1. Cmaeda's Avatar
    Some valid points, but I think your whole "vision" is flawed.
    First, you seem to be under the impression that EVERYONE looks at the iPhone as the grandiose pinnacle of smartphones. I, for one don't, and I know tons of people that share this mentality. Rim technically is not in direct competition with the iPhone, imo they are trying to differentiate themselves as much as possible. Second, you're viewing the whole thing through the eyes of a nerd engulfed in hardware specs.. Fact is, the average consumer does not care about specs. y father who is buying the 9800 on the 12th, is doing so because the phone is attractive and seems functional to him. He views high end Android phones and iPhones as "too techy" and "for nerds". Third, you do not take into consideration Rim's costs and profit margins. The fact is BBs are assembled in Canada not in tech sweat shops in China. All the drastic changes would mean: more R&D for rim, more expensive components.. overall, less profit per phone.
    I believe RIM remains conservative because that is their business strategy, maybe if they lose vast amounts of money, some change will come.
    08-10-10 12:36 AM
  2. phonejunky's Avatar
    Some valid points, but I think your whole "vision" is flawed.
    First, you seem to be under the impression that EVERYONE looks at the iPhone as the grandiose pinnacle of smartphones. I, for one don't, and I know tons of people that share this mentality. Rim technically is not in direct competition with the iPhone, imo they are trying to differentiate themselves as much as possible. Second, you're viewing the whole thing through the eyes of a nerd engulfed in hardware specs.. Fact is, the average consumer does not care about specs. y father who is buying the 9800 on the 12th, is doing so because the phone is attractive and seems functional to him. He views high end Android phones and iPhones as "too techy" and "for nerds". Third, you do not take into consideration Rim's costs and profit margins. The fact is BBs are assembled in Canada not in tech sweat shops in China. All the drastic changes would mean: more R&D for rim, more expensive components.. overall, less profit per phone.
    I believe RIM remains conservative because that is their business strategy, maybe if they lose vast amounts of money, some change will come.
    In a way the iPhone is the Pinnacle of the Smartphone world, or a better word is the standard. It is the device to which all new products in this tech field are compared to even when the opposing smartphone shouldn't be compared to it like qwerty keyboard smartphones for instance primarily built for business.
    08-10-10 12:44 AM
  3. cardu3851's Avatar
    Couple of points in my opinion:

    -the only thing I can commend the iPhone for is marketing. Apple has found a way to CREATE a demand for their products

    -Sadly, every smartphone that gets introduced will be compared to the iPhone

    - RIM hasn't been revolutionary in a while, and will continue to play it safe until it's too late

    - Not everybody needs the biggest, and baddest hardware on the market. If that was the case, everyone would be driving Ferrari's. There's a market for every product.
    08-10-10 02:53 AM
  4. Rootbrian's Avatar
    I prefer to keep existing technology until it ceases to work.

    This way, I save money.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-10-10 06:12 AM
  5. CanuckBB's Avatar
    Has it occurred to some of you that RIM might just know their customers and market better than you do?

    Inhabitants of this forum make but a tiny fraction of users. Most don't care about processor speed, memory, apps or MegaPixels. They get a phone with a contract and won't do anything to it until either it breaks or their contract is up and they get an upgrade.

    Enterprise is even worse. One of the reason RIM won't suddenly do a paragigm shift is because the Enterprise does not react well to that. When you have to support a few hundreds or thousands of phones, there is a natural replacement cycle as devices break. You want to be able to ship the [hone accross the country and know that the user will be familiar enough with it to resume productivity. You also want you support staff to be able to walk any user through a problem.

    And I've made a vow. Everytime somebody bitches about MP, I'll eat a kitten.
    MP means nothing. All high MPs do is eat up space. Above 2-3 MP, what matters more is the optics and the image processing. Printing your average 4X6 or 5X7 print, anything above 3MP is a waste. I have 3 cameras. A 6 year old Fuji Fine-Pix, 3.8MP and a 5MP HP that I got free with a $100 printer. Guess what? The Fuji takes much better pictures.

