[Tre Lawrence]

5+ years I've been hearing "apps don't matter"

It's like someone who is celibate because no one wants to have sex with them saying "sex is overated!"

It's one of the most inane arguments. I don't see how anyone can logically argue that a healthy ecosystem doesn't make the platform more attractive to more people.

And at some point, we'll quit pretending that BB10 is the last bastion of the game-eschewing productive set. Has anyone looked at the sideloading threads? LOL.

[MC_A_DOT]

I seriously think the lack of netflix or instagram is not the reason why people are not buying into bb10.

By this logic, almost all smartphone users watch movies or post pictures while at work or in school...which is in essence, not being productive. Are there really that much slackers in the world right now?

I think is its the cool factor thats stalling bb10 from gaining traction.

Posted via CB10

[kcstrike]

+1

Posted from a Z10 at 5am in Toronto

[anfidhlear]

Well, I just find it interesting that someone would sacrifice what is in their own words "the best" experience they've ever had for one app. It's ultimately his or anyone else's choice, but it is strange to me.

May I ask what business purposes Instagram would be useful for? (honest question).
Thanks

[qbnkelt]

Well, I just find it interesting that someone would sacrifice what is in their own words "the best" experience they've ever had for one app. It's ultimately his or anyone else's choice, but it is strange to me.

May I ask what business purposes Instagram would be useful for? (honest question).
Thanks

STUDY: How Fortune 500 Companies Use Instagram - AllFacebook

Those who rail against Instagram and who complain that it's all duckfaces and food shots have develop a crusade against a company for some illogical reason. It's as if I suddenly went on a rampage against the MLB app.

For me, it is, in fact, another social medium that allows me to share specific pictures with people I don't want on my Facebook account but with whom I have a virtual "friendship." I keep my Facebook account private to only real life family and friends and then share pictures with people I've "met" online who might have similar interests - example, people I've met through golden retriever or border collie forums. Some of those friends have businesses, for example, a dog groomer. A set of targeted acquaintances develops of people who all go to the same groomer. We share our dogs' pics but I don't want these people, whom I know only tangentially, to have access to my personal pictures.

Why people would hate that so much, I've got no clue.

[MC_A_DOT]

STUDY: How Fortune 500 Companies Use Instagram - AllFacebook

Those who rail against Instagram and who complain that it's all duckfaces and food shots have develop a crusade against a company for some illogical reason. It's as if I suddenly went on a rampage against the MLB app.

I really don't understand why people still complain about instagram Q...

An app that would benefit BB....look at the bloody user base.

That app plus many more apps is one reason I don't own an OS10 device.

[projectmx]

Uphill, both ways. In 5 feet of snow.
May I ask just what it is you do for a living?

I am a biologist working mostly in the area of botany with some small work with reptiles also. I am also an environmental construction monitor

[crucial bbq]

I seriously think the lack of netflix or instagram is not the reason why people are not buying into bb10.

By this logic, almost all smartphone users watch movies or post pictures while at work or in school...which is in essence, not being productive. Are there really that much slackers in the world right now?

I think is its the cool factor thats stalling bb10 from gaining traction.

Posted via CB10

I agree that apps, and the "app situation", is overrated. However, the reality is that consumers want apps, and lots of them...even if they never use any of them. Sheer abundance gives the impression that if one was to ever want a particular app it should be available, even if the app does not exist. It is all about the comfort that comes with believing it is there....if you want it. And if you are on Android, there is probably a free version, too, which is even better. It is not just apps; look at big-box stores. Or bookstores and movie theaters. Any bookseller that was too small (or too moral) to stock Harry Potter or 50 Shades saw an immediate decrease in sales. With movies, if the theater is not playing the latest must-see blockbuster, movie-goers are going to go somewhere else. Those art-house theaters might show some really cool movies, but if it is not a megaplex running the latest Hollywood buzz, attendance will be small. And do I need to mention shopping malls vs. strip malls? A mobile devices ecosystem is no different.

BlackBerry needs Instagram, Netflix, Pintrest, Spotify, Candy Crush Saga, and what-ever-else is hot at the moment. You do not have to agree with it, but that is the reality. In my opinion the real problem is not BlackBerry or developers, it is the tech reviewers and news media outlets who continue to mention the downside to BB 10 being the lack of apps even if the review is otherwise positive. When consumers continuously hear "lack of apps" time and time again, they began to believe it and assume it is true. The irony is that App World does have a lot of apps, many of which could probably satisfy many of those who simply refuse to look; lack of apps might-as-well translate into "no apps what-so-ever".

