[DavideaNY]

It is definitely nice to see how the tide is slowing changing.. from bashing to neutral to slightly positive..

Here the article:

http://www.financialmail.co.za/opini...linkId=9422341

Remember that perception is everything.. if the guys at BlackBerry can change that in the public half the effort to reestablish the brand is already achieved..

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[pttptppt]

Nice find. Unfortunately, we'd need more articles and that are more accessible to the public so the public can actually know that BlackBerry is seen as a good company again

[wincyUt]

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing

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[DavideaNY]

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing

Posted via CB10

The "thanks" button is right there !!

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[texn884]

nice article for sure

[The Big Picture]

Great article. John Chen has clearly stated what his vision is for BlackBerry 10 and the rest of the team echoes the same message.

The 4 of 5 strengths of BlackBerry.

1. Battery life
2. Signal Quality
3. Productivity
4. Keyboard

The fifth I think should be inter-connectivity with other devices, seeing that BlackBerry owns QNX and has major plans for IoT.

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[THBW]

A very straightforward article although a bit light in details. The good news is that perception is changing. John Chen is reteaching BlackBerry to play to its strengths and this is a real positive. BB10 is simply miles ahead of Apple in every category except in third party App support. And that productivity gap is just going to get larger with the release of blend. Steady and consistent will get BlackBerry to their goal.

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[bicyclexpress]

I think the perception is changing, but I am not sure how widespread it is. This is purely anecdotal, but I have a couple of friends (not many anymore) who are die hard BlackBerry fans.

We have gone from saying that there is a good chance that our Z10s / Z30s might be the last BlackBerry's we have the opportunity to purchase, to being excited about the upcoming Passport.

My one genuine concern is that I am worried that BlackBerry will lose what little momentum it has by not coming out with a new full-size touchscreen asap. I will buy the passport because I am intrigued by it, but the truth of the matter is that the few people I know who love BlackBerry would buy a z50 in a heartbeat, but not the Classic or Passport.

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[Dave Bourque]

I think the perception is changing, but I am not sure how widespread it is. This is purely anecdotal, but I have a couple of friends (not many anymore) who are die hard BlackBerry fans.

We have gone from saying that there is a good chance that our Z10s / Z30s might be the last BlackBerry's we have the opportunity to purchase, to being excited about the upcoming Passport.

My one genuine concern is that I am worried that BlackBerry will lose what little momentum it has by not coming out with a new full-size touchscreen asap. I will buy the passport because I am intrigued by it, but the truth of the matter is that the few people I know who love BlackBerry would buy a z50 in a heartbeat, but not the Classic or Passport.

Posted via CB10

I'll be concerned if they don't have a new touch device out after or soon after the Z10 becomes 2 years old. Between January- February 2015.

Z10STL100-3/10.2.1.3247

[bakron1]

I tend to agree about releasing a new all touch device. I still see folks here in the USA using older legacy Blackberry devices, but the majority of devices I see in young folks hands are all touch types.

I have yet to see one young person with a physical keyboard device in their hand and that's the market that's going to buy your new products in the numbers required to make it successful and profitable.

[tchocky77]

If Blackberry has a future as a device vendor, it has GOT to be with touchscreens. They've as much as admitted that the passport, sweet as it may be, is meant to cater to keyboard holdouts. This is not going to win any converts, and blackberry knows it.

There are exactly ZERO new phones (passport excepting) with qwerty keyboards for a reason. Its all well and good that some folks STILL want a keyboard on their phone. Hopefully they'll go for this.

But the mobile QWERTY is effectively dead and has been for a couple of years at this point.

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[theRock1975]

If Blackberry has a future as a device vendor, it has GOT to be with touchscreens. They've as much as admitted that the passport, sweet as it may be, is meant to cater to keyboard holdouts. This is not going to win any converts, and blackberry knows it.

There are exactly ZERO new phones (passport excepting) with qwerty keyboards for a reason. Its all well and good that some folks STILL want a keyboard on their phone. Hopefully they'll go for this.

But the mobile QWERTY is effectively dead and has been for a couple of years at this point.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

There are still tens of millions of people with BlackBerry Torch,9800,9900. I think BlackBerry is trying to grab these customers.

I agree touchscreens are necessary too. After releasing the Z30, they should definitely continue. What a magnificent product.

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[m1a1mg]

I agree that it is a very good piece, but always take note of where you get your information. It clearly states at the top that it is an opinion piece written by a blogger.

[slagman5]

If Blackberry has a future as a device vendor, it has GOT to be with touchscreens. They've as much as admitted that the passport, sweet as it may be, is meant to cater to keyboard holdouts. This is not going to win any converts, and blackberry knows it.

There are exactly ZERO new phones (passport excepting) with qwerty keyboards for a reason. Its all well and good that some folks STILL want a keyboard on their phone. Hopefully they'll go for this.

But the mobile QWERTY is effectively dead and has been for a couple of years at this point.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

It's "dead" except for the people who care more about their productivity than about them being on the "cool" bandwagon. It's like every day I encounter at least 1 person with some all-touch phone telling me how they miss having a keyboard when they see me with my Q10. But they had to get that phone because it's the "cool" phone to have. Oh well, if that's your priority, then that's your prerogative...

[THBW]

People moved away from QWERTY Boards as they didn't like the sacrifice, screen real estate for keyboard productivity. That is why the passport is interesting and one of those products that could have impact. I'm ready to move back.

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[tchocky77]

It's "dead" except for the people who care more about their productivity than about them being on the "cool" bandwagon. It's like every day I encounter at least 1 person with some all-touch phone telling me how they miss having a keyboard when they see me with my Q10. But they had to get that phone because it's the "cool" phone to have. Oh well, if that's your priority, then that's your prerogative...