    You'll never get phone you want to carry or pay for that will compete with a real camera. You can throw a 100GP camera in a phone, the lens and processor will still suck.
    08-10-10 08:28 AM
  6. pkcable's Avatar
    Well written post with some good food for thought.
    08-10-10 08:41 AM
  7. ari's Avatar
    Well written post with some good food for thought.
    Thank you. To those who are offended as if I'm actually speaking for the world, I'm not and don't be. Just opinions. It's obvious in the title that it's all in fun. Relax, we're reading random thoughts online. It's not serious. And yes, RIM knows more about their audience than I ever will. Many people do.
    08-11-10 09:27 AM
  8. Pilot Prop's Avatar
    I agree with some points but some were just NOT what I'm looking for

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-11-10 10:11 AM
  9. trsbbs's Avatar
    Sorry, but you're just posting big numbers. 2GB of RAM? What for? Ubuntu Linux uses about 130MB to run on its own, 2GB is overkill for anything but Windows which needs that just to process a mouse click.
    and Bills Gates once said he didnt see any use for memory larger
    then 640...

    One thing is for sure (unless you live under a very big rock on another planet) applications get bigger and hardware gets faster.

    Think of the app builders you could get if the speed was 1.5ghz and the
    memory was 2 gig.

    Tim
    08-11-10 10:24 AM
  10. aznlgcy's Avatar
    Fron-facing camera in my opinion is useless, not alot of customers in North America even take advantage of the feature even when available on their currently owned handsets, as it gets expensive.
    08-11-10 10:26 AM
  11. Radius's Avatar
    and Bills Gates once said he didnt see any use for memory larger
    then 640...

    One thing is for sure (unless you live under a very big rock on another planet) applications get bigger and hardware gets faster.

    Think of the app builders you could get if the speed was 1.5ghz and the
    memory was 2 gig.

    Tim
    I know what you would get: battery sucking bloatware.

    Why would you spend an extra $100 on that much RAM when you can't use it? Not to mention RAM itself is very battery intensive to keep it refreshed and holding information? RAM is not a nothing component, it's something serious.

    From what I read, the iPad has 256MB of RAM and that's plenty for such a big device. 2GB on a phone is overkill.
    08-11-10 11:09 AM
  12. silly_walk's Avatar
    and Bills Gates once said he didnt see any use for memory larger
    then 640...
    No, he actually never said that.
    08-11-10 11:31 AM
  13. CanuckBB's Avatar
    and Bills Gates once said he didnt see any use for memory larger
    then 640...
    Silly walk is right, Gates never said that. 640K was a decision between IBM and MS. the 8088 processor could not address more than 1MB. Memoray was very expensive. 640KB was as much as could be left asfter system functions were loaded, taking the other 384KB.
    08-11-10 11:36 AM
  14. SwsFoe's Avatar
    Nice write up. I agree with mostly everything stated.
    08-11-10 11:54 AM
  15. 1812dave's Avatar
    Ok, here you are RIM. These ideas may have been stated for the past 5 years, but they're now an eclectic blend of concise, synthesized recommendations.

    You'll be billed later...

    -Go to more screen and QWERTY real estate (I wonder why people still use their 9000's and refuse to get upgrades, PERFECT SIZE! We are buying QWERTY keypads for a reason.)

    -Make the QWERTY Bold models with a touchscreen as well (the business and common users will be able to shake hands finally... and be welcomed to the 21st century.) Most people abide by Occam's Razor and don't like sliding phones. Being superfluous is out. We want convenient options with less moving parts.

    -Make the phone SOLID and THIN like the iPhone. It feels great in your hand, so should a BlackBerry.
    Thick phones are so 20th century. The first Google/Android phone felt like you had a lump of coal in your pocket. Thin, solid and ready to rumble should be the mantra.

    -Offer perks to mitigate what you're not offering. This will placate those of us who are on the fence about our next phone. When you negotiate a salary and the company can't offer as much money, they give you perks, i.e. free parking, gym membership, bagels, lunches at McDonald's, etc. (RIM's bargaining tool as the other carriers are offering more/newer technological advances via interface)...WOW me.

    Perks may include but are not limited to...

