Today I finally received my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Storm in the mail via FedEx. I ordered the phone over a week ago because all stores were sold out. As much as I craved BlackBerry's first touch screen 3G network powered device I still couldn't find it within my self to wait in line for 6 hours on the release date. This is coming from someone who doesn't walk to the store let alone scratch his own back when someone else is physically available.

Because I'm such a BlackBerry addict I've decided to answer some frequently asked questions to help people get more familiar with the BlackBerry Storm.

What carriers are offered by the BlackBerry Storm?

Verizon Wireless currently is the only official carrier in the United States. Because of Verizon's exclusive contract with the Storm, don't look for any official releases by other carriers anytime soon. Some people might try to convince you otherwise by "unlocking" the BlackBerry Storm for use on other carriers. However 75% of it's features (visual voice mail, Verizon's 3G network, BlackBerry GPS, BlackBerry Enterprise, etc.) won't work when using this option.

What's the cost of the Storm?

The Storm has a retail value of $499 for current Verizon Wireless customers who aren't eligible for an upgrade. For the purchase of a new 2 year contract with Verizon Wireless, customers can expect to pay anywhere from $250-$299.

How much memory does the Storm have?

The Storm comes standard with 2 gigs of internal memory. Along with 8 gigs of external memory via removable mini disk. That's a total of 10 gigs of memory!

That's plenty of room for thousands of songs from your computer, applications, pictures, personal recorded video, and even movies! Today I uploaded 500 songs from my PC to my Storm, and it didn't even make a dent in the memory. What's even cooler is the removable memory in the BlackBerry Storm can double as a flash drive on any computer.

Is the Storm easy to navigate?

This is probably one of my biggest pet peeves about the phone. The touch screen featured on the BlackBerry Storm is the 1st of it's kind on any mobile device. Like other mobile devices it responds to the fingertip, however unlike any other mobile device the Storm features a "clicking" sensation that's remarkable to say the least. It's something that's quite difficult to understand in the beginning, but after a couple of hours of experimenting it becomes somewhat easy. If you aren't very patient, then the Storm definitely isn't for you. The navigating can get quite annoying at times, especially while in a rush. This is something very unusual for a BlackBerry device.

How is the camera on the Storm?

The BlackBerry Storm features a 3.2 mega pixel camera with flash and video capability. While it's leading competitor, the iPhone only features a 2.0 mega pixel with no flash or video capability.

To be honest, I've had several phones with video technology, but I've never seen a phone with such crisp quality. The camera also seems to be pretty sufficient as well. The "auto focus" option doesn't allow any blur in the quality of pictures. Here are some photos I took earlier while playing with the camera. It's amazing because all pictures were taken with the poorest quality option selected and still came out pretty decent.

Is the screen really scratch proof?

Yes the screen is 100% scratch proof as evident by this video (go to the 1:40 mark in the video to watch this guy use a hunting knife to attempt to scratch his screen).

From a business standpoint, does the Storm stand out like the other BlackBerry devices?

Absolutely! I think this is one of the Storm's best qualities. BlackBerry Enterprise Server has never been better. If you currently use Enterprise with your company, you will definitely see a significant difference in available options. Now it's easier to share PDF files, Excel Spreadsheets, edit Word Documents, manage multiple email accounts, exchange voice notes, and so much more. This is just the tip of the iceberg for you business users. Your options are always unlimited when using Enterprise as a beneficial factor for your daily business tasks.

What are some other basic features on the Storm?

Visual voice mail, turn by turn GPS, tethering capability, Global technology, removable battery and memory (as simple as removable battery and memory sounds, the iPhone has neither).

The Storm comes standard with several 3rd party applications like AIM, FaceBook, MySpace, BlackBerry Maps, FlickR, Microsoft Word, Voice Dialing, and many more applications. Outside of the applications included on the device, there are hundreds of more applications that can be downloaded at CrackBerry.com (a must visit for any BlackBerry users).

I want the Storm but I don't want to pay for one of those outlandish Internet packages Verizon offers, what do I do?

The Storm is completely useless without an Internet package supporting it. It's almost like having a digital camera with no flash.

Overall what do you think?

After having the BlackBerry Storm for a little under 12 hours I can say I'm somewhat disappointed in the navigating. However the applications, and exquizet mobile options make up for it's lack luster attitude in being a user friendly device that the mass majority of the public can't enjoy. This isn't a phone, this is a virtual office that just so happens to have communication options.

Overall the Storm isn't for anyone other than die-hard BlackBerry addicts, and people who use the device as more of a business tool than a mobile device. You will be HIGHLY disappointed if the Storm is your 1st BlackBerry device. If you're looking for a toy, then Storm definitely isn't for you. As a consumer, and a fan of technology I can easily say the iPhone is a much better device for people who are just looking to take advantage of multimedia tools, and fun applications. But for the more studious and business driven group of consumers, the BlackBerry Storm is the perfect pick.

If you still aren't sure if you want to purchase the Storm, then perhaps this video is for you.

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As you may have hard by now IL Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested Monday by Federal Agents on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. The most serious charge included Blagojvech trying to sell the position of IL State Senator, the position in which President Elect Barack Obama just recently vacated. Evidence of federal wiretaps include Blagojvech seeking substantial amounts of financial contributions to his campaign from various and donors.

Blagojevich is currently free on bail, and surprisingly still holds the position of IL Governor. He in fact still has the power to make a decision on who's appointed to IL Senator. You would think after his arrest he would of stepped down from his position by now, but it's obviously the complete opposite. Blagojevich has been openly investigated for the past 3 years by the FBI, so I'm sure these small charges won't damper his arrogance. Reality probably won't hit him until he's sitting behind bars and eating some of the best meat loaf the federal penitentiary has to offer.

The irony of it all is that Governor Blagojevich replaced Governor Ryan after he also was convicted of corruption during his term while in office. It seems that IL has inbred a pattern of questionable practices among it's elected officials. Let's just hope that President Elect Barack Obama has strayed away from this type of activity.

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I've been to many great birthday parties lately, but nothing quite like this one. Let's just say this birthday party takes the cake.

Final Thought: IL Politics are quite scary. Corruption doesn't seem out of the ordinary at all. Being that I work with a city agency supported by local govt.(Chicago, IL) I understand how power and greed can control a lot of what goes on. However it's up to each individual person to make the right decision whether or not they're going to cross that line into corruption, or maintain their dignity and morality. I always said no price is worth my freedom. With that said, I do accept bribes from foreign women with heavy accents.

...I'm joking I'm joking.....or am I?