[Rooster99]

Kudos to Economist101 for posting this in the "New Nokia" thread.

Sorry if this may seem like a simple repost to some, but I think it's impressive enough to deserve its own thread.

Mobile Opportunity: What's really wrong with BlackBerry (and what to do about it)

- R.

[Rooster99]

An update based on more recent reports from RIM :

Mobile Opportunity: RIM's Q3 Financials: A Tale of Two BlackBerries

- R.

[1magine]

"Rather than playing to win, RIM is playing not to lose, and doing it poorly."
-Blogspot-

[1magine]

"I'm sure someone at RIM knew about the problems in the Torch. The fact that the company went ahead and shipped it is almost as disturbing as the problems themselves."
-Blogspot-

I could replace Torch with Tour, or Storm or ...

[Branta]

Yet another bashing from a 10-year senior employee at Apple. What else would you expect?

[grover5]

His wife sounds a little challenged.

[Rooster99]

Yet another bashing from a 10-year senior employee at Apple. What else would you expect?

It's hardly a "bashing". It's a very well-reasoned, fact based analysis of a company in a bad situation, combined with an assessment of what the company can do to get out of that situation. Even if you just look at the analysis of the true impact of late adopters on a company's results curve (ie - that it's not a true bell curve, and why), there's value there and it's a good read. He's also more than just a "10 year senior employee at Apple." Did you read the rest of his profile, or the contents of his entries on other topics, including Windows 8?

Good lord. With all due respect, open your eyes - and your mind.

- R.

[Economist101]

Yet another bashing from a 10-year senior employee at Apple. What else would you expect?

I would expect silence, actually. There's no need for Apple or its employees to "bash" RIM; the numbers speak for themselves. Now, since RIM is still much more successful than Android OEMs in terms of what really counts (making money), I wouldn't be surprised to see them bash RIM.

[JRonin]

Thank you for the link. I have to say though, I think RIM, or more specifically the people running the show, really do get it based on my experience with the Playbook. If the QNX OS and application ecosystem mature and grow this year as planned before making their way to the smartphones next year, customers are going to have a very compelling device in their hands. It should at least be enough to satisfy the appetite of their corporate base and then some.

[technology_fanboy]

Thank you for the link. I have to say though, I think RIM, or more specifically the people running the show, really do get it based on my experience with the Playbook. If the QNX OS and application ecosystem mature and grow this year as planned before making their way to the smartphones next year, customers are going to have a very compelling device in their hands. It should at least be enough to satisfy the appetite of their corporate base and then some.

I agree with the article and believe that RIM saw the writing on the wall and hence their acquisition of QNX!!!

The PlayBook has been awesome and RIM has put allot of time and effort to ensure the device and the experience has been positive. I was an early adopter (April 19th) and have enjoyed the capability and experience. Once this new QNX matures a little and they migrate it onto their smart phones, it will put RIM back on the map as an innovator. This will keep current BB users very happy, but if RIM wants to grow their bottom line they need to aggressively pursue the consumer market. Go RIM Go!!!

[redk]

that was a pretty good read. i like many of you believe QNX is that innovation RIM needs and will help them get back on top.

[Exiled Bulldawg]

Thank you for the link. I have to say though, I think RIM, or more specifically the people running the show, really do get it based on my experience with the Playbook. If the QNX OS and application ecosystem mature and grow this year as planned before making their way to the smartphones next year, customers are going to have a very compelling device in their hands. It should at least be enough to satisfy the appetite of their corporate base and then some.

Ok. That's next year. How many customers is RIM going to lose between then and now? Because of the slow, crappy browser, I broke down and purchased an iTouch. I like it. The more I use it, the more second nature it becomes. I will be out of contract in August, my choice would be an iPhone. Partly because I have a company phone.

My company phone is an Android. Is it as nice as BES? Nope. But it uses the software we already have - Exchange. It pushes and I have access to every function BES has. It's only a few seconds slower. Not enough to even make a difference.

[mjs416]

"My wife entered a lot of contacts directly into the device's contacts app, but didn't bother to include the area code in the phone numbers. The BlackBerry didn't warn her about this."

LOL! Its the phones fault his wife didnt enter the area codes for phone numbers? Seriously? LOL Is it also the phones fault his kids are getting bad grades in school? Give me a break.

[oldbbuser]

"My wife entered a lot of contacts directly into the device's contacts app, but didn't bother to include the area code in the phone numbers. The BlackBerry didn't warn her about this."

LOL! Its the phones fault his wife didnt enter the area codes for phone numbers? Seriously? LOL Is it also the phones fault his kids are getting bad grades in school? Give me a break.

Congrats on entirely missing the point of that example.

[rollingrock1988]

"My wife entered a lot of contacts directly into the device's contacts app, but didn't bother to include the area code in the phone numbers. The BlackBerry didn't warn her about this."

LOL! Its the phones fault his wife didnt enter the area codes for phone numbers? Seriously? LOL Is it also the phones fault his kids are getting bad grades in school? Give me a break.

Okay ****.

[mjs416]

Congrats on entirely missing the point of that example.

What point? That his wife screwed up and its the phones fault for not telling her she screwed up as she was screwing up?

[mjs416]

Okay ****.

Let me guess - have you done the same thing? LOL!

[rollingrock1988]

Let me guess - have you done the same thing? LOL!