    *Doubling the pixels like Apple did. Really. Gotta innovate somewhere? Start with the eyes. Clean, crisp and reward earning screens will get business and other users to choose you over the competition.

    *Great camera w/zoom (at least an 8 MP, and keep it in the middle with the lens protected, yet able to be wiped) use the chrome sparingly.


    *2 gigs of RAM

    *Improved battery life. BlackBerry users maul our phones. Help us maul.

    *Awesome webkit. INNOVATE. Since we all check our phones 20% of our lives anyways, let me prefer to hop in the internet with my phone over my laptop. We use our phones more and more to look up websites, news, sports scores, socially network, Google stuff and find locations. We need to be efficient when we're on the go. Help us utilize e-commerce without cringing.

    More notes...

    -Faux leather matte finish (nothing shiny!) on back so it doesn't scratch like an iPhone. Great idea RIM. A man/woman should be able to go to a bar, order a drink and not worry about the phone scratching on the back. Oh, but conceal the lines a little more.

    -Non-flashy styling, take it easy on the chrome look and focus making smoother seams on back cover. The rubberized sides are great, just keep the color black consistent all over the phone. Again, the 9000 was gorgeous. It looked professional, like you need to apply to get one. People don't want to spend half of the day wiping down chrome. Chrome is sexy as long as you treat it like diamonds...used sparingly. I don't want to have to detail my phone everyday. Used right, the chrome can look classy and timeless, without being gaudy.

    -Give out test units to everyday, HEAVY users. The people who are going to use the phone should be instrumental in design and ideas. When you get the feedback, just nod and act like you care. We all know ideas are like a**holes...we all have 'em. Like the saying goes, "...you can learn a lot from an *****." Engineers aren't your base for suggestions all the time. If an image leaks, you're getting free press and incredible buzz. The risk is justified.

    -Monster processor (this, paired with the great RAM will give the unit the snap it needs to compete with the iPhone and Droid phones...you need every advantage possible.) This is one place where being fast is good.

    -Also, keep the charging port in a position that allows us to use the keyboard while it's charging. Thoughtful practicality.

    -Waterproof. Seriously. Work on it. Phones ring while it's raining. I can already envision a commercial with the iPhone underwater and some trendy new music in the background while the user photographs dolphins while using face time and shopping for a song on iTunes...Tweeting from Facebook...while watching videos on YouTube.

    -Less models, more innovation. You can have four models: Curve, Pearl, Storm and Bold. Apple has one model and it sells because people actually like having quality over quantity. We love you for a reason: You're like Derek Jeter; not flashy, just consistent, our go-to guy. The Curve is a lower-end model, the Bold is high-end/flagship. Make us salivate when you come out with a new model. Simple, efficient, thin and weighty in the hand. Make us feel like the important people we are. If you're going to come out with a new model each year, make some impact. We'll see how the 9800 sells, people may love it.

    -Don't worry about a front-facing camera right now for talking (see where that trend goes). Most of the people I know don't want to see my ugly mug whilst tripping on the sidewalk, and I don't want to see theirs while I'm buying coffee or hopping in a cab. I'd rather have a snappy internet experience to buy some tickets, rather than see your face talking about a meeting...in which I'll see your face in that meeting.

    -The status light needs to be seen simultaneously while it's laying flat, and on the top, where the mute button is, or even bottom when it's lying flat and charging. We need to be able to see that flashing light from different angles when the phone is on silent.

    -Keep playing nice with iTunes. We all use iTunes and probably always will. Sometimes in the airport, yes, I do watch movies on my phone. Perhaps a deal with Netflix?

    -Get Flash already! I ask questions all day, I don't want to keep seeing question marks on every website.

    -Your e-mail pushing is the best in the world. Keep it up. That's why you're a go-to phone. iPhone is lost in this department. Their "push" is like trying to explain gravity to a 2-year old...not effective. E-mail is still the ultimate communication medium. We can't text all the time and we respond at odd hours.

