Ability to sync with my Mac

iPhone integrates with iTunes and you configure and control the syncing through a series of menus in that program.  Like most Apple technology, it’s very easy to use and allows you to choose anything or everything from Address Book, iCal, iPhoto and iTunes to be synced.

Blackberries don’t natively sync with Macs, but there are two options.  Freely available to any Blackberry owner is the PocketMac Blackberry Edition or, as a separate purchase, Missing Sync for Blackberry.  There are a few subtle differences between them that won’t be covered here, but I will say that we use and love Missing Sync.  It allows easy syncing to Address Book, iCal, iPhoto, and iTunes, among other things.  While there is an additional expense for the sync software, the resulting functionality between the iPhone and Blackberry is virtually identical.  (It should be noted the iPhone has a bigger screen with better resolution for viewing pictures, but I didn’t find that a compelling enough reason to prefer it over the Blackberry.)

Ability to provide a tethered Internet connection

A few times a week we are in a position where we need an alternate Internet connection.  This may be because there are simply too many people using the WiFi at the hotel, Internet café, or conference we are visiting.  With our Blackberries, we can connect via Bluetooth to the phone and then piggy back on its Internet connection, resulting in speeds roughly equal to that of consumer DSL.  As of the writing of this article, this is still not supported on an iPhone and is also against the AT&T terms of use.

Ability to browse the web

This is absolutely one of the biggest strengths of the iPhone.  I was really happy with how well it drew HTML pages from every website I tested.  Zooming the pages to be able to read the text and view images was actually fun.  While you certainly can browse the web on a Blackberry, the screen is smaller, and because it is trying to redraw the website to fit the format of the square screen, it simply takes longer.  The only exception with the strength in web browsing on the iPhone is that Flash is still not available, so if you hit a website that requires Flash, you are out of luck.

Summary

I have had this debate with many of my colleagues and clients, and acknowledge that my perspective is biased.  I would never say the iPhone is a bad business tool, but rather that the Blackberry is a better one for people who are looking for a really good phone with strong e-mail functionality.  Had I gone from enduring a two-year battle with a Treo SmartPhone directly to an iPhone (like many of my colleagues), I probably would have been far happier with the iPhone.  I guess the Blackberry has me spoiled.

When you are trying to choose which phone or PDA to purchase, think about what’s important to you.  How do you plan to us the device?  If you travel often, is having one device for your music, photos, and phone a big plus?  Or if, like me, you spend a lot of time on the road, would nearly perfect voice dialing and very powerful mobile e-mail make your life easier?  Don’t just ask people if they like their phone or PDA, ask them why.  It may make all the difference in your next purchase.