The Battle of the 21st Century: Blackberry vs. Android

I'm back! Sorry for the long hiatus, but I had a two-month battle with writer's block. Now, on Oct 26, 2011, I am back and ready to write! About Giants baseball? That will be coming up, but another interesting issue has boggled my mind.

In the past year, I have owned each of the two competing phone operating systems--Android and Blackberry. I neglect to mention the iPhone in this mobile battle because I think it is in a league of its own (R.I.P. you great innovator Steve Jobs).

Each phone has its advantages. The Android has its user-friendly, touch-free operating system, while the Blackberry is a businessperson's dream.

Let's take a look at each phone. Which phone is better? We'll let you decide, but I'll put in my two cents in the end.

The Blackberry

The Blackberry was introduced in 1999 by Research in Motion (RIM) as a two-way pager. The device has come a long way from its beeper days--it is an all-in-one phone, palm pilot, entertainment center, and mini computer.

The easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard on this mobile device stands out. This is an advantage for those who e-mail on the go or frequent texters. Since texting is becoming the dominating use for the cell phone, a good keyboard layout is invaluable to customers.

Imagine you have to send a three-paragraph, 150-word e-mail to a client. With the Blackberry, you can whip out the text almost as fast as you can type. With the touch screen phones, it could take twice as long, as you struggle to hit those small on-screen keys about half the size of your fingertip.

Another advantage of the Blackberry is that you can put multiple e-mail accounts into one app. Have two separate e-mails for work and personal use? Expecting multiple e-mails from different accounts? This is not a problem with the Blackberry. You will receive them all at once on the same application.

Despite its business-friendly interface made for easy word processing and typing or texting, the Blackberry has its flaws. The internet browser is slow and the phone crashes frequently when trying to load complex web pages not loaded with mobile sites.

For a working person looking to read PDFs, send e-mails, and easily communicate with others quickly and efficiently, this phone would more than suit a professional's needs.

The Android

After I traded in my Blackberry, I was excited to receive my new LG Optimus Android phone. Gone were the days of slow internet connections and random pocket-dialings, and here came the touch screen revolution.

My best description of the Android is it's the poor man's iPhone. It has some of the same features as Jobs' prized creation, but the iPhone is a bit faster and more user-friendly--and let's face it. The iPhone has the Apple logo so popular in today's mobile market.

The Android's touch screen environment makes the Android what it is. It is much easier than the Blackberry when it comes to navigating through menus or finding a feature or app. You just point your finger on what your look for, and the program will open at your fingertips touch.

Another cool thing about the Android is you can have multiple apps running at the same time. Want to listen to the radio on your phone and play poker at the same time? The Android will let you do that--without crashing too. The Blackberry would allow this for some apps, such as some radio apps, but if you wanted to listen to streaming media, you could not do anything else on your phone because the media player would be all that could run.

Lastly, another advantage of the Android over the Blackberry is web browsing. Don't like eBay's mobile site? Not a problem. With the Android, you can view a web site's regular online web site in addition to it's mobile companion site. This gives the consumer even more options and choices. All this happens at speeds faster than the Blackberry.

As mentioned earlier, the touch screen falls a bit short when it comes to texting or e-mailing. It is almost impossible to not mess up when typing. Too many times you would have to push the delete button because you pushed that "w" key instead of the "e." Once you get used to it, it is not that bad, but it will take a few weeks to get acclimated to the virtual keyboard.

My Verdict

I will have to choose the Android as my winner. Although I do text a lot, and I like to text fast, the faster internet browsing speed and the ability to run multiple applications (and without crashing) does it for me. The typing problem can be dealt with over time with a little practice.

Apparently, I am not alone in my decision. According to the latest Nielsen report,  29 percent of Americans are using Android phones, 27 percent are using Blackberries, and another 27% are using iPhones.

However, if I was in the working world where I relied on my phone to send e-mails or read documents, I might have a different opinion. For now, my Android will charge up as I head to sleep, ready to entertain me for a whole another day.

Brian Wilson: Do the S.F. Giants Need Him Fully Healthy to Win the NL West?

 

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 28: Closing pitcher Brian Wilson #38 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 28, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Giants won 4-1. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

By Vince Cestone

 

Tuesday night's game might have indicated how much they miss their bearded right-handed closer.

