I am a dog person. I like dogs because they actually tend to fare better when given commands and they’re slightly much less manipulative than felines.

In my life right now I have a very odd relationship with my two PDAs. On the one hand, I have my dog. We’ll call him BlackBerry. On the other is my cat. Let’s call her iPhone. Sound ridiculous? Hardly.

Characteristics of my dog, BlackBerry

• Reliable (thank you, Verizon).
• Loud enough to tell me that something is happening, sometimes obnoxiously so to the chagrin of officemates.
• Can keep up with my hectic schedule and willing to go where I go (again, thank you, Verizon).
• Gives off the impression that it wants to be touched and managed.

Characteristics of my cat, iPhone

• Reliable when it wants to be…
• Can not stand to be touched when it’s not in the mood.
• Never available when someone calls it; not even the owner.
• Gives off the sleek impression of something sexy that wants to be touched only to leave user frustrated.
• Can’t handle the data I try to give it, then whines when it’s not being managed well.

With the launch of the iPhone 2.0 / 3G today, I hold hope that the iPhone, which is downright fun to have, becomes more reliable and able to handle the workload. It’s not the iPhone’s fault, mind you; they’re just made that way and they’ve been partnered up with a dog of a network. (Trouble from the get-go).

AT&T needs to understand that the 3G service will only go so far to tackle the true shortcomings of any device on their network. More bars in more places? Not anywhere I’ve been in the past 3 months. Most reliable network? That goes, hands down, to Verizon.

If I were able to whisper in the ear of one Mr. Jobs, my broken record approach would be to force AT&T to look into the coverage grid as a follow-up to their recently touted 3G upgrades.

Enhanced data speed is great (and sexy), but I just missed a call from my client.

C’mon, BlackBerry, let’s get to work.

iPhone? We can play later. If you’re in the mood.

How is your cell phone user experience?

Verizon has decided that they should probably get ahead of the curve and open up their wireless network. As reported yesterday, Verizon will lay out the technical guidelines which will need to be used by mobile device manufacturers if they’d like to sell their wares to the general public for use on Verizon. In some cases, this won’t be a huge leap from where they are. For example, lower cell phone models will initially work without an issue, but as the network is upgraded throughout the next couple of years, those same manufacturers  will need to make sure they look forward to meeting the guidelines of all carriers.

Every company is in business to make money, but this is a positive step forward for a large company.

It’s not a good combination when you take new technology, an above-the-law carrier such as Verizon (full disclosure: I am a customer using a BlackBerry 8830) and a security division hell-bent on stopping the initial marketability from actually being delivered when you finally get your hands on it.

Think: Sidekick and T-Mobile.

Think: ATT (the old ATT Wireless) and Blackberry.

Think: Verizon and just about any phone they offer.

By hampering the functionality of a new technology, one is left with a novel but unfinished product. Why purchase the device? The lure is simply for people tied to the network who love the VCast option (why?) and can afford to upgrade, but don’t want to either a) pay to get out of their current contract or b) want to drop the extra $200 USD for the iPhone. With rebates, it was explained that I would be offered the LG Voyager for $199 without a 2 year commitment, but that information is far from verified.

I think the LG’s entry is a far cry from the beauty and well-thought interface (read: overall usability AND look and feel). As a matter of fact, when compared to the iPhone, the LG in this person’s opinion is downright ugly.

Too bad, LG. You had the time and the money to come up with something close, but this time it’s no cigar. Good luck.