    -BlackBerry 6 is good, but not great. It's definitely better than 5, but we all were waiting for something with features that have yet to exist, or VASTLY improve our lives. Your listing method of screen settings is good. It's easy to use and won't alienate. I like the merging of icons with the lists. People like to feel as if the phone can be customized just for them. The BlackBerry partially gives us this feeling. Your feature in getting the text on the internet to automatically adjust to the screen is great. The iPhone dominates with this. You crush the iPhone with the trackpad, I hate moving the screen and pinching to zoom only to accidentally hit a link. Keep up the good work, but with next big OS, you'd better outdo Apple and Droid because they are leading the way in innovation and creativity. BlackBerry 7 should be your Magnum Opus, so get that Think Tank some caffeine now and prepare to catch up, then vastly surpass.

    -Remember the Rolodex? Put that into contacts viewing as an option. It's like the Bedside Mode, old and effective.


    RIM, the iPhone is popular because it is a simple, sexy, minimalistic-looking device with awesome apps and functionality. It sells itself. It's thin and goes well in a pocket and feels SOLID. The Bold 9000 was a great phone and that should be the template for improvement. I've had them all. Go back to making a quality phone that will be remembered. These soft upgrades are ruining your credibility. It's like a relationship...you have to give to get. Also, let's be a little green and emphasize some recycling discount of some sort and your commitment to using recycled parts.

    AGAIN...treat the phone like it's a model...thin and easy on the eyes. Make the crispness of my screen so loved I can't even look at another phone. Make me always want to go "Back to Black" like Amy Winehouse. QWERTY, Trackpad and Touchscreen on one model? We'd have to play with some test models. The trackpad would cut down on accidentally hitting links, but might be redundant.


    Looking forward to the intelligent comments.
    I get the fact you want a thin BB. whatever. I have a touch and a S2 and prefer holding the S2 to the super-thin touch. Sure, the S2 is heavier, but the thickness makes it EASIER to hold for me--not cumbersome.

    Who needs 8MP when the lens is the size of typical cell phone lenses??

    I don't need a Retina display. Seen it--big whoopie. I prefer the darker blacks provided by the S2's display, along with the legendary BRIGHTNESS of the BB line. I can see my S2 in direct sunlight--something not every popular phone is capable of doing.

    I would like to see a slightly larger screen on a future storm, however. 3.8" perhaps. Over 4' is crazy-large, IMO.

    I impatiently wait for the webkit browser!

    I don't mind the shiny parts of my S2. I think the S2 is GREAT looking phone. the black "chrome" edges, and all.

    Waterproof? LOL! I doubt we will see many mainstream waterproof cell phones for many years.

    oh, one last nit: the title of the thread is a wee bit pretentious, don't you think?
    Last edited by dave1812; 08-11-10 at 12:14 PM.
    08-11-10 12:12 PM
  16. btufail's Avatar
    You have some valid points. Like someone mentioned earlier. Increasing the processor speed and memory is touch-n-go. Just look at the EVO 4G with the 1ghz processor and 512 ram. People say it's a battery hog. There has to be a balance, and for the most part RIM has done a good job in that department. All I ask for is a speedier web browser and more apps that fit my needs.
    08-11-10 12:21 PM
  17. jrdtechdotnet's Avatar
    You have some valid points. Like someone mentioned earlier. Increasing the processor speed and memory is touch-n-go. Just look at the EVO 4G with the 1ghz processor and 512 ram. People say it's a battery hog. There has to be a balance, and for the most part RIM has done a good job in that department. All I ask for is a speedier web browser and more apps that fit my needs.
    Sure you have the EVO 4G but on the flip side you have the iphone4 and Droid-X getting great battery life with a faster processor and better screen. It was one thing when BB's battery life was head and shoulders above the competition, but now the processors being used in current BB models are showing their age. 2-3yrs ago they were a great balance between performance and efficiency, now not so much.
    08-11-10 07:25 PM
  18. Wolf-Strong's Avatar
    -Agreed; LOVE the form factor of the 9630, although innovation like the 9800 is not out of the question for me; I would get it tomorrow if it was available on Verizon.

    -If you are talking Palm Pixi status, I completely disagree. Just recently made a post about that today...

    -I personally think my 9630 is damn sexy, especially thanks to the chrome. I hope they build on this styling, as they did with the 9800. I do agree though, I am a sucker for simplistic engineering. To me though, the BB is just that (though making a sexier battery cover wouldn't be out of the question!)

