[GEEK POST] 5 Reasons Why I'm Still Using A BlackBerry

RIM has certainly lost a lot of steam these days. With sales dropping like flies across the globe, the future looks uncertain because no one in the world will know exactly how successful - or not - the upcoming QNX-based phones will fare. It certainly didn't do well for the Playbook, which in all accounts is actually a solid hardware product with a mediocre software product. With the trend in computing - mobile or otherwise - is obviously moving towards a focus on software (the OS and apps), we have yet to see how RIM will ride tomorrow's waves behind the giant ships of iOS and Android.

Of course, all this doesn't matter for the average consumer, and I consider myself one. I do keep tabs on tech news and the latest trends in computing, but at the end of the day, I choose what works for me as a consumer. And for me, the BlackBerry works.

Sure, the BB has been the brunt of jokes and hatred from geeks around the globe, me included - I'm not a fanboy, and if I were to admit some fanboyism towards a certain technology, it would probably be Apple, although I'm very open to trying new things (like using Ubuntu on my MacBook, and liking it). But bottom line, here are the reasons I am still using a Blackberry, despite always wanting 'the-device-of-the-month' like any good geek would:

1. the push email just works. it just works.


2. BlackBerry Messenger. hate it or love it, it's a vital communications line between me and my wife.


3. the data package. The BB data package runs pretty stable in Vietnam. I hear the BB network is painfully slow in Indonesia, though.


4. the battery. I have not found any other phone (I'm using the 9700) that consistently gives a full day's worth of battery, literally from 6 AM to 11.30 PM, even with 3G data on, all day. And since it's my primary (and only) phone, I use it constantly.


5. the apps. yep, you heard me. Blackberry App World is not as stellar as iTunes App Store, but it gives me enough apps that I would need on my phone. When I used an iPhone for a while, I noticed that I basically use the same apps, and don't really play games on it.


6. the QWERTY keyboard. It's still something more comfortable to use for chatting or shooting of an email than a touchscreen keyboard. iOS's touchscreen keyboard is the best out there, mind you. But somehow I still prefer the physical keyboard for this.

I'll probably be the scourge of the geek community on Twitter once this post goes out, not to mention the points above are pretty obvious. But so far the BlackBerry works for me, and I'll probably keep using it until it breaks. :)