I really don't see the appeal behind Blackberrys. Aside from nice hardware keyboards, the software seems to be slow and out of date, the hardware is absolute garbage compared to high or even mid range HTC or Motorola phones, and I really don't see whats so great about BBM, with its Wii Friend code like PINS, when things like AIM, google talk, or even SMS exist. Can someone explain it to me?
@B3astofthe3ast Slow? I watched that video and it seemed pretty quick to me. The hardware looks great and it seems like BB OS 6 is coming a long way. I think the hardware looks nicer than a lot of the generic looking HTC phones (minus the Nexus One...I love that one :))
They gave it an improved calendar, coverflow like music player, nice video player, SMS chat bubbles, global search feature, Social Networking/RSS Feeds integration, instant loading image viewer with pinch zoom, webkit browser, etc. I know they have some catching up to do in a few other areas but what more do you want? Give them some credit for adding all of that. On top of that they have a new Blackberry beta zone where they are taking a lot of input from users and offering beta applications (Twitter, Facebook, Ebay, etc.)
@B3astofthe3ast I can't speak for everyone but I like BBM because it's a quicker way to stay in touch with friends and family I have studying/living overseas. Some of them have ridiculous internet service charges on their smart phones, and somehow using any of the typical web messengers on a smart phone can be more of a hassle for them than just popping a message through on BBM.
But I'm not impressed with the physical design of this new BB. Would be nice if (for a change) RIM offered a horizontal sliding qwerty for those of us who like typing in widescreen and want to keep a FULL widescreen display while doing so. I'm kinda tired of seeing every single physical keyboard on a BB turn out to be the tiny vertical one.
The keyboard is the whole thing. I kinda don't care if it's got the newest hardware whatever, or if it will let me play bejeweled against my friend from work. I type on my phone more than I use it for anything, and there's nothing else out there that can touch a Blackberry keyboard.
I used an Android phone between my last Blackberry and my current one and felt that the OS was a lot prettier and it had more apps, but that it really didn't outdo my old 8800 at anything important to me.
@thinmac Interesting. What kind of Android phone did you have? I'm a big Blackberry fan but have always been impressed by Android. There's just something about Blackberrys that keep me. I can't explain it.
To be fair, as an original Storm owner, OS5 really wasn't bad at all--what was really lacking prior to me switching to Android was the browser. While I'm very happy with my Droid, there were a few things that I do miss about my BB. OS5 made a completely crappy Storm into a quite usable device minus the lousy browser.
1) Great communications device: E-mail, BlackBerry Messenger, data handling and even phone calls are awesome. Sound on the phones is great and not hollow.
2) The best keyboard in the smartphone arena. You can type accurately with one hand and also dial with ease. This is especially true for those of us who have big fingers and struggle with the small keys on full touchscreen devices.
3) BBM is secure text messaging, allowing for group chats without opening everything up to the world.
4) Video streaming performance is actually pretty good. Not the best at all. But then, there isn't a cellphone I would ever consider to be as good as an iTouch or a Zune player when it comes to video. I use Sprint’s video service and the video is crystal.
5) If you don’t care much about apps — which means most people, who aren’t either techies or gadget geeks — then the lack of apps doesn’t concern you. The reality is that for most folks, basic messaging needs and higher-end ones such as e-mail, secure IM and working on documents on the fly, are far more critical than apps.
6) Form factor: The BlackBerry design, along with the iPhone design, really sets the standard for how phones should look like: A keyboard that is easy to use while walking (as a former owner of a landscape slider, I know how difficult it is to use while walking around catching planes); a build quality that is great out the box and can take a licking (my Curve 8530 is incredibly rugged -- and I haven't done as much dropping as I usually do); and efficient to use in terms of simply finding what you need.
7) The OS just works. It is simple, succinct, secure and customizable within sensible limitation. It is also very quick. The fact that some haven't bothered with upgrading to OS 5 (or can't because they have old BBs) doesn't mean that the current OS is slow. The OS is also more-smoothed out than Android and less simplistic than iPhone OS.
There are those who say that RIM needs to improve the apps stable. They are right. But I also say that many of the apps that are on BlackBerry’s App World are the kinds of stuff that improve productivity and make it easier to do stuff such as find a restaurant (and book reservations). Essentially the kind of activities most of us who aren’t gadget geeks are interested in having. Besides, most of the apps I’ve seen (and my non-techie friends have seen) on the iPhone and Android app stores are no more useful or entertaining than those found in BB Apps World. The ones that are useful and entertaining (Poynt, Pandora) already exist across all major smartphone platforms.
There are plenty of non-smartphone devices (Zune, iPod Touch, Archos) that do video games and entertainment very well — in fact, better than even the iPhone or any Droid — and therefore, people are willing to carry that second device so long as it is portable. A BlackBerry fits well in this environment.
All that said, the UI needs work. OS itself is quick and works great, but a great leap forward wouldn’t be so bad at all. Otherwise what RIM sells is a great product for those who need it. If you want something other than a BB, there are other places to go and other platforms to use. It's all about choice.
HP has had plenty of time to fine-tune its finger-friendly TouchSmart software, and now, its newest model, the TouchSmart 610, ushers in a fresh design, highlighted by a hinge that allows the display to slide down and lie nearly flat.
