Why The iPhone Kicks Blackberry’s Butt

My roommate and I agree on almost everything: we’re both liberal-minded, enjoy affordable, vintage clothing and are passionate about the arts. We even share the same love for day-old theatre popcorn. But there’s one thing we can’t agree on: she’s a Blackberry veteran, and I’m an iPhone girl.

Here’s the debate: In the left corner, we have the iPhone, with its newest model (32 Gs) weighing in at the contract-free price of $749.99.

In the right corner, the Blackberry Torch, a heavy contender at the price of $609.00, contract-free.

Picture this: you’re walking along King Street in Toronto. You’ve got your purse or laptop bag (if you’re anything like me, you’ve got both), you've also got coffee in the other hand, and you’re ready to take on the world.

Then, your cell phone rings. For a Blackberry user, this isn’t such a struggle. Simply wiggle the device out of your pocket and fumble with the green 'talk' button. However, for an Apple enthusiast like me, a simple press of a button, sometimes done with your nose, or any other free body part, doesn't do the trick.

There is a slide required, a fluid motion that can only be expertly executed by a finger. Harumph!

Perhaps it’s because Apple was designed in California, where they rarely experience cold or snow (or any weather that would call for thick wintergloves). But here in Canada, gloves are a must. Since the iPhone is touch-screen only, it won’t read your finger’s demands through your mitts.

The iPhone is also costly, and for many, it’s an unnecessary expense: “I won’t pay for an iPhone because I just don’t need all of those gadgets on my phone” argues my roommate. Despite these downfalls, I’m an avid iPhone user, and I’ll tell you why.

As a writer, the city is my office space: on any given day, I can start in Toronto’s west-end, migrate downtown, and end up in Yorkville. My business—which consists of much e-mailing, Googling, and blogging—needs to travel with me. Rather than carrying my laptop everywhere, my iPhone allows me to access my calender, Twitter account and Facebook page, all in the palm of my hand.

Blackberry activists will argue that their phone does all this, too, but they’ll be the first ones to tell you about their slow and unreliable e-mail service. Also, most Blackberry users are also PC users. If you know a Blackberry user who happens to work with a Macbook, it’s likely they don’t use Apple software. Instead, they probably have Window’s programs such as XP and Microsoft Word. These people like the appeal of Apple, but they’re comfortable and familiar with the PC setup.

To truly convert to an iPhone, you have to experience the brilliance of Apple’s software first. When I bought my Macbook, I opted to embrace the Apple programs such as Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. This experience familiarized me with Macs so when I finally scrounged enough money to afford an iPhone, I was used the Apple mode of thinking. For this reason, the “gadgets” (as my roommate calls them) don’t seem superfluous, but necessary tools aiding a productive work-week. The iPhone also has a never-ending supply of Aps that have saved my life, such as a world map with a built-in GPS system.

Some will argue that the Blackberry and IPhone cater to two very different demographics; Apple is for the creative and artistic-minded (read: screenwriters, graphic designers, etc) while the Blackberry is for the corporate and business-minded (think suit and briefcase, small cubicle in a high-rise on Bay Street, Toronto).

This dichotomy simply isn’t true: while Apple has attracted the business of may creative-minded people, it’s because they’re providing a service that technologically supports the arts (like composing music in Garageband, or light photoshopping in IPhoto). Businessmen and women alike are also converting to the IPhone: my father (a C.E.O. of a menswear company) and my mother (who works in advertising) both converted to the iPhone two years ago on a family plan.

Despite my roommate’s arguments against the IPhone, I convinced her to purchase a Macbook when she acquired a scholarship from her college. In time, she’ll see the advantage of Apple, and when her cell phone needs replacing, I’m sure she won’t hesitate to try the IPhone. Once you go Mac, you never go back.

Let’s be serious: if you want to be innovative and at the cutting-edge of technology, it’s time to embrace the Apple generation.

Image from MorgueFile

Amanda Cosco
		About the author:
		Amanda Cosco is a freelance writer. The city is her muse.  After completing a master’s degree in English Literature at Ryerson University in Toronto, Amanda packed up her life and moved to the city in pursuit of jazz, sex, and soup. Amanda completed her bachelor of arts at York University, where she had one foot in literary studies and one foot in journalism, earning her a double-major in English and professional writing. Amanda has presented her scholarly work at academic at conferences across Toronto, and her research on the metaphor of hunger in women’s fiction has received over $30,000 in grants and prizes. With her pen name, Lady Medusa, Amanda has left her digital footprints all over the internet. Currently, she’s blogging for several social media websites, and composing her first book of poetry, entitled "Autobiography of Skin. Follow her on Twitter @ladymspeaks
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