No, I haven't had the same problem because where I live, there are 4 area codes, so naturally we have to put them in. It happened on one number the other day for a pizza place but really wasn't an issue.

However, your response is rude and unacceptable. It brings nothing of value to this discussion or the forums.

[Rooster99]

What point? That his wife screwed up and its the phones fault for not telling her she screwed up as she was screwing up?

To make it very clear, the point is that the apps weren't interacting well. If there is a requirement in App B that data be entered a certain way in App A, then App A should warn users of that.

That is the mark of a well written set of apps that are properly integrated. When that doesn't happen, it's a clear indication there are different teams working on each app and the overall specification isn't very good.

My response assumes you truly didn't understand, and that you weren't simply being rude and dismissive.

- R.

[Altimate_One]

I was wondering if mjs could explain what this means...

"But RIM is fighting on an enormous number of fronts, and that scares me for a company that has problems creating high-quality knockout products and is transitioning to a new operating system. The effect could be like flooring the gas in a car with a bad transmission -- you might get a surge of power, or you might leave half the engine on the highway. Restoring momentum to a stalled-out platform is a very difficult task, and it rarely goes smoothly, or succeeds in a single year."

[mmcpher]

Amazing of you, Rooster99, to have scoured the internets to find that rarest of finds, a biased, critical swipe at RIM! I hadn't seen one of these in ages, so thanks for that! I'm kidding, it is an interesting variant, because Michael Mace is at least a Professional Concern Troll. So instead of a fan or a lazy journalist, we are treated to a well-written and apparently thoughtful article from a guy who comes straight out of Apple marketing (Director of one of Apple's marketing divisions, no less) and before that Palm. And oh, by the way, Mace has a start up that is about to launch something. Anyone want to bet it somehow involves an Amazing platform?

But its the same premise that we see everywhere -- Apple is wondrous, all sentient beings are inexorably drawn to its magic -- RIM is dull and plodding, but even its dull and plodding loyalists have reached their limits.

If Mace is so insightful, why in the world did he buy his wife the wretched Torch, which is so loathsome and unworkable? Not only does his wife seem a little thick in the anecdote, Mace himself seems positively dense as they are somehow unable to send a txt message. No phone is ***** proof. When I try and mess about with an Iphone, I often can't instinctively figure it out. I'm not used to it, but I do not take from that that Apple phones are made by idiots for idiots. Mace even turns the trackpad/touchpad/keyboard flexibility of the Torch (which is a terrific advantage) into a negative. If Apple had made the decision to try something along those lines, can you imagine how it would be lauded? If Apple instead takes a one-size fits all, and we will tell you what that size will be attitude, it at least works supremely well for them.

And I like the way Mace crunches his numbers to yield doom from record sales, income, subscriber growth, etc. Sure signs of impending collapse. Everyone knows that the delay in releasing new handsets was going to cost RIM, but despite this the company has managed to keep its lights on. Even RIM will have to break down eventually and release new handsets (as opposed to teasing them endlessly). This will impact subscribers, revenue, sales, etc. But no matter how these will climb, Mace has a nifty chart showing that it just makes the plunge all the sharper when it comes. Maybe it would be for the best if RIM would instead just start to quietly wind things down and gradually go away.

There's a line in the Coen Brother's "Miller's Crossing", where the mob boss, Leo, is talking with his trusted lieutenant, Tom, who is berating Leo for letting his guard down against a rival:

Tom:
Listen to me Leo. Last night made you look
vulnerable. You don't hold elected office in
this town. You run it because people think you
run it. Once they stop thinking it, you stop
running it.

Leo
Jesus, Tom, sounds like a bad break for me I
wasn't killed.

[mjs416]

No, I haven't had the same problem because where I live, there are 4 area codes, so naturally we have to put them in. It happened on one number the other day for a pizza place but really wasn't an issue.

However, your response is rude and unacceptable. It brings nothing of value to this discussion or the forums.

Unacceptable to who? You? And cursing at someone is acceptable?

If someone manually enters every contact by hand, neglect to enter an area code and gets mad at their phone for it - dont you think its laughable?

[mjs416]

To make it very clear, the point is that the apps weren't interacting well. If there is a requirement in App B that data be entered a certain way in App A, then App A should warn users of that.

Of person A could take responsibility for themselves and admit they screwed up and not hold App A responsible.

Do you want app's to fold your laundry for you too? Christ - grow up.

[Rooster99]

Of person A could take responsibility for themselves and admit they screwed up and not hold App A responsible.

Do you want app's to fold your laundry for you too? Christ - grow up.

I take it you don't design software? I've been involved in the software industry for 30+ years, including time spent with one of the world's largest leading software development firms. I expect modern software to warn me if there is a system issue in what I do.

Obviously you will experience far less disappointment than I will, simply because you have lower standards. That is not meant to be an insult, simply a statement of fact.

- R.

[rollingrock1988]

Unacceptable to who? You? And cursing at someone is acceptable?

If someone manually enters every contact by hand, neglect to enter an area code and gets mad at their phone for it - dont you think its laughable?

Yeah to me. You're being a ******.

When it happened to me the other day, I was surpised since the number I was dialing had the same area code as I. So, can't really be user error there...

There is no reason for the response you are giving. You missed the point, you're not funny, the comments you make aren't cool or edgy.