[BKbehave]

Netflix, Instagram, Skype.....hmmmm...something doesn't smell right here....for me...'apps' are icing on the cake, not the cake itself. An app is a software, no?. Not until the iphone and the whole 'there's an app for this', I never cared about 'apps'. I always saw it as a marketing ploy; the phone has nothing to offer you, but we have thousand, upon thousand of 'apps'. So the marketing have us to believe the more apps you have the better the phone. Have many Apple users purchased software, they 'borrow' software from friends. I am a PC user and know about buying software for my needs. I use the web for everything else. Have can not having access to Netflix, Instagram, Skype, stop the world from turning. In all honesty, I needed to researched what Instagram is and I am still not sure...isn't it just Flickr? I think 'apps' thing is just smoke and mirrors. The extreme need for Netflix, Instagram, Skype, seems suspect. It's a freaking phone, get an international plan. Don't get me wrong I care about 'apps' or software for the phone, but more about quality and purpose. It is interesting we are not asking BlackBerry to present us with software to process credit cards, better ways of process receipts for expense reports or annotating .pdfs on the go, etc....stuff like that, to do on the phone gets me hot and bothered...but I digress. Yes, appeal to people, but it's still a phone. Having access to video chatting (Skype), watching movies/tv shows (Netflix), or taking pictures on the phone, adding filters and having people comment on them (Instagram) is icing on the cake and can be done more ways than one. I feel we have trapped ourselves in a box, thinking 'apps' are needed and owed to us. I give credit where credit is due, the marketing team did a number on people making them think life revolves around having 'apps', thousand and thousand of 'apps'. Baked in mobile software is what should be important. Sometimes we need to step away from the phone and remember to enjoy life.

[djh_wolf]

If I understand your point, you're essentially saying that people shouldn't allow the absence of particular apps detract from the quality and usefulness of the unit itself as a phone.

I disagree for two reasons. First and most importantly, other modern phones have a stack of apps, so why on earth wouldn't their newest competitor include the same ? Should we take the stance that they are unnecessary anyway, so what's the point? Different strokes on that one. Let's not discuss the inadeqecies of the camera either.

So let's concentrate on the phone side. Let's just use a modern smartphone as a phone. Screw the other stuff, it's all just pointless add-ons. How long does the battery last again ? Hmmmm. Seems that my 8 year old samsung (which is just a phone) outlasts ANY modern smartphone by about a week. And I can pick something like that up for about �10.


So we have a brand spanking new BB, which can't compete with a �10 phone as a phone, and can't compete with a modern smartphone for apps.

In this modern world, a product needs a 'hook'. I'm struggling to see one, no matter how much I may want to.

[djh_wolf]

...The only reason you would feel the need to knock the Z10 is you realize it is better than your phone and don't want folks to know it.

Tell me, if the brand new, all-singing, all-dancing iPhone had been released 2 months ago, and it was actually......this (i.e. the Z10), how exactly would the BB world react? The response would be along the lines of missing this, doesn't have that, battery life is awful, app availabilty is poor at best, camera is shocking, bad, bad move by apple....

Would that reaction be designed to keep the awsomeness of it all a secret, because 'folks don't want other folks to know' ?

Get real. Seriously....

[BKbehave]

If I understand your point, you're essentially saying that people shouldn't allow the absence of particular apps detract from the quality and usefulness of the unit itself as a phone.

I disagree for two reasons. First and most importantly, other modern phones have a stack of apps, so why on earth wouldn't their newest competitor include the same ? Should we take the stance that they are unnecessary anyway, so what's the point? Different strokes on that one. Let's not discuss the inadeqecies of the camera either.

So let's concentrate on the phone side. Let's just use a modern smartphone as a phone. Screw the other stuff, it's all just pointless add-ons. How long does the battery last again ? Hmmmm. Seems that my 8 year old samsung (which is just a phone) outlasts ANY modern smartphone by about a week. And I can pick something like that up for about �10.


So we have a brand spanking new BB, which can't compete with a �10 phone as a phone, and can't compete with a modern smartphone for apps.

In this modern world, a product needs a 'hook'. I'm struggling to see one, no matter how much I may want to.

I live in NYC, I see people using their phone on the buses and subway (thank God for public transportation). I have even seen some use an old school Razor, I have even seen old school clam shell phones, I see various iphones and, others.... even BlackBerry (I have a Torch 9810).....Modern phones.....interesting term. It's a phone. Use the one you like. I don't think a phone competes, it's the user who feels the 'need' to have whatever bell and whistles one think they should have. It's a phone. I respect that. I use my phone for calls, emailing and text...the communication aspect of having a phone....anything else is, icing...I like icing too, but I still want my cake and eat it too. You have a brand spanking new BlackBerry, doing what a BlackBerry should do...communicate....I don't have an inferiority complex because the competition boost a million apps....I know I am in the minority.

[westiewanderer]

microsoft has nothing to do with instagram, they own skype.

Thanks for this info...I was curious about that!

