I've been asking the same question for a while, and never got a straight answer.
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Why do people love Blackberries?
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I've been asking the same question for a while, and never got a straight answer.
I had a few BB for work and thought they were just ok. Took me a while to figure it out and I love pressing buttons and playing with new electronics, but some of the BB's I had I just didn't care for.
The iPhone is probably the easiest phone I ever used, and the test to see how easy it is, my 60+ mother had no problem figuring it out lol
It took me a few days to get use to the iPhones keyboard, and now I love it. I had a Voyager, LG V, BB's all with full keyboards and I like the iPhones the best. I am just as fast, maybe even faster on the iPhone than my past phones.
I had to laugh. That reminds me of a quote from Seinfeld.
"The female body is a work of art. The male body is utilitarian. It's for gettin' around, like a jeep."
I guess the same could be said about the iPhone and BB.
Hmmm hadn't thought of it quite like that, but you raise an interesting point.
Why people like the BB
+1. I have done a lot of BB contract programming over the past couple of years, mostly because IT security groups will allow RIM devices and not others.
Well, the UI itself is common across all BBs, which is another advantage in enterprise. It costs money to retrain users. I suspect some consumers like the familiarity as well.
It's just like any UI; anyone who's not lazy can learn. Heck, my daughter scoped out all the menus when she was five. Adults can too.
Looking at websites, you'd also think that everyone gets their iPhone replaced several times from bad build quality. So much for websites.
We recently did a project where thousands of telephone field techs were converted from three thousand dollar hardened Toughbooks, to off the shelf Blackberrys. Despite all sorts of dire predictions, and harsh usage, the failure rate is almost nil and usage rate is 100%. Yes, I was surprised as well. They love them. Go figure.
Ah, the $64,000 question. I shall attempt an quick answer. Let's see...
RIM's whole existence began because of corporate email. It's what they do. Their system revolves around secure and prompt delivery.
They spent over a half billion dollars acquiring a patent for true push. No other device has it. This allows BB's to use almost no battery while waiting, versus all other devices with their pseudo-push methods.
Their BES servers are geared towards mobile devices with their limited bandwidth and processors.
Webpage and emailed pictures are crunched down to fit the device, saving tons of wasted bandwidth. Huge documents can be read on the device, but only the pages you're looking at are sent at a time. If you forward a document or picture, it does not have to be first downloaded to the device.
Basically, it was built for mobile mail. Yes, the UI is a bit primitive, but that's because it's been around for a very long time, is geared toward one-handed use, and business users don't love huge change. These are considered large advantages in its field.
+1. I have done a lot of BB contract programming over the past couple of years, mostly because IT security groups will allow RIM devices and not others.
Well, the UI itself is common across all BBs, which is another advantage in enterprise. It costs money to retrain users. I suspect some consumers like the familiarity as well.
It's just like any UI; anyone who's not lazy can learn. Heck, my daughter scoped out all the menus when she was five. Adults can too.
Looking at websites, you'd also think that everyone gets their iPhone replaced several times from bad build quality. So much for websites.
We recently did a project where thousands of telephone field techs were converted from three thousand dollar hardened Toughbooks, to off the shelf Blackberrys. Despite all sorts of dire predictions, and harsh usage, the failure rate is almost nil and usage rate is 100%. Yes, I was surprised as well. They love them. Go figure.
Ah, the $64,000 question. I shall attempt an quick answer. Let's see...
RIM's whole existence began because of corporate email. It's what they do. Their system revolves around secure and prompt delivery.
They spent over a half billion dollars acquiring a patent for true push. No other device has it. This allows BB's to use almost no battery while waiting, versus all other devices with their pseudo-push methods.
Their BES servers are geared towards mobile devices with their limited bandwidth and processors.
Webpage and emailed pictures are crunched down to fit the device, saving tons of wasted bandwidth. Huge documents can be read on the device, but only the pages you're looking at are sent at a time. If you forward a document or picture, it does not have to be first downloaded to the device.
Basically, it was built for mobile mail. Yes, the UI is a bit primitive, but that's because it's been around for a very long time, is geared toward one-handed use, and business users don't love huge change. These are considered large advantages in its field.
Blackberry is more specifically geared towards corporate businesses though. Small businesses can do fine, and many have, with the iPhone.
