Nine alternatives to Apple's iPhone

Apple's iPhone is the sought-after smartphone of the moment, but it's outside the reach of some people and not ideal for everyone. Not only is the iPhone expensive at $499 to $599, but some IT departments won't support it, making it impractical for professionals who want to stay on the good side of the CIO.

Fortunately, there are many iPhone alternatives, including those with media players for music, video, and streaming content. At prices ranging from $75 to $450, they're cheaper than Steve Jobs' latest pet project, too.

Blackberry Storm has some good qualities, and some not so good

The BlackBerry Storm came out not too long after I purchased my Blackberry Curve. Like lots of the latest consumer electronics devices, you're always hesitant to jump in and make a purchase, because you know your device will be trumped by something cooler in a very short time.

That was the case with my Curve, but not exactly. Shortly after I acquired my Curve, the Storm crossed my desk, as the object of a Tear Down. My first inclination with a Tear Down is to try the device out for a while, to get a feel for the user experience. In this case, it was to see what I was missing out on.