1. ilovemileyyy's Avatar
    Just look at the commercial on TV:

    "Do you wanna know if the plant your standing in will make you itch tommorow?"

    "Do you wanna find a new college dorm?"

    "Do you wanna see how much that biology text book really costs?"

    "Do you wanna know if the bird your looking at is a (insert bird name here) or a (insert bird anme here)?"

    My answer to all of the above: No, I don't.
    05-25-09 03:33 PM
  2. supchingoo's Avatar
    Is there a reason besides lack of dev support that BB's don't have great apps like the iPod touch and iPhone?
    well for one, iPod Touch and iPhone are the same, only difference is the iPhone has a cellular radio, so apps are easy on those two.. as for the other part of the question, just the market for development. Apple encourages 3rd party development; as well as the the iPhone is specifically only for ONE carrier (even though you can unlock and use on tmob, etc). Crackberries are made for several carriers, and each has different specs for each device, so RIM really doesn't encourage the app development like Apple does..
    05-25-09 03:41 PM
  3. jah1373's Avatar
    one specific example that stands out as a glaring failure on the BB app world, is the lack of medical and professional apps.. i have epocrates on my iPhone, and actually used it just 30 min. ago to identify the brand name of a seldom prescribed drug that our pharmacy staff couldnt identify.. i know there is lexicomp for the BB, but its 300$ a year... no thanks. ill stick with my free download.
    05-25-09 04:43 PM
  4. Duvi's Avatar
    one specific example that stands out as a glaring failure on the BB app world, is the lack of medical and professional apps.. i have epocrates on my iPhone, and actually used it just 30 min. ago to identify the brand name of a seldom prescribed drug that our pharmacy staff couldnt identify.. i know there is lexicomp for the BB, but its 300$ a year... no thanks. ill stick with my free download.
    Wow... very big difference. This is a reason apps isn't where BB is going to excel (nor any other company, including Google's Android).
    05-25-09 05:02 PM
  5. iamtim's Avatar
    one specific example that stands out as a glaring failure on the BB app world, is the lack of medical and professional apps.
    That's not the purpose of the BlackBerry, though. The iPhone is more of a generalists phone, whereas the BlackBerry is more of a comprehensive messaging phone. If you are a generalist, you'll have a lot of options none of which are star-studded. A specialist, however, has a smaller selection of options that are star-studded. Look at, for instance, e-mail and SMS on the iPhone (unimpressive at best, save that it might graphically *look* better) compared to the BlackBerry. Really, save that (again) it's prettier on the iPhone, iPhone messaging sucks compared to the BlackBerry.

    The bottom line, I think, is that if you need all those apps, get an iPhone (and yes, I know you already have one; I was speaking generically.)
    05-25-09 05:07 PM
  6. brinky's Avatar
    That's not the purpose of the BlackBerry, though. The iPhone is more of a generalists phone, whereas the BlackBerry is more of a comprehensive messaging phone. If you are a generalist, you'll have a lot of options none of which are star-studded. A specialist, however, has a smaller selection of options that are star-studded. Look at, for instance, e-mail and SMS on the iPhone (unimpressive at best, save that it might graphically *look* better) compared to the BlackBerry. Really, save that (again) it's prettier on the iPhone, iPhone messaging sucks compared to the BlackBerry.

    The bottom line, I think, is that if you need all those apps, get an iPhone (and yes, I know you already have one; I was speaking generically.)

    So if the BB is not meant for anything but messaging, why are the apps and app world?

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-25-09 05:10 PM
  7. Duvi's Avatar
    That's not the purpose of the BlackBerry, though. The iPhone is more of a generalists phone, whereas the BlackBerry is more of a comprehensive messaging phone. If you are a generalist, you'll have a lot of options none of which are star-studded. A specialist, however, has a smaller selection of options that are star-studded. Look at, for instance, e-mail and SMS on the iPhone (unimpressive at best, save that it might graphically *look* better) compared to the BlackBerry. Really, save that (again) it's prettier on the iPhone, iPhone messaging sucks compared to the BlackBerry.

    The bottom line, I think, is that if you need all those apps, get an iPhone (and yes, I know you already have one; I was speaking generically.)
    So how is messaging in general better on the BlackBerry? Please don't use push email as this has been beaten to death and come 3.0, which I have currently in which push notifications will be there.

