The Storm Is Coming....

Sunday in Sepang at the F1-race.

The race in progress just before the storm..


Celcom CEO Shazalli introducing the Storm


Two of the three teen bloggers Shaira and Sara. The other is Aiman.

**

Celcom held a sneak preview of the new Blackberry Storm at the Sepang International Circuit on Sunday.

What a place and occasion to have the event.

Ten bloggers, including three teen bloggers and a blogger-on-wheels, were invited together with representatives of the Press.

Celcom CEO Shazalli Ramli and his team were on hand to welcome everyone who had gathered at KL Hilton for lunch, from where they were taken in a coach to Sepang. Blogger-on-wheels Kerp was in a car, ahead of our bus.

The product presentation -- held in the Silver Suite -- was at 3.30pm, a couple of hours before the start of the F-1 race.

First off -- that was my first F-1 race. Those days at the NST, I turned down every media invite to F-1. I'd give my ticket (every year) to friends and family. The main reason was that it was always a working day for me. For some odd reason, I'd be working on F-1 days.

So, why did I accept the invite? Well....because Celcom invited me as a blogger.
Now...how do you like that? Sneak preview of the Storm and watch the race -- cool.

Secondly, I was curious about the Storm. I mean, it did not have very good reviews in the media but so many people I know overseas seem to have immediately changed from their Bold, Curve, Javelin to the Storm.
I am NO crackberry. I have been resisting buying a Blackberry since the first was introduced. I find Blackberry users terribly anti-social. It's like the Blackberry is their life and soul, it is unbelievable.

And, I'm one of those very weird people who are not into touch-screen.

Close crackberry friends tell me that I'm behind time because the Blackberry is the way to go, it is now, It is a must-have.
I call them crack-pots.

Naah. Not even Shazalli's glowing review of the Storm got me sold. A touch-screen Blackberry...don't think so.

Celcom's senior vice-president (marketing) Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin introduced it as the all-in-one multimedia device.

The Storm is designed not just for the enterprise market but also for the mass consumers. (That means, me..)

It is a smartphone that combines the powerful communications features. It has a camera (3.2MP), built-in GPS, media player, video recording, Blackberry Maps, wireles email, organiser, browser, phone, corporate data access, and SMS/MMS.
It is a 3G smartphone with screen interaction capabilities.

It is custom-built with facebook, yahoo messenger, ICQ, windows messenger, AOL instant messenger and Flickr.

The Storm is 4.43 inches in height, 2.45 inches wide with a depth of 0.55 inches and weighs 5.5 ounces.

While many Blackberry users are averse to the touch-screen use, just as many have converted to the Storm because of the touch-screen.

I am one of those who cannot seem to like touch-screen smartphones and all.

I hate to sound conciliatory or conceded, but I must admit that the Storm's touch-screen is something else, It is clickable and respond like a keyboard.

Am I sold yet?

I had a good feel of the Storm for a good 45 minutes.

Well, the Bold couldn't do it. Neither could the Curve, the Pearl, the Javelin......

So....I'll wait until April 28 when the Storm makes its debut in stores.
It is priced at RM2,499 and rebates will be available subject to promotion plans taken by customers.
For more info, please visit www.celcom.com.my/business.

Celcom customers can also call 1-800-111-777 to order their Storm. And to find out more about the product, visit www.blackberry.com/storm.

As for the F-1 race.....the Storm really brought the storm in Sepang. The race, as we all know, had to be stopped because of the heavy downpour.

What a stormy Sunday at the race.
And no....none of us got a free Storm....