1. Daniel Ratcliffe's Avatar
    As someone who went from a Torch to a HTC Desire Z to a HTC TITAN, I can say that generally speaking you should be able to adapt to the touch keyboard. But then again, there's something about the physical keyboard that would be nice to see again. Of course, I'll want my slider to run on Windows Phone 8, for the full ecosystem integration. However gotta admit, a decent BlackBerry slider could very well draw me back.
    Blacklatino likes this.
    01-13-13 08:37 PM
  2. Blacklatino's Avatar
    You can't blind text, with a virtual keyboard. Sliders don't lose screen real estate. It being "bulky"...from a guy...really?? The 98xx model is as thick as an OS5/6 Curve. The 9810 has the exact same hardware as the 9900, minus NFC, plus auto focus camera/video, plus virtual kb, plus larger screen...plus the cool CLIK when you open it, plus slider lock...I can keep going.

    The opinion that a slider is "old" or outdated is as baseless as a virtual steering wheel, in a car.

    You don't have to like the Torch design, formerly known as the Bold 98xx. But the fact remains that you can not communicate or text faster, with less error, than you can on a physical kb. And there is no BB model device that attracts more attention than the 98xx series. Chicks dig the clik. I feel like Wolverine when I pull it out.
    What he said. LOL
    just_luc likes this.
    01-14-13 12:30 AM
  3. Blacklatino's Avatar
    IMO, if the N-Series is going to be similar to the 9900, I see no reason why RIM would not add a Slider model to sell.
    01-14-13 12:39 AM
  4. Skeevecr's Avatar
    IMO, if the N-Series is going to be similar to the 9900, I see no reason why RIM would not add a Slider model to sell.
    Eventually there might be a market for a slider, but the polls seem to indicate that qwerty in general is already a niche market so until the bb10 market is large enough to support more than just the vastly more popular bold and curve models, there isn't going to be a bb10 slider.

    I think we will see one at some point in 2014 personally.
    01-14-13 06:22 AM
  5. Blacklatino's Avatar
    Eventually there might be a market for a slider, but the polls seem to indicate that qwerty in general is already a niche market so until the bb10 market is large enough to support more than just the vastly more popular bold and curve models, there isn't going to be a bb10 slider.

    I think we will see one at some point in 2014 personally.
    Dude. Let's be clear. My 3 older Curve models are still selling in areas(countries) where there"s no 3G and definitely no 4G. All OS7 devices took a major hit and the 9900 sold well(more than the 9810) because not only the keyboard, but that device has been anticipated for years- scrapped, renamed, scrapped, revised, and brought back to life several times before actually being released. My opinion is my opinion,....same as others.
    01-14-13 07:08 AM
  6. aniym's Avatar
    No. Sliders are a serious pain in the .

    As products go, sliders are very high maintenance devices. They require way more engineering and testing work in development, and have exponentially more issues for customer service and warranty to deal with. A 9810 probably has triple the number of parts that a 9900 has, and a zillion more things that can go wrong. Not worth it.
    Sad but true. I desperately waited for Android OEMs to build Torch-style QWERTY sliders after switching from BB, but the explanation given for their absence was always 'engineering issues' and 'lack of demand'. It certainly didn't stop them from churning out at least one boring landscape slider (which I don't like) on at least one carrier each year (HTC G2, Samsung Epic 4G, etc.) The Palm Pre was notorious for having build quality issues around the slider mechanism, but my mom has a Torch 2 and it has worked very nicely for her. I'm afraid that the more time that passes, demand for sliders continues to drop as people become familiar with touchscreens and don't want the extra bulk that a slider creates.

    I think RIM has reached a decent compromise with the Bold Z10, though I wish the screen was bigger. If RIM survives the BB10 transition and launches an upgraded model next year, I hope they'll be able to either make a slider or make the Bold with a 3.5 inch screen.
    Thunderbuck likes this.
    01-14-13 10:16 AM
  7. wuulfy's Avatar
    im not a tech expert but surely its possible to produce a case with a blue tooth keyboard thats reasonably slim, for use with an all touch phone.
    If im talking crazy please be gentle.
    Mecca EL likes this.
    01-14-13 10:47 AM
  8. Blacklatino's Avatar
    im not a tech expert but surely its possible to produce a case with a blue tooth keyboard thats reasonably slim, for use with an all touch phone.
    If im talking crazy please be gentle.
    LOL. It's a forum. It was put out there(as an idea) in the past and it may happen somewhere down the road. By then, I'll have another all-touch (BB10) or something else.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk
    01-14-13 11:40 AM
  9. Thunderbuck's Avatar
    im not a tech expert but surely its possible to produce a case with a blue tooth keyboard thats reasonably slim, for use with an all touch phone.
    If im talking crazy please be gentle.
    Actually, you might be on to something with that.

