ZDNet: "BlackBerry 10: Best feature nobody�s talking about"
- Nice write up from ZDNet:
BlackBerry 10: Best feature nobody’s talking about | ZDNet
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BlackBerry 10: Best feature nobody�s talking about
By James Kendrick | May 2, 2012, 4:45am PDT
Summary: RIM is showing off bits of the upcoming BlackBerry 10 in Orlando this week. Not much has been divulged but one thing I�ve spied has me really excited.
BlackBerry World is happening this week in Orlando, and RIM is desperately trying to convince us that the next big version of the OS will blow us away. That�s a tall order given how far the BlackBerry has fallen from favor, and as CNET makes clear a nice onscreen keyboard is not going to do it. One feature spied in the information received from RIM could be just what the platform needs.
Related: BlackBerry Dev Alpha device and BB World demos show RIM isn�t out of the game yet | RIM�s challenge: Platforms don�t sell, gadgets do | First look: BB 10
The user interface is very important on today�s phones and tablets operated by touch. It is the difference between an �ah ha� moment for a user and a �meh� one. One of the best interface design decisions I have seen in years appeared on the short-lived HP TouchPad. The webOS base had a simple design feature integrated into the OS that made using it better than most other platforms.
That is the sliding pane feature that allows the user to display exactly how much on the screen as desired, and also what is displayed. You slide the panes of information left and right to expose/hide things as best makes sense.
It appears RIM has incorporated a similar functionality in BlackBerry 10 that has me excited about the potential. Look at the screen image above right of the new email app, and you see multiple windows of information in the process of being exposed/hidden. The information I have from RIM indicates this is the �Glance� feature being shown in the mail app.
This type of control is really handy on a device when switching from portrait to landscape orientation. It�s a great way to optimize what can be displayed in each by simply swiping the panes left and right.
I hope that RIM implements this feature system-wide as it can revolutionize the user experience of a device with a small display. Better yet I hope it makes it easy to implement for developers building apps. This feature is important enough that it should permeate every aspect of using a new BlackBerry. Every app should take advantage of it, both RIM�s and third party. That�s the way it is in webOS and it is the way it should be in BlackBerry 10.
If properly implemented I predict this could be huge for BlackBerry 10 and allow it to stand apart from the other platforms. RIM has a potentially game-changing design improvement, so let�s see it make the grade and be front and center in BlackBerry 10.05-02-12 08:20 AMLike 5 - Nice review.. I agree .. RIM has some game changing features .. now ... pull it all together on an amazing hardware form and get it out to consumers ASAP!05-02-12 08:55 AMLike 0
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- I think this is a good feature. A little closer to the desktop experience of having multiple windows and being able to look a things side by side rather than the traditional smartphone experience of only being able to look at one thing at a time.05-02-12 09:11 AMLike 0
- 05-03-12 02:03 AMLike 0
- Superfly_FRRetired Moderatorrevolutionize the user experience of a device with a small display
Finally "they" will get it ...05-03-12 04:04 AMLike 0 - RIM continues to go it alone in the industry by drip feeding information to the press months, sometimes a year ahead of release.. and frankly there is no benefit to RIM of this... all the impact of the real launch of BB10 gets wasted, and worse, competitors have a huge window in which to react and prepare (if at all they are even concerned).
So, while I am glad there is some positive press and I fully agree developers needed to be on board, this is simply not the way to go about it.
05-03-12 04:35 AMLike 0 - RIM continues to go it alone in the industry by drip feeding information to the press months, sometimes a year ahead of release.. and frankly there is no benefit to RIM of this... all the impact of the real launch of BB10 gets wasted, and worse, competitors have a huge window in which to react and prepare (if at all they are even concerned).
So, while I am glad there is some positive press and I fully agree developers needed to be on board, this is simply not the way to go about it.05-03-12 04:46 AMLike 0 - Superfly_FRRetired ModeratorRIM continues to go it alone in the industry by drip feeding information to the press months, sometimes a year ahead of release.. and frankly there is no benefit to RIM of this... all the impact of the real launch of BB10 gets wasted, and worse, competitors have a huge window in which to react and prepare (if at all they are even concerned).
So, while I am glad there is some positive press and I fully agree developers needed to be on board, this is simply not the way to go about it.
They unveiled "enough to make the buzz" and to demonstrate capabilities to developers.
Cascade is demoed for over a year now, the Keyboard is somehow an evolution of Swifkey and the photo "time-reverse" is also an already unveiled tech. But all of these are now OS embedded ... and this changes clearly the deal (and can't be done in 6 months).mithrazor likes this.05-03-12 06:37 AMLike 1 - dont be absurd..The sustainable price of a stock is based upon performance, not headlines and RIMM stock will continue to decline to a floor pending a believed sustainable increase in company performance.
Headlines solely affect a stocks volatility, and if you wish to make a stock price argument thenthat argument was in favour of saying nothing about bb10 given RIMM stock has fallen 15% this week.
As far as remaining tight lipped until you actually have something to talk about, it sure works for Samsung and Apple, and works extremely effectively in pretty much every other industry too.
05-03-12 07:38 AMLike 0 - I think the solution is to make sure your current products are desirable so that you aren't forced to rely on descriptions of future products to build "buzz."05-03-12 07:49 AMLike 0
- oh yes, i fully understand what you are saying,
Now, I agree that cascades and the construct/framework of the dev environment is fair game for press, presentations and papers... after all.. there is some decent "oh cool" about that, and it is a process after all, not an end result, however hardware development environments for developers can be offered under NDA with restricted numbered circulation or could have even been put in a hw simulator box (not phone form factor).
