Touchscreen BlackBerry Storm Sells Out

The Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Storm has officially made landfall, with signs pointing to the potential for the Storm to become more than the subject of clever weather-related puns. A Verizon store in Times Square has sold out of the device, already and long lines have formed across the country.

The Storm is RIM’s first touchscreen BlackBerry and hits a fourth-quarter landscape rife with competing touchy devices. But RIM might naturally rise above the pack, including the Android-based G1 from T-Mobile USA. Why, you ask? Well, this may be a Master of the Obvious statement, but people love their BlackBerrys.

The Storm’s success against the iPhone is critical for RIM, which has seen its market share slip as Apple’s device sales surpassed it in the third quarter.