine was perfectly solid but my friend's suffered from the shutdown issue that was related to flexing if you remember that issue with the first 1" thin PowerBooks. The battery would lose contact with the connections when the laptop was flexed a little. It flexed when you picked it up from either the front left or right, and allowed the weight of the laptop to flex it a little. Poof, it would just shutdown.

After my PowerBook, which was always fine, I bought the IceBook 500 MHz G3. The white keyboard flexed a little at the top where the latch holds the keyboard in place, and on the bottom right-side of the screen, they screwed the LCD down too tightly and the screen itself had an odd pinch to the screen such as that when you press your finger into an LCD a little hard.

I have owned 3 iPods, and I dropped the Mini once while jogging. The mini just flew right out of my pocket and not only hit the hard cement, but actually bounced and skidded. It only suffered a minor dent. That iPod was built like a tank and never actually died. The only time I saw one of those actually die was when a buddy of mine kept taking it skiing and eventually it had hit hard snow so many times that it finally died. Wish I had a photo of it. It was in extremely ragged shape, but still worked until it finally died after being pressed to hard into a rock on impact from a fall.

The new Nanos could never take that beating, as Apple designed them to be more attractive that rugged. The Mini was a tank product and they should have kept it alive just for sports nuts that like to take their iPods with them in places they really shouldn't.

Anyway, back the BlackBerry. It's not metal and glass, so yes it would not survive the same torture, but mine is still a stiff product. It doesn't feel lose at all. All kidding aside I almost want to ask if you are sitting on it or otherwise somehow putting it through torture like my skiing buddy? Has it been dropped at all? I've dropped mine about 4 times, and once hard enough that the back popped off and I lost the battery. But still, I snapped it back together and it's just like new.

One thing I like about the curve over the 8800 is the rubber around the sides. I wish it were a little more sticky though, but then I guess it would be harder to get it out of the case. The 8800 does have a more ridged feel to it that the 83xx. But nothing that would worry me.

Part of what gives Apple that feel is locking down the whole product. I always felt Apple could learn from the way RIM designed the 8800. I consider that one of the better designs. Solid, and yet accessible. Very thin too.

In any case, I think consumers would be better served if Apple allowed their customers to open the phone and replace the battery.

-Alex Alexzander

[Srwilliams]

I am not going to offer a ten paragraph matching rebuttal. Suffice it to say that I too believed the curve and my previous 8700 were and are well constructed. In fact I still believe this. Nevertheless I cannot deny the overwhelming impression the IPhone left me with in terms of construction. In that department, I do not believe Apple needed to take any lessons from RIM. Apple put together a well constructed unit and there is no denying that. No doubt, the functionality of the phone is dubious, but the construction is stellar.

I am in no way representing that the IPhone is better than the curve or any other BB phone. It does not take away from my positive experiences with my curve to recognize the positive aspects of the IPhone or any other device.

C

[jibi]

Here you go. My article published a few days after I wrote it

Ray Sharma, GMP Securities - BlackBerry Touchscreen 1.0 and Pearl 2.0? Really? | The Boy Genius Report