    How about a portable dock that will connect to the microUSB on the BB10, and includes an additional battery and a sliding keyboard? Yes, it would more than double the weight of the device, but the user would get a physical keyboard AND, it would isolate all the mechanical complexity.
    01-14-13 11:45 AM
  10. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    I think the main reason you saw lackluster sales of the 9800/9810, was the limited carrier list offering them. They never made one CDMA version.
    Mecca EL likes this.
    01-14-13 12:39 PM
  11. Skeevecr's Avatar
    I think the main reason you saw lackluster sales of the 9800/9810, was the limited carrier list offering them. They never made one CDMA version.
    There were plenty of gsm carriers that just weren't interested in the form factor either, which lends further credence to the point that there isn't really the demand for one in the short term, so slider fans will just have to hope that bb10 does well enough in 2013 that Rim can start expanding their range once we get into the 2nd year of bb10.
    01-14-13 05:39 PM
  12. chrysaurora's Avatar
    I think the main reason you saw lackluster sales of the 9800/9810, was the limited carrier list offering them. They never made one CDMA version.
    My opinion is that main reason we saw lacklusture sales of 9800/9810 is that while the (slider) form factor was brilliant, the OS wasn't optimized for touch-screen. Using trackpad was often more efficient than using touchscreen. So, it kinda crippled the utility of a slider form factor.

    The new BB 10 OS is optimized for touch-screen and so it should look brilliant on a slider form factor.
    Blacklatino likes this.
    01-14-13 06:45 PM
  13. Tim-ANC's Avatar
    Track pad. I'll miss that too. Think full touch is for lazy people? Here I am kicked back on the couch with a vodka tonic tapping with tapatalk. Got my right arm behind my head. To click post I simply track pad down with my left thumb. If relegated to touch only, I'd have to bring the phone to my elbow or nose to post.
    01-14-13 11:58 PM
  14. Oscar_E's Avatar
    I wonder if the N-series will not have landscape feature like the 9900, that would be stupid if it doesn't, and that's why i keep saying that it should have at least 3.5 screen like the TK concept one.
    01-16-13 02:00 PM
  15. Oscar_E's Avatar
    Or a new technology, like a silicon keyboard that you could place on top of the virtual keyboard to actually feel the keys !!
    01-16-13 02:03 PM
  16. BigBadWulf's Avatar
    My opinion is that main reason we saw lacklusture sales of 9800/9810 is that while the (slider) form factor was brilliant, the OS wasn't optimized for touch-screen. Using trackpad was often more efficient than using touchscreen. So, it kinda crippled the utility of a slider form factor.

    The new BB 10 OS is optimized for touch-screen and so it should look brilliant on a slider form factor.
    Not sure how you could have ever use a BlackBerry such as the 9650 or 9700, with OS6, and then moved to a touch model, without concluding the OS is all about touch. The process of saving a photo, within a folder containing many pictures, and not being able to simply touch "ok" comes immediately to mind.

    We'll miss our trackpads, many of us, no matter how great the screen and OS. Possibly, RIM will bring it back on occasion.

    I'd love a slider. One with a kepad the width of my 9930, and void the annoying raised edges on the current Torch. And give me a trackpad, cause I'm greedy.
    Tim-ANC and sleepngbear like this.
    01-16-13 02:14 PM
  17. jesse_h's Avatar
    I have a 9810, and I love it. That being said, I'm happy going full touch with a Z10. I don't think a BB10 slider is a good idea.
    01-16-13 02:20 PM
  18. chrysaurora's Avatar

    I'd love a slider. One with a kepad the width of my 9930, and void the annoying raised edges on the current Torch. And give me a trackpad, cause I'm greedy.
    Amen!
    BigBadWulf and lorax1284 like this.
    01-16-13 02:23 PM
  19. rottonj's Avatar
    Make mine a slider please. I have th 9810 and love it. Give me more
    01-16-13 02:24 PM
  20. Pilchard's Avatar
    Sliders may feel good. But as far as its entirety goes, this kind of model needs a rest for a while. RIM has produced far too much of it to really confuse the product line. One keyboard model and one touch model is enough.
    Some senior RIM chap said recently there would be several BB10 models released in 2013. I think he said 6. There's bound to be a cheapo one for the mass market, and I'm guessing there will be a slider too. It makes perfect sense. BB10 is an all touch UI and Blackberry addicts love keys.
    01-16-13 02:53 PM
  21. eephus1's Avatar
    H
    I think the main reason you saw lackluster sales of the 9800/9810, was the limited carrier list offering them. They never made one CDMA version.
    I for one left VZW for ATT specifically so I could get the slider. I'll be getting the Z10 instead of the X10, but if a portrait slider gets released, I'll be getting that too. Less accidental dials than the face qwerty and quite honestly, I like the near full sized handset you get when open.
    01-17-13 04:55 AM
  22. Skeevecr's Avatar
    Some senior RIM chap said recently there would be several BB10 models released in 2013. I think he said 6. There's bound to be a cheapo one for the mass market, and I'm guessing there will be a slider too. It makes perfect sense. BB10 is an all touch UI and Blackberry addicts love keys.
    A slider coming in that first wave of six devices does not actually make that much sense, physical qwerty is expected to be a niche from the outset so until the niche is deemed large enough to support more than one mid-high range device you won't see a slider that would be mostly sharing sales with the n-series rather than generating a large enough audience of its own.

