BlackBerry Fans Cite Reliability for Thumbs-Down to Rivals

For BlackBerry fans, these are dark days. Research In Motion Ltd. is losing market share to Google Inc. and Apple Inc. New Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins has even said he would consider a sale or partnership. That has BlackBerry devotees fretting over their favorite phone’s future.

Like fans of many iconic products, BlackBerry loyalists love the design of their phone. They praise its fast messaging features and, perhaps most of all, the tactile pleasure of typing on a real keyboard. BlackBerry loyalists, from high-powered CEOs to freelance artists and students, come from all walks of life. They all have one thing in common: They can’t imagine a world without BlackBerrys.