Apple wins out over BlackBerry Tour 9630

Apple 3G S and Blackberry Tour 9630

Blackberry has a small window to succeed as long as Apple limits distribution of the iPhone but who can argue with Apple’s success?

Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, July 15, 2009

Apple has become a cell phone company that makes computers with 40 million iPhone and iTouch handhelds sold in 2 years. Blackberry may be better for email but it’s days are numbered.

Let’s put that into perspective. Over the same period, Apple sold half as many Macintosh computers. In 2007, Apple sold 7.05 million Macs. In 2008, Apple sold 9.7 million. Assuming recession-ridden-2009 turns out similarly, that puts all Mac sales at under 20 million units.

If you go a few more years back, the Mac numbers start dropping off. In 2006, Apple sold 5.3 million Macs. In 2005, 4.8 million. In fact, with most Macs being discharged after five years, you could probably say that there are more iPhoneOS devices being actively used than Macs. ComputerWorld

Once Apple signs more than AT&T in the US and Rogers in Canada as carriers, there will be no competition for Apple.

As Bob Lefsetz (Twitter) painfully says,

“Apple’s gonna win the smart-phone war.I’m never going back to AT&T. Some of the worst voice connections (or should I say DISCONNECTIONS) I’ve ever experienced. As for the vaunted 3G…every time I use someone’s iPhone they’re on EDGE, even though I’m getting 3G on Verizon. Yes, I’m on Verizon. I switched back in 2003, and I’m HAPPY!

Except for the fact that I can’t get an iPhone.

I use a BlackBerry. It’s the king of e-mail. After that…

I’m rationalizing my plight by saying it’s all about voice anyway. But I’ve got a bad case of handset-envy, I want an iPhone.

Luckily in Canada, Rogers has grown up over the past decade and provides decent 3G service, although not in the hinterlands as we discovered in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia over the weekend.

Both Blackberry and iPhone are easy and difficult all at once.

I tried Twittering from the Paul McCartney concert on Saturday with login in, password, and typing on the tiny edit field. It was a mess.

Hannah and Natalie, my two resident teenagers, came to the rescue.

“Take the phone from him,” Hannah kept saying in an undertone when Natalie tried to explain setting up my texting to automatically update Twitter.

A few minutes later, Hannah delivered the iPhone, with free instructions and a “parents don’t know anything” look on her face. I act dumb and the customer service in this house is the best, the very best.