THE iPHONE v HTC v BB COCKTAIL PARTY.
August 15, 2010
In recent times, the most common question I've seen being thrown around has been this - should I get the iPhone, HTC Android, or Blackberry? I guess if you follow my twitter, you'll know that Apple as a company intrigues me to no end. I'm far from an AFB but it's been rather interesting for me seeing this gigantic trial & error experiment unfold in front of our eyes, even as Steve and Co. make history in the process. As a quiet observer and perhaps given my rather strange penchant/hobby of analyzing the way communication dynamics are evolving, what I find fascinating is the biggest challenge posed to them at the moment - the transition from being the cool, underdog, design-set chic label to the new, well, Micro$oft. Is there such a thing as a socially responsible industry leader? Or is Apple's megalomania finally shining through as industry pressure caves in around them, being the new Goliath?
I've also been presenting this iPhone v HTC v BB question to a lot of people lately; not so much for a personal decision, but just to see people's opinions and the way they justify their answer. Perhaps it's just a big social experiment; I'm not sure, but it's been interesting listening to everyone's answers, from old boffin friends still in the IT trenches, culture vultures, gadget nerds, and general users. Answers have ranged from extremely technical comparisons on memory-load sharing, kernel vulnerability, open-source development to the rather vapid responses, like "I just like the appz eh they are kool".
But what does it all really mean?
So for those still asking yourself this question, after a month or so of digesting information from supporters in all camps, I've decided to combine all this information and put forward my answer to this question in a simple analogy, that I hope everyone can understand.
Imagine you're at a cocktail party.
There's a guy who seems to be the centre of attention and has a harem of girls (including the one you've been eyeing up all night) giggling at his somewhat bland jokes and stories of his exploits as a sometimes-DJ or part-time model. You may not necessary like this guy, but can't help but admire his "pulling power", and quietly wonder to yourself how he does it, at the same time ridiculing him to your friends by amplifying his perceived inadequacies. You don't know how he does it, but you can see the results in front of you, but you still wonder if it's for real or if it's all for show. This guy is an iPhone.
There's a guy who sits quietly in the corner dressed in a Saville Row bespoke suit and sporting a 40's IWC Pilot with a bunch of fellow male beatnik admirers in some strange fete-du-sausage whilst nursing a nice 25yo Glenmorangie single malt on the rocks. He brings up intellectual discussion, enjoys obscure conversation topics, likes to crack the odd dirty joke then and again to remind you that he's on your level, and has a certain aura around him that you can't seem to pinpoint, but you are drawn to. You wonder why he's dressed the way he is, given that not many people seem that interested. This guy is a HTC Android powered phone.
There's a guy who looks rather serious, in a corner with little to no friends and just sits there staring at his phone all night whilst typing away feverishly on the keyboard, trying to maintain a real life conversation with someone at the same time but failing miserably. This guy is all about getting shit done. This person is somewhat oblivious to his surroundings, and always ends up joining a conversation late, making it rather awkward, but he has rather strong opinions and prides himself on telling people when he gets something done, no matter how mundane. This guy is a Blackberry.
Which one do you want to be? There's your answer.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ps - yeah, I use a blackberry. IFAL.
But he is BlackBerry's cousin 
If by "getting shit done" you mean Blackberry Messaging, I guess you're right haha.