I'm not referring to the OS and function - I know there are some great new things happening on the 9000. I just don't understand why anyone would think it's design is anything fantastic. For starters, the plastic band around it makes it look like an iPhone (is RIM showing some iPhone envy?). The phone, menu, esc and end keys look way too big and with those small symbols on those big keys, it reminds me of old crappy american car interiors where stuff looks like it's just there because they couldn't find any other place to put it. Huge pieces of plastic with stupid little symbols. Finally, what's with those lines between rows of keys? This device looks like RIM was trying to go retro, but got it all wrong.

I would rather they just upgrade the guts of my 8830 or the 8330 and keep the form factor the same.