I admit it -- sometimes I find myself pining for my Blackberry.
I retired my Blackberry several months ago and switched to the HTC Droid Incredible from Verizon Wireless, largely because I want to write about current and future travel apps that largely have gone missing on the Blackberry.
I still have the Blackberry powered up next to my desk because it stores all my passwords and I've been too lazy to transfer them to my Droid. And, sometimes, when nothing else is going on, I steal a glance, heavy with nostalgia, over toward the sad, abandoned device.
The Droid has a lot of cool stuff. Don't get me wrong.
But, mastering the touch-screen on the Droid Incredible has made me appear to be all thumbs when it comes to texting.
My kids make fun of my sometimes slow and typo-laden text responses.
And, believe it or not, half the time I can't readily answer an incoming call on the Droid because the drag to unlock function on the home screen doesn't always unlock.
I end up having to call people back.
Yes, apps galore on the Droid, but I have trouble receiving calls.
A friend reminds me from time to time that the Droid, after all, is supposed to be a "phone."
Alas, the smartphone sometimes isn't all that smart.
On the other hand, the Blackberry had plenty of problems, but at least it answered calls.
I am not alone in my feelings.
I was talking the other day to a car rental distribution guy, who'd recently migrated from his old Blackberry to an iPhone.
He said he feels my pain about the Blackberry.
The car rental guy recalled how, when driving (yes, I know), he used to be able to manipulate the Blackberry, for texting or calling, in one hand.
Can't be done with his new iPhone, the car rental guy moans.
I've heard apps developers, too, saying how sorry they feel for the good, old Blackberry, how the device is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.
Still, there is a ray of hope for RIM and the Blackberry.
The Wall Street Journal reports [subscription] that RIM is on the verge of introducing what some in the company are referring to as the BlackPad to compete with the iPad and other tablet devices.
The RIM tablet reportedly would use a new operating system from RIM subsidiary QNX Software Systems, and that operating system is said to be getting rave reviews.
And there is talk that RIM will migrate future Blackberry smartphones to the QNX operating system, as well.
There's hope at RIM that its still-unconfirmed introduction of a BlackPad -- or whatever the device will be named -- will help it make headway in RIM's uphill battle to convince developers to write apps for RIM devices.
When it comes to tablets, most of the buzz in the travel industry has been about the iPad.
But, if the BlackPad gets some traction among road warriors, then maybe RIM devices won't remain as an after-thought for travel companies as they develop future mobile apps.
However, until then, my tattered and bruised Blackberry will remain, largely forsaken, in a corner.