[Economist101]

Here is where Apple is the exception to the rule:

It is not easy to do a one size fits all type of product (yes, I am looking at you one size tee shirt!) and the iPhone is a little skill and a little luck.

The iPhone is not a "one size fits all" product in any way; at this point it is a compromise between offering a device that will sell and a device that developers will embrace. Sure, they could make an iPhone with a physical keyboard, or a slider, but the additional sales success would be tempered by additional software development complexity.

[nicksti]

I think context is being misunderstood.

The Apple iPhone is the single most bought smartphone out of any of the smartphones on the market. And at 100 million in 4 years, it is up there with very popular dumb phones too in the same time period.

It is one phone model a year that sells to many people. People of varying tastes and lifestyles. The "trying to appeal to as many as possible" is seen even in the screen size (3.5 is not too small not too big). If they went to a 4.3" I would be surprised.

But if you only make one phone a year your strategy would have to be either make a mint off a few people (Vertu and other luxury phones) or appeal to a wide demographic (iPhone). Of course there will be compromises (like the one size fits all tee shirt).

Blackberry is stuck being seen as a corporate phone and lacks desire (it was once desireable for the features not looks).

It is like every married man that made the right choice and married the girl who was loving, smart, and a good home maker. Then 10 years later left her for a 21yr old blonde working at Hooters.

[kb5zht]

I think they are still useful, very useful, for rim but not for running it.

RIM desperately needs somebody if the pilot's seat that understands the need for competing, producing, and maintaining an ethical and respectable reputation.... by that i mean, dont state something is coming in 60 days then just lie in front of a bunch of reporters claiming you never said it just because you failed to do it. Man up.

History means nothing, im sure the first few days of the Titanic's voyage were wonderful until they hit the iceberg.

RIM's iceberg is mike and jim's arrogance and stubbornness. They need to be removed from the equation.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[anon2100101]

I'm a real BlackBerry enthusiast, but in review the last shareholder-conference and the ignorant behavior of Mike L. (To the 'open/ublic letter') and his "promises" for the future (he cleaves on his chair!) I understand now, why the leading Brains (like Ryan Bidan) flee from RIM (to Samsung)... The rats left the sinking ship! In few years BlackBerry will become a midclass product with negiglible market share- faaaaar behind iOS and android. :-( RIM will share the fate of SIEMENS (Germany): in former times leading in IT-tec, building nearly good handys... Cause of phlegm and narcism of governing- and management board they are out of game... They build now washing machines and steerings-parts for locomotives...;-)

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com