[NJPhilliesPhan]

All I have to say is this. RIM is Canadian company, National Post is Canadian newspaper and yet this newspaper as many other Canadian media like CBC feeds on bad fortune of RIM. Shameful...

So they should give RIM a pass just because they are Canadian? Corporations do not have a nationality and RIM is failing and being based in Canada should not stop any media from covering the reality of the situation. If RIM fails and dies I am sure the Canadian people have the talent to build a new and better smart phone company.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

That wouldn't be a wise fiscal decision. In 2010, App Store revenues were $540 million, less than 1% of the company's total annual revenue. Even if we assume they doubled that in 2011, you're still talking $1 billion before costs, for the year. Now compare that to the iPhone, which generated something like $7 billion in profit (~$25 billion in revenue) just for the last quarter, and you are reminded that content revenues are insignificant when compared to hardware revenues, at least for hardware companies like Apple and RIM.

The App Store is only one portion of Apples ecosystem, look at their revenues for iTunes...

[the_sleuth]

I purchase books, apps and movies from Android Market every month. Maybe because, I am in Canada but music purchases are not available to me yet.

BlackBerry desperately needs an ecosystem (apps/books/movies/music and so forth).

IMHO Android doesn't have an ecosystem, it has an app market.

[allsportsfan]

Lol what? When I was a teen I never had 2 phones. I don't see how 2 phones is cheaper than having one. I have unlimited data, unlimited text and like 500 minutes. I have had this since I was a teen.

That being said, I don't know anyone my age (22) who carries around a tablet AND a smartphone in public just to use. They only carry around their tablet for class or for work and leave it at home when they are not at class or work. IMO, there is no way I will carry around a tablet that can do the same thing my smartphone can do just in a bigger package. The majority of the people I know, and have talked to about this seem to feel the same way.

Until a tablet can do much more than a smartphone (I'm taking about running a full desktop OS like Win8 tablets) I do not see the majority of people being bothered to carry around a bigger device just for the bigger screen. I do however see that more and more people will be adopting smartphones with bigger screens, which they already are doing.

Like you said, it may not be uncommon in the work place, but outside of it, it is pretty uncommon. Think about how many people are walking in the street with a tablet in their hand instead of a smartphone. The number is underwhelming.

And back to what I said, I think if most people can get one device that does it all, they wont have the need to buy another device that does the same thing on a bigger screen for recreational public use. I know there are a lot that do, but there are a lot more that don't and wont.

Well I see a lot of business people and more teens carrying more electronic devices. I carry 1 phone, a playbook, and a laptop and this isn't uncommon for many of my co-workers. Just saying that 2 devices isn't unrealistic. Teens figured out long ago 2 have 2 phones and plans because it was cheaper for them to have them than go over their plan limits.

You say your preference is that you only carry one device, well I have 1 teen in the house, 2 nephews, 1 niece who are also in their early 20's who carry 2 devices only because they don't want to spend $90 on an all you can eat data plan, call, and text. It's cheaper for them to have 2 phones, 1 usually happens to be a smartphone is all. Some people, especially younger women I'm thinking prefer to not have a huge phone beside their faces either and would rather have 2 devices. In fact I work with a few who do exactly that.

It's just preference in the end and bigger isn't necessarily better

[avt123]

You say your preference is that you only carry one device, well I have 1 teen in the house, 2 nephews, 1 niece who are also in their early 20's who carry 2 devices only because they don't want to spend $90 on an all you can eat data plan, call, and text. It's cheaper for them to have 2 phones, 1 usually happens to be a smartphone is all. Some people, especially younger women I'm thinking prefer to not have a huge phone beside their faces either and would rather have 2 devices. In fact I work with a few who do exactly that.

It's just preference in the end and bigger isn't necessarily better

I never said bigger was better. I said I haven't seen it. Maybe it is cheaper in Canada to do that ( I originally didn't see you were from Canada), but a $55 unlimited everything is available here and that is not expensive for a 20 year old. I have heard Canada has some crazy plans (3 year contract suck) so maybe that's why.

[iN8ter]

That would make one he11 of a story.

I think Microsoft played a huge role in the Apple Bail-Out back then.

Who is going to Bail Out RIM? The Canadian Government?

[iN8ter]

you are wrong PlayBook apps will play on BB10 plus BB10 will play most android apps so the ecosystem will be strong when BB10 launches.

Just imagine a scaled down PlayBook 2.0, that's what BB10 will be and more. Blackberry users will have the best browsing experience of any smartphone.

Apps you bought on the Android Market will have to be repurchased from BB App World. We already have this same issue with the Amazon App Store.

Playing Android apps will not help them when people have money tied up in the other app ecosystem.

[iN8ter]

I'm not convinced the hardware specs are all that relevant to consumers. I believe that the software is much more important, as is the ecosystem.

The main issue for RIM is its ecosystem. It needs content that consumers want, whether delivered via apps (software) or accessible via the browser.

