Drawing party lines (the iPhone vs. BlackBerry debate)

We knew something was up when InfoWeek reported that BlackBerry's Research In Motion was looking for experienced Apple technology experts back in May. (And now we're looking at the upcoming release of the touch-tastic BlackBerry Storm this month. Coincidence? Hmmm...)
 
According to a recent article by ChannelWeb, the fight may have just gone to a new level: Apple has nabbed a 17.3 percent share of the smartphone market, beating RIM's 15.2 percent. This is based on a report revealed by Canalys, a research and analysis firm for the high-tech sector.
 
It's no secret that I am an iPhone user, so I definitely have some preferences. But even though I occasionally notice the longing glances of nearby BlackBerry users, who covet the apps and usability of my phone, I likewise drool over the present and future goodies of the G1. And I have to cop to a jealousy of both BlackBerry's and the G1's physical QWERTYness.
 
You see, here's the dirty little secret of my tech life so far: I'm a woman. With nails. As much as I love my iPhone, touch typing on a flat screen will never, ever be my favorite thing. I hear similar complaints from pals with large fingers. And people with impaired vision, who rely on the tactile sensation of chicklet keys or other buttons.
 
This, in fact, is what some experts say is one of the biggest reasons the iPhone hasn't completely been adopted as an enterprise solution. And yet Apple has posted gains of 523% from third quarter 2007 to the same period this year. What will happen if the company manages to break that business-usage ceiling?
 
Who knows. But the Storm is coming. And there are more Android apps and phones on the way. It will be exciting to see what happens next.