[BlackberryTorcher]

Hello fellow BlackBerry Lovers. I wanted to post this here in hopes that someone will agree with me. I love blackberry like many of you do, but I have decided to sell my Blackberry Playbook, I've simply fallen out of love with it. It's a powerful workhorse and has some very good games and apps but without the usual free games and apps such as instagram that other OS'' enjoy, its just lacking in my opinion. I will keep my Bold 9900 and quickly trade up to the BB10 L series when it is released. But on a more serious note, I really think in order for blackberry to survive and last they need to refocus there energies. I think they need to scrap support and development of any other phones, tablets etc to focus on only ONE item and ONE OS which is the Blackberry 10 L series and Blackberry 10 OS!!! If they can do this for a few years, I believe they will regain the confidence of the public as well as surpass android and apple in the North American markets. Very much the same concept that apple uses, one phone with updated features and software yearly. Not to copy apple but I think that business model has worked. Blackberry 10 will be the BEST OS on the market come January. RIM should just focus on ONE PHONE!! ONE OS!!!! After sometime once they have won back the market love they can then focus on a new tablet with the same OS 10, and much more sleek design that consumers are looking for. Does anyone else agree with me? Please no bashing? Just post your opinions or comments, thank you. LONG LIVE BLACKBERRY!!!!

[iSin]

Hey there! i have a similar history to share, because i also just sold my BlackBerry PlayBook yesterday and switched from BlackBerry to iPhone back in august, i currently have a iPhone 5 (used to have a Torch 9860) and to tell you the truth, im not missing those devices that much (Sad, because i was a hardcore BlackBerry fan since my first Curve 8310).

The problem with RIM is that they woke up and realized they needed apps to satisfy customer needs very late, and they are trying now to get into a Game were they possibly wont come out the way they want to. You might be those who tell that they don't need apps and all that, but let me tell you that you're are just lying to yourself.

I want RIM to make a great comeback with BlackBerry 10 but then i realized, how much left until that? Probably in March when they start selling BB10 devices, fine... But then comes another question, what about the "Big names" apps? are they coming too? Probably... but when?. Another thing is, come on guys.. It's almost 2013, get rid of that friggin old BB7.1 device, give yourself some love and get and iPhone or an Android device, even a WP8 could suit you well. You will enjoy having a good smartphone, every big name app/game and lots more benefits you dont get with a BlackBerry device now.

My 0.02$

[Mercury]

So you're saying that the many people using BIS or BES in companies should all upgrade at once? People have bought newer BB's such as the 9900 within the past year and can't get subsidized pricing. You think everyone has an extra $500-800 for a new BlackBerry 10 L series? You think companies have that kind of money to upgrade everyones phone within a 6 month period?

I like your idea, but it is very unrealistic. Look at MS. Until this year, they supported Windows XP. 13yrs for 1 OS.... RIM will never abandon the legacy Java OS (at least for the foreseeable future) Like seriously man, be realistic.

PLUS with RIM positioning themselves very hard are big in upcoming markets like Africa and the middle east, they are 1 generation behind. Why? Because there is not a lot of wealth there, so while you and I sit at our computers/phones/tablets waiting for the next greatest generation of BB's to come out, a lot of people are wishing they had an easier life and more money to afford the basic things in life.

So I don't agree with you at all. And for your comment about selling your PB. A lot of companies turned their backs on RIM. Not RIM's fault per say.... you want to support RIM and BB10, keep your playbook, because the playbook was just the beginning of BB10. So what if Instagram isn't on there... There are comparable apps out.

[DannyAves]

Another thing is, come on guys.. It's almost 2013, get rid of that friggin old BB7.1 device, give yourself some love and get and iPhone or an Android device, even a WP8 could suit you well. You will enjoy having a good smartphone, every big name app/game and lots more benefits you dont get with a BlackBerry device now.

My 0.02$

I have six working phones including a Galaxy S3 and a Galaxy Nexus but I still prefer to carry my 9900 as my primary device. To each his own I suppose!!

[Mercury]

Hey there! i have a similar history to share, because i also just sold my BlackBerry PlayBook yesterday and switched from BlackBerry to iPhone back in august, i currently have a iPhone 5 (used to have a Torch 9860) and to tell you the truth, im not missing those devices that much (Sad, because i was a hardcore BlackBerry fan since my first Curve 8310).

