[anon(55900)]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/arts/design/hands-on-evolution-of-the-blackberry.html

[southlander]

I liked the article -- current and someone preferring the awesome Bold 99xx over an iPhone for messaging for very practical reasons. And talking up the speed of the newer Berries. Nice.

I do not really see that the headline is fitting though. It's not really about an "Evolution of The BlackBerry" at all. Odd for the NYT.

[Rello]

Ummmm....this article is about 9+ months late isn't it lol?

And honestly, he's about the only person that I've heard say the 9900 wasnt a great design. To each his own, but I feel like if u don't like the 9900's look then pretty much most devices out now are "ugly"

[southlander]

Ummmm....this article is about 9+ months late isn't it lol?

And honestly, he's about the only person that I've heard say the 9900 was a great design. To each his own, but I feel like if u don't like the 9900's look then pretty much most devices out now are "ugly"

"Hands-On Evolution of the BlackBerry
By ALICE RAWSTHORN
Published: September 2, 2012 "

She...

This is obviously a work issued device for her. So to her it is new. This is one of RIM's huge issues -- very slow and long upgrade cycles for corporate users.

[aha]

The author's love for his 9900 is less genuine than mine to my 9810.

sent from my PB with tapatalk 2

[amazinglygraceless]

Clickable link:Hands-On Evolution of the BlackBerry

Full text of article:

Hands-On Evolution of the BlackBerry
By ALICE RAWSTHORN
Published: September 2, 2012

LONDON — The bleak truth is that most design isn’t very good. Often it is mediocre, and sometimes much worse, which is why I often grumble in this column about the design defects of illegible signs, pretentious logos, unrecyclable electric toothbrushes, and so on.
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BlackBerry
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone.

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Having grouched about things that I dislike, it seems only fair to celebrate the design of something I quite like — my new BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone. I wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as great design, but it is by far the best of the five BlackBerries I have used in the past six years, and has made me realize how much the way we judge the design merits of particular products has changed during that time.

Perhaps I should explain that I am not a BlackBerry user by choice. When BlackBerry surfaced in 1999, I didn’t like it. The products seemed drab, as did their image. Who wanted to be associated with corporate serfs glued to their “crackberries” scrolling anxiously through departmental memos? The fruity brand name was drearily derivative of Apple’s, and the name of the maker of BlackBerry, Research in Motion, seemed inexcusably pompous. It was all too easy to imagine someone justifying it with clich�s like “research” striking a thoughtful tone, and “motion” being perfect for a mobile device. Ugh.

But when I finally succumbed, I was won over, like millions of others, by the joyous convenience (this was six years ago) of sending and receiving emails wherever I was (signal permitting). Even so, when Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, I switched immediately. It promised to do everything the BlackBerry did plus more, as well as trumping it on looks and charisma. I preferred the iPhone in every respect, except one crucial one — the keyboard. For someone like me who sends lots of long emails, a touch-screen keyboard like the iPhone’s will never be as efficient as BlackBerry’s old-fashioned keypad. I kept the iPhone for the fun stuff (to use like an iPod) and reinstated my BlackBerry for everything else.

Back to the 9900, starting with how it works. Is it worth mentioning that it is faster, lighter and more efficient than its predecessors with greater processing power, more functions, more memory and a better camera? Probably not. Once, those qualities would have been enough to convince us that a new digital device was well designed, but these days we take them for granted. We’d feel aggrieved if a new phone didn’t deliver them, but they no longer make it seem special, at least not on their own.

The 9900 has some functional flaws, notably the speed with which it drains its battery. (One friend has resorted to carrying a spare battery in case she isn’t able to recharge her 9900 often enough.) But BlackBerry has also made progress in an increasingly important area of design: the operating software that determines how we use digital products like the BlackBerry. The “on” button is no longer prone to being activated accidentally, which often happened to my phones on long-haul flights, running up Mongolian roaming charges en route to China. It is easier to access the full range of functions on the 9900 than on its predecessors, and to log onto Facebook or Twitter. Zooming in and out of images is simpler too, and the keypad feels springier. Minor though such changes seem, they can make a big difference to our experience of using digital products at a time when they are becoming more complex.

