[Omnitech]

When I am using the Hub, or BB Bridge, or the Z10 keyboard, why do I have to temper my appreciation and enthusiasm for those features and their productivity, with a concession and an acknowledgement that Appdroid will continue their market dominance, even when their products are not as good?

I liked what you had to say, though I liked the above the best, which is a good summary of the "gigantism fetish" that a lot of people seem to have. It's a classic Yankee thing.

(BTW - whitespace/paragraph differention makes large walls of text more readable. Luckily we have a WYSIWYG editor here (assuming you're using the website directly), a couple of {ENTER} {ENTER} every once in a while would do wonders. )

[texazzpete]

Quick points

1) Most of those mishaps that happened to Apple and Google last year/this year got solid media coverage. The iOS6.1 Exchange bug was covered in every single tech blog i read (Engadget, Giz, TheVerge etc). This post is rightly titled 'Conspiracy theory'.

2) A huge part of that 80 million BB customers aren't there for the features you talked about. Many millions are in it for BIS (cheapest way to get reliable mobile internet in many developing countries) and Blackberry messenger. I kid you not, if not for Blackberry messenger, BB would likely be dead by now.

Same old conspiracy theory, blame everyone else. WP8 devices received the same bashing from reviewers for lack of apps. Are the reviewers afraid of WP8 too? Why not rope the previous BB management in the conspiracy theory? It would have to take monumental idiocy to release the underspecced Torch 9800 against the iPhone 4 and the Galaxy S...yet they did!


The sole reason why BB bad press is magnified is because nothing sells more than bad news, and the articles ruminating on the decline of a once-great company are more followed than an article talking about a slight setback for the most valuable tech company in the world. Why do you think most reports from developing countries show hungry, starving children and not high-rise skyscrapers coming up?

There is a reason for everything...and it doesn't always have to be about a conspiracy. Or 'shorts'.

[Omnitech]

You contradict yourself.

On the one hand you say "This post is rightly titled 'Conspiracy theory'", then you turn around and ridicule the very idea of "conspiracy theory".

No where in the article did the author imply anything about a "conspiracy theory".

Thanks for playing.

[texazzpete]

You contradict yourself.

On the one hand you say "This post is rightly titled 'Conspiracy theory'", then you turn around and ridicule the very idea of "conspiracy theory".

No where in the article did the author imply anything about a "conspiracy theory".

Thanks for playing.

Oh? You missed the part where tech reviewers weren't praising BB10 to the high heavens because they were 'Afraid'?
Or the big conspiracy to quell negative stories about Apple or Google to a minimum but project issues where BB is concerned?

Rightly titled because it does contain elements that can be construed as 'conspiracy theorist'...and I clearly do not think such sentiment is correct.

[motiontwisterae]

in summary, this is essence of BB!

[Omnitech]

See signature.

[maxdaniels]

I believe there is enough evidence to support the idea of a "conspiracy" - and I understand by that the intentional delivery of false or negatively skewed news & opinions concerning BlackBerry.

For the last 3 or 4 months I closely followed BlackBerry press coverage in the US and no week has passed without at least one grossly biased reporting (in fact, on the Yahoo Finance website they come on a daily basis ).

How can anyone explain the constant recycling of old negative news (like that about Home Depot ditching BlackBerry) for 3 weeks or more after the first report? The constant turning of positive news (like the one about the 1 million BB10 devices contract) into negative ones (not good because they were bought by a carrier, and that's easy for a carrier to do, and it shows also that major players don't trust BB10 ... [after one month] oh no, there was not a carrier, so it's no good because it shows carriers don't trust BB10).

How can be explained the presence on Yahoo Finance website of the "CESG rejecting BB10" report , days after it was proven to be false? The same goes for the "news" about DoD ditching BlackBerry for iOS - also proven to be false but continuing to appear on the site in new "articles".

I am not sure what is the explanation for this - could be more than one, on a case by case basis (Apple and/or Google influence, stock market momentary interests etc), but the cumulative effect is very strong and it is / will be very detrimental for BlackBerry.

We should not expect a fast start of BB10 in US. It will take time until the platform will come out of the garbage being poured onto it by the US media, on a daily basis.

[Omnitech]

The Wall St analyst negativity could easily be explained by garden-variety securities market spin-doctoring. Not really a "conspiracy" per-se, it's common BS in that field unfortunately.

