I could type faster on my Blackberry Curve (a consumer targeted device) than my current Galaxy Nexus or any iPhone/iTouch touchscreen (plus I could literally type a full message and send by touch-typing, without any doubt as to what I was actually doing without looking at the screen).

I admit I prefer the button-less form factor in many respects, but boy do I miss that well-designed tactile keyboard.

I had a BB for about 8 years (1999-2007) before moving to touchcreens with the iPhone, and I can't actually go back to a physical keyboard - it's too slow! I can type way faster on the touch screen now. Though you do need to pay attention to your auto-correct.

Even with Swype/Kii keyboards?

I find they're quite fast!

You probably can type faster than I can using Swype/Kii/etc. But for whatever reason, I do best with tactile feedback.

(I use a Das Keyboard for the IBM Model M "clicky" experience, and hate my laptop or other keyboards after getting it. I completely understand that I may be in the minority, but regardless, I loved the response of my Blackberry keyboard).

Blackberry's were sought after by status hungry students and later by BBM-addicted students.

Business students?

Any university student, and later even high school students (as Blackberrys got cheaper as they started to be in bigger and bigger trouble).

In the UK it was ordinary kids who were emulating American rappers who were emulating businessmen (or so the story went).