[NursingNinja]

This thread is not for rants about native email and the like, there are plenty of places to express yourself on that topic.

What if RIM were to export android and ios versions of the bridge app, assuming they could of course, to the various app stores. That way other phones could have a similar setup. I think it would certainly help playbook sales. Plenty of people would buy the playbook for the bridge app. The issue is not everyone wants the blackberry phone so that limits their customer base.

Do you think it would have a large, slight, or no impact on sales and why?

Again this is assuming its possible and that the app store on ios would allow it, I am sure the android market place wouldnt care.

[kbz1960]

I think then all the talk about no native email would stop. Then we can move on to more complaining about the other missing functionality. Bridge app is great, still needs improvement though.

[_StephenBB81]

I think This would improve Playbook sales only marginally but cannibalize future Blackberry sales for existing Playbook owners.


The Playbook is an Excellent Blackberry tool, it is by all rights "BlackBerry Extended" Once you allow Bridging with other devices (assuming it is possible) then if a Native BBM client comes to the PlayBook, you have NON BB users with BBM, even if only through their playbook encouraging more users to try no BB phones.

IF you Own a Playbook and a Blackberry, and next year you are up for an upgrade of your phone, the Playbook IS a added reason to stay with BlackBerry for the added functionality of the Bridge.
RIM would be better suited to improve upon BlackBerry's and find a way to Make a BlackBerry Bridge for Other tablets to Bridge Blackberry's to them and Drive up Handset sales then develop PlayBook exclusive features on the Bridge as a reason for people to make their next tablet a PlayBook to be a companion to the BlackBerry

[lnichols]

Bridge is there for security of information. Secure connection to a secure device and no data stored on the Playbook itself. Building a secure bridge to either of those non-secure platforms would kinda defeat the purpose of the bridge.

[kbz1960]

I think This would improve Playbook sales only marginally but cannibalize future Blackberry sales for existing Playbook owners.


The Playbook is an Excellent Blackberry tool, it is by all rights "BlackBerry Extended" Once you allow Bridging with other devices (assuming it is possible) then if a Native BBM client comes to the PlayBook, you have NON BB users with BBM, even if only through their playbook encouraging more users to try no BB phones.

IF you Own a Playbook and a Blackberry, and next year you are up for an upgrade of your phone, the Playbook IS a added reason to stay with BlackBerry for the added functionality of the Bridge.
RIM would be better suited to improve upon BlackBerry's and find a way to Make a BlackBerry Bridge for Other tablets to Bridge Blackberry's to them and Drive up Handset sales then develop PlayBook exclusive features on the Bridge as a reason for people to make their next tablet a PlayBook to be a companion to the BlackBerry

Are you saying that RIM does not want anyone that doesn't own a bb to buy their tab then? Cause I don't think the playbook will make too many change their phone for it. They will just get something else.

[_StephenBB81]

Are you saying that RIM does not want anyone that doesn't own a bb to buy their tab then? Cause I don't think the playbook will make too many change their phone for it. They will just get something else.

RIM wants everyone to buy their tablet.

BUT RIM's bread and butter are devices, which is what they do not want to risk losing Device sales, once a person owns a PlayBook when doing the "pro's and con's" of their next phone purchase, having a PlayBook with Bridge is in the "pro" column for Buying a new BlackBerry, add Bridge to other platforms and not that "pro" is nullified.

[kbz1960]

Kind of a bad position to be in since it seems people who don't own a bb are not buying it because of lack of an email and pim client. For me it was the last of my concerns since I do own a bb.

So what is there that will entice people who don't own a bb to buy it when they don't want a bb as their phone? Seems RIM is just biting their own hand.

[_StephenBB81]

Kind of a bad position to be in since it seems people who don't own a bb are not buying it because of lack of an email and pim client. For me it was the last of my concerns since I do own a bb.

So what is there that will entice people who don't own a bb to buy it when they don't want a bb as their phone? Seems RIM is just biting their own hand.

WTF?

what argument are you trying to make?
this is about Bringing Bridge functionality to other handhelds and pro's and cons in doing so.

[kbz1960]

Answering your comments. What is the difference between making bridge for different phones and it selling more from people not buying it because they own a different phone? It's all about selling more or at least that is what I got from the op, make bridge for other phones to sell more, same argument about native email and pim.

