I’m beginning to drool over the upcoming Blackberry 9000, now that it seems to be a reality.

It has everything I already love about my Blackberry 8800, plus wifi, a faster network and a camera. I know that rumors also say iPhone is due for an upgrade later this year to AT&T’s faster 3G network.

Some of the Mac press refuse to see what’s attractive about the Blackberry over the iPhone, like this tidbit from MacDailyNews:

“Uh oh, RIM shareholders. If this is all RIM’s got, you guys and gals might want to quickly add “former” ahead of that suddenly scary description of one of your portfolio positions, as it’s now painfully obvious that RIM has learned nothing in the past 15 or so months since Apple unveiled the iPhone,” SteveJack writes.

“It’s the same old, same old in an iPhone-inspired wrapper. And that should fail to inspire much confidence in RIM,” SteveJack writes.

MDN is an extreme example because it’s a site where Steve Jobs can rob a bank at gunpoint and they’ll turn it around into a positive message for humanity, but it’s become typical to measure the Blackberry by an iPhone standard.

Some of us genuinely enjoy our Blackberrys for what they are, not as some sort of second fiddle to the iPhone. If I wanted an iPhone, I would have bought one. Sleek design can only take you so far.

I’m relieved that RIM is staying true to its focus on functionality first and foremost. Given a choice, I think I may still choose Blackberry when both companies roll out their new devices in a few months. When I want to use my phone to update Twitter or send an email, I’m thinking of the message, not the tool. I think the iPhone’s awkward keyboard will always be a barrier for me. We’ll see what happens when I have the opportunity to walk into an AT&T store later in the spring and (hopefully) hold both devices.

When it comes to technology, in my opinion, the best design quickly gets out of the way and doesn’t have to try too hard. This is why I still feel that the MacBook Air is an interesting proof-of-concept but will fail long term unless there is more thinking towards functionality than just being “impossibly thin.” Maybe it was impossible for a reason.

Frankly, If RIM can adapt the browser on a Blackberry to work better with “iPhone enhanced” sites, that may be all it takes for me to stick with their devices and never look back.