My experience with the Storm was tainted heavily, because with the exception of a brief stint on the HTC Dash, I have been an iPhone user for the past 9 months. Prior to that, I was Blackberry all the way since before they were phones. Where the Blackberry fails in comparison to the iPhone is in performance and features of the core operating system. The Storm fails in it's design compared to its own products the Pearl and the Bold.
Performance - The Storm has noticeable processing lags with every touch or gesture. you absolutely cannot "fly" on it like you did with the previous models. I really think the soft keys have made the Storm a frustrating device to use.
OS Features - I'm talking about the subtle elements of the built-in features that were overlooked. For example, when you want to drop your cursor somewhere on the screen, my fat finger covered it and it was like trying to pin the tail on the donkey to get to the exact spot. Answering a call literally took me 5 presses of the "answer" button because the accelerometer didn't change the screens in time and I was pushing phantom buttons. Lastly, even though it has 8GB of memory (which is separate from the device memory - confusing), the Blackberry just isn't a media player or photo album that seamlessly flows into your lifestyle. Again, I am a jaded iPhone user, but we are who the Storm is trying to entice.
Design - The Storm is "plastickey", bulky, light shines through the cracks and is just not an elegant device. The Pearl and the Bold are the phones that really set Blackberry apart in terms of design. The one thing the Storm has going for it is its unscratchable screen.
In my opinion, Blackberry took a major step back in usability trying to capture some of the iPhone market. Again, my advice to users wanting a Blackberry - stick to the Bold.
Very nice expression of your experience! At times I have thoughts of wanting a BlackBerry but my sites have always been set on the Bold. I went in to get the Curve and ended up with a HTC Touch for a few days then exchanged for the Treo.
I didn't fallback to the curve because I knew the Bold was on the horizon. Within a year, I can upgrade again and maybe I'll get a Bold.
The Touch was sexy but I really need a keyboard, touch screen only doesn't appeal.
I'm glad to hear your thoughts on the Storm.
Speaking of storms, wasn't that storm something last night!