[anon(9803228)]

There are people who are desperate to blame Chen for something (not necessarily @markmall) - which is becoming increasingly hard to do in light of what now appears to be a successful turnaround.

Chen is seen by many as the face of the demise of BB10, where it was clearly the previous management/ownership.

Very similar to the Windows Phone / Mobile situation where Satya Nadella is being blamed for "killing the brand and killing the company"
I follow the MS mobile story for much longer than the BB one, and the parallels in the behavior of extreme fandom are pretty obvious.

[bb10adopter111]

Not sure what the huge fuss here is. This could be seen far, far away.

In fact, the day Blackberry announced they were moving away from BB10 to Android, it made the company utterly meaningless. (The way this forum tried to talk up the Priv and KeyOne was hilarious).

Seriously, what's the point of Blackberry if it's on Android? Whatever you think about Android is not the point. The point is, with Blackberry pumping Android, it's just another set of phones (in an already huge list of phones) running the Google OS.

So, apart from discussion & support for older BBOS and BB10 software/hardware, I'm not even sure what's the point of this forum any more? Far better off discussing the new phones on an Android forum.

That's a valid point, but I think you're neglecting that there are still a good many BB10 and BBOS users whose interest in BlackBerry's legacy Priv and DTEK phones, and BlackBerry Mobile's KEYone, Motion, and upcoming phones is fundamentally different from that of other Android phone users.

Their concern is when and how to transition, and how to adjust to Android. Many of these discussions would be irrelevant or confusing for "typical" Android users.

Over time, I think CB will merge into Android Central, but for now, I think the communities are different enough to keep separate.



Posted with my trusty Z10

[DrBoomBotz]

Lol .. my guess is that when he wrote "lady BOD" he meant Barbara Stymiest.

Great name and if memory serves also fitting.

[BBEIGHT]

I'm interested in the incentive to upgrade to a KEYone from BB10. Having said that, I've still no desire to switch from my Q10, especially as the Android sideload of Whatsapp seems to be functioning just fine.

Also suspect a strong breeze would be enough to crack the KEYone's screen. That's been my experience with iPhones too. I get that these phones need a case but hey, they're bulky enough as it is.

Still, that keyboard...

Posted via CB10

[DrBoomBotz]

People with English as a second language need to take a deep breath, avoid shorthand, use short sentences, and space their thoughts.

Everyone should do that.

[Richard Buckley]

thx. conite. i thought many claimed to follow the BB "closely" would know all the players front and behind scheme. (or read the annual report of BB around 2013). thx for your kindness.

Sure this thread has descended into armchair CEO territory but it didn't start there and many who read on hoping as only a BlackBerry fan can hope that maybe it will circle back probably don't know all the players or read annual reports.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.3.2205

[conite]

Sure this thread has descended into armchair CEO territory but it didn't start there and many who read on hoping as only a BlackBerry fan can hope that maybe it will circle back probably don't know all the players or read annual reports.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.3.2205

Circle back to what? The first post was a link to an announcement regarding BBOS and BB10 EOL - mission accomplished immediately.

Potential reasons why are as much on topic as anything else I can think of.

[Soulstream]

Not sure what the huge fuss here is. This could be seen far, far away.

In fact, the day Blackberry announced they were moving away from BB10 to Android, it made the company utterly meaningless. (The way this forum tried to talk up the Priv and KeyOne was hilarious).

Seriously, what's the point of Blackberry if it's on Android? Whatever you think about Android is not the point. The point is, with Blackberry pumping Android, it's just another set of phones (in an already huge list of phones) running the Google OS.

So, apart from discussion & support for older BBOS and BB10 software/hardware, I'm not even sure what's the point of this forum any more? Far better off discussing the new phones on an Android forum.

BB tried to create their own niche in the Android space with PKB phones. It was clear that their BB10 strategy was going nowhere. Don't confuse the fanaticism of guys on CB with the general consumer. BB had statistics/analytics with how many BB10 phones were being sold and how many people were leaving the platform; i don't think they made the decision ill-informed.

The Android "solution" may not have saved BB's hardware division, but it did make the transition easier to a BB without a hardware division.