    PERKS: This kind of goes along with making the phone up to modern standards
    -Better resolution: For the screen size, the 9630 has a great resolution. Better doesn't hurt, but realize it comes at a cost like higher device cost, and more power consumption.
    -While higher MP do help with a camera, realize there is much more to picture quality then that. For example, the 5MP camera on the iPhone4 has a higher quality picture in some respects then the 8mp camera on the Droids. Again, I do agree though that the 3.2, while sufficient for quick shots, is not enough to gain respect.
    -2gb of ram? You do realize more ram = more power consumption, which leads into your next point of better battery life. Battery life doesn't just pop out of no where, and honestly BB has the best battery life on the market for the smart phones due to their simplicity and no need for a high end processor or RAM, which is also in part thanks to the simplistic OS. It really is a balancing act.
    -OS6 has a webkit browser. We spoke, they listened!

    More Notes: Sweet...
    -Faux Leather finish. Sweet, but I gotta see it to believe it. Leather has it's cons...
    -Non Flash styling? Excuse me, but I think the current lineup is DAMN sexy, especially the 9800!
    -Free test units? Read the reviews. There is a select crowd where many people follow that get to test these units out for a reason. So to answer your question, they already do this, but you gotta be popular, not just a heavy user. Remember, they are a business, not a charity!
    -Monster processor; for what? The BB OS doesn't require much CPU power, and remember that more processor power means less battery life! Ever use an Android extensively? Ya you quickly realize why you need to charge them frequently. However, again this goes back to them using better gear, because going for a more advanced processor on a 45nm scaling will allow them to get more speed with less power. Remember...balancing act!
    -Charging port; I really liked where it was on my 8330, so yeah I agree, but I can not stand it being at the bottom due to it getting in the way. I rarely use my phone when I am charging it though, so it is almost a non-issue to me.
    -Waterproof; I like it

    -Less models may seem like a good idea, but realize not everyone has the same taste. Remember all the hype for the Storm1? That was because lots of people LOVE all touchscreens. Now the hype with the Torch? Well some people love those styles. RIM is just trying to cater to as many markets as possible to gain the most market penetration. As long as they continue to standardize things (like using the same battery designs, case designs, screens, ect.) they can keep costs down, while keeping production quality up, and this is generally what they do. Remember, they are in there to make a profit, and more of it is a good thing for all of us!

    -Agreed, I am not sold on the front facing camera either right now.

    -A good idea actually with the LED lights, and maybe we will eventually see this happen

    -Not everyone uses iTunes; I avoid it like the plague. I prefer to drag/drop my music then have a program auto sync it, but then I do agree with you that it would be in their best interest, so long as it does not impeed on the ability to freely access everything. Realize things that 'work' with iTunes do so at a cost, and not just monetary cost, but functionality cost as well. There is a reason you can not copy iTunes data off a device, as well as not being able to freely read it in a file folder.

    -Flash requires a good processor, which means significantly less battery life. Personally, as long as Flash videos load, I am perfectly content not being able to play a flash based web game, as often it is unplayable due to requiring a keyboard input as well as mouse input. Maybe one day in the future...

    -Push does rock

    -I actually half agree with you here. I have used all the OS's extensively, and honestly the BB OS does feel dated, but yet I still prefer it over the Android and iOS due to its pure functionality. Again, I don't game on my phone or use all those weird applications, so all that extra 'flare' in the OS is just waste to me. What I found the other OS's lack is the simple things, like being able to copy/paste; the ability to have hardware key shortcuts to make common tasks quicker (keyboard shortcuts rule my life as well as pause/play mute key, and skip through volume). Again, not everyone will agree, but then again that is why those people switch to the Android or iOS, because they don't care about those simple things, and rather need/want something with those other features (which usually means neglecting the hardware ones due to real-estate). In a nut shell, I personally think BBOS6 is competitive, but there is always room for improvement.