BBRY has a massive amount of stock held short by various parties, they have a vested-interest in seeing the stock valuation low.

But I don't think that really explains the public negativity, though indeed the public opinion will be indirectly affected by the Wall St shenanigans.

[DetlevCM]

A very good article.

I suppose I can comment ti some extent - consumers are clueless when it comes to technology and even more ignorant when it comes to privacy.

They want the latest flashy "Cool" toy not a dependable tool. (though I am not sure what "Cool" really refers to Appartements from temperature...)

As long as people chose flashyness over quality the problems of companies such as BlackBerry will exist. The again, we have Leica who differentiate themselves through their excellent optics only with a very good (but not exceptional) small full frame camera.

On this basis, success is not necessarily defined by absolute numbers.

I suspect BlackBerry would do themselves a lot of favour if they delisted from the stick market, went private and told these so called "Analysts" to go and get lost...

Posted via CB10

[Omnitech]

Oh? You missed the part where tech reviewers weren't praising BB10 to the high heavens because they were 'Afraid'?
Or the big conspiracy to quell negative stories about Apple or Google to a minimum but project issues where BB is concerned?

I don't suppose you've ever done any writing or broadcasting for a media organization that happens to take advertising for the kinds of products it discusses or reviews, eh?

Because if you had, I wouldn't have to explain to you how that impacts the nature of what you produce for them. No "conspiracy" required.

Rightly titled because it does contain elements that can be construed as 'conspiracy theorist'...and I clearly do not think such sentiment is correct.

You're projecting your own spin on what is actually written there.

[eontowler]

Wonderful article. I've stuck with bbry for the past 8 years though the ups and downs and im proud to see the comeback happening. As to all the (in my opinion) useless apps that drains battery and performance I don't miss or need them. We've still got some ways to go before were back on track but I'm all in stock and all.

This is a copy/paste of an article I just had published on Seeking Alpha. Though I would drop it here see if anyone agreed.



About 6 months ago, prior to the first article I wrote on Seeking Alpha, I would catch up on information of the then coming BB10 products through typical Google searches and certain fan sites. My incentive was to educate myself as to what choices to make for my own company, a small technical support/communications company that I started a few years ago after being in the same industry for 25 years of my life. We were currently on the existing BlackBerry Bold/BES 5 combination, and RIM (as they were known at the time) had just delayed the release of the first products again and had taken the resulting stock hits as part of that announcement.

My dilemma was that I had to make decisions for the direction that my company would take, and the outlook was getting bleak for RIM. The options out there were iOS and the iPhone 4/5, and Android running on some flavor of hardware. Should we stick it out and see if there really was something behind what RIM was working on?

Because I deal with customer information that can be considered private, I have always put security of that information as a priority when it came to features needed in my smartphone.

Sure, I wanted to move to the more feature filled, altered life, experienced through the eyes of an addled iPhone or Android owner. I wanted to have access to any application, whether it was for communications, entertainment, or funny noises. My dilemma was always keeping one thing front and center: Security. Maybe I was okay accepting that all my texts could be looked at, and the phone numbers I called and received calls from, were tracked.

I wasn't okay with my email being open to this. BBM had become a tool that I used to communicate with my staff, business partner, wife, and children. Those are private communications. Customers that used BlackBerry devices were given my pin number, and we used these tools to better the way we communicated with our customers. Our friends. Our families. I enjoyed knowing that those conversations were private. I don't recall ever reading about a breakdown in the security provided by RIM. If you read their history, you will see that they came from a background that was in the lead position from the beginning and in my eyes, still is today.

I stayed with BlackBerry, tiring out Bold 9900s in most cases, but only suffering in the apps and screen real estate departments, still holding our own when it came to communication, both delivery and receipt.

February 5th rolled around and finally, we were able to get our hands on a device that had been in the hands of a select few. Leading up to the launch, in a phone call with someone from BlackBerry who had been using the smartphone for awhile, said to me:

"It is by far the best smartphone I have ever had. I always wanted to try an Android phone, have played with some friends', and like it. My issue was I know from being in this industry how open those platforms are. When you get one of these phones Alan, you'll see what I mean after using it for a few days. See if you can go back."