[santoshwins]

Can I go slightly off topic here and talk about something very specific - the WPA-2 KRACK vulnerability? Now BB was quick to release fixes for the K1 and a few other android devices but this vulnerability in the protocol itself is a ticking time bomb and has made me very sceptic about using my unpatched Passport SE. What are the experts here doing about it? Are we relying on security by obscurity? This obviously relates to BB releasing critical security fixes like this for BB10 at least during the so-called 'support' phase. Thanks!

[Chuck Finley69]

Can I go slightly off topic here and talk about something very specific - the WPA-2 KRACK vulnerability? Now BB was quick to release fixes for the K1 and a few other android devices but this vulnerability in the protocol itself is a ticking time bomb and has made me very sceptic about using my unpatched Passport SE. What are the experts here doing about it? Are we relying on security by obscurity? This obviously relates to BB releasing critical security fixes like this for BB10 at least during the so-called 'support' phase. Thanks!

It's part of a comprehensive 10.4 update..

[santoshwins]

It's part of a comprehensive 10.4 update..

Oh, thank goodness! Glad to know that there is still hope for a 10.4. I feel compelled to ask if there is a release date in sight but I will keep this silly question to myself :-)

[conite]

It's part of a comprehensive 10.4 update..

[Chuck Finley69]

Oh, thank goodness! Glad to know that there is still hope for a 10.4. I feel compelled to ask if there is a release date in sight but I will keep this silly question to myself :-)

Unfortunately, 10.4 update now rumored to be vaporware.

Release canceled....

[Invictus0]

Can I go slightly off topic here and talk about something very specific - the WPA-2 KRACK vulnerability? Now BB was quick to release fixes for the K1 and a few other android devices but this vulnerability in the protocol itself is a ticking time bomb and has made me very sceptic about using my unpatched Passport SE. What are the experts here doing about it? Are we relying on security by obscurity? This obviously relates to BB releasing critical security fixes like this for BB10 at least during the so-called 'support' phase. Thanks!

BlackBerry hasn't commented on it yet, there was some activity recently in the Spotted OS builds thread for BB10 so we can only hope that contains a fix if BB10 is vulnerable.

[santoshwins]

so we can only hope that contains a fix if BB10 is vulnerable.

I think any device that uses the WPA-2 protocol is vulnerable - phones, routers and IOTs alike. It is a protocol vulnerability and remains device and carrier independent. I am sad that the 10.4 release was a joke. I have manually updated the firmwares of all my routers and the Passport SE is the only WiFi enabled unpatched device that I am still using. :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

[markmall]

There are people who are desperate to blame Chen for something (not necessarily @markmall) - which is becoming increasingly hard to do in light of what now appears to be a successful turnaround.

Chen is seen by many as the face of the demise of BB10, where it was clearly the previous management/ownership.

I don't think that we can call it a successful turnaround yet. It is a tiny fraction of what it was. Also, I thought that it is only profitable on an adjusted basis. If they're making money then it is marginal profits.

When I was a shareholder my preference was that they aim higher and risk failing then turn into a zombie company. If Prem wouldn't allow this then maybe it wasn't possible.

Posted via CB10

[markmall]

Very similar to the Windows Phone / Mobile situation where Satya Nadella is being blamed for "killing the brand and killing the company"
I follow the MS mobile story for much longer than the BB one, and the parallels in the behavior of extreme fandom are pretty obvious.

Uh, I've never heard anyone say that the demise of Windows phone killed the MS brand. I have heard rumors though that they have other substantial and profitable business ventures going then just their phone business.

Posted via CB10

[markmall]

That's a valid point, but I think you're neglecting that there are still a good many BB10 and BBOS users whose interest in BlackBerry's legacy Priv and DTEK phones, and BlackBerry Mobile's KEYone, Motion, and upcoming phones is fundamentally different from that of other Android phone users.

Their concern is when and how to transition, and how to adjust to Android. Many of these discussions would be irrelevant or confusing for "typical" Android users.

Over time, I think CB will merge into Android Central, but for now, I think the communities are different enough to keep separate.



