Pretty much that, yeah.

I thought my post gave a fabulous insight into the advantages of Blackberry moving towards a touchscreen model along with the awkwardness of making business apps - and other apps - work with a set number of buttons and a strange scroll button / navigation knob.

But each to their own.

It has a full keyboard, buttons aren't an issue.

The fact it has a full keyboard is good for typing (though touchscreen phones also have one) however the keyboard is always there. What about apps that don't use a keyboard? They have to map options onto buttons already built onto the phone. The application is forced to accommodate a keyboard and buttons that it's not meant to use.

With a touchscreen the keyboard can be removed and replaced with buttons designed specifically to make that application perfect and natural (and not shoe horn functionality onto these "menu key 1" and "menu key 2" things). This results in apps not havin to accommodate buttons - they are just built naturally using the screen options they need.

A DJ app on a blackberry .....disc one speed and rotation using keys w,a,z,s and disc two speed on keys "I,j,m,k"?

A dj app doesnt need a keyboard - its not natural, so with a touchscreen we can remove it (as it's no longer physically built onto the phone) - and simply replace it with two user manipulative discs and the options needed.

Obviously a dj app is an example but my general point is made via it.

How many apps like that are there on App World? Blackberry Apps will be designed to run on Blackberrys. My PC doesn't have a touchscreen, does that mean I'm missing out? Seriously there is a reason large organisations dish out Blackberrys and not iPhones/Desires, they are work devices where iPhone/Desires are more social/personal.

No. They have a simulation of one - which I wouldn't say was anywhere as near as good for typing.

Well you'd be wrong. Pushing a key down takes more effort and is slower than simply touching a screen.

And provides much more in the way of positive feedback.

Pushing a key isn't exactly back breaking work.

I don't see your CEO, business types caring about how to control a DJ app. Not exactly the target market.

It might also be worth nothing that there are touchscreen Blackberries - the Storm line. You should also realise that not everyone wants a touchscreen.

Another advantage of a keyboard is you don't lose half the screen when your typing.

RIM hasn't got where it is today with DJ Apps.

I don't see President Obama sitting in the Oval Office playing one on his.

Oh, I dunno, maybe that's why he's got one. Obama on the DJ app, while Hillary & the rest of the Cabinet dance their tits off to it in the Oval Office.

All that enterprise & email stuff is just a bonus.

I gave the example of a DJ App as it is a nice way to present my point.

Every app on a Blackberry uses a keyboard and a limited amount of menu keys whether it needs a keyboard or not.

But try and pretend you don't know what I mean in order to ignore my perfectly valid and well put point. It makes much more sense to have a screen that can display options native to an app it's running. I don't think you can argue otherwise.

Mate you're embarrassing yourself now..

(and I love touch screens)

Limited menu keys? it has a full keyboard, one you can use without losing half the screen. I wish my Desire had a pop out keyboard, it would make life a lot easier.

My Palm has a slide-out keyboard - which still leaves the whole front of the screen free for those apparently all important custom buttons. I think its a better solution than a touch screen on its own.

I thought that's what *you* did?

I'm playing a football game. . .does the Blackberry have a dedicated "Kick" key?

I'm typing something in a word processor. . .does the Blackberry have a dedicated "copy" key?

I'm on Messenger. . .does the Blackberry have a dedicated "send photo's" button?

I'm on the web. . .Does the Blackberry have a dedicated Bookmarks key?

I'm on the web and have numerous windows open. . .does the Blackberry have a dedicated "show all windows button"?

I'm spinning some decks on a virtual DJ app. . .does the Blackberry have some secret hidden Decks that come up from under the keyboard that I can spin with my fingers?

I'm on Google maps. . .can I touch the screen to go to an area that I see that I want to zoom in on?. . .does it have a dedicated "locate me" key in the same App?

I'm on YouTube. . . does the Blackberry have a dedicated "Search YouTube" key?

I'm on Facebook . . .does the Blackberry have a dedicated "Upload photo" key?

I'm on my Clock application. . .I want to check the time in various cities. . .does the Blackberry have a dedicated key for "Japan", "Ireland", and "London"?

I must have missed all these dedicated keys hidden somewhere on the front of the Blackberry Bold.

All I see are a series of keys that are suitable for typing - and that's it.

All those same keyboard keys are then shoehorned into Apps that the hardware doesn't know even exists.

For the record to the person talking about the keyboard taking up half the screen - if you're typing, you only need to see the words you're writing and this is perfectly possible on iPhone. The screen is also about twice as large as the Blackberry bold for example. . .so with a Blackberry half your entire phone is taken up by keyboard let alone half the screen

You need to accept that because you think touchscreens are wonderful (and a certain phone is god-like), it doesn't mean that everyone completely agrees.

I am aware of the advantages of touchscreens. But to say that buttons are useless is just stupid.

It is a matter of personal preference.

I think no phone is God-like. I love using my iPhone.

I'm not saying that ONLY the iPhone having a touch screen is great. I said in my original post that it's good Blackberry are embracing touchscreen.

They are the market leader in smartphones and their phones will be even better when they move to touchscreen as all the applications on the phone can be given dedicated buttons. Touchscreens make sense. But I guess at the end of the day it's my opinion - but I don't see how you can say they're not better especially with the examples above.

You don't really get how this 'differing opinions' thing works, do you?

There can't be much room left on the iPhone screen if you've all that on there, you have to call those menus up just as you would on the Blackberry. As for games, gaming on touchscreens is rubbish, your own fingers get in the way. It's like holding the controller in front of your eyes when your on the PS3.

everything I mentioned in my post is available directly in the app mentioned with the need of navigation knobs. All those dedicated keys right there in front of your face.

Why would anyone NOT want simplicity like that?

You say: There can't be much room left on the iPhone screen if you've all that on there

That's my point. . .with a touchscreen buttons needed only for the app that open appear rather than having a physical keyboard taking up half the phone's presence even when a keyboard isn't even needed. If you're not using the keyboard on your Blackberry. . . you can't expand the screen and have more real estate. . .you still get half the screen. . .but with a keyboard attached to the bottom doing absolutely nothing.

Market leader in smartphones?

I think you'll find that the leader in OS market share is Symbian, therefore largely Nokia.