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I see more white and silver laptops than black models when I walk around campus and the shopping mall these days. Colored laptops might look nice in the home, but do people really want to live with one color choice for 2 or more years?

If you don’t like the stock color of your device, Colorware will sell you a custom painted Blackberry, iPhone, iPod, game console or laptop. They’ll also paint your equipment. Their process takes a few days, and you have to wait for the mail or FedEx, though.

It’s easy to wrap a laptop in decals. Students and programmers like to do this, because it’s a great way to personalize a computer. The decals also help the user identify their computer easily.

But I’m not sure I’d go to a job interview with a laptop covered in bumper stickers, unless I knew the client well enough. An accountant might not visit carry a bright purple computer with Astroturf on the lid to a major client meeting.

Erica DeWolff has posted a nice article about this issue at Professionalism and computer color: What do you think? The comments on that article are fun to read.

Skinit.com, schtickers.com, skinvo.net and other companies sell a variety of large, colorful stickers that are custom cut each model’s dimensions - and some companies will let you design your own laptop skin.

As expected, AT&T is benefiting from its exclusive relationship with Apple. The telecommunications company reported on Thursday that it has 2 million iPhone customers. iPhone monthly sales figures doubled in December.

As the US market becomes saturated with mobile phone users, the telcos rely more on getting customers and corporate accounts to switch providers. As I discussed on 13 January and 11 January 2008, carriers and manufacturers are rushing new handsets and features to market. it’s a new level of competitive rivalry, and the timing is good for consumers and corporate accounts. Stockholders may suffer, however.

I was rereading a student paper from last fall and came across a citation for this excellent comparison of the BlackBerry 8800 and the first generation iPhone. The reviewer compares the two devices from an enterprise user’s perspective. The BlackBerry carried the day with better syncing, real-time push email and WiFi connectivity, but the reviewer admits that the iPhone is a nicer looking product.

Rumors persist of a touchscreen BlackBerry model, possibly called the 9000 or the 9100. The keyboard is on the screen, similar to the iPhone. Executives would leap on these models, just for the “shiny new toy” factor alone. Mobile carriers would have a fresh weapon against iPhone carriers. An on-screen keyboard would certainly solve some interface problems for international BlackBerry users. Looks like the virtual keyboard is becoming a new key success factor for mobile devices.

I have several articles about the BlackBerry available. Just type “blackberry” in the search box or use this link.