How would you change RIM's BlackBerry Storm?
By Darren Murph 
posted February 13th 2009 9:11PM
posted February 13th 2009 9:11PM
posted February 13th 2009 9:11PM
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Hate it. I have had many blackberries over the years and have been quite pleased. The Storm is the worst ever. I have several employees that have BB and we have been very pleased. RIM is on crack to have even let the storm out the door. They could have sent me a test model and I would have saved their business. The storm just frustrates users so much that they want nothing to do with a Blackberry ever again. Shame on RIM for making a Storm that is so bad. Click screen? I call it loose glass. The OS is slow and freezes up. Oh and reboot that happens in the middle of a call. Record video on the nice camera and never play it again its corrupted. he blue glow under your fingers tells you what letter you are touching???? Well that's stupid. Your finger covers the letter and the blue glow. You better learn one letter responses k that's the new way with a storm k. There is so much I hate about it you'll have to call me. Just call me on my iphone
I'm sorry but design whys, BlackBerry storm needs a fresher look. It like a cheep Macy's suit! It needs to look like a high profile pin strip suit. Also I really do like the click function, but it needs to be able to turn off, what happens when you’re in a meeting and you hear clicking in the back ground! There would go your job. The storm has gotten better with running slow but No Wi-Fi, that’s like comment practice at this point! Software blackberry is need of more developers; I want more integration with different networks. I use GroupWise at my college & it seems to have no way to since data from my GroupWise setup to the phone. I know it’s new and all but that should be a good reason. Business run on time because its money, Blackberry needs to remember this & work faster on intergrading more software online programs & desktops. In some ways it would be great if Blackberry could connect everything like palm, pretty use & looks like iPhone, slick in style as well form with function like the Nokia N97 or HTC HD with Blackberry’s networking of security, you'd get yourself a new #1 winner in the smart phone business.
I have been using blackberries since the black and white pager/no phone model. The storm makes #5. My 8830? world edition keyboard was shot and the storm was offered as a free replacement. Disclaimer - I own an iphone 3g as well.
Bottom line, sexy never sucked so bad. My complaints:
1. Keyboard. Nice try with the button approach for feedback. Too bad youvcant type a sentance without making Manu errors. That with either sure(to mess up words)type or the keyboard in landscape mode. The error correction is not smart. There appears to be no keyboard analysis on the algorithm etc. I dread typing on this every time. I'm writing this on an iphone (out of the box keyboard) and yes I still male mistakes typing but it is 10x better even without tactile response.
2. Sluggish. The interface drags often. Friends tell me same for theirs so there is no lemon factor. You often make a selection and wonder if it registered (it did but waiting on the interface for feedback = bad bad bad).
3. Cut copy paste. Ok rim. You had apple beat out of the box and then you screwed this
up. It is totally un-intuitive and I can never get it to work right.
4. No "skip to next unread" shortcut. I now just give up and wait until I'm in outlook.
The good news.
Itblooks sexy and everyone asksbmw about it. I tell them it sucks without hesitation. I have never done thatveithbanother bb or with my iPhone.
Hopefully future software upgrades can address this. Then I hope the carriers make it available for their customers.
So I read a good piece, kind of an Op-ed about the improvements that are going to come in 2009 smartphones. Pretty interesting, if anyone wants to check it out. It's at http://thephonelounge.com/?p=7.
Needs more cowbell. A responsive OS/screen, make it a tad thinner, WIFI. The interface itself looks good but I would definitely focus on making the phone just work like it does in those Verizon commercials, because it sure looks smooth there. Can't they be sued for that...false advertising?
Greater stability, A FIXED ACCELEROMETER, a pearl for scrolling around, and an even clicking surface. My Storm's click-screen doesn't offer a uniform clicking experience, so some parts of the screen (reply/compose) require greater strength that other parts of the screen.
Wifi. The Verizon service in Bellevue, NE is piss poor. I can't take calls or receive emails in our data center.
Ah where to begin..I'll start with the software. Its way to glitchy, and slow. We have all been waiting for the next software update. But it has yet to arrive. So still we wait. I dont know if its just my phone or all storms. But mine has dust behind the screen, and it restarts on its own...we all know how long it takes for the phone to boot up too. I do like the phone, but the damn things presses my buttons more than I push the phones buttons. Im just gonna have to wait for the "Storm 2" (ha ha ha), maybe RIM will take all of the publics demands into consideration. For their next touch screen phone.
p.s.- the software is still better than Windows Mobile, even with the bug and glitches
Get rid of the click screen and make the touch screen behave similar to the iPhone when scrolling up and down, etc...When I used it, the touchscreen just didn't behave the way a touchscreen should. Even the LG Dare has a better functioning touchscreen then the Storm.
Full disclosure: I am an iPhone user.
I love my blackberry storm. I wish there were more APPs but I'm not going to complain as the phone has been out for only a few months. I wish they would have let the phone cook an extra 6 months to work out a lot of the bugs, most of the problems I see are OS related and will be fixed in a few months. I LOVE the click screen, I can understand why some people dislike it, but I never wanted a touchscreen phone (including the Jesus Phone). I applaud RIM for trying something different and trying to shake things up even if most people don't like it. I would rather have it be a slide out physcial keyboard but I enjoy my storm a lot :)
I went through 3 of them since December and sent it back. Accelerometer never worked right. The Internet browser SUCKED. Overall, NOT ready to be released. Its sad, I REALLY wanted to like it.
