BlackBerry Storm2 Thunders In

Many accused RIM and the Storm's exclusive carrier, Verizon Wireless (partially owned by Vodafone, the exclusive carrier in Europe), of jumping the gun and launching a subpar product before it was ready for prime time. Some upgrades to the device's operating system, both official and leaked, have improved its usability but, for many, it never quite reached its potential.

Over the summer, evidence started to emerge on the Internet of the next-generation device, logically labeled Storm 2, and slowly rumors again began to emerge regarding how the new version would compare. Leaked videos started to appear, showing actual preproduction units and describing its specifications and functionality. In addition, estimated shipping dates also started making their way into public forums.

All the while, RIM stood on the sidelines quietly and confirmed very little. That has now changed, as Vodafone officially launched the smartphone, called Storm2 and, with very little fanfare, RIM has updated its Web site with full specs. The BlackBerry Storm2 officially became available on Oct. 28.

As expected, the Storm2 has much in common with its predecessor. Physically, it looks very similar (the Storm2 is slightly larger), and its functionality hasn't changed much either. A review of one of the first official prereleased units on fan Web site Crackberry.com likens it more to a 2010 model of a car that was first released in 2009; new and improved, but nothing earth-shattering under the hood. Still, as expected, first impressions agree that the Storm2 is what the first version should have been.

The Storm2 doubles the original's memory size in every area. It has 256 MB of flash memory, 2 GB of onboard media memory, and comes with a 16-GB micro SD card for additional storage. The touch screen, which was expected to make the initial Storm the first realistic iPhone competitor, is where the Storm2 mostly veers from the previous version.

The unique SurePress technology is still in place, which allows the screen to actually be depressed, but its implementation has changed. While the first-generation Storm used a single button below the center of the screen, the Storm2 has four separate switches, one in each quadrant, for a more even feel during usage. The addition of these multiple buttons also makes for much faster typing on the Storm2, since the OS no longer has to wait for a single button to release before being able to detect a second press. The new version also has the ability to lock the screen in place when it is not on, preventing it from being pressed down at all.

The Storm2 is also the first BlackBerry to be released using version 5 of the operating system. While this brings with it some new features and improvement, the original Storm as it is expected to get an upgrade to the same functionality soon. There's no telling yet if the BlackBerry Storm2 will join the ranks of the hottest smartphones of the season but, one thing's for sure, it looks like RIM has been listening to its customers' feedback this time around.

With those customers in mind, here are just a few BlackBerry apps we've gotten to know:

A free, light version of DataViz's Documents to Go is essential for anyone who works regularly in the Microsoft Office suite and brings the capability to natively open Word, Excel and PowerPoint files while keeping their original formatting.

WorldMate Live, meanwhile, gives travelers automatic itineraries, including flights, hotels, car rentals and meetings and offers weather forecasts, maps, and the ability to search and book hotels.

Ilium Software's eWallet is a virtual wallet that allows users to safely organize and manage passwords, credit cards, PINs and other info safely onto their BlackBerry. TrainSchedule GPS from Trainlogic.net offers transit directions for commuter train lines in 11 states.

Poynt is a free application that enables user to find people, businesses, movie theaters, retailers and restaurants nearby. Using GPS or cell-site information, the program quickly determines your location and allows searches with just a few simple clicks.

For those who never want to miss their favorite TV show, TiVo DVR Scheduler allows any user with a Series 2 or Series 3 TiVo brand DVR to search for television shows, and easily schedule their DVR remotely to record them.

This is a cool one: While not necessarily a productivity tool, Shazam is a unique program that allows the user to identify songs that are within hearing. When activated, the application samples a few seconds of the music and then compares the sample with a database of digital recordings, returning information on the song, artist, and album.