Despite firmware update, Storm seen as business smartphone
- — 12 December, 2008 07:33
On the first day of Storm sales on Nov. 21, Pang had noticed the lag problem with the device while testing a demonstration unit at a Verizon store. He said he wouldn't recommend the device in that condition to his colleagues, but bought one anyway to conduct further testing for his personal use and as a possible referral to his colleagues.
Asked this week if he could recommend the Storm for his company's use, Pang said, "I would recommend ... [it] to a co-worker with a lot of patience."
The Storm is "definitely not an iPhone killer yet. The OS isn't quite as smooth," Pang said. His company has used BlackBerries and Verizon service for many years, so switching to the iPhone, which requires an AT&T contract, is not an option.
Among his likes and dislikes, Pang said the Storm has the best sound of any of the three previous BlackBerry devices he has used. One problem he has encountered is "when I am on the phone, my face pushes against the screen and mutes the call" a problem that could be fixed with a lock button. He likes how the GPS is unlocked for navigation, but complained that the Verizon App store needs more applications and "hasn't changed much since the release."
A bigger problem is that the Storm has a Micro USB port instead of a Mini USB port, Pang said. "That really bothers me," he said. "I don't know why they changed it. It's kind of a pain getting new cables and a charger for the new connection. Maybe they just want to sell more accessories?"
Pang demonstrated the ingenuity of an IT manager when he said he had used the "business card trick" to fix the touch-screen keyboard on the Storm, since "for some reason or other" not all the keys will "click" when touched. He explained the trick: "You fold the business card in half and put it behind the battery. Fixed."
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