Posted with my trusty Z10

There are many websites with people devoted to using old technology. I think that CrackBerry will have a reason to exist for many years to come even if traffic is not what it was in 2005.

Posted via CB10

[thurask]

I think any device that uses the WPA-2 protocol is vulnerable - phones, routers and IOTs alike. It is a protocol vulnerability and remains device and carrier independent. I am sad that the 10.4 release was a joke. I have manually updated the firmwares of all my routers and the Passport SE is the only WiFi enabled unpatched device that I am still using. :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

The last BB10 update (at least for now) was built in July and released in October, but according to CERT/CC, BlackBerry was notified about KRACK on 13 October, while QNX was notified on 28 August. Unless there's another release coming, then assume it's vulnerable; if it wasn't vulnerable through some stroke of luck/happy little accident, you'd think BB would want to brag about beating literally everyone else to the punch.

[conite]

I don't think that we can call it a successful turnaround yet. It is a tiny fraction of what it was. Also, I thought that it is only profitable on an adjusted basis. If they're making money then it is marginal profits.

When I was a shareholder my preference was that they aim higher and risk failing then turn into a zombie company. If Prem wouldn't allow this then maybe it wasn't possible.

Posted via CB10

They are making money, yes. But the great thing is that most of the revenue (75%) is recurring. That is the kind of stability that BlackBerry hasn't had in 7 years.

"Aim-high" was a 12-month death sentence. Failure was an absolute certainty.

[markmall]

They are making money, yes. But the great thing is that most of the revenue (75%) is recurring. That is the kind of stability that BlackBerry hasn't had in 7 years.

"Aim-high" was a 12-month death sentence. Failure was an absolute certainty.

Says you.

Posted via CB10

[Chuck Finley69]

Says you.

Posted via CB10

Prem Watsa, other large shareholders and the majority of the rest of the regular shareholders also say that... plus all the analysts that follow the company.

[conite]

Says you.

Posted via CB10

Say the financial statements.

QTR / Rev / loss
May2013 / 3.1B / $84M
Aug2013 / 1.6B / $965M
Nov2013 / 1.2B / $4.4B
Feb2014 / 976M / $423M

That was crippling. And if the BlackBerry BoD didn't decide to dump BB10 in Sep of 2013, they should have all been arrested.

No sane person would have invested another couple of $billion into BB10 and some new scheme to try and "make it work".

Slash and burn time. Goodbye BB10.

[DonHB]

If that was the case then the whole Board should have been fired and a massive investor lawsuit taken place for fraud and negligence.

Not the case the Board is professional and made good and wise decisions based on BlackBerry's financial condition in the second half of 2013. I get completely lost trying to understand how you draw your conclusions. By the end of 2013 the Board had two options left breakup the company or transform the company. The decision of the Board of directors was clear they hired a CEO with great enterprise software experience and zero hardware experience. The BOARD hired Chen, not one man. Members of corporate boards have a fiduciary duty and are legally required to fulfill their duty.

CEO Chen's experience began in hardware. He has a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering and prior to Sybase he worked for companies whose business was primarily hardware. However, I don't think any of these had consumer products. Important distinction, when business people were looking to carry a single device and BYOD was becoming prevalent.

Why does working on Android indicate a complete transition to becoming a software company while continuing work on BB10 would mean it did not complete that transition? An OS is software. With the partnership with Qualcomm to support their modems in QNX software makes you wonder how much extra it would cost to get BB10 working on the Motion.

[Chuck Finley69]

CEO Chen's experience began in hardware. He has a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering and prior to Sybase he worked for companies whose business was primarily hardware. However, I don't think any of these had consumer products. Important distinction, when business people were looking to carry a single device and BYOD was becoming prevalent.

Why does working on Android indicate a complete transition to becoming a software company while continuing work on BB10 would mean it did not complete that transition? An OS is software. With the partnership with Qualcomm to support their radios in QNX software, makes you wonder how much extra it would cost to get BB10 working on the Motion.

Probably only nominal expenditures. Kickstarter campaign with a petition should cover it.