The line dance for the 2008 Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon included the lyrics, "grab your iPhone, make a call."
This infectious song-and-dance routine attempts to capture the biggest newsworthy items of the year, including new technology.
The iPhone is indeed notable, packing endless features into one palm-sized machine, but another phone has fallen into the hands of cell phone toting, trendy electronics enthusiasts -- the BlackBerry.
Perhaps this year's line dance should say "grab your BlackBerry, send a BBM (BlackBerry Message)," because the number of students seen furiously typing on their BlackBerrys while walking to class, during class, at the gym or anywhere seems to be mounting.
Some students say they can't imagine life without the device, constantly BBM'ing and texting.
"I can't even imagine going back to a different phone after having a BlackBerry," Jessica Hanth (sophomore-actuarial science) said. "I can guess that I'd be frustrated with texting and would be going crazy without my calendar," he added, noting the phone's organizational tools.
Students hold different opinions about both of these e-mail enabled smart-phones, applauding their features.
To Thomas Callahan, Class of 2008, his iPhone is better than the BlackBerry because it offers more capabilities than the BlackBerry.
"BlackBerrys can't store music and don't offer many of the applications an iPhone does," he said.
However, the iPhone does lack one component unique to BlackBerrys -- the BlackBerry Message. On the BlackBerry, students exchange PIN numbers, which allow them to BBM each other.
"I have about 25 to 30 BBM contacts and I BBM about 210 times per day," Hanth said.
As for the iPhone, its iPod component is the big draw. This feature gets major accolades from students and is something the BlackBerry lacks.
"One of its obvious best features is that you don't have to carry around your phone and iPod at the same time. The GPS is also great; I use it for directions all the time," Callahan said. "It's also good for finding local restaurants and gas stations. You can also download a lot of really cool applications."
According to the Apple Web site, some of these applications are free and some come with a small charge. These applications all aim to make the user's life easier or more entertaining.
"For example, Shazam [iPhone application] will listen to the song coming over the radio and lets me know what song it is and who sings it," Callahan said. "Urbanspoon [iPhone application] uses the GPS to find your location and search for restaurants close to your location according to your guidelines on type of food, price and distance."
Hanth said her inbox fills up quickly on an average day at Penn State with e-mails from professors, student groups and countless other senders. She praised the BlackBerry's easy-to-sync e-mail access.
"I'm very, very de-pendent on the e-mail ser-vice," Hanth said. "I love it because I can be busy or sitting in class and all my important e-mails still come to me without me having to take the time to sit down at a computer and read them all."
Price is another contender in the BlackBerry/iPhone showdown. According to AT&T's Web site, an eight-gigabyte iPhone with a new contract costs $199. A BlackBerry Curve from AT&T, with a new contract, is $79. Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile offer the Curve for $99 with a new contract as well. Both phones require an additional monthly charge for Internet and e-mail synching service, no matter what service is used. There's no escaping the additional monthly charges for precious mobile Internet.
If you feel like the only kid in town without a "Crackberry" (the recently dubbed nickname for the BlackBerry) in your hands and a constant BBM buzzing for your attention, you are not alone. Some good, old-fashioned flip phones can be seen on campus, and they still seem to serve students just as well.
"I don't see the point in spending the extra money. I would hate having to be responsible for responding to e-mail 24/7," Katherine Larimer (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies) said. "Those phones would make me neurotic."
She added she didn't see the difference between a BBM and a text.
"If you really have to tell someone something, call them," Larimer said.
As for Jessica Bonilla (sophomore - communication sciences and disorders), she said she's satisfied with her current LG Chocolate.
"I do think that BlackBerrys become very addicting and people are constantly playing games and checking e-mail on them," she said. "However, as my responsibilities grow, it would be convenient to check my e-mail on the go."
