lackBerry’s are to high-powered business folk what contraband substances are to ladies and gentlemen of the street – a craving which becomes necessity. Of course, their ubiquity has meant that those who really want to stand out from the crowd must have the latest and greatest model. Slimmer sizes, faster speeds, and more applications have satiated even the most dedicated technophilic junkie. Lately, though, fanfare for the iPhone has reached pandemoniacal levels and stands as a threat to RIM's BlackBerry. Things may soon change, however.

Remember the day when e-mail had to be checked at a desk, and PowerPoint presentations made on a laptop? I barely do either. The Blackberry has irrefutably changed the way we communicate, work, and play, for better or worse. You may soon be trading in your Pearl for something that RIM hopes will take the Blackberry-slash-smart phone world by storm.

The latest gadget is the BlackBerry 9000. Aside from its futuristic name, the newest model on the market will be adapting some highly sought after features, like 3-G technology and a design that conspicuously mirrors the iPhone. There’s little doubt that RIM aims to take away from Steve Job’s customer base.

While many expected the BlackBerry 9000 to come with an Apple-esque touch screen, reports say it isn’t going to happen this time around. Initially, pundits were confused as to why RIM would pass up adapting this technology.

Mike Lazaridis, R.I.M.’s co-chief executive, assures that a lack of innovation isn’t the reason. Instead, he points out the contrasts which exist between the iPhone and BlackBerry user demographics. While iPhones cater primarily to music listeners who want the occasional web experience, the typical BlackBerry finds itself in the hands of those who want constant access to e-mail and the ability to edit documents on the fly. This translates to a keyboard being much more effective than a touch screen, which can often be cumbersome, particularly for longer messages.