[_StephenBB81]

Answering your comments. What is the difference between making bridge for different phones and it selling more from people not buying it because they own a different phone? It's all about selling more or at least that is what I got from the op, make bridge for other phones to sell more, same argument about native email and pim.

Well Native email and PIM have been Beaten to death and are not relevant to my opinion about the cannibalization of BlackBerry sales for the sake of PlayBook sales.


By Bringing Bridging to other phones, the EXISTING! PlayBook users have one less tie to a BlackBerry for the NEXT phone purchase.

Bringing Bridging to other phones may marginally increase Playbook sales over other tablet's but the volume of the increase will not be substantial enough to out weigh to potential loss of BlackBerry handheld users by doing this action

[kbz1960]

Well Native email and PIM have been Beaten to death and are not relevant to my opinion about the cannibalization of BlackBerry sales for the sake of PlayBook sales.


By Bringing Bridging to other phones, the EXISTING! PlayBook users have one less tie to a BlackBerry for the NEXT phone purchase.

Bringing Bridging to other phones may marginally increase Playbook sales over other tablet's but the volume of the increase will not be substantial enough to out weigh to potential loss of BlackBerry handheld users by doing this action

I can agree with you there. I don't think a bridge app for every phone is a solution. I do believe that owners of other phones may buy a playbook if it had mail and pim clients on it and in turn may make them think about a bb as their next phone to get the rest of the goodness that comes with the bridge. B ut I guess enough of my being off topic.

[DenverRalphy]

BUT RIM's bread and butter are devices, which is what they do not want to risk losing Device sales, once a person owns a PlayBook when doing the "pro's and con's" of their next phone purchase, having a PlayBook with Bridge is in the "pro" column for Buying a new BlackBerry, add Bridge to other platforms and not that "pro" is nullified.

I may be mistaken, but I've always been under the impression that the bread & butter was more the subscriptions that accompany each device, and not so much the device sales themselves.

If a bridge app for other platforms were installed and distributed to devices via the carriers rather than other sources, then RIM could collect a cut of the dataplan fee from the carriers for other devices, just like they do now from BB users. That could generate significant revenue for RIM.

I know that in the states, VZW data plans are $30/mo regardless whether it's a BB or other platform. But RIM gets a $5 cut from the data plans of BB users on VZW. I'm sure RIM would be happy to expand that cut to other platforms as well (though I'm not sure how happy the carriers would be about it though).

[calaviqpfza4]

I'm not sure why I would need to bridge my iPhone. I'd prefer if RIM actually got native email working on the Playbook instead.

The "bridge" to me, is a stop gap, until native email is ready on the Playbook. RIM had to figure out a quick way to get around this problem with this supposed "enterprise-ready tablet", that doesn't even have email, but convincing customers the "bridge" is needed. Seriously who wants to carry around two devices anyway? Oh, yes I know, I can hear the arguments already...

tethering, one data-plan, etc, I get it...

If you're current phone can't do what the Playbook can in a smaller form-factor, maybe it's time for a new phone? After all what did you do before April 19th, 2011?

[kbz1960]

I'm not sure why I would need to bridge my iPhone. I'd prefer if RIM actually got native email working on the Playbook instead.

The "bridge" to me, is a stop gap, until native email is ready on the Playbook. RIM had to figure out a quick way to get around this problem with this supposed "enterprise-ready tablet", that doesn't even have email, but convincing customers the "bridge" is needed. Seriously who wants to carry around two devices anyway? Oh, yes I know, I can hear the arguments already...

tethering, one data-plan, etc, I get it...

If you're current phone can't do what the Playbook can in a smaller form-factor, maybe it's time for a new phone? After all what did you do before April 19th, 2011?

What I did before was use my laptop because my phone screen is too small. The playbook screen is all most too small for me so I'm sure a 4 or 5 inch screen would be also.

[calaviqpfza4]

What I did before was use my laptop because my phone screen is too small. The playbook screen is all most too small for me so I'm sure a 4 or 5 inch screen would be also.

Rumor has a 10" version of the Playbook coming out as well... Hopefully that's big enough for you

[_StephenBB81]

I may be mistaken, but I've always been under the impression that the bread & butter was more the subscriptions that accompany each device, and not so much the device sales themselves.