[crucial bbq]

STUDY: How Fortune 500 Companies Use Instagram - AllFacebook

Those who rail against Instagram and who complain that it's all duckfaces and food shots have develop a crusade against a company for some illogical reason. It's as if I suddenly went on a rampage against the MLB app.

For me, it is, in fact, another social medium that allows me to share specific pictures with people I don't want on my Facebook account but with whom I have a virtual "friendship." I keep my Facebook account private to only real life family and friends and then share pictures with people I've "met" online who might have similar interests - example, people I've met through golden retriever or border collie forums. Some of those friends have businesses, for example, a dog groomer. A set of targeted acquaintances develops of people who all go to the same groomer. We share our dogs' pics but I don't want these people, whom I know only tangentially, to have access to my personal pictures.

Why people would hate that so much, I've got no clue.

My "crusade" against Instagram goes back to its beginnings, when Newsfeeds (er...status updates) were being flooded by practically everyone's (well, everyone with an iPhone) new found love for photography. It was ridiculous because the pics themselves were often less than amateur in quality, yet, those darn filters that turned an otherwise lame picture into something "vintage" and "cool" made the "photographers" feel artsy and good. No talent needed, just the filters. To add to that, for some reason coffee mugs were a popular subject...then peoples kids. Interesting, I wasn't aware that lomography was still in use in 2010. It was annoying because all of a sudden people were "photographers" without learning how to use the basic features in the phones camera, let alone composition, to take decent pictures. Just point, shot, apply filter, and wala.

Anyways, not a personal attack or anything...just my opinion. And yes, there are many great pictures uploaded to Instagram.

WIth that, and in conjunction with this thread, Instagram was only available for the iPhone for the first two years. Did that stop Android users from purchasing Android phones? Nope. In fact, many of the "must-have" apps were on iPhone first. Still, that did not stop Android sales. Why should BB10 be any different? The problem is not a lack of apps as much as it is the "appearance" of a lack of apps. Does anyone honestly believe that sales of BB10 devices will suddenly pick up the moment that Instagram, Netflix, and the like come to BlackBerry? Nope. While more apps will help, BlackBerry will not turn for the better until public opinion changes.

[Hockey711]

How is it overrated? No tinder, snap chat, instagram = the majority of teens and people in their 20's saying F you blackberry. Notice I said majority" I don't want people crying saying they are in their early 20's and don't use these apps I can do without the fanboys. BlackBerry needs this.

Posted via CB10

[imcurved]

Pricing is also another factor that doesn't help to attract new users. There are three things that can attract potential user: OS features and hardware, app ecosystem, and pricing. BlackBerry doesn't have yet a competitive app ecosystem. That's fine. They still have two other means: OS features and hardware, and pricing. The hardware is not bad but not very competitive so there not much for us to brag about it. Now comes the software, we all know BB10 is powerful and secure but most people don't know that and security and "powerful" are too abstract to convince average users. This is when OS built-in features like PIM, communication, media management, and tools come to picture. These built-in features must work well with good integration and well polished. BB10.0 was in its infantry and not as polished. There were reboot problems, battery consumption wan not optimized. However, there are great features like the on-screen keyboard, Remember, Story Maker, and simple built-in picture editor. There are not a whole lot to show off but there are some. BB10, just like BlackBerry eco app system, needs time to evolve. Unfortunately, what BlackBerry doesn't have in term of getting more users on board is time. Now the only thing that BlackBerry can do with full control is to adjust their price on BB10 devices making an offer that people can't refuse.

P * R * I * C * I * N * G

[qbnkelt]

My "crusade" against Instagram goes back to its beginnings, when Newsfeeds (er...status updates) were being flooded by practically everyone's (well, everyone with an iPhone) new found love for photography. It was ridiculous because the pics themselves were often less than amateur in quality, yet, those darn filters that turned an otherwise lame picture into something "vintage" and "cool" made the "photographers" feel artsy and good. No talent needed, just the filters. To add to that, for some reason coffee mugs were a popular subject...then peoples kids. Interesting, I wasn't aware that lomography was still in use in 2010. It was annoying because all of a sudden people were "photographers" without learning how to use the basic features in the phones camera, let alone composition, to take decent pictures. Just point, shot, apply filter, and wala.