    The iPhone does great in these areas for the following reasons:

    SMS/MMS - All threaded in one application. I can even select messages to foward all at once rather than individually. For example... A friend sends me a joke and then the next message says, "Hi, how are you?." The third message is another joke. I can forward the first and third in one message.

    Email - Real HTML email -- computer like.

    Email - Can you choose multiple pics at one time on the BlackBerry? Nope, you have to select them all separately.

    I could keep going, but let me know how the BlackBerry is better for messaging?
    05-25-09 05:29 PM
  8. iamtim's Avatar
    So if the BB is not meant for anything but messaging, why are the apps and app world?
    I didn't say (well, I didn't mean) that the BB isn't meant for anything BUT messaging. I said (well, I meant) that the BBs initial design was for message-centric tasks.

    The iPhone wasn't. I mean, have you used the iPhone SMS app? Or the iPhone Mail app? Try searching the iPhone's unified inbox... oh, there isn't one.

    Look, I have an iPhone as well as my Curve. I like my iPhone. But when I need handheld access to my e-mail and SMSs and MMSs it's not the iPhone I reach for because messaging seems to have been an afterthought. It's the BlackBerry that I reach for because it handles messaging like dammit. If I want a broad application base, I'll turn to the iPhone. We'll probably never see applications like the iPhone has on the BlackBerry because of reasons well cited in this thread (APIs, developer resources, etc.) Unless, of course, RIM makes drastic changes.

    Anyway, I just think those differences and design goals need to be considered when one asks why the BlackBerry doesn't have apps like the iPhone.
    05-25-09 05:39 PM
  9. iamtim's Avatar
    come 3.0, which I have currently
    Most people don't have 3.0 -- I don't -- and so all the things you stated you can do on the iPhone can't be done by most people.

    iPhone OS 3.0 will significantly change the playing field, no doubt.

    But as of right now? On the generally available iPhone OS? There is no unified inbox for SMSs, MMSs (it doesn't even do MMS) and e-mail. IIRC, SMSs cannot be forwarded (I'll have to check that on my iPhone tomorrow at work; I accidentally left it there.) NONE of it can be comprehensively searched. Multiple e-mail addresses have multiple inboxes and ne'er the twain shall meet.

    So as of right now? Yeah. Messaging on the BlackBerry is better. I reserve the right to change my opinion when 3.0 is generally available.
    05-25-09 05:47 PM
  10. el_diablo5711's Avatar
    What's supposed to be different about iPhone 3.0?
    05-25-09 05:49 PM
  11. iamtim's Avatar
    What's supposed to be different about iPhone 3.0?
    Lots of stuff.
    05-25-09 05:52 PM
  12. Duvi's Avatar
    Most people don't have 3.0 -- I don't -- and so all the things you stated you can do on the iPhone can't be done by most people.

    iPhone OS 3.0 will significantly change the playing field, no doubt.

    But as of right now? On the generally available iPhone OS? There is no unified inbox for SMSs, MMSs (it doesn't even do MMS) and e-mail. IIRC, SMSs cannot be forwarded (I'll have to check that on my iPhone tomorrow at work; I accidentally left it there.) NONE of it can be comprehensively searched. Multiple e-mail addresses have multiple inboxes and ne'er the twain shall meet.

    So as of right now? Yeah. Messaging on the BlackBerry is better. I reserve the right to change my opinion when 3.0 is generally available.
    Without 3.0, my question was how is it better... still yet to be answered. Unified messaging box? That's very subjective being that half of the new threads being created say "How can I separate my email and sms/mms?" On my berry, I hide the messages and have each mailbox separate.

    My iPhone has not deleted my emails/msgs due to lack of memory.

    All these functions are available by jailbreaking the device. (Can't wait for the rebuttal to this one)

    Edit: Sorry to Hijack, started a thread, you can answer there iamtim.
    http://forums.crackberry.com/f99/mes...kberry-234816/

    What's supposed to be different about iPhone 3.0?
    Here is a list:
    Apple previews iPhone OS 3.0, adds copy and paste, Spotlight search, plenty more

    Here is the keynote:
    Apple - iPhone - iPhone OS 3.0 Preview
    05-25-09 07:02 PM
  13. the12thskin's Avatar
    A decent task/project manager app. I tried 4 or 5 on the iPhone and can only find one for the BB -brinky if you cant find a task/manager app for the blackberry then you should look harder. Their are a ton out their and a lot of good ones too.
    05-25-09 07:11 PM
  14. Xopher's Avatar
    I like the fact that a BlackBerry can have an IM program running, while browsing the internet, and listening to music. Multitasking is something that the iPhone can't do, even with 3.0.
    05-25-09 07:40 PM
  15. Duvi's Avatar
    Keep this on topic... Thanks.