    Given the difficulties in ways to alter the qwerty design when you actually have to be technically feasible, maybe we won't see yearly updates to the main qwerty model and instead we get a qwerty this year and then in a year's time we get a slider with the qwerty remaining on sale.
    01-17-13 09:10 AM
  23. JasW's Avatar
    Both the 9800 and the 9810 were for me, and I suspect a number of other BB users, a reasonably satisfactory solution to wanting a full touchscreen experience but still wanting to have a BB keyboard.

    After 2 1/2 years with this model, I for one could not bring myself to go back to the half-screen experience of the 9900 style X10 (or whatever it is they're calling it this week). Which leaves me in strictly full touch land.

    Someone once posted here a few years ago (when CB was a kinder, gentler place) words to these effect: "If RIM ever forced me to choose an all-touch device, I might as well go with an iPhone."

    I'm not necessarily going to choose an iPhone, but I still have no idea if I'm going to stick with BB when my upgrade rolls around in a couple of months. All bets are off at this point. That might not be the case if RIM would have made a slider available.
    anon4071943 likes this.
    01-17-13 09:38 AM
  24. Thunderbuck's Avatar
    Both the 9800 and the 9810 were for me, and I suspect a number of other BB users, a reasonably satisfactory solution to wanting a full touchscreen experience but still wanting to have a BB keyboard.

    After 2 1/2 years with this model, I for one could not bring myself to go back to the half-screen experience of the 9900 style X10 (or whatever it is they're calling it this week). Which leaves me in strictly full touch land.

    Someone once posted here a few years ago (when CB was a kinder, gentler place) words to these effect: "If RIM ever forced me to choose an all-touch device, I might as well go with an iPhone."

    I'm not necessarily going to choose an iPhone, but I still have no idea if I'm going to stick with BB when my upgrade rolls around in a couple of months. All bets are off at this point. That might not be the case if RIM would have made a slider available.
    So, here's the problem: I've already gone over the drawbacks that sliders are thicker, heavier, and more prone to damage than either kb or full-touch phones. Not to mention more expensive, due to higher engineering and support costs. So, let's say that 3 years ago there was still enough of a market even given all those drawbacks. A BIG chunk of that market were BlackBerry users who still derisively looked at iPhones as toys, and dismissed full-touch devices in general as "not serious". Well, guess what? A LOT of those users have had a change of heart, either forcibly or just through using full-touch and finding it easier to adapt than they thought.

    So, right off the bat, the target market for sliders has already declined.

    Now, I'm in a unique position to comment on this myself. I had a 9800 for a year, then a 9900 (my current daily driver), and topped off with a Dev Alpha, so I've been fortunate to get pretty much all the experiences. We'll forget about how the technology improved through these generations, I'll just pass along my own impressions.

    Loved the 9800; yes, it's a nice, compact footprint (at least if you ignore thickness). Heavy, though, and I found the physical keyboard a little narrow. Weight might or might not matter to everyone, but I can tell you that if you put a 9800/9810 in a shirt pocket, you FEEL it there. Not to mention, if you carried the phone in a shirt pocket, it was smooth enough and heavy enough that it was EXTREMELY prone to falls. And, given that extra weight and complex mechanism, it was prone to damage.

    Moved to a 9900, and honestly never looked back. For one thing, while the screen is smaller, it's higher resolution and I found it made for a better viewing experience. Something else: with the 9800 I'd found myself switching between portrait and landscape on an almost minute-to-minute basis; it was actually a better experience using a phone that only really HAD one orientation. Add to that the lighter weight and thinner body and I found it a much better experience as a PHONE (iffy EDOF camera notwithstanding).

    I realize how long-winded this is sounding, and I'm well aware that my experience shouldn't stand in for yours or anyone else's. The point I'm getting at is that I loved the idea of sliders; I'm a big fan of devices that seem to give you the best of two worlds. There's even a kind of a Star Trek communicator nerd appeal to them. But once I lived with one for a while and realized what kinds of compromises I had to live with, I became a little less enthralled.

    Finally, we come to BB10. Incredible screen, and I'll admit that I'd much rather have the full-screen experience than not. Very, very different virtual keyboard experience, to the point that it almost feels like a completely new input technology. No, not as precise as a physical keyboard, but for many users they'll actually be able to type faster. It won't convert all physical-keyboard users, but it will convert a number of them, and it will be enough to take away even more of the potential slider market.

    Honestly, it's hard to see the numbers being there. Sorry.
    astraith likes this.
    01-17-13 12:00 PM
  25. Tim-ANC's Avatar
    I wish phones could be custom ordered like computers.
    01-17-13 03:21 PM
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