Anyways, not a personal attack or anything...just my opinion. And yes, there are many great pictures uploaded to Instagram.

WIth that, and in conjunction with this thread, Instagram was only available for the iPhone for the first two years. Did that stop Android users from purchasing Android phones? Nope. In fact, many of the "must-have" apps were on iPhone first. Still, that did not stop Android sales. Why should BB10 be any different? The problem is not a lack of apps as much as it is the "appearance" of a lack of apps. Does anyone honestly believe that sales of BB10 devices will suddenly pick up the moment that Instagram, Netflix, and the like come to BlackBerry? Nope. While more apps will help, BlackBerry will not turn for the better until public opinion changes.

Well hello....Welcome to CB!!!

I must say, remind me not add you to my Instagram account....I will bore you to tears with pictures of kids, cats, dogs, horses and.....wait for it.....wait for it....CLOUDS!!! I LOVE CLOUDS!!!! But mainly my golden retriever and my border collie. And worse yet, I apply....wait for it....FILTERS!!! OMG!!! Fiters all over the place.

But you see, I have no Annie Liebowitz pretensions. I see something I like and I share it with people who are all as crazy about dogs and horses and even clouds as I am. I'm not a photography expert, but I like to record my memories. And I share them with like minded people who also share THEIR pictures of their dogs and their cats and their kids and their horses. And none of us finds that we are so special that taking a look at a picture is a waste of our time. And since I'm no Annie Liebowitz I haven't got the right to call anyone's pictures "lame." I'm not that high and mighty. I like to see my friends' pictures of their dogs at the lake and their kids at the beach. We're all humans together that way.

Don't want Instagram, don't download it. Yes, it *is* that simple. As to the need for Instagram on BlackBerry.....go through the forums. Take a look at what people are doing to try to get into Instagram.

Me, I see a picture on my friends' feed, I look at it, comment, hit Like. Why? Because people are sharing things that are important to them. And if they are friends of mine, I am willing to take the .25 seconds that it takes to hit Like or say "WOW cool sunrise!!!"

It doesn't take anything away from my day, and I acknowledge a friend. And that makes both of us feel good. Not a terrible thing to do.

[Tre Lawrence]

WIth that, and in conjunction with this thread, Instagram was only available for the iPhone for the first two years. Did that stop Android users from purchasing Android phones? Nope. In fact, many of the "must-have" apps were on iPhone first. Still, that did not stop Android sales. Why should BB10 be any different? The problem is not a lack of apps as much as it is the "appearance" of a lack of apps. Does anyone honestly believe that sales of BB10 devices will suddenly pick up the moment that Instagram, Netflix, and the like come to BlackBerry? Nope. While more apps will help, BlackBerry will not turn for the better until public opinion changes.

This actually highlights the big difference.

Android did not have a LOT of the stuff that iOS had back then. The one thing it did have is sales. It didn't have the iOS-only apps, but it did provide a huge value set for folks who wouldn't/couldn't use the iPhone. It provided the best mapping experience, best Gapps experience (and Gapps is huge), diversity of device form, and a burgeoning third-party developer pool. Let's not forget that it also had the second best ecosystem anyhow.

All these, IMHO, combined to give Android the numbers required to force the developers of iOS exclusives to get on the Android bus. Instagram, Angry Birds, Flipboard... even Netflix. They didn't just come aboard because they like Android. They like money.

Which brings us back to BBRY and BB10. Even enthusiasts have asked: what does BB10 bring to the table that is a true value added option? This is why, IMHO, the lull after the original iPhone hurt BBRY in the long run, because it allowed Android to stumble into the position of being the anti-Apple. Successfully.

I remember way back when, i talked to a developer about creating an Android port of his app. He had it on Palm, legacy BBOS, and had just created an iOS version (this was long before BBX/BB10). He didn't see the use pre-FroYo.

Now, he has an Android version, but no BB10 version. Go figure.

I have no doubt in my mind that when the apps are available, BB10 will do better and/because public perception will change. I have not met one person who has disliked the new devices; they just don't want less functionality.

