[blackmoe]

I hope RIM is listening.

Memo to RIM: Don't give up your keyboard | Mobile - CNET News


Dear Research In Motion,

I know I've taken a few shots at you for not moving quickly enough to keep pace with your competitors. But there are some sacred cows you shouldn't sacrifice in the name of progress.

I am, of course, talking about your iconic keyboard.

If the rumors are true, your first super-smartphone running on the next-generation BBX platform will be an all-touch-screen device. PC Mag essentially confirmed it in an interview with RIM's new developer guru, Alec Saunders, who said the device uses the same screen ratio--16:9--as the PlayBook tablet. Such a large screen suggests you'll be eschewing the traditional physical keyboard.

If I may be so bold (pun intended), let me offer some unsolicited advice: this is a mistake.

The keyboard is what sets you apart from the competition. It's right up there with the smooth e-mail experience and security features as the top reasons to get a BlackBerry.

I've had my share of criticism for BlackBerrys. The operating system--even the latest version--still lacks the refinement of iOS or Android; its selection of apps is still paltry when compared to the competition; I even recommended forgoing this latest wave of BlackBerrys in favor of the next-generation version.

What I've never done is mock the keyboard. Typing on the new Bold, for instance, is a pleasure. You have the physical keys down to an exact science, and clicking down on them is both satisfying and reassuring. It would be a shame to give that up.

In a bid to play catch-up with your competitors, you could potentially abandon the design that drove your rise to prominence in the smartphone business. It's an iconic look that is instantly recognizable to anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time in a corporate setting. I'm talking about the army of white-collar e-mail fiends that can't stop firing back e-mail or a quick note on BlackBerry Messenger. That base of customers could turn away from BlackBerry if they can no longer rely on the tactile feel of physical keys.

The keyboard also sets you apart from your rivals; a full touch screen would only add you to the ranks of a wave of similar-looking smartphones. If your customers were going to buy a keyboard-less smartphone, they would have moved over to an iPhone or Android device already.

There's a reason why the Bold is selling briskly, while your other products haven't fared as well, according to analyst estimates.

I get that there's a need for a larger screen. The 16:9 ratio of the PlayBook, shrunk down to smartphone size, would be ideal for watching movies, browsing the Internet, and displaying photos. But I'm not sure that makes up for losing what is essentially the soul of a BlackBerry.

Let's not forget, you haven't had the greatest experience with full touch-screen phones. The Storm, despite selling well, was a travesty. It was buggy, slow, and error-prone. Full disclosure: I owned the successor Storm 2 and know how miserable the experience is without a physical keyboard. The new all-touch-screen Torch is competent, but wholly unremarkable.

The original Torch, meanwhile, while a little underpowered, managed to get a big touch screen while keeping the keyboard intact. Sure, it was no Bold, but it offered a decent compromise to the BlackBerry faithful.

Now, I don't know what you have up your sleeves when it comes to your BBX smartphone lineup. For all I know, you may have a Bold-like device in the works. But Saunders comments' about all PlayBook apps being able to run at the same aspect ratio on BBX phones suggest a lot of similar large screen sizes--and fewer opportunities for keyboards.

In this case, it's okay to embrace your legacy. The keyboard is one of the primary reasons BlackBerry users remain loyal to you, it would only be smart to continue supporting it.

Oh, and while you're at it, could you hurry up with the BBX BlackBerrys please?
Roger Cheng

Roger Cheng is a senior writer for CNET covering mobile technology. Prior to CNET, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade. He's a hard-core Trojan alum and Los Angeles Lakers fan

[BBThemes]

memo to cnet - RIM makes more than one form factor.

[Danf]

memo to cnet - RIM makes more than one form factor.

That is true, however as the article pointed out the first generation BBX is going to be touchscreen ONLY. and for how long? 6 months, a year?

I am definitely not happy with Rims decision, if I wanted a damn all touch screen phone I'd get an iPhone or Android.

Rim is taking a BIG gamble with this strategy, they are effectively demoting it's loyal customer base to second class customers in an effort to be a "me too" all touch device to market. Leaving their Physical QWERTY keyboard phone customers to wait until they eventually bring the BBX to the candybar form factor.

[SharpieFiend]

Memo to everyone - physical keyboards are obsolete. It should still be offered as some people still like that form factor, but a Bold style model can no longer be the flagship device.

[Foberry]

Maybe just me but if there was a "colt" landscape slider I'll be all over it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[recompile]

Memo to everyone - physical keyboards are obsolete.

This is some sort of joke, right? The only think amazing about a touchscreen keyboard is that it can be used at all.

If RIM stopped offering a physical keyboard, I'd buy the latest model that offered one and keep it until it was completely unusable (either irreparable or unsupported on any carrier).

Oh, and the same goes for the trackpad. If RIM ditches that, they might as well just close up shop. I can't imagine the horror it would be to use an all touch device daily without that trackpad. Honestly, I don't know how iOS and (most) Android users can put up with a wretched tocuh-screen only interface.

[katiepea]

well so far i don't think we've seen a BBX phone with a keyboard, have we, at least rumored? isn't it well known that the launch devices are touch only?

