1. Fastmarc's Avatar
    In an article I read, the writer calls BlackBerry OS horrible and saying he would be interested if BlackBerry switches to Android. It's not the first I've seen it described as such, but based on my use of BB10 and the little fooling around I do with other popular OS's, I don't find it my experience.
    It may just mean I do not understand what makes an OS good. So, what does?

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 01:44 PM
  2. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    In an article I read, the writer calls BlackBerry OS horrible and saying he would be interested if BlackBerry switches to Android. It's not the first I've seen it described as such, but based on my use of BB10 and the little fooling around I do with other popular OS's, I don't find it my experience.
    It may just mean I do not understand what makes an OS good. So, what does?

    Posted via CB10
    Compatibility.... JMHO.

    But there are lots of factors that make a good OS, but if you can't "officially" run the applications that people want to run. Not sure any of the other factors really matter.

    Windows didn't gain it's dominance because it was more secure, stable, or "better". It was because it had MS Office... and then other developers came on board and it become the desktop OS of choice. We've looked at OSX and Linux for our office, but there are several industry specific Programs that have always been Windows only. And we just don't want to add the complexity of running Windows virtually.

    If BB10 isn't able to run an app like Instagram out of the box, then it isn't a good OS for people that want to run Instagram. Now put just about any other app in place of Instagram, and you end of weeding out a lot of people. Now can you currently run Instagram with a "little" work... yes. But can you gurantee that will work 6 months from now?
    jabia likes this.
    07-10-15 02:09 PM
  3. Fastmarc's Avatar
    OK, so generally speaking it is the unavailability of apps that would make people think an OS is bad?
    Is it then the apps that makes the OS?
    Since IOS has the most apps, is it considered the best OS?


    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 02:22 PM
  4. Fastmarc's Avatar
    Genuine questions. Not trying to be rude.

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 02:23 PM
  5. MGDania's Avatar
    For me, stability, reliability and intuitive user interface make a great OS. BB10 gets the job done.

    However, I have had several friends who want to switch to BlackBerry because of frustration with Android and ios but unfortunately there is always one or two apps they feel they can't live without

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 02:35 PM
  6. k1rkland's Avatar
    To me, it's the ability to serve as a robust platform for apps of all kinds. I don't have a list of apps that I want. Most of the interesting apps are ones that do things that I never thought of when I bought a smartphone.

    Somebody said that what makes an smartphone so great is that it's the first gadget that actually gets more useful the longer you have it because of the apps. My smartphone became significantly more useful yesterday because I downloaded and subscribed to The Economist magazine. Now I have something interesting to listen to while I'm driving, shopping, waiting in line, etc.
    07-10-15 02:50 PM
  7. Fastmarc's Avatar
    I'm relatively new to BB10 since get a Classic in December, but from what I see with the BB10 apps they are pretty stable. I'm also very impressed with the fact that I'm able to run apps that belongs to another platform just as well (with the apps I have). Wouldn't this count as a plus towards marking it a good OS or is this ability nothing special and is done on other OS platforms just as well?
    In terms of overall stability, I do not have good long term experience with other OS's, but is it a case that BB10 isn't as stable as the other leading OS's?

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 03:03 PM
  8. Upright-Underground's Avatar
    OK, so generally speaking it is the unavailability of apps that would make people think an OS is bad?
    Is it then the apps that makes the OS?
    Since IOS has the most apps, is it considered the best OS?


    Posted via CB10
    For the general public "yes".

     Classic
    07-10-15 03:12 PM
  9. Fastmarc's Avatar
    For the general public "yes".

     Classic
    So if the app developers for the two major OS's suddenly lost their minds and developed BB10 versions of their apps putting it on equal app footing, would it adopted by John Public?

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 03:25 PM
  10. RyanGermann's Avatar
    An OS is only as good as the APIs available to developers (an therefore the OS vendor itself largely) and the stability of the OS and the consistency of performance of the code behind the APIs.

    I believe that BlackBerry 10 has a great foundation upon which great apps can be built: iOS by design may have the APIs but it forces developers to compartmentalize things too much. Android has great APIs, but you're reliant on Google too much (and the "Google Play Services" being require by so many apps, which are OUTSIDE of Android itself, is the most significant symptom of that).

    BB10 for me is the sweet spot between Apple's "closed source" model, and Androids flexibility. If only more developers would realize that..........
    07-10-15 03:36 PM
  11. k1rkland's Avatar
    So if the app developers for the two major OS's suddenly lost their minds and developed BB10 versions of their apps putting it on equal app footing, would it adopted by John Public?
    Only if the platform was robust enough to ensure all the features available on other platforms. I have a hard time believing that a platform that sells 5 million units a year is going to have the same development resources as one that sells 150 million units a year.
    07-10-15 03:36 PM
  12. Fastmarc's Avatar
    Ah yes, never thought about it from a developer's perspective as to how good the OS is. Could this be why most stayed away or was it just because it wasn't popular enough.