The problem with RIM is that they woke up and realized they needed apps to satisfy customer needs very late, and they are trying now to get into a Game were they possibly wont come out the way they want to. You might be those who tell that they don't need apps and all that, but let me tell you that you're are just lying to yourself.

I want RIM to make a great comeback with BlackBerry 10 but then i realized, how much left until that? Probably in March when they start selling BB10 devices, fine... But then comes another question, what about the "Big names" apps? are they coming too? Probably... but when?. Another thing is, come on guys.. It's almost 2013, get rid of that friggin old BB7.1 device, give yourself some love and get and iPhone or an Android device, even a WP8 could suit you well. You will enjoy having a good smartphone, every big name app/game and lots more benefits you dont get with a BlackBerry device now.

My 0.02$

Oh look... an iphone guy... APPS are NOT The be all and end all... So what if a few apps are missing... And I can promise you, EVERY app in the Apple and Android in the top 10 downloads will be on BB10 AT LAUNCH!!

[RubberChicken76]

The problem with RIM is that they woke up and realized they needed apps to satisfy customer needs very late

While this makes for a great story in the press and theory, the reality is that it's not as simple as that.

First off, Apple did not 'invent' mobile apps. Apple did not 'invent' App stores either. There have been mobile applications on Smartphones including BlackBerrys, Palms, Windows Mobiles, Symbians since long before there was an iPhone or an "App Store". Do a legacy Google search for "BlackBerry applications" from 2006 or earlier and you'll see for yourself. RIM (and their competitors) had developer tools, developer relations and app support for years.

However, the seeds to RIM's success was also partially its undoing in the app area. The BlackBerry grew by leaps and bounds by being on different carriers. RIM bent over backwards for those carriers and gave them unique devices at varying price points to meet their needs. This, in turn, resulted in variants in devices with different screen sizes, input factors, OS version etc. A complete developer nightmare.

All Apple had to do was look at the problems developers faced developing on BlackBerry and make a next generation platform. Incidentally, Jobs didn't initially want Apps on the iPhone either and had to be convinced.

It's absolutely true that Apple made a good, consistent platform. It's absolutely true that Apple marketed the **** out of the App Store (popularizing "App" vs. "Application, "There's an app for that"). And it's true Apple put good support in place. They also had the advantage of taking a lot of what they already had for the Mac (developer support, iTunes) and using it on this front. Finally, as the old saying goes, "hindsight is 20-20". Apple had the advantage of looking at areas where RIM wasn't successful and exploiting by coming to market later. Hopefully RIM is doing the same to Apple now ...

But to say RIM ignored apps is not correct.

[EGerhardt]

I agree that RIM shouldn't be spreading their resources too thinly, but honestly I think they are already doing that.

We're expecting a flagship device, and the exact same device but with a keyboard. That's one product. They will keep supporting their legacy devices, because they have been shipping a lot of old/low end devices to asia and south america. It turns out the US isn't the whole world, and those customers, despite being disadvantaged by not being white and middle class, are not going to be forgotten by RIM. If nothing else, they HAVE to keep patching and updating their old device security. They have huge long term service contracts with government agencies, and even when those end a lot of devices are in use and have information that needs protecting. They can't just abandon that stuff. As apple and google are going to find out in a few years time, its one thing to say 'Our OS is secure enough for enterprise' its another thing to retain that security to all versions of the OS and all possible devices that the OS is on for many years.

A lack of focus has never been RIMs problem. They have essentially released the same phone over and over again for about five or six years, just with hardware refreshes. They distilled the pure communication device experience down to a fine art. Everyone who uses blackberries sniggers a bit when people say their devices matches a BB in that area. What RIM forgot to do was add broader appeal.

[iSin]

From the way i see it, RIM is always months behind of what other platforms are doing. I sincerely hope BB10 makes to the Top 3 used platforms worldwide, but they will never achieve so if they keep delaying releases, and not being a direct competition at all to iOS, Android and possibly WP8 in a near future.

[BlackberryTorcher]

So you're saying that the many people using BIS or BES in companies should all upgrade at once? People have bought newer BB's such as the 9900 within the past year and can't get subsidized pricing. You think everyone has an extra $500-800 for a new BlackBerry 10 L series? You think companies have that kind of money to upgrade everyones phone within a 6 month period?

I like your idea, but it is very unrealistic. Look at MS. Until this year, they supported Windows XP. 13yrs for 1 OS.... RIM will never abandon the legacy Java OS (at least for the foreseeable future) Like seriously man, be realistic.

