Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 28 April 2008 10:57
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 2
The 3G Blackberry 9000 series – due for release in the US soon – and a
fabled touchscreen Blackberry – are two models that RIM hope will save
it from the coming 3G iPhone assault – but is it enough?
Take a look at a picture of the touchscreen Blackberry over at
Gizmodo - it looks very familiar to anyone who’s ever seen a Palm V, or, perchance, an iPhone.
The touch screen model is just a prototype – and the word is that it will be sold to consumers, and not to enterprise, e-mail addicted customers – although that’s something we’ll just have to wait on.
The iPhone has attracted many a business user, now salivating at the prospect of Exchange synchronisation come June with the iPhone 2.0 software.
But the model that is RIM’s next big hope is codenamed ‘Meteor’, and it’s a new 3G model that rumoured to come with front facing camera for video calls. See a picture of it at the Boy Genius Report – this model is said to be coming out in August in the US. http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/04/15/blackberry-9000-to-sport-front-facing-video-camera/
Now, it’s a bit odd at RIM is making an AK – or Apple Killer – with touch screen, because, RIM’s CEO,
according to the New York Times, isn’t a big touch screen fan, and can’t stand ‘typing on glass’.
Mike Lazaridis, co-CEO of RIM told the NYT, regarding the iPhone’s glass typing surface, that: “I couldn’t type on it and I still can’t type on it, and a lot of my friends can’t type on it. It’s hard to type on a piece of glass.”
Of course, one can’t fault Lazaridis for not trying too hard, or simply, for dissing a competitor. Anyone who has ever used an iPhone knows that it’s very easy to type on the screen – and fast at that. I easily whiz along with either one finger – or preferably, with both thumbs.
So, is it really that hard to type on the iPhone’s – or iPod Touch’s – screen? Please read on to page 2.