    Only if the platform was robust enough to ensure all the features available on other platforms. I have a hard time believing that a platform that sells 5 million units a year is going to have the same development resources as one that sells 150 million units a year.
    I guess this can only be answered by a developer, but is there a reason to believe that it wouldn't be?

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 03:51 PM
  13. dbmalloy's Avatar
    For me the answer is simple and why Apple is so successful.... ease of use... as part of my computer business I get to setup and configure a variety of smartphones.... as much as Apple as an entity is despised by many ( success envy I think ).... you have to give them their due... there is not much learning curve in their smartphones.... in many ways that is the issue for those more technically inclined or like me the tinkerers.... we tend to think simple is bad... for many unless it complicated ( robust is the term I hear ) then it does not measure up... As much as I hate to generalize... there is truth in what I have seen with smartphones and my clients... those who simply want to use a device... not have to learn little Apple fits the bill... for those cost conscious and tinkerers out there Android fits the bill.... for those who simply want to get Sh~t done BB fits the bill... for me what makes a good OS very much depends on what you want out of it... does not mean Apple, Android, BB or WP ( did not include WP simply because I have no experience with and as such cannot speak to user experience... read I know no one who owns one ) is any better than each other.. it is more a case of what is best for you... in the end it is the end users experience and whether the OS meets his or hers expectation that makes a good OS...
    jabia and pogly2 like this.
    07-10-15 04:18 PM
  14. k1rkland's Avatar
    All developers of free or paid apps, large or small, are looking for the user base first and foremost. Remember that you have to actually install it on a smartphone if you really want to make your app work right. So, you start with your own phone first, which is usually an Android or an iPhone. If you've never seen a Passport then you probably aren't going to be spending any time on an app for it.

    The good platforms also make things easier for developers with robust development tools, debugging utilities, virtual programming classes like the Stanford computer science courses on iOS development. Finally, the ad platforms, cloud storage like Dropbox have all of the hooks to make it easier to add those features to your app.
    07-10-15 04:21 PM
  15. Fastmarc's Avatar
    Thanks for indulging me guys.
    I'm beginning to see it's a multi layered and not so simple to answer.
    I too have found myself profiling people and suggesting IOS when I realise that the person is not much of a 'techie'. Ease of use is really a good barometer. I don't think BB10 is complicated, but I do think IOS is easier (grandma easy as I sometimes refer to it). I don't find Android easier than BB10 though, but maybe I haven't spent enough time with it.

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 04:36 PM
  16. tufcustomer's Avatar
    For some, whatever the trending bandwagon is. For other obviously not the case.

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 07:21 PM
  17. Ment's Avatar
    Being very generalized

    BB10: How many things can I do with the least amount of steps
    IOS: How many things can I do without relying on someone else
    Android: How many things can I do.

    Your weight of the importance of those three probably biases you toward which platform you think is the better OS.
    jabia likes this.
    07-10-15 07:52 PM
  18. djsvet's Avatar
    Being very generalized

    BB10: How many things can I do with the least amount of steps
    IOS: How many things can I do without relying on someone else
    Android: How many things can I do.

    Your weight of the importance of those three probably biases you toward which platform you think is the better OS.
    What's your point aboit iOS, as far as I know, BB10 has most built in optins/settings/tools. Heck they even have their own FB app.

    Posted via CB10
    07-10-15 08:00 PM
  19. anon(8063781)'s Avatar
    "Horrible" is certainly subjective. BB10 has much better multitasking than its competitors (it's particularly easy to switch from one task to another), good communications integration, and is very stable in my experience. I don't know what's particularly horrible about that. However, if those factors mattered, webOS would still be alive. It seems that the people above who referred to apps must be correct on some level, and I think the point that MS Office made Windows the dominant OS on laptops and desktops is particularly apt. It was certainly the reason I bought my first Windows computer. BlackBerry tried to compensate for the app shortage with the android runtime, but in the end, that likely hindered native app development.

