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The first "touch screen" smart phone by Research in Motion (RIM), the Blackberry Storm, sold exclusively in the United States by Verizon Wireless, is also known as the Blackberry 9500; it was earlier known as "Thunder."
Like the iPhone with which it competes, the Storm's screen moves from landscape to portrait, depending upon the user's positioning of the device. Using a glass screen underlain with springs, the Storm's touch screen feels like one large button. But the effect of "pushing" a single button on the device has much the same feel as pushing a "real" button. The phone screen in portrait position features a conventional display and large virtual "buttons." The display is bright and it is easy to dial.
For email and texting, landscape position is far superior and affords the user a "qwerty" style virtual keyboard with nice sized "buttons." The initial software for the Storm had several issues, but an update made available several weeks after the device's introduction has solved most issues and has made the device as easy to use as it is beautiful to look upon.