Really?

They "miss having a keyboard" but "had to get that phone because it's the cool phone to have?"

Come on, man. I can scarcely imagine any self-respecting adult saying those words.

And wouldn't at least some of these people have gone back to a keyboard phone by now? No one's buying them.

[zocster]

Really?

They "miss having a keyboard" but "had to get that phone because it's the cool phone to have?"

Come on, man. I can scarcely imagine any self-respecting adult saying those words.

And wouldn't at least some of these people have gone back to a keyboard phone by now? No one's buying them.

I just bought my second Q10, and it's white this time.

I also have a Z10, an Asus ZenFone 5, and a note 3 floating around the house.
By far prefer a qwerty device due to various reasons.

Sent from my BlackBerry Q10 using Tapatalk

[slagman5]

Really?

They "miss having a keyboard" but "had to get that phone because it's the cool phone to have?"

Come on, man. I can scarcely imagine any self-respecting adult saying those words.

And wouldn't at least some of these people have gone back to a keyboard phone by now? No one's buying them.

This is how it always goes. And the other day at lunch with new coworkers, there was TWO that both attested to this. We are talking about phones, and two people with iphones both commented to me how they miss their BlackBerry and the keyboard. I ask them: "So why did you buy the iphone?" and one of them answered "The salesperson told me it was the most popular phone at the time." And the other one looks to me and starts nodding and agrees that was her reason to.

Another scenario is when someone comes to me for phone advice, and I don't always recommend BB at all. I first ask them what they want from their phone. This example falls into what I'm talking about. A friend is asking me about what phone to get. When I ask what she wants, like does she care a lot about gaming and watching movies, she's using an old legacy BB and she tells me (I haven't even brought up BB or showed my phone at this point) that she have tried touchscreen phones and HATES typing on glass and wants another keyboard phone. So that's when I say the only keyboard phone really is the Q10, but I explain to her the app selection is very small so some things are not supported and I tell her the screen is bigger than her legacy device but still not big enough for some people to consider watching videos on. She tells me those things are not important, she cares about communication, blah blah blah. I show her my Q10, she is really impressed with the features I showed.

A couple of days later, I see her with a new Samsung Galaxy. I say to her "oh, I see you changed your mind. Or maybe the store didn't carry the Q10?" And her response? "Oh, they did, but they said this was the coolest phone to have." As she proudly shows me a generic looking glass slab.

Keep acting surprised. At this point I'm not, I've heard that stupid reason as the reason people buy smartphones so many times already. That's what people care about now. Being considered "cool" by their peers by jumping on whatever bandwagon is popular at the time...

?Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[slagman5]

I just bought my second Q10, and it's white this time.

I also have a Z10, an Asus ZenFone 5, and a note 3 floating around the house.
By far prefer a qwerty device due to various reasons.

Sent from my BlackBerry Q10 using Tapatalk

Of course if he doesn't buy them or his group of friends don't buy them, then NOBODY buys them. Obviously...

?Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[The Big Picture]

Really?

They "miss having a keyboard" but "had to get that phone because it's the cool phone to have?"

Come on, man. I can scarcely imagine any self-respecting adult saying those words.

And wouldn't at least some of these people have gone back to a keyboard phone by now? No one's buying them.

IMHO I believe what slagman said has merit.

I have an iphone 5 (which I still use as a media controller) a Z30 and Q10.

I have no problems using the full touch phones but because of what I do and how I do what I do I much prefer working with a physical keyboard.

I know plenty of people who used to respond, for example, to emails on their BlackBerries but now since changing to full touches, merely reads them and then respond to the emails when they get back to a computer, its just less stressful for them.

I also know many people even on the fact of having a touch screen phone for more than a year who type using a single index or middle finger because they just cant get used to the touch screen keyboard.

But they would not take up on that bit of extra productivity for the trade off a smaller screen because off work its just so much more pleasurable to have a large screen to read from.

The passport address this.



Posted via CB10

[tchocky77]

Of course if he doesn't buy them or his group of friends don't buy them, then NOBODY buys them. Obviously...

?Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

Don't be so literal. Of course, anecdotally, SOME people are buying them. But its a statistically insignificant number.

This is why the firms a that watch these things (Kantar, et al), are now putting BlackBerry in the <1% "other" column now.

I don't see how anyone can seriously argue keyboard phones aren't effectively dead at this point.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[The Big Picture]

Don't be so literal. Of course, anecdotally, SOME people are buying them. But its a statistically insignificant number.

This is why the firms a that watch these things (Kantar, et al), are now putting BlackBerry in the <1% "other" column now.

I don't see how anyone can seriously argue keyboard phones aren't effectively dead at this point.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

Thats for new shipments and not existing users. There are tens of millions of BBOS users still.

Posted via CB10

[crazigee]

Wow. Positive articles. Maybe there isn't a conspiracy against BlackBerry after all.

Posted using my Z10 via CB10

[The Big Picture]

Wow. Positive articles. Maybe there isn't a conspiracy against BlackBerry after all.

Posted using my Z10 via CB10

Hmm until I see an highly recognised American news company publish a positive piece on BlackBerry I wouldnt say that. ;-)

Its not the world media thats bashing BlackBerry. Its certain markets like the ones which release updates later than everyone else in the world.

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[Dirtymike14]

Great article. John Chen has clearly stated what his vision is for BlackBerry 10 and the rest of the team echoes the same message.

The 4 of 5 strengths of BlackBerry.

1. Battery life
2. Signal Quality
3. Productivity
4. Keyboard

The fifth I think should be inter-connectivity with other devices, seeing that BlackBerry owns QNX and has major plans for IoT.

Posted via CB10

No the 5th and maybe most important in this day and age has to be security

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