    There's also the issue of which apps matter. The iPhone gained a lot of market share from OSes that had productivity apps when iOS did not. Windows mobile had email, PIM, and MS Office integration (not to mention cut and paste), when iOS lagged behind in those areas. BlackBerry had push mail and PIM. Many people didn't care and bought the iPhone anyways. Maybe most people cared more about iTunes integration, great web browsing, etc., than productivity functions when they were buying a phone with their own money (and not getting it from corporate IT). I think social media apps, multimedia, and gaming are more important to most people, and BlackBerry's strategy of focusing on business is guaranteed to keep them a minor player in terms of market share. BYOD makes this even more the case. Phones all do email, contacts, texting, office tasks, etc., these days. You need to sell on the basis of the fun factor, style, and ease of use. My $0.02.
    07-10-15 09:13 PM
  20. RH1Pearl's Avatar
    Some BlackBerry users think all or most work is done on a phone. The truth is the real work is done on desktops and laptops. People that are always on the go perhaps I can say the phone is the workhorse but the majority of workers are in offices where the farthest they stray is to the water cooler. I find it odd some users will type a 5,000 word report on a Passport and brag about it when a laptop can achieve that in 1/4 of the time with no eyestrain. Kind of defeats the purpose of saying you're more productive. Even if office workers go out for lunch or head home, most people use smartphones for calling and quick messaging. For me to call a client via my mobile phone or reply to say "I'm out of the office, will send details when I get back" can be done on any smartphone today. So in terms of which is the best OS to do the basic office stuff, pretty much all phones can do that so it comes down to personal preference outside work which are entertainment and leisure.
    07-10-15 09:16 PM
  21. Upright-Underground's Avatar
    I only care what works for me. What generates me profit. I can honestly say that this Classic has made me less app dependent. Link and Blend has been awesome. And the apps I wish I had are for fun/time wasting.

    It is an app world. The "there is an app for that" marketing was genius. And clearly worked.

     Classic
    07-10-15 09:56 PM
  22. k1rkland's Avatar
    With Microsoft gutting their smartphone division and BlackBerry all but admitting that they are going to be making Android devices, the argument over what constitutes a good mobile OS has become irrelevant. Is Windows a good PC OS? Is HTML a good way to view the web? Is email a good way to send electronic messages? Is SMS a good way to send texts?
    Who cares - it's the way that you access everything else.

    Unfortunately, what works for you, at this point, is irrelevant unless you are choosing among Apple products or Android-based mobile devices. If your mobile platform has stopped being developed then it won't work for you for very long since you soon will not have access to something that you need or want. Not just apps but the content, productivity, connectivity, platforms being developed by the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Twitter, or whatever is coming in the next.

    It looks like BlackBerry has a niche of keypad and security-minded enterprise users that they are going to try to cater to but via Android handsets.
    07-11-15 11:09 AM
  23. ZeroBarrier's Avatar
    With Microsoft gutting their smartphone division and BlackBerry all but admitting that they are going to be making Android devices
    All but admitting they are going to be making Android devices? What have you been smoking or huffing? How do you equate BlackBerry working with Google on BES to BlackBerry making Android phones?

    The Android phone is a rumor, and until BlackBerry themselves comes out and confirms it as fact it will continue to be just a rumor. So your comment is conjecture, nothing more; and as such should be glossed over and forgotten by every reader here.

    Posted via CB10
    07-11-15 01:11 PM
  24. djsvet's Avatar
    All but admitting they are going to be making Android devices? What have you been smoking or huffing? How do you equate BlackBerry working with Google on BES to BlackBerry making Android phones?

    The Android phone is a rumor, and until BlackBerry themselves comes out and confirms it as fact it will continue to be just a rumor. So your comment is conjecture, nothing more; and as such should be glossed over and forgotten by every reader here.

    Posted via CB10
    Unfortunately, a highly plausible rumor. Hopefully we are wrong but every piece of evidence so far is against us. At most, we can pray they will continue develop BB10 for couple more years and then may be support it for another 5.

    That didn't happen as promised by Nokia with Symbian. They cut support 2-3 years earlier. BB's situation is very similar.

    Posted via CB10
    07-11-15 02:20 PM
  25. k1rkland's Avatar
    You can wait for official announcements if you don't mind being the last person to know something is happening. Isn't this what BlackBerry Fact Check was established for? A blog site specifically established to clear up misinformation about the company's products. They seem to be having some trouble coming up with a post to address the Android rumors. Here's a suggestion: "BlackBerry currently has no plans to introduce an Android handset. The slider device previewed at MWC will run BlackBerry 10." It would take less than 30 seconds to add a blog entry and kill the rumors without revealing anything about the device. And I don't think he's waiting on word from his team about whether or not Android can be secured.

    BlackBerry Fact Check | Inside BlackBerry
    What really makes an OS great?-blackberry-fact-check-feature.png


    The Android phone is a rumor, and until BlackBerry themselves comes out and confirms it as fact it will continue to be just a rumor. So your comment is conjecture, nothing more; and as such should be glossed over and forgotten by every reader here.
    07-11-15 02:38 PM
43 12

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