Is the BlackBerry Storm touchscreen system better than the iPhone?
I just got done reading Matthew Miller's preview of the BlackBerry Storm, RIM's first BlackBerry that's replaced the keyboard with a touchscreen system -- one that you must physically depress with your finger to manipulate (resulting in a "satisfying click," as many reviewers have reported).
My question is simple: is this truly an advancement?
It occurs to me that, while RIM's responsive touchscreen technology, called ClickThrough, allows it to differentiate itself from the iPhone, it's not a great advancement in the long run. Well-built as any BlackBerry is, I feel that the screen would eventually give out over frequent, Crackberry-level usage. And when the screen doesn't press anymore (or worse, when it presses too far), then what?
It strikes me that such physical use of the device is actually backtracking a bit, technologically. Perhaps advancement, to me at least, is removing a "touch" altogether.
RIM's "push-screen," as I think it should properly be called, seems to bridge the gap between a true keyboard and a true touchscreen. Which is good for RIM's keyboard-happy users, but by no means some groundbreaking new technology.
Plus, it also occurs to me that this technology would actually slow down the speedier users among us, because you actually have to take the time to depress the screen when tapping a message out.
But we'll see when Matt gets his hands on one in a month or so.
What do you think: Touchscreen, push-screen, keyboard or something else? Tell us in TalkBack.
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