    -Cool idea with the Rolodex, but again you are more or less doing flash/flare over functionality. Almost never do I 'scroll' through my contacts, rather just start typing the name to reach them (much faster). I also do not like the idea of having scroll through pictures to see something as a default view, because while it may be helpful in previews, it makes it troublesome to scroll through multiple ones as you can only truly view one at a time. Sometimes simple is better, but having a thumbnail pop up with a card type view would be helpful if it didn't impede on the previous.


    Again, I somewhat half agree with your comments, and I realize you are trying to get at a Palm Pixi type design, but I can tell you from personal experience that a touch screen that small is a bad idea (there is a reason the Pixi now sells for free with no rebate). Said it once, will say it before, a touch screen means heavy wash out in the sun (BB on the other hand, has GREAT viewing in sun). Having a small touchscreen means you are constantly zooming in to select something, then zooming out to read what you just selected as the text is then too big, but whoh not too far out or now it is too small. Touchscreens, having to be exposed, are also more prone to breakage whereas the BB screens usually have some heavy padding due to not having to expose a capacity layer. For that form factor, I would prefer to NOT have a touchscreen. Now, on a phone like the Torch, it is BRILLIANT, and I LOVE the design. This also goes into personal preference though, because everyone's taste is different, but that has been my experience.
    Last edited by Wolf-Strong; 08-12-10 at 02:09 AM.
    08-12-10 02:05 AM
  19. coldfir3's Avatar
    some really nice points here
    08-12-10 02:20 AM
  20. DPSydBerry's Avatar
    I believe that all of this debate over mobile telephone specifications boils down to the type of user you are. From my limited rummaging around this and its sister sites I reckon there are four basic types of mobile telephone user:-

    1. The 'Gizmo'

    A person that expects their telephone to function as a laptop + webcam + video recorder + general �look at how cool this function is!� gadget. They will undertake major web surfing, watch and record lots of video, take lots of photographs and send them to friends, use e-mail and SMS texting whilst also running all sorts of games and other software that stretches their device's capabilities to the limit. They will want their telephone to have the biggest and fastest of everything that is available. There is a subset, the �Mine�s Bigger Than Yours�, who will require all of the above, but will never actually use the facilities.

    Suitable Phones: Android/iPhone4/iPhone3 (GS version only)/iPad+Skype/Obscure Japanese or Korean Smartphone hardly anyone�s heard of

    2. The �Style Guru�

    As per the above, but in addition they will want their device to look cool and be reasonably portable (i.e. unlike some Android devices that I have looked at the telephone will actually fit in one's pocket if required:-) There is a subset of this type (the �Fashion Victim�) where looks are allowed to transcend functionality, just as long as the user can truthfully say �mine�s got one of those too,� to any Gizmo users that may be displaying their telephones in the vicinity � for example, the telephone may have a 10MP camera, but poor functionality means that they take a lot of photos of the inside of their pocket or of their feet whilst walking along. This will not matter as long as the MP count is sufficiently high.

    Suitable Phones: iPhone4/iPhone 3GS/iPhone3/any of the more tasteful Androids

    3. The �Communicator�

    A person that uses their telephone to make calls, send SMS texts and to send and receive e-mail. They may do a bit of web browsing and play the occasional game, but will want their telephone to concentrate its functionality in reliably delivering their required features. I believe there are two basic types �Serious� (the sort of person with who has a 1200 minute, 5000 texts, 5GB data per month contract and uses it all) and �Light� (a 300 minutes, 1000 texts, 500MB data contract hitter who rarely uses their full allocation). My research does indicate a rare �Fashion Victim� sub-set to this group, but I believe that they (like my friend�s daughter who works in international finance) will tend towards having two telephones; the �Work� and the �Play�. Users need to have broad shoulders and strong characters in order to deal with all of the �Yes the e-mail is all very fine, but it�s rubbish at playing �Youtube� videos,� comments from �Gizmo� and �Style Guru� users in their vicinity.