    Why do BB's not have great apps like the iPhone and iTouch?
    05-25-09 07:45 PM
  16. cwong15's Avatar
    A couple of thoughts in answering the original question: Apple built a huge, successful app marketplace. This made writing apps for the iPhone/iPod very lucrative. If you can make more money at something, more people will make a go at it, and try harder. RIM is playing catch-up in this respect, and software availability reflects this. Unless and until it catches up, Apple will continue to have a significant advantage in this area.

    Another difference is in the development platform. The iPhone SDK uses Objective-C, which generates old-school compile-to-binary-code native executables. By contrast, BlackBerries run Java. Whatever advantages Java might have to the user (security) or the developer (garbage collection), Java apps will generally need more resources and run slower than native code apps. This is significant on resource-limited, slow-CPU cellphones.
    05-25-09 09:44 PM
  17. BluCheze's Avatar
    I think its bc they are aimed at different markets and since the itoy is just a toy, all it gets is some silly adult games nothing usefull. Now, I was just thinking, what if Apple turns out to be Skynet? I saw terminator!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-26-09 01:33 AM
  18. branden3112's Avatar
    I think its bc they are aimed at different markets and since the itoy is just a toy, all it gets is some silly adult games nothing usefull. Now, I was just thinking, what if Apple turns out to be Skynet? I saw terminator!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    The iPhone is definitely not just a toy. It can be a great business device and still have great games. Just because it has great games, does not make it a toy.
    05-26-09 12:49 PM
  19. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    The iPhone is definitely not just a toy. It can be a great business device and still have great games. Just because it has great games, does not make it a toy.
    How in the name of all that is holy would a 13 y/o know what
    constitutes a "great business device".

    I said it once and because I firmly believe it will say it again:

    The iPhone is for people who need to be entertained.
    The BlackBerry is for people who need to get ish done.
    05-26-09 12:59 PM
  20. iamtim's Avatar
    The iPhone is for people who need to be entertained.
    The BlackBerry is for people who need to get ish done.
    While I firmly believe the latter is absolutely correct, the former may be a little harsh. The iPhone does have the potential to be more than an entertainment device, it's just not being leveraged yet. (Unless you jailbreak it, evidently.) (Or install the OS 3.0 beta.)
    05-26-09 01:05 PM
  21. branden3112's Avatar
    How in the name of all that is holy would a 13 y/o know what
    constitutes a "great business device".


    I said it once and because I firmly believe it will say it again:

    The iPhone is for people who need to be entertained.
    The BlackBerry is for people who need to get ish done.
    The iPhone 3G won best business smartphone from JD Power!
    05-26-09 01:24 PM
  22. johntkong's Avatar
    There aren't a lot of the silly apps because RIM doesn't open the core to general playing around. They have a reputation for reliability and security, why mess around with a good thing?

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    I totally agree! I'm so glad we don't have silly apps like iPhone. Do we really need an app that rolls dice??
    05-26-09 01:28 PM
  23. branden3112's Avatar
    I totally agree! I'm so glad we don't have silly apps like iPhone. Do we really need an app that rolls dice??
    Just because some of the apps in the App Store are dumb and useless does not mean that the iPhone platform is dumb and useless. They are not forcing you to use those apps. There may be a lot of dumb and useless apps in the App Store, but there are also many great and useful apps in the App Store.
    05-26-09 01:59 PM
  24. anon1496273's Avatar
    I miss iPhone apps! I used to have an original iPhone and iPhone 3G. Blackberry (RIM) does not even come close when it comes to apps. However, I don't purchase apps, so I can't fully speak for those who do.
    06-01-09 08:09 PM
  25. iamtim's Avatar
    Yeah, I gotta tell you... when I had my iPhone I went app crazy. Know what happened? They crashed my iPhone because a lot of them were poorly written.

    So yeah, I'll pass on all the cool apps in favor of a device that doesn't crash as much, thankyouverymuch.
    Last edited by iamtim; 06-01-09 at 09:06 PM.
    06-01-09 08:21 PM
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