[Danf]

Memo to everyone - physical keyboards are obsolete. It should still be offered as some people still like that form factor, but a Bold style model can no longer be the flagship device.

Memo to you, no they are not. I would wager there are more QWERTY (physical) keyboards in use than there are touch screen only.

Touch screen phones are certainly making strides in the smartphone segment but Smartphone are a minority of the cell phone market. Take the US for example, 234 million cell phone users only 63 million have a smartphone. The bulk of cell phones users are using "dumbphones" and and the sliding QWERTY keyboard models are still some of the most popular models.

And when it comes to blackberry, yu can find the all new touchscreen Torch wherever it is available. while the Bold 9930/9900 are selling briskly and still hard to get in many areas. And don't forget the curve is still one of Rims hottest sellers.

[newcollector]

Memo to you, no they are not. I would wager there are more QWERTY (physical) keyboards in use than there are touch screen only.

Touch screen phones are certainly making strides in the smartphone segment but Smartphone are a minority of the cell phone market. Take the US for example, 234 million cell phone users only 63 million have a smartphone. The bulk of cell phones users are using "dumbphones" and and the sliding QWERTY keyboard models are still some of the most popular models.

And when it comes to blackberry, yu can find the all new touchscreen Torch wherever it is available. while the Bold 9930/9900 are selling briskly and still hard to get in many areas. And don't forget the curve is still one of Rims hottest sellers.

Don't forget the best of both worlds...the 9810!

[BBThemes]

well so far i don't think we've seen a BBX phone with a keyboard, have we, at least rumored? isn't it well known that the launch devices are touch only?

the inital launch device (singular) is meant to be touchscreen, but this is RIM not apple, so you can expect more than one phone in a year.

also put your hands up if youv seen any QNX phone.....exactly. nobody knows what they are doing, heck ya cant even get a PB leak, says alot for the security they have on their leaks now

[ThatsAngel]

Looks like I'll be buying a lot of 9930s and 9900s to hold me down if the future of phones has no room for a physical keypad.

Damn you, Angry Birds!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[Blackberry_boffin]

Memo to everyone - physical keyboards are obsolete. It should still be offered as some people still like that form factor, but a Bold style model can no longer be the flagship device.

Memo to SharpieFiend.
Physical keyboards are still very essential.
Memo to others.
Somebody has already said RIM makes many form factors. True.
Saunders seems to imply the BBX platform in the works is locked in terms of aspect ratio (prey correct me if I'm wrong) so will also run PB apps at birth, now how do you fit in a Bold/Curve form factor in all that?
Unless we are jumping the gun and missing the fact that this is just about the FIRST BBX device and will be tweaked accordingly for subsequent devices.
Lastly, it is naive to question the logic of an all touch competent device. The market simply exists for decent top-spec all touch smartphones (ask Apple and the Droids) RIM merely wants a piece of the cake too. Nowhere has RIM said they are ditching the physical keyboards.

[BBThemes]

seems to me people are confusing screen ratio with screen size.

bold 9900 - 640 x 480 pixels
torch 9810 - 640 x 480 pixels (landscape)

so while the screen ratio is obviously the same (its even the same ratio as an 8300 if you think about it), that doesnt mean the size will be for all of them.

[sportline]

Memo to everyone - physical keyboards are obsolete. It should still be offered as some people still like that form factor, but a Bold style model can no longer be the flagship device.

kids and teens would type on touchscreen and play angry birds.
a 50 years old CEO, busy person on the move, replying serious emails (due to quick reply etc) , or senior managers or presidents wouldn't have the patience to do so. otherwise all computers (PCs) would be touch screen only.

[SharpieFiend]

kids and teens would type on touchscreen and play angry birds.
a 50 years old CEO, busy person on the move, replying serious emails (due to quick reply etc) , or senior managers or presidents wouldn't have the patience to do so. otherwise all computers (PCs) would be touch screen only.

The 50 year old CEO has never done anything different, so he does not know. I used to be exactly like this until I spent some time with my friend's Android phone, and now I am used to a touchscreen keyboard and don't mind the experience. Increasingly people prefer having the screen real estate then the keyboard, and I can't disagree with them.

As far as your PC analogy goes - you need to look into Windows 8. The primary interface there *is* touch, and that is the future.

[Deathcommand]

Lets get a slider into the concept art!

[BBThemes]

Lets get a slider into the concept art!

horizontal sliders arent popular all across the world, and im sure anyone will agree, that RIM needs to focus on making several great devices rather than lots of `niche` devices aimed at particular carriers or markets (yes im talking about the style).

[Deathcommand]

No Style is...

Too much money wasted. (Sorry style lovers!)

But honestly, If they lose the keyboard... I don't know how I will be able to use it.

[DenverRalphy]

kids and teens would type on touchscreen and play angry birds.
a 50 years old CEO, busy person on the move, replying serious emails (due to quick reply etc) , or senior managers or presidents wouldn't have the patience to do so. otherwise all computers (PCs) would be touch screen only.

I would argue that desktop computers aren't touchscreen keyboards for the simple matter that the display is a large vertical surface and therefore not the ideal candidate for a touch screen only interface.