There was not only a sense of pride in how he said it, but a life that reflected good on a company that had been through some very hard times. A fall from grace that would be hard to recover from. The fact that they are here competing is a testament to the will and ability of the current group. Just for being here, they have my applause.

Now leading up to that launch, BlackBerry (BBRY) stock had been rising from a low under 12 at the beginning of this year to a high of almost 18, but the trend was a growth leading up to the launch. There are three main parties that always get mentioned, and a fourth that can probably be considered a disappointment, Microsoft (MSFT) with WP8. I think the broad disappointment with Windows 8 and almost a reluctance to upgrade, may have hurt their chances in this race. The association is obviously there. Two of the parties, owners of a very significant part of the market, are Google (GOOG) with a lot of Samsung's help, and Apple (AAPL). These are companies with a very devout following, and the majority of the OS' that control this space.

There is no reason for me to prove that the open structure of Android is what makes the environment wrong for security. There is also no reason for me to make a case that BlackBerry is more secure an environment than Apple. Anyone debating that to themselves needs to do some research before finishing this article. Ask any true IT professional that simple question: "What is more secure? BlackBerry, Apple, or Android?" It is an easy majority for BlackBerry. The same way you could ask what has the most apps, even the most useful apps, and probably also the most useless apps, the answer would be Apple or Android. These are measurable variables that don't need to be based on opinion. The research is out there.

In my opinion, there were two main reasons that BlackBerry lost the market position they once had. First was their failure to accept the changes that were brewing, and they under estimated the product that Apple had released into the market. They could have been like Samsung and started to develop a product based on the same concepts put forward by Apple. Touch Samsung didn't have to develop and maintain an operating system. It was provided for them. They didn't have an A list of clientele that used their products like RIM did. Clients such as government agencies, military personnel, and Fortune 500 companies who depended upon what they had become accustomed to. Fast delivery of email, and a device built to communicate securely. Making a whole scale change wasn't going to be easy, and the current OS couldn't compete.

BlackBerry fell into the trap of providing what was currently successful, but not scalable, to devices that current customers wanted. The Storm and Torch weren't up to the competition that was iPhone version X and Android on almost any device. The desertion was massive because the growing users of smartphones cared more about apps and features than they did about security and private fast communication.

BlackBerry needed to reboot while staying viable enough to hold a base level of customers. They did this quite well under the circumstances.

Now here is where things stopped making sense to me.

BlackBerry announces a security vulnerability that they had already patched on a version they didn't even support anymore, and their stock goes down. This affected nobody. Nobody. This is a feel good. BlackBerry disclosed it. It wasn't discovered.

In comparison...

...We have the iOS 6.1 problems that saw battery drain and caused servers to overwork. Whether Apple likes it or not, Exchange is the dominant server in the workplace. There is no excuse for a version 6.X of anything making this type of mistake. Their was relatively no noise about this. This affected potentially millions.

There are a lot of examples of this in the last few years. The service interruption that RIM went through in September of 2012 that saw a 7% drop of shares that day. This service interruption was for 3 hours, and affected a small percentage of their customers.

In December of last year, Google experienced an outage across many different services and almost nobody commented.

Samsung releases the Galaxy S4, having built up hype with eye scrolling and tracking, only to release it with head tracking instead. If this was BlackBerry, then there would have been much more media on the disappointment that seemed to disappear when it was Android and Samsung. The fact that Apple used a proprietary connecter, again, leaving behind millions of devices and already loyal users being forced to buy adapters or new devices. This would be chastised if it had been on the latest BlackBerry device. Instead, BlackBerry uses standard USB micro and micro HDMI, but gets no accolades.

Apple this year had their flagship device hacked and declined to respond to questions. How many could this potentially affect? How many people haven't heard about it?

When you follow the plight of one company as you struggle to make decisions for your own, you start to notice how biased the media, especially North American media, truly is.

Why is BlackBerry not being looked upon as the comeback kid? I own the Z10. It isn't perfect, but that title belongs to no smartphone past or current. It is better, in my eyes much better, than both iPhone and flagship Android devices. I have yet to notice any lag or slowdown with multiple email accounts, one BES and one POP, Facebook, LinkedIn, BBM, Text, Twitter, and notifications all present in the Hub. Speaking of the Hub, good luck finding anything out there that competes with the speed and efficiency of this structure.