I went back to a Windows Mobile Device and I am much happier. Maybe next time RIM....
Dump that terrible click touchscreen, only a pianist's thumbs wouldn't get tired texting on that piece of crap.
Get Immersion haptic feedback like Nokia, Samsung & LG.
Yours has thumbs?!?!?
Oh...you said pianist.
Speed up the camera shutter speed. It takes way to long to snap a picture.
Needs more zebra fur.
no duh, add wifi to the phone and release it to more countries overseas and keep the UMTS 3G in it.
Dear God RIM. If you read this, two words.
GAPLESS PLAYBACK.
OK THX BYE
In all seriousness, this would become my go to media player if it just had gapless music playback. Is that really too much to ask??
I would make the screen smaller, remove the touchscreen, and add a trackball and physical keyboard.
I am actually of the opinion that the SurePress screen is GREAT!
I have always had trouble typing on touch screens with my gigantic hands, but using the click-screen for me has been just like typing on a phone with a keyboard. I don't have any trouble at all and I like it much better than phones that have just the regular touch screen.
I have had the storm for little over a month now, so some of my experiences with it.
PROS:
1) Better HW specs when compared to the curve , more app memory , more RAM etc.
2) Screen is nice, real nice compared to other blackberries.
CONS:
1) Have to install additional app to lock the keyboard while on the phone, otherwise, will end up turning on the speakerphone or mute the call.
2) The keyboard is still sluggish, randomly locks up while usage, like the BB messenger. This is despite the latest updates
3) Like all touch screen phones, the screen gets dirty pretty quickly
4) Can't sink calenders to OWA over the air, this is an issue when BES is not possible.
5) Lack of Wifi and usable SIP clients.
6) Clicking in the browser is an approximate art, still needs improvement.
I have had the storm for little over a month now, so some of my experiences with it.
PROS:
1) Better HW specs when compared to the curve , more app memory , more RAM etc.
2) Screen is nice, real nice compared to other blackberries.
CONS:
1) Have to install additional app to lock the keyboard while on the phone, otherwise, will end up turning on the speakerphone or mute the call.
2) The keyboard is still sluggish, randomly locks up while usage, like the BB messenger. This is despite the latest updates
3) Like all touch screen phones, the screen gets dirty pretty quickly
4) Can't sink calenders to OWA over the air, this is an issue when BES is not possible.
5) Lack of Wifi and usable SIP clients.
6) Clicking in the browser is an approximate art, still needs improvement.
I've asked a few people about the Storm and the general response I've gotten is that it's not finished and the OS is buggy. One of the tech people testing it for my company has even stated it would take about a year to really improve it. He's been doing the testing of the beta builds and has seen some improvement there, but there remain more issues with it that will take more time to work on.
I don't mind that the phone doesn't have wi-fi but I WOULD like it to support Flash. It's just not as impressive as a web-browser without. It IS still sluggish. What I don't understand is if I use Opera Mini, all I have to do is touch the link with my finger and the phone proceeds to the link. Why can't the phone itself operate this way, without the 'click' feature as others have mentioned. I also think the accelerometer could be more responsive.
If I watch a video on the phone, I have to turn the connections off. If anything comes in, the whole damn phone freezes and I have to pull the battery - forget putting the video where you were viewing it before. Lost cause. Having said all that, I do like the phone and hope RIM continues to make improvements/listens to it's users.
I love my Storm and you would have to pry it from my cold dead hands before I would get rid of it.
Click screen slows you down when typing. I am 15% slower than when using a Blackberry Curve. Wish you could make the click optional and just type touch. Great screen. Ability to view/edit powerpoint etc. is very good. I don't need to take my laptop as much. Battery life is only good, not great. Slows down a lot when battery is low. Interface in general needs to be faster. (on 4.7.0.90 - portrait QWERTY is great). Switching between landscape and portrait is slow. Camera is not very good. Look good when taking it but actually picture sucks in quality/colour and focus.
MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO LOCK IT IN PORTRAIT MODE
that would make my life SO much easier
1. WiFi
2. QWERTY in portrait mode
3. Get rid of SurePress and go to haptic feedback
4. Quicker accelerometer
5. App Store!!!
6. Make it thinner and lighter
7. Fix the freaking camera from being so slow
8. Rolling scroll - so you don't have to use your thumb so much
Nice try, but finish is coming off the sides, battery cover doesn´t fit tightly, no wifi (thanks Verizon), s/w to sync with a Mac is crap, doesn´t allow for sync or file transfers via bluetooth. What´s with the bluetooth stereo that only works with one side on a phone call. It´s a stereo headset for God´s sake! It locks up and has to be rebooted frequently, or just simply reboots itself! Fast? Not a chance. It takes 5 minutes or more to boot up, with NOTHING extra loaded, and rarely will a webpage display with anything aproaching broadband speed.