It seemed the magic was back at AT&T Park. A sold-out crowd of 41,288 roared in excitement as the Giants rallied from a 4-0 then 5-2 deficit to tie the game in the eighth inning.

As fans might have thought for a brief moment their waterfront ballpark was Mecca again, where Giants baseball at home means spirited comebacks, and eventually, thrilling walk-off wins, the Padres brought San Francisco back to recent reality in the top of the ninth inning. Brian Wilson, their eccentric finisher who calls the top of the ninth inning home when the Giants are leading or tied, was no where in sight.

Filling in Wilson's orange shoes was the struggling Ramon Ramirez, who has limped through August with a 7.36 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP for the month. A quick double, sacrifice bunt, hit, and yet another hit later, the Giants were down 7-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Asking the Giants to come back twice in one game might be asking a bit much for a team dead last in the National League in runs scored. All Wilson could do was watch in despair as his temporary replacement was rocked around by the suddenly hot-hitting San Diego Padres.

This game could have been a preview as to why the Giants need Brian Wilson—and his 35 saves—fully healthy to win the National League West. A bullpen that was once a lock-down staff now looks rather ordinary without the fearless closer.

Wilson himself understands his importance to the team and wants to be out there as soon as possible. Although the Giants' closer did not want to speak to the media about his elbow injury, head trainer Dave Groeschner said he is optimistic Wilson will pitch again this season sooner rather than later.

"There’s nobody in the clubhouse that wants to be out there more than him,” Groeschner said to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.

Baggarly also reported that Bochy remains optimistic that Wilson will return from the disabled list when he is eligible to do so on Aug. 31.

The Giants' strong desire to have their closer back is with good reason. With set-up man Sergio Romo also on the disabled list with a sore right elbow, the remaining bullpen pitchers still standing essentially move up two notches, leaving some pitchers in unfamiliar roles.

So far, that unfamiliarity cost the Giants Tuesday night's game—and almost Game 3 of the Atlanta series, where Dan Runzler and Jeremy Affeldt turned a comfortable 7-1 lead in the ninth into another nail-biting 7-5 victory with the tying run left at the plate.

The negative consequence of the loss of Wilson and the Giants' scrambling of roles is the team lost someone who has a mind for pitching the ninth inning. The 27th out is the hardest one to get in a game and not every pitcher has the mental makeup for pitching the ninth in a save situation.

Wilson also has the experience in big-game save situations that the other pitchers do not have. Last September, Wilson had a 1.26 ERA and 10 saves in 11 opportunities.

Now that Wilson is on the disabled list, the Giants must rely on the likes of rookie Steve Edlefsen and Runzler to contribute during the stretch run. Edlefsen hardly dominated Pacific Coast League batting with his 5.66 ERA at AAA Fresno.

Runzler has not fared much better as he was lit up in his recent relief appearance against the Atlanta Braves. He has a 7.77 ERA in the big leagues this season and has pitched erratically, struggling to throw the ball over the plate.

The Giants most likely cannot win the National League West without a good, strong bullpen. Without the anchor of their bullpen, the Giants could very well see themselves on the other side of the one-run games they were winning earlier.

If the Giants are going to make the playoffs by scoring the least amount of runs in the National League, a stellar bullpen will be needed. Without Wilson and Romo, the Giants do not have as much depth to make that happen.

If Wilson's injury is temporary, the Giants have just enough depth to survive his loss for a couple of weeks. Jeremy Affeldt, Javier Lopez or even Santiago Casilla—who all have great numbers this season—could fill in for a few games.

However, if the injury is anything more, the Giants may as well go there separate ways and start their long winter come October.

Quick Note on Giants' Android App

If you do not have it already, make sure you check out the San Francisco Giants app for the Android Phone. The app allows you to quickly access the Giants' mobile home page through the touch of the screen.

Also, you can get custom Giants' themed wallpaper for your Android home page--I personally have the big SF as the background of my home page. It is amazing what these smartphones can do now.

Check out the Android market for more information. Even if you are not a Giants fan, there are similar team-specific apps suited for your favorite club.

This article was featured on the Bleacher Report.

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