[djh_wolf]

If a particular brand of car was sold without any of the modern bells and whistles (power steering, abs, air con, electric windows....add whatever you like here....) whilst being heralded as the best, most advanced car in the pack, would it get slated? Would those who chose to go with any other reputable, established modern car do so entirely because they had an inferiority complex?

No.

They'd go with the established brand with the bells and whistles because it was the most appropriate choice

[silversun10]

it took Crackberry a week or so after launch to get their app ready, probably you have to give the other apps a little more time, this is getting old this app
talk, if you buy it(ZedZee10) they will come..........

[LuvULongTime]

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.

RIM: It's time for you to make a native version of xxx please.
Acme: Why?, the Android port we built for you works fine.

If BB10 gains significant traction in the market, and developers are making money off the platform, RIM will then hold the hammer. And in this scenario they can announce that the Android player won't exist on future versions of BB10 (BB11, BB12). Devs that have made easy money off the platform via Android ports will have no choice but to write native apps.

If BB10 does not gain traction in the market, then I agree with what you have stated above as there will be no incentive for RIM to pull the player, and no incentive for devs to write a native version.

[kitkaht]

To the responses towards me and my topic (too lazy to quote),

Believe me when I say I understand your point (that apps are not everything in this world). But you have to understand mine first..

When it comes to apps, it's all about preferences. I use Skype, Instagram, etc. My friend uses Netflix, etc. I've never once knocked the BB10 OS in this entire thread at all; In fact, I love the hub, I love the interface and I love the OS. You know what else I like? Android and Apple's OS as well since I have used them before. I am a very open minded person and I feel all 3 OS is very great, providing us great options in selecting our preferred phone.

HOWEVER. Apple & Android has Netflix, Instagram, Skype and countless other NOTABLE and POPULAR apps that everyone knows. Whether or not you use them doesn't matter. They are popular to other people. You might think they are pointless but they have become so widely known and native to us now it's almost become second nature to embrace them. For example, say you're using the internet, but a certain website (your favorite website that other people might not care for) is unavailable to you. How would you feel about that?

My point is, if my favorite apps that I use on a daily basis is available native and proper on another platform, why wouldn't I choose that platform instead? I know your counterpoint will be "you choose BB10 for the OS, not the apps", sure, but there will be others that don't think that way, especially the general population hearing that Blackberry has Skype as an android port, and other apps to follow suit.

[KasukeSadiki]

Definitely good points. But I highly doubt that the "general population" will give a crap if Skype is a port or not, as long as it's easily available and works well.

[aspenmonkey]

I read the above post with interest as I have a playbook and I am increasingly becoming. Frustrated with the lack of popular apps, such as netflix Skype skygo ilovefilm open university student. App, all of which are instantly available on everything else.

I can see BB going under if they don't get a grip

It's a shame as I enjoy the playbook for the most part, but something is wrong with the app world, it's fundamentally lacking when compared to apple.

I know that if I spent the money on the new ipad I wouldn't feel frustrated I would have a slick device which works on every level. It's a shame as I am. Really. Happy with my PB otherwise so to suggest that apps are unimportant is very short sighted.

[edriss]

I totally agree with you on the lack of apps, but as a long time BlackBerry user, I don't think it is problem of BlackBerry blocking progress intentionally.

I think: The old OS was harder to develop for and some developers couldn't get what they want developed as easily as other platforms.

The new OS is different from the ground up and much easier to develop for so I think we are going to see all the apps we want.

In terms of the mentioned apps being available on every platform except BlackBerry, that is just political garbage some of these big companies are planning. The reason say that is if they have an android app they can have a BlackBerry in about 10mins. BlackBerry has made that part very simple to port android apps to BlackBerry. BUT they choose not to do that for whatever reason, and some, including myself believe it's due to third party interest of Apple (most apps) and Skype in interest of Microsoft (as that is who owns Skype)

More importantly keep in mind that when IPhone launched it less than a third of what BB10 launched with @ over 70k apps. The 10 apps will soon be 100% the same for the play book as it is rumored that we'll get os10 type of os on our PBs.

Posted via CB10

[kitkaht]

LMAO. @ INSTAGRAM ALSO BEING A PORT!

All I have to say is Lmao.

[EauRouge]

I really hope they get instagram, not that Id use it but it will help with the "hip" crowd

[anon(3896606)]

it took Crackberry a week or so after launch to get their app ready, probably you have to give the other apps a little more time, this is getting old this app
talk, if you buy it(ZedZee10) they will come..........

I heard it took a month to make?...

[arthursim]

LMAO. @ INSTAGRAM ALSO BEING A PORT!

All I have to say is Lmao.

All I have to say is trollolol.

BB10 is the ONLY OS in the world with this capability of developers choosing from so many coding languages, including a port. I have no problem with ports, so long as they function correctly and work as quickly and efficiently as they do on their 'home' devices. Your comment sir/madam, is about as insightful and thought-provoking as staring at a pot of water boiling.