I'm not 50 (6 years shy of it) but definitely not a teen, and not a CEO (I do operate a small venture with myself and two partners though)... and I reply to "serious" emails numerous times daily from a touchscreen device just as easily as I did when I had a physical keyboard device.

[recompile]

As far as your PC analogy goes - you need to look into Windows 8. The primary interface there *is* touch, and that is the future.

That's ridiculous. That touch has a place in the near future doesn't seem to be in dispute, touch will never replace the physical keyboard.

Can you imagine a grad student typing their thesis on a touchscreen?

What about an author typing out their next novel?

How about an executive putting together a report?

A secretary writing out a letter?

A businessman catching up on email?

Kids sending texts? Yeah, they could tolerate it for a little while. Still, take a look at the feature phones your carrier offers. The top-sellers all have slide-out keyboards. When you can get an Android or iPhone free on contract (yet pay for the feature phone) why do you think they're still selling?

Who would anyone pay for a feature phone, when they can get an iPhone or Android handset free? The keyboard, of course!

RIM offers the best keyboard on the market. This is well known. As the market begins to move away from touch-only we'll see a return to Blackberry as the imitators begin to return. (This has already started, see droid pro, galaxy pro, etc.)

Touch screens are miserable for typing. They're not the future. They will not and have not made the keyboard obsolete. I honestly don't see how you could have possibly come to such an absurd conclusion.

[BBThemes]

No Style is...

Too much money wasted. (Sorry style lovers!)

But honestly, If they lose the keyboard... I don't know how I will be able to use it.

yup, the style was a good idea - pearl screen with torch keyboard - but having it on one (and not the biggest) carrier in one country was never a sound business decision.

and they wont ditch the keyboard, they`ll have both, RIM has always been about choice.

I would argue that desktop computers aren't touchscreen keyboards for the simple matter that the display is a large vertical surface and therefore not the ideal candidate for a touch screen only interface.

also i dont think computers will ever be `just` touchscreen, sure its fun to make doodles on touchscreen phones, playbooks ipads etc, but when you need to do a pixel perfect image, it just doesnt work, and thats not tech`s fault, its because we have thick fingers, so a mouse/ graphics pad will always be needed for stuff like that, and a keyboard of some sort will be too, although i see the future being more like a microsoft `surface` style keyboard (or like in the rim conecpt vids) where its on the flat surface where your current kb resides, but i think we`re digressing a tad lol.

[SharpieFiend]

That's ridiculous. That touch has a place in the near future doesn't seem to be in dispute, touch will never replace the physical keyboard.

I agree - and can you imagine the automobile ever replacing the horse and carriage? We live in a society that has and always will cater to the horse... Let's face it - the automobile takes gasoline and there isn't any place outside of the large cities that have service stations. Where is the automobile owner supposed to get gasoline for their vehicle if they decide to take a drive in the country?

Seriously though, touch is the future, but I'm not saying that keyboards will magically cease to exist. There will always be a place for them - just like the horse - but other technologies will supplant it over time.

[Rickroller]

As the market begins to move away from touch-only we'll see a return to Blackberry as the imitators begin to return.

Huh? Please tell me when this "move" began to happen..because as I see it..the most successfull selling phones right now are the iPhone and the GSII (with easily over 15million in sales combined..in a matter of 5 months or less)

Touch screens are miserable for typing. They're not the future. They will not and have not made the keyboard obsolete. I honestly don't see how you could have possibly come to such an absurd conclusion.

Perhaps touch screens are miserable FOR YOU. They aren't this way for A LOT of others..as is obvious in the number of sales of non-touchscreen devices..

[blackmoe]

kids and teens would type on touchscreen and play angry birds.
a 50 years old CEO, busy person on the move, replying serious emails (due to quick reply etc) , or senior managers or presidents wouldn't have the patience to do so. otherwise all computers (PCs) would be touch screen only.

I mostly agree but one reason regular PCs don't have touch screens is that your arms would get tired if touch was the only input method.

[sosumi11]

That's ridiculous. That touch has a place in the near future doesn't seem to be in dispute, touch will never replace the physical keyboard.
Can you imagine a grad student typing their thesis on a touchscreen?
What about an author typing out their next novel?
How about an executive putting together a report?
A secretary writing out a letter?
A businessman catching up on email?

Funny, but the typewriter industry said the same thing about the personal computer.

However, I do agree that "touch keypads" alone are not the future.

The future is voice interface.

Grad students verbally writing their thesis.
Authors dictating their ideas.
Executives speaking their mind to create a report.
A secretary correcting their boss's drafts by her own voice.
Businessmen routinely writing/reading emails as simple as a phone call.

The touch screen interface is here for the simple reason it is practical from both a manufacturing standpoint (cheaper) and user standpoint (versatile). Keys are fixed and cannot be changed on a physical keyboard. A touch keypad can be converted to any language you need or even any scientific function (engineering, statistical, etc) or other use (film editing controls, for example) without the need to remember special multiple key input.

Artificial Intelligence is in its infancy today and is only going to get better.

Reality is finally catching up to science fiction. Remember Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?