Ive had the Storm since Dec 28. I didn't return it because A) Everyone I know that I call a ton is on Verizon, B) unlike the dated BB products they sell this is far more advanced, C) WinMo phones are buggy in my experience.
That said, I love the iPhone. I woulda bought one if it didn't mean id have to spend $150 a month to buy enough minutes to call all my friends and family with.
So what would I, a now committed Storm user improve?
1) Lockable viewing modes - only if they can't improve the operation of the accelerometer in software.
2) Optional touch-type keyboards - The iPhone makes light of all typing inputs, so nice there.
3) External hardware is a bit "squishy". For all its heft, holding the sides feel less than robust. I pray this doesn't become a serious issue over the next long couple years.
4) Slide-to-lock. So simple, I can't believe Apple has ownership of this feature. The lock button gets bogged down at times, and can unlock in a pocket (if you slide it in top-first)
5) Faster shutter speed. Pretty simple request, but not much of a deal breaker.
6) Smarter use of memory. The phone bogs on memory hogging apps, would be nice if some sort of "fuzzy logic" could learn your use patterns, and shut down mem hogs accordingly.
7) Speaking of memory, it needs a BB-designed battery-pull software add-on. The aftermarket solutions feel unfinished. Like using a Chevy ignition key in your Maserati.
8) More memory gripes: whats with the hella slow boot up? This phone has a solid processor, why does it boot like my ancient 486/dx-33? Dont worry that computer is long dead. I think I blew up the caddied CD-rom drive as part of a bit for a special effects class.
9) Standardized apps: Apple can't be the only ones to provide useful apps like the level. I want a level on my BB! I can do without the games, the audio remixers, etc. But BB brand screams usability, so where are the workhorse apps? No, Twitterberry doesn't count.
All in all, this phone is like my Subaru. Its quirky, has some definite issues in refinement - but so much damn potential and good fun to use when it all comes together. iPhone is more like a BMW: you can't service it, when it has issues good luck - but damn solid piece most of the time, and the hardware is beautiful.
Oh, this is my first smart phone EVAH, so Ive fast adjusted to the click screen. People say i'm really fast with it. Go fig.
returned in after 20 days. Great display, horrible email/texting device...error prone and very slow even after software update... the product was released before its time...
BETTER, FASTER BROWSER.
OH yeah and the ability to use the 1GB of internal memory as a place to install and run applications from. The memory limit on Blackberry's coupled with the memory leaks is ridiculous.
I love my Storm. The start was initially rough and I nearly returned it. Using beta OS's (up to .113 now), I managed to get it stabilized.
Two things it needs:
1. Notification that I'm down to 0 application memory so I can take action before it starts chewing up my calendar and old messages.
2. More application memory or a better way to manage that.
iPhone's are shiny objects and I wouldn't have gone wrong buying one (other than the price), but I made the right decision sticking with BB.
After researching both, I chose the Storm over the iphone for the following reasons...
#1 - I'm a businessman. Blackberrys are viewed as "business tools", whereas iphones are viewed as "toys" in the business world. I don't want or need a phone as a game platform to replace my PSP.
#2 - The Storm works outside the US. Not an issue for some people, but it is for me.
#3 - I dislike doing business with AT&T. Not that Verizon is wonderful, but I despise AT&T after some previous serious problems with that company.
#4 - I waited for the update to purchase, and have been basically happy with performance. Yes, it's a bit slow sometimes, but it's a phone, not a laptop, so I can live with it. When I need computer performance, I get on a real computer.
Improvements...
* Speed. I'm sure the next version (Thunderstorm?) will have a faster processor and more RAM.
* The camera is a joke. Way too slow and doesn't focus in room light. Only usable outdoors.
* Keypad too small for my fingers. I often type in the letter next to the one I want. I like the click screen ok, though. Multi-tap never works right so I always type in horizontal orientation. Not a big deal.
* Battery life. I have to charge mine daily.
I love it - I tried the iPhone & was disappointed that I couldn't send a picture message ( part of my work requires it) & no copy/paste option ( until recently) Storm was able to do all that &more right out of the box. I was all set to get the new Curve but then my boss got a Storm & I fell for it. I have had no problems, love the apps available - even twitterberry works great. I don't need an app that farts or allows me to pretend to drink a beer - give me apps that are worthy of downloading. During & after the hurricanes here we were the only ones with service (thanks Verizon) all others were asking to borrow our phones to call family. I love that you have to press firmly to choose - can't accidentally call with that option. Only complaint I have - the clip case needs to be wider - it's to snug, even after 4 months. Love everything about my Storm - wouldn't trade it for anything.
I want to get rid of the click feature when I'm typing, but only when I'm typing. It slows me down so much compared to the ipod touch and is completely uneccesary. Use the click ability to show the other letters that I use much less often (ñíë...) that are currently revealed by touching the screen for a couple seconds. I would love that.
I personally don't think that the storm is a bad phone i have gotten used to the phone and it's not a nuisence or anything.
Just update the firmware with a newer leaked one, they come out practically every week
quit yo bitchin, bitches.