PUNE, INDIA: RIM's recently unveiled Storm announcing the Business minded Blackberry's entry in the Touchscreen echelons. It might be an attempt to pit against pioneer Apple or alternatively an attempt to take the innovation ahead and make it relevant to its consumer segment.

Just how the strategy fares out, would be too early to gauge. But for now, reviews, both from experts and consumers, give a good list of positives and negatives.

First the good bit.

Storm, as it claims, packs some commendable features like ClickThrough, a multi-touch UI, ability to run on Verizon's EV-DO 3G network in the US, as well as any GSM HSPA 3G networks when abroad.

And then it has the ability to read and edit Microsoft Office documents, a camera that sports a superior resolution at 3.2 megapixels, has flash, auto focus and video-recording capability and so on.

What it naturally scores high on is its aptness for the business user with stuff like good e-mail capabilities, ability to work out of personal accounts with Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, Novell GroupWise and, BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

It also has other high points for enterprise users like ability to view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, its travel-friendliness when it comes to aspects like networks and battery and a good browsing experience.

Talking of the not-so-good nuts and bolts, there is lack of Wi-Fi connectivity which is incidentally a major advantage area for iPhone.

Applications is another area where iPhone has a heads-up. The touchscreen is also reported in some reviews to be a below-average experience on clicks and touch.

iPhone's second customer in Pune, Shashank Dixit reckons it fairly. Blackberry's USP is its keyboard and email.

"iPhone's USP is ease of use, iPod and slickness. With Storm, blackberry is now entering iPhone territory and will be surely beaten. Blackberry customers are sophisticated office goers - and they won't like the absence of keyboard," he observes.

"No multitouch means that the touchscreen is not as useful as iPhone's. A lack of good appstore also means it will suffer on apps. Blackbery is targeting a whole new market with this phone - the traditional buyers of iphone - and I'm not sure if many will switch."

In comparison to iPhone's wi-fi, web browser, iPhone apps, GPS, You Tube etc, the Storm houses Blackberry OS, Novell and Lotus Notes on the software stack while matching GPS and Personal email bits with iPhone. 

So while Dixit, a CEO, concludes that he will stick to his full keyboard blackberry Bold instead, it would be interesting to see how RIM maintains its business-user profile while trying to allure the touchscreen segment.