I have had no battery issues getting a full day easily with regular use. I have an extra battery that I can slip into my pocket if I was ever running close. Construction is fantastic and after just one update, almost all quirks have been ironed out.

Still, we have naysayers about AT&T's (T) launch, not realizing that BlackBerry has never been about the 6 block line ups. BlackBerry is more about the pre ordered and work ordered business that they have perfected over all previous generations. I have personally seen a lot of small businesses switching to the latest smartphone with complete love for the device. I have not heard one negative comment from over 15 people I know personally that have the Z10. All of them work in a business environment that stays connected with their staff.

In the past, media could control our overall opinion, as they were the conduit to our information. With the massive access to communication that we all have, I am hoping that people will see a high percentage of the reviews for what they are.

Afraid.

BlackBerry has a very strong group of 80,000,000 users. Those were the ones that hung on. They are fans not because of the apps. Not because of the aluminum and glass. Not because of the 12 MP camera. They are fans because of the structure. Because of the attention to the core concepts that a portable device of this importance should carry:

Responsiveness.

Security.

Speed.

Ease of use.

Standards.

Commitment.

BlackBerry has shown all of these. As to why North American media continues to be negative on this tested manufacturer? I am still baffled.

Do yourself a favor. Find someone that has a Z10 and ask them what they think. Then ask them to give you a 10 minute lesson in the core concepts.

Hub. Flow. Peek. Balance. (if they have that installed)

Feel the materials and how easy it is to hold. Type on the keyboard that learns to fix your mistakes and has been universally acknowledged as being the best touch keyboard on the market. See how easy it is to go from place to place and do the things you need a smartphone to do.

Do yourself that favor first before committing your money one way or another. The more people that see what a great device BlackBerry has designed, built, and distributed, the better the chance that we can have a feel good story that is truly deserved.

Additional disclosure: My intention is to provide my opinions from within the IT industry and my views as the owner of an IT Support and Communications company. My first smartphone was a Windows based Treo and I currently use a BlackBerry Z10.

[Shunz Haw]

Great read from OP. I'm actually an iPhone user for last 4 years. Never used a BB before. I got to admit just a month ago I would believe that BB is a dying company and wouldn't have considered the z10. I was wanting to ditch apple as iOS is getting stale to me. But I was always considering the s4. It's only abt 3 weeks ago that I decided to read up more abt the z10. I read all the positive reviews from CB and local forums (z10 came out in my location in early march). I went to try out the z10 in local telco shop and was hooked on it. The user experience the z10 gives is unlike other platforms and is superior to others. I'm hooked and will be getting it as soon as I can. I quite agree how media seems to portray BB as a struggling, dying company. It makes BB fans sound like some blinded people still thinking back to good old days, still living the past glories of a now fallen giant. But what we've read abt the z10 so far from real users have been mainly praises for the device. I think BB has found a winner. We don't need another iOS or android. BB must continue doing what it does best, to provide a top notch, secure communication device to connect people. BB may not go back to it's heyday, but it sure is looking up.

[DawnMills]

Many sharp insights on the thread. Besides the American fetishism with giants, I also see an unpalatable bias towards a "winner take all" mentality which, to me, is part and parcel with the growing inequality in many countries. The US is becoming more, not less, divided and seems to be celebrating this rather than considering the real hardship faced by millions of lower income or even middle-class families.

I went slightly off-topic but I think it's now fashionable to be part of a baying mob that laughs when others go down.

[anon5771888]

This by far the best honest and strait forward read I have looked it, This is the type of ADVERTISING we need here in the USA. This is what I preach when I show my new z10 to prospective buyers here in the USA based on devices and platforms I have used in the past for both my business and personal use and so far, I have convinced at least a dozen people here to buy the z10 and they love it.

I have posted many of my opinions on CB and I am not tolling or bashing anybody or anything. I just would have thought there would have been something like this on a sign or banner telling me this is WHY you want me to buy the z10 here in the USA? Thats all.

[kill_9]

This is a well-written article although I would say that any conspiracy against BlackBerry originates within the walls of BlackBerry Headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario.

Posted via CB10 from the BlackBerry Z10

[texazzpete]

I don't suppose you've ever done any writing or broadcasting for a media organization that happens to take advertising for the kinds of products it discusses or reviews, eh?

