> The iPhone was a success not because it was the first, but because it was the first really usable device
This is both true and a horrible rewriting of history. People loved their Blackberries. The term Crackberry was invented before the iPhone was even a rumor. And don't tell me it wasn't mainstream, it had taken over most of the business and government market. It was confined to those markets, but within those huge markets it was utterly mainstream. But even before that other people loved Palm devices.
The capacitive touch screen was a clear advance - but don't tell me there was no "usable" device prior to that.
BBM was what people loved. Have you forgotten about Blackberry's nubs and balls that constantly broke/got stuck? People dealt because that was the state of the art at the time.
I could type faster on my Blackberry Curve (a consumer targeted device) than my current Galaxy Nexus or any iPhone/iTouch touchscreen (plus I could literally type a full message and send by touch-typing, without any doubt as to what I was actually doing without looking at the screen).
I admit I prefer the button-less form factor in many respects, but boy do I miss that well-designed tactile keyboard.
I had a BB for about 8 years (1999-2007) before moving to touchcreens with the iPhone, and I can't actually go back to a physical keyboard - it's too slow! I can type way faster on the touch screen now. Though you do need to pay attention to your auto-correct.
You probably can type faster than I can using Swype/Kii/etc. But for whatever reason, I do best with tactile feedback.
(I use a Das Keyboard for the IBM Model M "clicky" experience, and hate my laptop or other keyboards after getting it. I completely understand that I may be in the minority, but regardless, I loved the response of my Blackberry keyboard).
This is both true and a horrible rewriting of history. People loved their Blackberries. The term Crackberry was invented before the iPhone was even a rumor. And don't tell me it wasn't mainstream, it had taken over most of the business and government market. It was confined to those markets, but within those huge markets it was utterly mainstream. But even before that other people loved Palm devices.
The capacitive touch screen was a clear advance - but don't tell me there was no "usable" device prior to that.