PLUS with RIM positioning themselves very hard are big in upcoming markets like Africa and the middle east, they are 1 generation behind. Why? Because there is not a lot of wealth there, so while you and I sit at our computers/phones/tablets waiting for the next greatest generation of BB's to come out, a lot of people are wishing they had an easier life and more money to afford the basic things in life.

So I don't agree with you at all. And for your comment about selling your PB. A lot of companies turned their backs on RIM. Not RIM's fault per say.... you want to support RIM and BB10, keep your playbook, because the playbook was just the beginning of BB10. So what if Instagram isn't on there... There are comparable apps out.

First off, thank you for taking time to respond to my post. I didn't mean to discredit all that RIM has done, I surely see it. They can continue to support the old OS and devices by way of updates etc until users are able to upgrade or trade up to BB10 devices. But if you mean to say that Blackberry has to keep producing OS 5, 6 or 7 devices along side OS 10 devices then I think, that will take away their focus. Developers will still have a nightmare developing for BB10 as well as OS 5, 6, 7 or will they then have to decide which OS to develop for and exclude the others. All, I am simply saying is RIM needs to shift all it's focus to BB10 and make one SINGLE device with one SINGLE OS that they can continue to develop and perfect thereby allow developers the ease of porting or developing applications. They can not turn their back on 3rd world countries or expect all companies to be able to upgrade to BB10 immediately but they can offer support for the older OS 5,6,7 etc by way of fixing bugs, and incentivize the upgrading to ONE OS and ONE DEVICE. It will not be overnight but eventually they will get the majority of the users to upgrade. I hope what I'm saying is clearer now. I just think the long term survival of RIM necessitates the focus on developing a solid OS BB10, Solid Device, L Series and booming developer ecosystem. Everything else will follow after. If China can sell 2 million iphones in 1 week at $600 price tag I do not see why RIM can not do the same with the new BB10 L Series! Just my .10cents.
P.S Please do not bash me. I will not LEAVE BB!!! Just don't think the Playbook can do anything that the BB10 L series won't be able to do. So, I'd rather sell the Playbook and use the money towards the BB10 L Series device.

[Thunderbuck]

First off, thank you for taking time to respond to my post. I didn't mean to discredit all that RIM has done, I surely see it. They can continue to support the old OS and devices by way of updates etc until users are able to upgrade or trade up to BB10 devices. But if you mean to say that Blackberry has to keep producing OS 5, 6 or 7 devices along side OS 10 devices then I think, that will take away their focus. Developers will still have a nightmare developing for BB10 as well as OS 5, 6, 7 or will they then have to decide which OS to develop for and exclude the others. All, I am simply saying is RIM needs to shift all it's focus to BB10 and make one SINGLE device with one SINGLE OS that they can continue to develop and perfect thereby allow developers the ease of porting or developing applications. They can not turn their back on 3rd world countries or expect all companies to be able to upgrade to BB10 immediately but they can offer support for the older OS 5,6,7 etc by way of fixing bugs, and incentivize the upgrading to ONE OS and ONE DEVICE. It will not be overnight but eventually they will get the majority of the users to upgrade. I hope what I'm saying is clearer now. I just think the long term survival of RIM necessitates the focus on developing a solid OS BB10, Solid Device, L Series and booming developer ecosystem. Everything else will follow after. If China can sell 2 million iphones in 1 week at $600 price tag I do not see why RIM can not do the same with the new BB10 L Series! Just my .10cents.
P.S Please do not bash me. I will not LEAVE BB!!! Just don't think the Playbook can do anything that the BB10 L series won't be able to do. So, I'd rather sell the Playbook and use the money towards the BB10 L Series device.

Okay, settle down, dude. It's going to be fine.

First off: "one device" won't work. RIM's in an awkward position that way. The market for keyboard phones probably isn't massive, but it's there and RIM shouldn't abandon it. At the same time, the MAJORITY of the market wants full-touch. So, there you have two devices just to start. BTW, the phones going on sale after the January announcement won't be "flagship" phones. I'd call them mid-range (the "Aristo" looks like it will be here for the summer).

As for "one OS", that's coming. There probably won't be a massive amount of developer support for OS 6 and 7 devices (except for maybe web apps) over the next couple of years, but the handsets will continue to be sold until RIM builds a full BB10 line.