I think they will catch up to Blackberry's in most of its email capabilities but to tell the truth I don't care. I'm glad that in this decade we have moved past the point of businesses heavily influencing software and the consumer becoming the dominant force. Because of the business influence software has become bloated with ugly UI's. The consumer now has becoming the dominant part of tech.
In the long term I believe BB will be in a little trouble or maybe finally bought out by MS. Why:
-they are barely beating the iPhone in sales and sooner or later the exclusivity will end
-while they may be working on a Webkit browser, the truth is the whole OS needs a redesign
-they have at least 3 kinds of keyboard/touchscreen layouts that devs need to program for
-consumers are beginning to dominate the market
-Android is another competitor and has a more cohesive platform and app store. BB's App World has for the most part become a failure. Since businesses
order BB in bulk for their employees many don't want them installing third party apps for security reasons. It also doen't help that the store doesn't offer free apps.
While BB may be fine for some time I really question whether they can be successful enough just appealing to businesses, when more and more employees want to use their personal phone. That may be an Android or iPhone.
I agree about the reading of user problems on websites. If you head to Apple's discussion boards you'd think they make the worst products of all time. I'm just saying from general reviews, personal anecdotes, and if there seems to be a concensus of a problem (such as cracks in the plastic shell on the iPhone 3G).
For instance I've heard about light seeping from around the screen of the original model of the Storm and my kid sister had to return her Blackberry Tour for a scroll ball issue which rumor has it, has seen upwards of a 50% return rate.
Mind you, I can't speak from personal experience because I've touched a Blackberry for about 15 min. in total for my whole life.
That being said, regardless of the build quality, the iPhone is one of the most delicate devices out there because it all screen.
due to this.
Solid post. So in short the blackberry is the work horse of the business worlds telecommunications?
Buy i regular(locked to AT&T or whatever carrier it is exclusive with in Honduras)) iPhone and unlock it yourself. It will be cheaper than an unlocked one.
People love Blackberries because the big boss (VP, CEO, etc.) has a Blackberry. They want to look like the boss by playing with the same (officially not a) toy at work. And answer the bosses corporate emails instantly, even if in a meeting, at home in bed, or at the beach on vacation. And CC: the boss if it's email from somebody else whom the boss thinks in important. Plus the IT dept. is usually paying the bill because RIM has convinced them that Blackberries are secure (even though a percentage of users are also reading the same email on an old Windows PC that has more security holes than Swiss cheese).
I love my BlackBerry way more than I ever loved my iPhone. This became especially apparently when I got my job (first job post-graduation). The iPhone was great at what I did 10% of the time (stupid apps, eye candy), but terrible at what I did 90% of the time (email, IM, phone calls). Vice versa for the BlackBerry. Things like the LED notification light, dialing from the homescreen (just start hitting keys and it filters out your contacts), multitasking, and of course, BBM, are what make the BlackBerry great.
Verizon iphone on 4G?!?!
well i got of the phone with a iphone rep. I was telling him on how much i love the iphone but i hate AT&Ts service. He (the rep) told me to hold on till January because they are hiring 100 more iphone agents because the iphone is coming to verizon hmmm.... and thats coming from the iphone rep who said he had meetings with his supervisor and they were talking about it
well i got of the phone with a iphone rep. I was telling him on how much i love the iphone but i hate AT&Ts service. He (the rep) told me to hold on till January because they are hiring 100 more iphone agents because the iphone is coming to verizon
hmmm.... and thats coming from the iphone rep who said he had meetings with his supervisor and they were talking about it
well i got of the phone with a iphone rep. I was telling him on how much i love the iphone but i hate AT&Ts service. He (the rep) told me to hold on till January because they are hiring 100 more iphone agents because the iphone is coming to verizon
Lol I love these reps that spew BS like this. Or a friend of a friends cousins uncle works at apple...
Never going to happen.
Also, your reasons make no sense. Not one of the problems you've cited would be solved by Microsoft buying RIM.
I've had exactly the same experience, right down to the mother part (except mine isn't 60 yet
). When I first got a BB for work I was excited and thought it would be cool, but I found it very unintuitive and really not very interesting. I really don't ever touch it except to check work email.Thanks for your post - it was well written and informative. But a lot of what you wrote, namely this part:
just doesn't matter anymore. When people were using first gen cell networks and handhelds with 25 mhz processors I'm sure it was great to have your webpages compressed and to receive one page of an emailed document at a time.