[byrdbrained]

Sorry, but I can't agree with this. I can't recommend this phone to anyone under 40 or non-technical people and tell them about "sideloading". This argument is disingenuous at best, and outright falsehood at the worst. The critical mass of people who are buying these devices want to play Candy Crush, want to use their Netflix subscriptions on the go, they want Instagram and they want Vine - just to name a few of the popular apps. Just because a few of us who don't use those things find them unimportant doesn't mean the vast majority of smartphone owners aren't using them daily. Consider trying to get people to switch from a platform where they have all of these things over to BlackBerry. One of the factors that was crucial to BlackBerry 10's success was to get all of the people who abandoned the platform in droves to come back. If BlackBerry 10 doesn't have what they want (and believe me, it doesn't - banking apps anyone?) no one is coming back regardless of how smooth the OS is.

[jupiter8]

There is no shortage of GREAT apps that I'm downloading. I'm always finding great stuff, and I have everything I need.

[Tre Lawrence]

There is no shortage of GREAT apps that I'm downloading. I'm always finding great stuff, and I have everything I need.

And there are plenty like you... just not enough for BBRY as-is.

[jupiter8]

And there are plenty like you... just not enough for BBRY as-is.

And more every day. It's a young OS. I'm glad I found it, or I would be stuck on Android. My Galaxy was nice, but a toy compared to my Z10.

[agesparza]

Apps are a minor issue. Taking so long to get to 10.2 is the issue. 10. 0 was not good and 10.1 was just okay. Who is going to buy a device on those types of reviews

Posted via CB10

[edriss]

Posted from CB10 via Zed10.

[ifarlow]

There is no shortage of GREAT apps that I'm downloading. I'm always finding great stuff, and I have everything I need.

And there it is. Okay, everyone... time to pack up this thread, fold up the chairs, discard the trash, and turn out the lights. We can all go home now because jupiter8 has everything he needs. Mission accomplished.

[xtremesniper]

I think this "app shortage" is hyped up by the media, unfortunately. I just won an iPad Mini in a contest the other day and I've been spending a lot of time with it. I actually spent 3 hours going through the top app list of every category in the store and downloading a ton of apps.

I'm not impressed. Not only do most of the apps (on iOS) not have a consistent, coherent look, they are also mostly pointless and I ended up deleting most of them. Some of them perform so horribly that I just sat there in disbelief.

The BlackBerry World ecosystem may not have a few big hitters, but once you get beyond those giant names, it's fair game. I'd say the independent developers making lesser known apps are of much higher quality on BB10 than they are on iOS, by a long shot.

I came out of the experience having a much bigger respect for BB developers and the app ecosystem on BB10 than ever before.

The media sucks at honest and knowledgeable reporting. I bet you all the critics never picked up another BB10 device after their initial reviews earlier in the year. I'm looking forward to them being surprised at how far BB10 has come when they review the Z30. That is, if they pick it up after leaving behind their inherent biases.

[rashkov]

I really got everything that I need on my Q10. Only waiting for Viber, but it looks like it will be available once BB10.2 official is on the table.
Q10 is amazing and I have everything for business communication.
I think its not about the applications. Its about the marketing of the zombie world. The aggressive marketing of the devices close to game consoles, rather than communication devices.
BlackBerry will survive if they succeed to develop OS and new devices in the next 12 months. They need to push another 12 months, before BB10.xx get a massive boost.
I believe they will make it!


Posted via CB10

[Francis Pavolko]

I have the Z10 and Q10 and if there is no "call blocker" app out pretty soon I may move back to my Galaxy. Shame that I have holster activation features that remain deactivated because I have no way of filtering calls and must rely on the screen to determine if it is a wanted call.

Posted via CB10

[Tre Lawrence]

And more every day. It's a young OS. I'm glad I found it, or I would be stuck on Android. My Galaxy was nice, but a toy compared to my Z10.

Depends on how you use a device. It does a disservice to call any device a toy in today's market, especially since a lot of legacy BBOS users seem to be calling BB10 just that. The key is finding one that fits you.

BB10 is on the cusp of having the productive apps that it needs to truly be considered a workhorse, IMHO.

[nocturnal123]

I don't think it's the apps either. I think that the brand has been tarnished far beyond any reconciliation at this point and they are not doing themselves any favors by not keeping up with spec wars and BlackBerry phones are over priced imo

Posted via CB10