If a bridge app for other platforms were installed and distributed to devices via the carriers rather than other sources, then RIM could collect a cut of the dataplan fee from the carriers for other devices, just like they do now from BB users. That could generate significant revenue for RIM.

I know that in the states, VZW data plans are $30/mo regardless whether it's a BB or other platform. But RIM gets a $5 cut from the data plans of BB users on VZW. I'm sure RIM would be happy to expand that cut to other platforms as well (though I'm not sure how happy the carriers would be about it though).

I believe only 18% of RIM's revenue comes from services, which means 82% comes from hardware sales, solifiying that selling devices is their bread and butter, the Software/services are just the coffee to go with.

[_StephenBB81]

I'm not sure why I would need to bridge my iPhone. I'd prefer if RIM actually got native email working on the Playbook instead.

The "bridge" to me, is a stop gap, until native email is ready on the Playbook. RIM had to figure out a quick way to get around this problem with this supposed "enterprise-ready tablet", that doesn't even have email, but convincing customers the "bridge" is needed. Seriously who wants to carry around two devices anyway? Oh, yes I know, I can hear the arguments already...

tethering, one data-plan, etc, I get it...

If you're current phone can't do what the Playbook can in a smaller form-factor, maybe it's time for a new phone? After all what did you do before April 19th, 2011?

I use Bridge probably 3 times a week, and VERY rarely do I use it for email, and even at that I bridge to as many as 3 different Blackberry's I would hate to have all 14 email addresses in total going to my Playbook.

The Bridge is not a stop gap solution it is a fantastic means of connecting to the internet without additional payment methods, and without broadcasting a wifi signal.

I am using my Playbook in "Enterprise" environments and the lack of email hasn't been a disadvantage for the device (lack of Calendar, YES!)
as Bridge evolves to allow me more access to content on my devices and makes connecting/disconnecting faster it will be even a better feature.

[kbz1960]

Rumor has a 10" version of the Playbook coming out as well... Hopefully that's big enough for you

Nope the 7 is fine for me, 10 would be too big to haul around. Might as well go back to the laptop then.

[Foreverup]

Well Native email and PIM have been Beaten to death and are not relevant to my opinion about the cannibalization of BlackBerry sales for the sake of PlayBook sales.


By Bringing Bridging to other phones, the EXISTING! PlayBook users have one less tie to a BlackBerry for the NEXT phone purchase.

Bringing Bridging to other phones may marginally increase Playbook sales over other tablet's but the volume of the increase will not be substantial enough to out weigh to potential loss of BlackBerry handheld users by doing this action

I don't think the bridge function on other phones would hurt phone sales. If a consumer has made the decision to leave blackberry, the bridge function is not going to keep them on blackberry.

On the flip side though, I think why it would not be brought to other phones is security reasons. I know people have hacked apps on android to allow them be used on unsupported phones. I believe this would be a huge issue for RIM.

[NursingNinja]

Well Native email and PIM have been Beaten to death and are not relevant to my opinion about the cannibalization of BlackBerry sales for the sake of PlayBook sales.


By Bringing Bridging to other phones, the EXISTING! PlayBook users have one less tie to a BlackBerry for the NEXT phone purchase.

Bringing Bridging to other phones may marginally increase Playbook sales over other tablet's but the volume of the increase will not be substantial enough to out weigh to potential loss of BlackBerry handheld users by doing this action

Well that makes sense really, I didnt think about it like that. I assumed that bridge functionality would appeal to alot of people and sell more playbooks. I didnt think it woul affect BB sales though. I guess thats why I am a nurse and not a bussinessman.

[NursingNinja]

Nope the 7 is fine for me, 10 would be too big to haul around. Might as well go back to the laptop then.

I think 7 is great for holding for long periods of time, The ten inches would be better for movies but I think the net plus is 7 inches.

[_StephenBB81]

Well that makes sense really, I didnt think about it like that. I assumed that bridge functionality would appeal to alot of people and sell more playbooks. I didnt think it woul affect BB sales though. I guess thats why I am a nurse and not a bussinessman.

I certainly couldn't think like a Nurse!
takes all types eh