As for how the 9900 looks, that’s better too. I accepted long ago that, when it came to styling, I would have to choose the BlackBerry I disliked the least, rather than hoping to find one I really liked. (Dispiritingly, the same principle applies to lots of other product categories.) The 9900 is not the newest model of BlackBerry, but it is the only one that isn’t ugly or overwrought. Indeed, it is reasonably neat, restrained and convincing. The same cannot be said of the garish graphic interface, which is tech-speak for the symbols that appear on a phone or computer screen. That said, Apple’s interface is equally badly designed, and none of BlackBerry’s motifs is as dire as the “wooden” shelving of Apple’s Newsstand.

On a positive note, there was marked improvement in the quality of service provided by Vodafone, my cellular network, when I ordered the 9900. Needless to say, Vodafone began by offering me a free phone and a better package on a cheaper tariff. Up until relatively recently, it would have seemed counter-intuitive for a consumer to pay less for more, but now we expect it, just as we do faster, more powerful phones. Even so I was pleasantly surprised by the speed and flexibility of the delivery process, which suggested that Vodafone has overhauled its service design. It is a different company to BlackBerry, yet they are locked in a co-dependent relationship as are a growing number of other businesses. The performance of each one affects our perceptions of the other, thereby presenting them with new obstacles in their efforts to control the design quality of their customers’ experience.

Vodafone also offered to buy back my old BlackBerry, but did not explain why. Hopefully, it was to remove any recyclable components, and to dispose of the rest responsibly, but if that was the case, why not say so? Who wouldn’t want a clean eco-conscience with a new phone? Nor is it clear from the 9900’s small print whether its ethical and environmental performance is better or worse than its rivals, Apple’s included. Not that such confusion is uncommon in contemporary design.

Last but not least, is the forlorn suspicion that the 9900 might be my last BlackBerry. Like printed books, cameras, pocket calculators and other once familiar objects whose functions are now fulfilled by digital technology, it is threatened with extinction. And if the BlackBerry disappears, how will I cope with a touch-screen keyboard?

[_StephenBB81]

I sent her a tweet today to google the BlackBerry N series so that she can keep her KeyBoard devices and doesn't need to use touchscreens.

I hope the N series shares the beauty of design that the 9900 has

[LuvULongTime]

"Hands-On Evolution of the BlackBerry
By ALICE RAWSTHORN
Published: September 2, 2012 "

She...

This is obviously a work issued device for her. So to her it is new. This is one of RIM's huge issues -- very slow and long upgrade cycles for corporate users.

She's had 5 blackberry's in the last 6 years according to her article. I wouldn't call that a long upgrade cycle.

At my company I've had three phones in 2 years. Our upgrade cycle is yearly. With that said, I may not get a new phone if the cost of the model I want is too much. I usually wait for them to go to $0 (which usually happens right before a new model comes out) before ordering. Makes it hard for my manager not to approve.

[LuvULongTime]

I sent her a tweet today to google the BlackBerry N series so that she can keep her KeyBoard devices and doesn't need to use touchscreens.

I hope the N series shares the beauty of design that the 9900 has

Did she ever reply to you tweet?

[njblackberry]

Perhaps one day in the not too distant future she will actually be able to use a "BlackBerry N" model and compare it to the 9900.

[Rello]

I sent her a tweet today to google the BlackBerry N series so that she can keep her KeyBoard devices and doesn't need to use touchscreens.

I hope the N series shares the beauty of design that the 9900 has

If they can improve the looks of the 9900 by even a little bit in the new n series device....I will be very happy

[_StephenBB81]

Did she ever reply to you tweet?

Nope she did not


EDIT: update

She Tweeted me to say thank you.

[Bla1ze]

I hope the N series shares the beauty of design that the 9900 has

lol. You know it does.

[_StephenBB81]

lol. You know it does.

I know nothing of the sorts

[southlander]

She's had 5 blackberry's in the last 6 years according to her article. I wouldn't call that a long upgrade cycle.

At my company I've had three phones in 2 years. Our upgrade cycle is yearly. With that said, I may not get a new phone if the cost of the model I want is too much. I usually wait for them to go to $0 (which usually happens right before a new model comes out) before ordering. Makes it hard for my manager not to approve.

I am not talking about how fast companies replace the phones -- RIM is too slow to release devices that have conservative hardware. My words were not chosen well, but that's what I mean.

[njblackberry]

I think they are perfectly well chosen. And it will get worse in the next few months as other vendors bring out new phones and there is nothing new (besides promises) from RIM. BB 10 may be great. And possibly too late.

The work evolution is very appropriate. Evolve or die.