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I really don't see the appeal behind Blackberrys. Aside from nice hardware keyboards, the software seems to be slow and out of date, the hardware is absolute garbage compared to high or even mid range HTC or Motorola phones, and I really don't see whats so great about BBM, with its Wii Friend code like PINS, when things like AIM, google talk, or even SMS exist. Can someone explain it to me?
@B3astofthe3ast Slow? I watched that video and it seemed pretty quick to me. The hardware looks great and it seems like BB OS 6 is coming a long way. I think the hardware looks nicer than a lot of the generic looking HTC phones (minus the Nexus One...I love that one :))
They gave it an improved calendar, coverflow like music player, nice video player, SMS chat bubbles, global search feature, Social Networking/RSS Feeds integration, instant loading image viewer with pinch zoom, webkit browser, etc. I know they have some catching up to do in a few other areas but what more do you want? Give them some credit for adding all of that. On top of that they have a new Blackberry beta zone where they are taking a lot of input from users and offering beta applications (Twitter, Facebook, Ebay, etc.)
@B3astofthe3ast I can't speak for everyone but I like BBM because it's a quicker way to stay in touch with friends and family I have studying/living overseas. Some of them have ridiculous internet service charges on their smart phones, and somehow using any of the typical web messengers on a smart phone can be more of a hassle for them than just popping a message through on BBM.
But I'm not impressed with the physical design of this new BB. Would be nice if (for a change) RIM offered a horizontal sliding qwerty for those of us who like typing in widescreen and want to keep a FULL widescreen display while doing so. I'm kinda tired of seeing every single physical keyboard on a BB turn out to be the tiny vertical one.
@B3astofthe3ast
The keyboard is the whole thing. I kinda don't care if it's got the newest hardware whatever, or if it will let me play bejeweled against my friend from work. I type on my phone more than I use it for anything, and there's nothing else out there that can touch a Blackberry keyboard.
I used an Android phone between my last Blackberry and my current one and felt that the OS was a lot prettier and it had more apps, but that it really didn't outdo my old 8800 at anything important to me.
@thinmac Interesting. What kind of Android phone did you have? I'm a big Blackberry fan but have always been impressed by Android. There's just something about Blackberrys that keep me. I can't explain it.
@B3astofthe3ast
To be fair, as an original Storm owner, OS5 really wasn't bad at all--what was really lacking prior to me switching to Android was the browser. While I'm very happy with my Droid, there were a few things that I do miss about my BB. OS5 made a completely crappy Storm into a quite usable device minus the lousy browser.
@B3astofthe3ast Judging from the comment, you've never touched the original Bold, have you?
@B3astofthe3ast Let's get to it:
1) Great communications device: E-mail, BlackBerry Messenger, data handling and even phone calls are awesome. Sound on the phones is great and not hollow.
2) The best keyboard in the smartphone arena. You can type accurately with one hand and also dial with ease. This is especially true for those of us who have big fingers and struggle with the small keys on full touchscreen devices.
3) BBM is secure text messaging, allowing for group chats without opening everything up to the world.
4) Video streaming performance is actually pretty good. Not the best at all. But then, there isn't a cellphone I would ever consider to be as good as an iTouch or a Zune player when it comes to video. I use Sprint’s video service and the video is crystal.
5) If you don’t care much about apps — which means most people, who aren’t either techies or gadget geeks — then the lack of apps doesn’t concern you. The reality is that for most folks, basic messaging needs and higher-end ones such as e-mail, secure IM and working on documents on the fly, are far more critical than apps.
6) Form factor: The BlackBerry design, along with the iPhone design, really sets the standard for how phones should look like: A keyboard that is easy to use while walking (as a former owner of a landscape slider, I know how difficult it is to use while walking around catching planes); a build quality that is great out the box and can take a licking (my Curve 8530 is incredibly rugged -- and I haven't done as much dropping as I usually do); and efficient to use in terms of simply finding what you need.
7) The OS just works. It is simple, succinct, secure and customizable within sensible limitation. It is also very quick. The fact that some haven't bothered with upgrading to OS 5 (or can't because they have old BBs) doesn't mean that the current OS is slow. The OS is also more-smoothed out than Android and less simplistic than iPhone OS.
There are those who say that RIM needs to improve the apps stable. They are right. But I also say that many of the apps that are on BlackBerry’s App World are the kinds of stuff that improve productivity and make it easier to do stuff such as find a restaurant (and book reservations). Essentially the kind of activities most of us who aren’t gadget geeks are interested in having. Besides, most of the apps I’ve seen (and my non-techie friends have seen) on the iPhone and Android app stores are no more useful or entertaining than those found in BB Apps World. The ones that are useful and entertaining (Poynt, Pandora) already exist across all major smartphone platforms.
There are plenty of non-smartphone devices (Zune, iPod Touch, Archos) that do video games and entertainment very well — in fact, better than even the iPhone or any Droid — and therefore, people are willing to carry that second device so long as it is portable. A BlackBerry fits well in this environment.
All that said, the UI needs work. OS itself is quick and works great, but a great leap forward wouldn’t be so bad at all. Otherwise what RIM sells is a great product for those who need it. If you want something other than a BB, there are other places to go and other platforms to use. It's all about choice.