Forget about the election. Students all over campus are engaging in a new battle: iPhones versus BlackBerrys.
While choosing a candidate was simple for most students, the debate over which phone to buy is not as clear-cut.
Engineering sophomore Samantha Collins, who had a red BlackBerry Pearl before switching to an iPhone, said the iPhone's colorful features appeal to the younger generation more than the BlackBerry's professional look.
"It's almost like having a Mac in your hand," said Engineering sophomore Aditya Kaji, who owns the new iPhone. "I just feel happy using it."
Students who have the new iPhone say that although the touch screen takes some getting used to, the device is much more user-friendly than the BlackBerry.
The iPhone can be wirelessly synced to any computer and comes with a GPS system, 3G - high-speed cellular Internet - and almost double the memory of an iPod Nano.
However, College sophomore Rico Moorer, who owns a BlackBerry Curve, said that he heard that iPhones have "a tendency to die" and that the BlackBerry is more professional because it is used by government agencies.
Moorer explained that BlackBerrys also have Push technology - which instantly transfers e-mail from a computer to the device - 3G Internet and the free BlackBerry Messaging service.
On campus, the iPhone works with AirPennNet and AirPennNet-Guest while the BlackBerry relies on a cellular phone network, executive director of Information Services and Computing Mark Aseltine said.
He wrote in an e-mail that the BlackBerry Bold works with AirPennNet-Guest, but lacks support for the authentication protocol - PAP - needed to connect to AirPennNet.
However, he added that ISC is following up with Research in Motion - the Canadian wireless device company that developed the BlackBerry - to see if there are plans to support PAP on future BlackBerry devices.
Students looking for a better camera and a keypad may opt for a BlackBerry, Kaji said.
The BlackBerry Storm has a screen that, unlike the iPhone, depresses when touched to simulate the keys on an actual keyboard.
Some students also enjoy the aesthetic appeal of the BlackBerry.
"I liked [the BlackBerry Pearl] because it was very small, very light and very compact," said Collins. "It fit in my pocket and was really a beautiful color."
Overall, though, Moorer said the iPhone is the better choice for students.
"There is nothing on the new BlackBerry that the iPhone can't do," he said.
