[Sith_Apprentice]

the only mobile device manufacturer to outsell apple last year was.... guess who? Apple is changing the way things are done, no questions asked, but it isnt about the 9000. The thunder/storm, I am sure there has been some influence there, but the 9000 was, as was stated, in development before the iPhone was released. Is the 9000 the be all end all, no. Is the iPhone, no. Completely different markets. Apple isnt doing any hard to RIM, in fact, RIM released RECORD numbers last quarter. 3 times the average subscriber growth. What the iPhone DID do, was show that consumers would spend $500-$600 on a mobile device with the features they wanted. THAT is something to thank Apple for. Now the cost of R&D is offset by the device cost that is higher than it has been in recent memory. Look at RIM's stock if you want an indication if anyone is worried about the iPhone 2. Competition is healthy, and RIM is entering into the consumer market with a presence now, something they had no really done to date. That is where this battle is a close one, not in the Enterprise/Business market. In fact, RIM is, and has been, king in the business market. Around 85% of the Enterprise market. NO other device comes even close. Consumer, yes, iPhone is a very popular device. But it is just 1 device. It appeals to a small segment of the population. RIM has the advantage of having multiple form factors. Before the end of the year you will have the Pearl, the Kickstart, The Curve, the Bold, and the Storm. EVERY major form factor is represented. If Apple wants to be "The BlackBerry killer" they need more than 1 device. Until then, they will do as they always have done (and succeeded), appeal to a very loyal base of consumers that represents a small portion of the overall market.