But now, I want full html email, rendered correctly. I want regular webpages instead of mobile versions. I want the entire .doc or pdf downloaded at once so I can view it if I lose cell coverage. Modern smartphones on 3G networks can handle these things easily, but blackberries continue to use the old tricks. What used to be an advantage has now become a pain.
BBM ROCKS!
Also you can run many apps at the same time on a BB, not like the iPhone where you can only use 1. I will never change from a BB to an iPhone or any other phone mind you. It does everything i want it to do, well and the push email you.. you cannot beat it! oh did i say BBM
Also you can run many apps at the same time on a BB, not like the iPhone where you can only use 1. I will never change from a BB to an iPhone or any other phone mind you. It does everything i want it to do, well and the push email you.. you cannot beat it! oh did i say BBM
I can semi understand liking a Blackberry.. if you've never heard of or seen an iPhone. Once you see an iPhone, i don't know how you can use any other phone. I've messed with almost every phone i've ever seen and compared to the iPhone, they all suck. And yes, i'm including the Pre. I couldn't survive without the iPhone. On road trips, out with friends, etc.
Well since you say so it must be true. Putting aside all the rumors that have been going around for years that MS would buy RIM, Microsoft has always been interested in RIM not only for their patents but for their domanance in the business market. Unlike Danger, Microsoft and RIM are a great match because they both primarily market their sales to the corporate sector.
The things I've cited was about RIM's longevity in a market that is starting to be dominated by consumers which could eventually be a target for a buyout by MS who has as much money as Apple in reserve. With the emerging Android platform and a likelihood of carrier exclusivity for the iPhone ending next year, there is no question that to some extent RIM's sales would flatten or have slow growth. This is not even considering WM7 which will be released late next year. This would lower their stock evaluation and would. Eventually make a viable target for buyout by MS.
Who cares about partnerships? They are beneficial from right now at the moment. Look at Google and Apple. The tipping point for Schmidt leaving the board and the dissolving of their relationship was an app.
While I don't have any problem with Blackberries and find them useful, I'm on the flipside of that coin. I mostly work from at home and don't work for big businesses. While the Blackberry may be a great business tool, I don't live my life dominated by my work. All my friends that I see who are Crackberry addicts may clock for 40-50 hours of work but actually work 60-65. I'm sure it's a great tool but I also like to have fun with the devices I use and the Blackberry has virtually no media appeal. My life isn't geared around email and would rather have something I can have fun with.
I don't know what 'stupid apps' you bought but you decided to buy those apps. There are a ton which aren't stupid. I, and many others, appreciate do appreciate a nice looking UI. I wouldn't something for utilitarian purposes only.
After a long relationship, I recently broke up with my iPhone for a Blackberry Bold. I've had an iPhone since gen 1 through the 3GS but I decided I needed a different device to be my ultimate work tool.
Now, don't get me wrong. I still have my iPhone 3GS and think it is a great device, superior to the Bold in some ways. But what it came down to for me, is that it helps me get things done better than the iPhone ever did. I think that is the BB's main function in life, to get things done in the simplest, most straightforward way possible. After a bit of a learning curve I'm finding that using the Bold is almost effortless.
There are 3 things main areas where I feel the Bold has edged out my 3GS and has thus become my phone of choice.
1.) The keyboard. One of the things I love most about Blackberries, especially the Bold. Typing on this thing is a dream. I'm a pretty damn fast typer on the iPhone, but speed isn't really my biggest concern. It's more about stamina. I just find it a hell of a lot easier to bang out long emails on the Bold. And as far as one-handed typing goes, the iPhone is not so good. I hate to admit it, but being in sales and traveling often means I find myself needing to answer and write emails one-handed. It is so much easier with a physical keyboard. When looking at the screen, I'll type faster on the iPhone every time (at least for now) but I need to be able to not have to keep my eyes glued to the screen. BB OS is definitely optimized for one-handed use and I appreciate it.
2.) Notifications. As far as I am concerned, Blackberries blow the iPhone away with their implementation of a notification system. The combination of the LCD light, customizable tones, icons on the home screen, and badges is just perfect. No little pop up to interrupt my work flow or disappear because a new one came in. It comes in very handy.
3.) Multi-tasking. This is a big one. After spending a little bit of time with a device that offers complete multi-tasking it's hard to go back into "jail." I love how apps like Facebook or Ubertwitter are integrated into the phone's OS. I routinely have 5 or 6 apps running at a time and do not feel like I am compromising on battery life.