    Suitable Phones: BlackBerry/Nokia/iPhone4 (experienced users only)

    4. The �Ringer�

    A person who uses their mobile telephone to make telephone calls with and pretty much nothing else. Most will require a basic mobile phone with modern line clarity and the ability to send and receive the occasional text if necessary. However, there is a subset (of which my father-in-law is a classic example) the �Cocoa Tin and Stringer� that would be happier if their phone came with a rotary dialler and possibly also a mechanical bell:-)

    Suitable Phones: Any �Non-Smartphone� /Nokia or Motorola c. 1998

    I admit that these are pretty broad-brush categories and there will inevitably be some overlap between types, but I believe most people tend towards one of the four above and it is their membership of their basic type that will determine the telephone specification that they opt for. I believe that, of the four types, the �Gizmo� will tend to want to tell everyone how amazing their own choice of telephone is whilst the �Style Guru� and �Communicator� types will tend to let their choice of telephone speak for itself. The �Ringer� type would tend to avoid the internet at all costs and thus will never get around to expressing any thoughts on the matter whatsoever.
    08-13-10 04:16 AM
  21. NoahFecks's Avatar
    Has it occurred to some of you that RIM might just know their customers and market better than you do?

    Inhabitants of this forum make but a tiny fraction of users. Most don't care about processor speed, memory, apps or MegaPixels. They get a phone with a contract and won't do anything to it until either it breaks or their contract is up and they get an upgrade.

    Enterprise is even worse. One of the reason RIM won't suddenly do a paragigm shift is because the Enterprise does not react well to that. When you have to support a few hundreds or thousands of phones, there is a natural replacement cycle as devices break. You want to be able to ship the [hone accross the country and know that the user will be familiar enough with it to resume productivity. You also want you support staff to be able to walk any user through a problem.

    And I've made a vow. Everytime somebody bitches about MP, I'll eat a kitten.
    MP means nothing. All high MPs do is eat up space. Above 2-3 MP, what matters more is the optics and the image processing. Printing your average 4X6 or 5X7 print, anything above 3MP is a waste. I have 3 cameras. A 6 year old Fuji Fine-Pix, 3.8MP and a 5MP HP that I got free with a $100 printer. Guess what? The Fuji takes much better pictures.

    You'll never get phone you want to carry or pay for that will compete with a real camera. You can throw a 100GP camera in a phone, the lens and processor will still suck.
    I got through a couple paragraphs of the original post and started to yawn. THIS post here is the BEST post I've read in quite a while. 100% accurate, spot on. Well played. Every time I read someone complaining about megapixels it makes me want to thrust my fist through the monitor. So many people seem to think they know what they're talking about when throwing numbers and specs around when in reality they have no clue.
    08-13-10 05:49 AM
  22. ari's Avatar
    -Agreed; LOVE the form factor of the 9630, although innovation like the 9800 is not out of the question for me; I would get it tomorrow if it was available on Verizon.

    -If you are talking Palm Pixi status, I completely disagree. Just recently made a post about that today...

    -I personally think my 9630 is damn sexy, especially thanks to the chrome. I hope they build on this styling, as they did with the 9800. I do agree though, I am a sucker for simplistic engineering. To me though, the BB is just that (though making a sexier battery cover wouldn't be out of the question!)

    PERKS: This kind of goes along with making the phone up to modern standards
    -Better resolution: For the screen size, the 9630 has a great resolution. Better doesn't hurt, but realize it comes at a cost like higher device cost, and more power consumption.
    -While higher MP do help with a camera, realize there is much more to picture quality then that. For example, the 5MP camera on the iPhone4 has a higher quality picture in some respects then the 8mp camera on the Droids. Again, I do agree though that the 3.2, while sufficient for quick shots, is not enough to gain respect.
    -2gb of ram? You do realize more ram = more power consumption, which leads into your next point of better battery life. Battery life doesn't just pop out of no where, and honestly BB has the best battery life on the market for the smart phones due to their simplicity and no need for a high end processor or RAM, which is also in part thanks to the simplistic OS. It really is a balancing act.
    -OS6 has a webkit browser. We spoke, they listened!