Because if you had, I wouldn't have to explain to you how that impacts the nature of what you produce for them. No "conspiracy" required.

.

Wow, this explains why videogame review sites give everything a 10/10 rating /s

Look, I understand the point you're trying to make, but it's a rarity in the industry among the big players, not commonplace. There are Microsoft ads on TheVerge and Gizmodo but they are known to be pretty harsh towards MS and windows Phone.

Instead of constant complaining about the reviews, why don't you guys do some good ol' research and distill out what the most common complaints are? You'll find in most cases that this is down to the lack of many top apps. Complain all you want, but this is a gap that needs to be filled. Specs are another area but that is in BBs hands.

[Omnitech]

Wow, this explains why videogame review sites give everything a 10/10 rating /s

Look, I understand the point you're trying to make, but it's a rarity in the industry among the big players, not commonplace. There are Microsoft ads on TheVerge and Gizmodo but they are known to be pretty harsh towards MS and windows Phone.

Try to dismiss it all you want, it is woven into the fabric of business and media in this society.

Instead of constant complaining about the reviews

If you find debating media coverage pointless, then I'd expect you to live by your own values.

[texazzpete]

If you find debating media coverage pointless, then I'd expect you to live by your own values.

Nothing wrong with 'debating media coverage'. Everything wrong with attempting to pass off not-so-stellar reviews as bribe-fuelled reviews.

I love how you dance around issues, but you fail to explain how, if your hypothesis is correct, WP8 devices didn't all get stellar reviews even when MS is a big advertiser in most of the mainstream tech blogs.

[Shadrackc]

I think BBRY brought all the negative connotations on themselves. It is that simple.. sure the media sensationalized their demise but not without BBRY feeding the fire.

It is a really nice OS.. but feature for feature it is not on par with iOS and Android. It is just not.. the more BBRY fans admit this the more we can push BBRY to bring Apps and OS feature parity to be on the same playing field as the other big dogs.

I enjoyed your write up.. You made some good points.

Posted via CB10

I appreciate your opinion, but maybe list why you think it isn't up to iOS or Android? Besides the volume of apps. List other things.

[Shadrackc]

Great article! I am definitely sharing this all around. By the way, my first smartphone was a Treo as well, but having been a Palm addict for years prior, it was the Palm OS version. As for the Z10 - I completely love it!

My daughters had the Palm versions. I was a Palm user when it wasn't a phone lol. Still think those Treo's are around here because I am sure my daughter had it going for a while just for a laugh.

[Shadrackc]

Personally I think the author let Apple off too easy. There have been TONS of MobileMe and iCloud outages that hardly got any wide publicity at all. I think he should have run down a laundry-list of them, personally. The contrast with how RIM was excoriated for their few outages is stark.

,

It would have been a book, not an article, if I detailed all the things I have read and witnessed. The consumers have actually been the ones that have let Apple off easy. Who else would have tolerated having to put a case on a 700 dollar new device so that it would do the most basic of things....call.

[Shadrackc]

Oh? You missed the part where tech reviewers weren't praising BB10 to the high heavens because they were 'Afraid'?
Or the big conspiracy to quell negative stories about Apple or Google to a minimum but project issues where BB is concerned?

Rightly titled because it does contain elements that can be construed as 'conspiracy theorist'...and I clearly do not think such sentiment is correct.

I think you missed the point then. I don't think reviewers are afraid, I actually wonder how that came across. I am trying to say that small things that BBRY does get magnified, stories get twisted, and that the press is magnified when it is negative BBRY, but things so much more significant, especially when apple has multiples of BBRY user base, that there is a story...then it goes away, even when it is unresolved. The fact that the iPhone is in any company that desires privacy amazes me with how simple the iPhone is to hack, as shown on youtube.
That is what I was trying to say.

[Shadrackc]

FYI, was informed that this story got Editors Choice on Seeking Alpha, and even though I posted it at around 8 PM central time, it has over 140 comments and almost 20,000 views.
Love it.

[JonathanInToronto]

Beautifully said!

[Shadrackc]

Just found out that the VP of Global Sales read the article and re-tweeted it out.
What big media needs to understand is that the control they had with an article doesn't hold the same value with the amount of communicating we can do here, tweeting, facebook, etc.
That is what controls things now!
Love it....looking forward to Thursday morning.