Consumers wanted PIM on the PB and people here said use the browser. Look how far that got them with the Playbook. -$485 million or so far, IIRC?

And yes, Hardware does matter. Retina Displays and 720p screens aren't software. Neither are better SoC/GPU that enable better gaming and 1080 HD recording. Front Facing Cameras aren't software. They also put small batteries in all of their OS7 devices. That's not software, either...

If you people think HTML5 will solve their App Issues, you're delusional.

Apps can do things today that HTML5 won't even be capable of doing a year from now, or even longer. Nevermind browsers are a huge security surface and you have to be cautious on what you allow web apps to do on a device, especially via HTML or JavaScript.

[jimmyfallon]

Consumers wanted PIM on the PB and people here said use the browser. Look how far that got them with the Playbook. -$485 million or so far, IIRC?

And yes, Hardware does matter. Retina Displays and 720p screens aren't software. Neither are better SoC/GPU that enable better gaming and 1080 HD recording. Front Facing Cameras aren't software. They also put small batteries in all of their OS7 devices. That's not software, either...

If you people think HTML5 will solve their App Issues, you're delusional.

Apps can do things today that HTML5 won't even be capable of doing a year from now, or even longer. Nevermind browsers are a huge security surface and you have to be cautious on what you allow web apps to do on a device, especially via HTML or JavaScript.

i think people are interested in the specs. If phones start to get faster and bigger than quad cores than its just ridiculous.

[iN8ter]

Lol what? When I was a teen I never had 2 phones. I don't see how 2 phones is cheaper than having one. I have unlimited data, unlimited text and like 500 minutes. I have had this since I was a teen.

That being said, I don't know anyone my age (22) who carries around a tablet AND a smartphone in public just to use. They only carry around their tablet for class or for work and leave it at home when they are not at class or work. IMO, there is no way I will carry around a tablet that can do the same thing my smartphone can do just in a bigger package. The majority of the people I know, and have talked to about this seem to feel the same way.

Until a tablet can do much more than a smartphone (I'm taking about running a full desktop OS like Win8 tablets) I do not see the majority of people being bothered to carry around a bigger device just for the bigger screen. I do however see that more and more people will be adopting smartphones with bigger screens, which they already are doing.

Like you said, it may not be uncommon in the work place, but outside of it, it is pretty uncommon. Think about how many people are walking in the street with a tablet in their hand instead of a smartphone. The number is underwhelming.

And back to what I said, I think if most people can get one device that does it all, they wont have the need to buy another device that does the same thing on a bigger screen for recreational public use. I know there are a lot that do, but there are a lot more that don't and wont.

You missed the point.

Why carry Feature/Dumb Phone + iPod + Digital Camera + GPS when you can just carry the iPhone, and that's it. Not only is the phone cheaper in net cost, but it's way more convenient. People want to consolidate. He's not talking about carrying two phones. He's talking about carrying multiple devices for dispirate purposes. Smartphones have pretty much made it possible to carry one devices instead of 3-4.

They have packaged Phone + Media Player + Digital Camera + GPS device into one small form factor. That's what people want. They want one device that does everything, not to have to get another cause their current device sucks at something.

You're going on Vacation. What would you rather take:

1. Digital Camera/HD Recorder
2. GPS Unit
3. Phone
4. Your iPod/Zune/Whatever

or

1. Your iPhone/Android/WP7/Blackberry/whatever Smartphone - and that's it.

[jimmyfallon]

Consumers wanted PIM on the PB and people here said use the browser. Look how far that got them with the Playbook. -$485 million or so far, IIRC?

And yes, Hardware does matter. Retina Displays and 720p screens aren't software. Neither are better SoC/GPU that enable better gaming and 1080 HD recording. Front Facing Cameras aren't software. They also put small batteries in all of their OS7 devices. That's not software, either...

If you people think HTML5 will solve their App Issues, you're delusional.

Apps can do things today that HTML5 won't even be capable of doing a year from now, or even longer. Nevermind browsers are a huge security surface and you have to be cautious on what you allow web apps to do on a device, especially via HTML or JavaScript.

You missed the point.

Why carry Feature/Dumb Phone + iPod + Digital Camera + GPS when you can just carry the iPhone, and that's it. Not only is the phone cheaper in net cost, but it's way more convenient. People want to consolidate. He's not talking about carrying two phones. He's talking about carrying multiple devices for dispirate purposes. Smartphones have pretty much made it possible to carry one devices instead of 3-4.

They have packaged Phone + Media Player + Digital Camera + GPS device into one small form factor. That's what people want. They want one device that does everything, not to have to get another cause their current device sucks at something.

You're going on Vacation. What would you rather take:

1. Digital Camera/HD Recorder
2. GPS Unit
3. Phone
4. Your iPod/Zune/Whatever

or

1. Your iPhone/Android/WP7/Blackberry/whatever Smartphone - and that's it.

I would still take a digital camera with me.