Also, as there is no product or service to be offered or announced, there is no conceivable value of allowing non-engineers (ie press) to an engineering development conference...the press get their day with the annoucements, releases and reviews...
I simply find RIMM s ongoing lack of understanding market dynamics and reactions to be puzzling... all of the bad press this week was highly predicatable and very avoidable.
3 key features are not an OS experience ;-)
They unveiled "enough to make the buzz" and to demonstrate capabilities to developers.
Cascade is demoed for over a year now, the Keyboard is somehow an evolution of Swifkey and the photo "time-reverse" is also an already unveiled tech. But all of these are now OS embedded ... and this changes clearly the deal (and can't be done in 6 months).05-03-12 07:52 AMLike 0 - kbz1960Doesn't Matterdont be absurd..The sustainable price of a stock is based upon performance, not headlines and RIMM stock will continue to decline to a floor pending a believed sustainable increase in company performance.
Headlines solely affect a stocks volatility, and if you wish to make a stock price argument thenthat argument was in favour of saying nothing about bb10 given RIMM stock has fallen 15% this week.
As far as remaining tight lipped until you actually have something to talk about, it sure works for Samsung and Apple, and works extremely effectively in pretty much every other industry too.
Headlines do effect performance when people read them and believe them. Would you buy a Ford if everything you read about them was negative and it was said you would be better off with a horse.05-03-12 07:58 AMLike 0 - Superfly_FRRetired Moderatoroh yes, i fully understand what you are saying,
Now, I agree that cascades and the construct/framework of the dev environment is fair game for press, presentations and papers... after all.. there is some decent "oh cool" about that, and it is a process after all, not an end result, however hardware development environments for developers can be offered under NDA with restricted numbered circulation or could have even been put in a hw simulator box (not phone form factor).
Also, as there is no product or service to be offered or announced, there is no conceivable value of allowing non-engineers (ie press) to an engineering development conference...the press get their day with the annoucements, releases and reviews...
I simply find RIMM s ongoing lack of understanding market dynamics and reactions to be puzzling... all of the bad press this week was highly predicatable and very avoidable.05-03-12 08:01 AMLike 0 - kb,
if you had read my post fully you would have seen i referred to the sustainable stock price...that figure is solely reflective of company performance... view it as a long term trend, with hype and press (both good and bad) being the volatility around that figure.
I am making a marked contrast here between RIMM and the norms of competitive markets.. and with supporting evidence that approx 95% of the press coverage was bad and that the stock fell by 15% it is pretty clear indication that this entire episode was woefully mismanaged...
I am simply stating that another approach of achieving the objectives (winning developer community support) could have had better short and long term results for RIMM in the press and markets.
So what would happen to their stock if all they show and talk about is bb OS7 or 8?
Headlines do effect performance when people read them and believe them. Would you buy a Ford if everything you read about them was negative and it was said you would be better off with a horse.kbz1960 likes this.05-03-12 08:23 AMLike 1 - indeed,
I forgot you were located in Eur, where BB has a better footing & reputation and the press is a bit more thoughtful, but here in the USA, the press is highly reactive as both ratings and revenue are driven by superlatives & doom & gloom.. not considered intelligent opinion
05-03-12 08:28 AMLike 0 - RIM continues to go it alone in the industry by drip feeding information to the press months, sometimes a year ahead of release.. and frankly there is no benefit to RIM of this... all the impact of the real launch of BB10 gets wasted, and worse, competitors have a huge window in which to react and prepare (if at all they are even concerned).
So, while I am glad there is some positive press and I fully agree developers needed to be on board, this is simply not the way to go about it.
Once they start delivering on-time and exceeding expectations, they'll start earning back some of that trust and then they won't have the pressure to announce products and features until they are ready to launch. As far a competitors go, it's one thing to see a feature demonstrated for a couple of minutes, it's quite another to try and figure out how it works, code it, integrate it into your existing platform, and then launch it before RIM can launch theirs. Again, all it takes is for RIM to deliver on-time and exceed expectations.05-03-12 08:49 AMLike 0 - i understand what Thorstein's focus is, and as the former coo that should have been his focus then too..
I agree whole heartedly with your post, and simply add that the very best way to meet expectations is simply not to tell anyone what they are..
In the case of Apple for example, they of course can meet expectations for release dates of phones because they never admit to any schedule whatsoever .. all speculation of iphone/ipad release dates is press conjecture, not apple derived.
Thorstein is working on one key thing you're missing here and he said it in his presentation, "laser focused on delivering ON-TIME and EXCEEDING expectations." Apple and Samsung can get away with keeping everything close to the vest because they have earned the trust of their shareholders and customers with their performance. RIM's previous track record of announcements, then delays, and then under-delivering is what has kept them in that cycle.
Once they start delivering on-time and exceeding expectations, they'll start earning back some of that trust and then they won't have the pressure to announce products and features until they are ready to launch. As far a competitors go, it's one thing to see a feature demonstrated for a couple of minutes, it's quite another to try and figure out how it works, code it, integrate it into your existing platform, and then launch it before RIM can launch theirs. Again, all it takes is for RIM to deliver on-time and exceed expectations.05-03-12 09:43 AMLike 0 - Superfly_FRRetired Moderatorindeed,
I forgot you were located in Eur, where BB has a better footing & reputation and the press is a bit more thoughtful, but here in the USA, the press is highly reactive as both ratings and revenue are driven by superlatives & doom & gloom.. not considered intelligent opinion05-03-12 11:26 AMLike 0
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ZDNet: "BlackBerry 10: Best feature nobody�s talking about"
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