So that's why I've come to love a Backberry. It is completely customizable, has a "real" keyboard for the ridiculous amount of email I go through a day, and does a great job of notifying me of tasks, meetings, and messages. As much fun as the iPhone is, and it's a pretty good business tool as well, I've really come to believe that nothing beats a Blackberry at being a tool for my business needs. It has some nice consumer features too, but that's what I need the most.
I'm sure I'll still be popping the SIM into my iPhone from time to time. And if Apple ever re-designs their notification system and finally allows multi-tasking across the board, I'll definitely be thinking about picking it up. Especially if they make a QWERTY iPhone. But I won't be holding my breath.
And I think the Bold is a pretty damn good-looking phone.
Now, don't get me wrong. I still have my iPhone 3GS and think it is a great device, superior to the Bold in some ways. But what it came down to for me, is that it helps me get things done better than the iPhone ever did. I think that is the BB's main function in life, to get things done in the simplest, most straightforward way possible. After a bit of a learning curve I'm finding that using the Bold is almost effortless.
There are 3 things main areas where I feel the Bold has edged out my 3GS and has thus become my phone of choice.
1.) The keyboard. One of the things I love most about Blackberries, especially the Bold. Typing on this thing is a dream. I'm a pretty damn fast typer on the iPhone, but speed isn't really my biggest concern. It's more about stamina. I just find it a hell of a lot easier to bang out long emails on the Bold. And as far as one-handed typing goes, the iPhone is not so good. I hate to admit it, but being in sales and traveling often means I find myself needing to answer and write emails one-handed. It is so much easier with a physical keyboard. When looking at the screen, I'll type faster on the iPhone every time (at least for now) but I need to be able to not have to keep my eyes glued to the screen. BB OS is definitely optimized for one-handed use and I appreciate it.
2.) Notifications. As far as I am concerned, Blackberries blow the iPhone away with their implementation of a notification system. The combination of the LCD light, customizable tones, icons on the home screen, and badges is just perfect. No little pop up to interrupt my work flow or disappear because a new one came in. It comes in very handy.
3.) Multi-tasking. This is a big one. After spending a little bit of time with a device that offers complete multi-tasking it's hard to go back into "jail." I love how apps like Facebook or Ubertwitter are integrated into the phone's OS. I routinely have 5 or 6 apps running at a time and do not feel like I am compromising on battery life.
So that's why I've come to love a Backberry. It is completely customizable, has a "real" keyboard for the ridiculous amount of email I go through a day, and does a great job of notifying me of tasks, meetings, and messages. As much fun as the iPhone is, and it's a pretty good business tool as well, I've really come to believe that nothing beats a Blackberry at being a tool for my business needs. It has some nice consumer features too, but that's what I need the most.
I'm sure I'll still be popping the SIM into my iPhone from time to time. And if Apple ever re-designs their notification system and finally allows multi-tasking across the board, I'll definitely be thinking about picking it up. Especially if they make a QWERTY iPhone. But I won't be holding my breath.
And I think the Bold is a pretty damn good-looking phone.
I've had exactly the same experience, right down to the mother part (except mine isn't 60 yet
Thanks for your post - it was well written and informative. But a lot of what you wrote, namely this part:
just doesn't matter anymore. When people were using first gen cell networks and handhelds with 25 mhz processors I'm sure it was great to have your webpages compressed and to receive one page of an emailed document at a time.
But now, I want full html email, rendered correctly. I want regular webpages instead of mobile versions. I want the entire .doc or pdf downloaded at once so I can view it if I lose cell coverage. Modern smartphones on 3G networks can handle these things easily, but blackberries continue to use the old tricks. What used to be an advantage has now become a pain.
Solid point however; full HTML version take up precious bandwidth and also take longer to load. It has been said that one iPhone user is like ten blackberry users. It's easy to see why with the reasons you stated.
Just got my 13yr old a Pearl (to go with her 3G) as the majority of her friends are getting BB's for the BBM....Texting is old hat, they can't usefully use any other IM on the iPhone without relying on Push, so they are going for BB's to get BBM....A whole new market for RIM, screaming 13yr old girls, typing OMG and LOL!
I beg to differ. A co-worker, an older woman, bought a Curve, and she has asked me several times how do something on the phone, and the interface is horrible, and not simple to use at all.
If BB were the only option in a smart phone, I definitely would not own one. The iPhone, even the original one that I use, is a far superior phone based on my experiences with that Curve.
Jude