    More Notes: Sweet...
    -Faux Leather finish. Sweet, but I gotta see it to believe it. Leather has it's cons...
    -Non Flash styling? Excuse me, but I think the current lineup is DAMN sexy, especially the 9800!
    -Free test units? Read the reviews. There is a select crowd where many people follow that get to test these units out for a reason. So to answer your question, they already do this, but you gotta be popular, not just a heavy user. Remember, they are a business, not a charity!
    -Monster processor; for what? The BB OS doesn't require much CPU power, and remember that more processor power means less battery life! Ever use an Android extensively? Ya you quickly realize why you need to charge them frequently. However, again this goes back to them using better gear, because going for a more advanced processor on a 45nm scaling will allow them to get more speed with less power. Remember...balancing act!
    -Charging port; I really liked where it was on my 8330, so yeah I agree, but I can not stand it being at the bottom due to it getting in the way. I rarely use my phone when I am charging it though, so it is almost a non-issue to me.
    -Waterproof; I like it

    -Less models may seem like a good idea, but realize not everyone has the same taste. Remember all the hype for the Storm1? That was because lots of people LOVE all touchscreens. Now the hype with the Torch? Well some people love those styles. RIM is just trying to cater to as many markets as possible to gain the most market penetration. As long as they continue to standardize things (like using the same battery designs, case designs, screens, ect.) they can keep costs down, while keeping production quality up, and this is generally what they do. Remember, they are in there to make a profit, and more of it is a good thing for all of us!

    -Agreed, I am not sold on the front facing camera either right now.

    -A good idea actually with the LED lights, and maybe we will eventually see this happen

    -Not everyone uses iTunes; I avoid it like the plague. I prefer to drag/drop my music then have a program auto sync it, but then I do agree with you that it would be in their best interest, so long as it does not impeed on the ability to freely access everything. Realize things that 'work' with iTunes do so at a cost, and not just monetary cost, but functionality cost as well. There is a reason you can not copy iTunes data off a device, as well as not being able to freely read it in a file folder.

    -Flash requires a good processor, which means significantly less battery life. Personally, as long as Flash videos load, I am perfectly content not being able to play a flash based web game, as often it is unplayable due to requiring a keyboard input as well as mouse input. Maybe one day in the future...

    -Push does rock

    -I actually half agree with you here. I have used all the OS's extensively, and honestly the BB OS does feel dated, but yet I still prefer it over the Android and iOS due to its pure functionality. Again, I don't game on my phone or use all those weird applications, so all that extra 'flare' in the OS is just waste to me. What I found the other OS's lack is the simple things, like being able to copy/paste; the ability to have hardware key shortcuts to make common tasks quicker (keyboard shortcuts rule my life as well as pause/play mute key, and skip through volume). Again, not everyone will agree, but then again that is why those people switch to the Android or iOS, because they don't care about those simple things, and rather need/want something with those other features (which usually means neglecting the hardware ones due to real-estate). In a nut shell, I personally think BBOS6 is competitive, but there is always room for improvement.

    -Cool idea with the Rolodex, but again you are more or less doing flash/flare over functionality. Almost never do I 'scroll' through my contacts, rather just start typing the name to reach them (much faster). I also do not like the idea of having scroll through pictures to see something as a default view, because while it may be helpful in previews, it makes it troublesome to scroll through multiple ones as you can only truly view one at a time. Sometimes simple is better, but having a thumbnail pop up with a card type view would be helpful if it didn't impede on the previous.


    Again, I somewhat half agree with your comments, and I realize you are trying to get at a Palm Pixi type design, but I can tell you from personal experience that a touch screen that small is a bad idea (there is a reason the Pixi now sells for free with no rebate). Said it once, will say it before, a touch screen means heavy wash out in the sun (BB on the other hand, has GREAT viewing in sun). Having a small touchscreen means you are constantly zooming in to select something, then zooming out to read what you just selected as the text is then too big, but whoh not too far out or now it is too small. Touchscreens, having to be exposed, are also more prone to breakage whereas the BB screens usually have some heavy padding due to not having to expose a capacity layer. For that form factor, I would prefer to NOT have a touchscreen. Now, on a phone like the Torch, it is BRILLIANT, and I LOVE the design. This also goes into personal preference though, because everyone's taste is different, but that has been my experience.
    I like when people like you critique. Intelligent and to the point. Thank you. You show that even though people disagree, they can still be articulate and rational.
    08-14-10 01:58 AM
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