BlackBerry Tablet Confirmed, Supports Flash 159
HouseMuzik writes "Betanews' Tim Conneally reports that sources close to RIM have confirmed the existence of a BlackBerry Tablet device, with a ship date by the end of the year. Previous reporting on the device was confirmed by the source, including a 7" screen and a 1GHz processor. The source added that the device would support Flash, and would include a hardware-based Flash accelerator. Betanews' reporting seems to confirm an earlier report that quoted Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar as saying the BlackBerry Tablet indeed existed."
Memo from Jobs to Balsilie (Score:5, Funny)
From: Steve Jobs
To: Jim Balsillie
Jim,
Hey, buddy, sorry about getting my piece of the pie in the mobile phone market from under your feet but daddy's gotta eat. Right? Really though, I've been meaning to send you over some complementary hookers and blow but you know how things get busy what with the release of my new baby.
Speaking of which, it's called the iPad--maybe you've heard of it? I don't know, seems the other CEOs spend half the time with their heads up their asses so you coulda missed it.
Anyway, I wanted to take this time to send you a message, loud and clear:
It's okay. You can release a tablet device now.
I know, I know, you're probably pitching a tent under your desk as you read this. This has been tried -- what -- like fifty times before? And everybody's failed. But now your sugar daddy has warmed up the masses and anybody can stick their meat in. Even you! Of course you gotta hit below my price point when you offer them your aborted fetus of a tablet but come on let's be happy about this.
I mean, there's the three mil that have already bought the iPad--you know the people whose time is worth more than watching a goddamn blackberry shit itself. And there's everyone else (your customers).
And now that I've said it's "okay", it's "okay" to own a tablet. Did you see how that worked? Let me spell it out for you. Before it wasn't okay. Companies couldn't sell it, people couldn't buy it. And then Steve Titty Fucking Jobs showed up and said it was okay. Suddenly three million people have iPads. That's how it works. On July 12, 2010 your stock shares will jump a little bit because I told you it was okay to turn a profit.
Now someone else gets the dregs, offer up a knockoff and cash out. The Courier fell flat on the pavement like a bead of sweat sliding off of Steve Ballmer's bald head so I guess that comes down to you. But really, when is the last time that guy did anything right?
And you know what? After the iPhone took any non-corporate user you might have had maybe you deserve this. Maybe you are good enough to have Apple's sloppy seconds this time around.
Consider us even. I bet you're upset right now and that's because you're just reading this memo wrong. Don't read it that way.
Steve Jobs
Re:Memo from Jobs to Balsilie (Score:4, Insightful)
Which is indeed what Jobs and some people here no doubt believe, but remember it's not true. Tablets were around before the Islate or whatever they called it, and they're still not mainstream after Apple's tablet. No doubt they will become more popular in time, but this is a gradual change due to increased technology (hence things like touchscreens, prices falling, cheaper mobile Internet connections), and there is no reason to single out Apple as a sole cause.
What has happened is that we now have vast amounts of media hype over Apple's tablet. But this happened before it was even released - or even officially announced in fact. So had nothing to do with any success it did or didn't have (and indeed, the causative link would be the other way round - vast amounts of media hype leads to better sales, not vice versa).
If we're going to credit anyone with popularising tablets, thank the media. But it's still very rare for me to see anyone with a tablet (and when I have, it wasn't from Apple).
Apple entered the phone market after most other companies - so they had to wait until other companies told them it was okay to release a phone now...
(RIM still have higher market share in phones than Apple, don't they? Although they're still small compared to companies like Nokia, Samsung, Motorola).
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If we're going to credit anyone with popularising tablets, thank the media.
No, thank Apple for putting themselves into a position such that the media will create hype over any new Apple product release. Which is entirely Apple's doing.
But it's still very rare for me to see anyone with a tablet (and when I have, it wasn't from Apple).
I don't know where you're looking, but my anecdotal experience does not support this. For one thing, where none of my friends and acquaintances had any kind of tablet before, a few have iPad now (not all are happy about it, but that's another story). For another, I still see a lot of people around several stands with iPads in the local Best Buy - so
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Indeed. This is why I compare the Ipad to the Apple Lisa. In the end it's a product that is less useful and more expensive then previous products. If tablets become popular it will end up being the same story the Ipad will be forced out by cheaper, more competitive tablets from other manufacturer
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In addition, Jobs isn't worried about BlackBerry, either. Jobs has been shown to be visibly upset about Google and the explosive growth of the 2nd place Android.
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So, why is GP Troll and parent Insightful?
Guarunteed way for success (Score:3, Interesting)
Make ANY tablet able to function as a Wacom or Cintiq, including the pressure sensitivity. You will lock in the Internet Comic business almost instantly.
There are other things required in order to be a true mainstream hit (which the iPad is, admittedly, fairly close to fulfilling), but creating a niche product that has been requested by pretty much everyone in the industry would certainly be a smart move.
Re:Guarunteed way for success (Score:4, Informative)
You mean like the Axiotron Modbook? It's a really nice device designed by Woz. I considered getting one myself but it's a bit expensive.
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You mean like the Axiotron Modbook? It's a really nice device designed by Woz. I considered getting one myself but it's a bit expensive.
It IS nice; but it wasn't DESIGNED by Woz. He is involved with the company; but pretty much only as a PR booster.
And it is insanely expensive.
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It's just like most of the Windows tablets - a hack job that's close to being useful (and indeed useful enough in edge cases) but never given enough engineering love to get the hardware and software to work together. I'm quite sure it will go the way of those tablet P
Re:Guarunteed way for success (Score:5, Insightful)
Ummm ... is the Internet Comic business sufficiently large as to cause any large corporation to factor it into its demographics when designing a mass-appeal product?
It sounds a little like "left handed goat herders who program in scheme".
RIM doesn't want a 'niche product'. They want something as many people as possible will buy. The internet comics crowd? Maybe not so much.
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and presentation app suite does RIM have?
well it wouldn't be hard for them to port Open Office.. If you can get your users to use Apple's iWork suite over MS office.. you can use Open Office instead..
the Only application that MS Office has over others is Outlook.. and RIM already has an e-mail client.. (personally i can't stand blackberry's mail support but god there are alot of them).
i can think of many ways in which a tablet would be useful - and in many ways i could replace my laptop with one.. BUT they all have it with a fuck load better specs
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Wait.... the iPad isn't a mainstream hit? It sure looks like it is from here...
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Apple sells 50-60 million iPods per year, they've sold 3 million iPads in three months. The iPad has had a lot of press coverage, and is selling well, but it's definitely not a mainstream product.
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They're available, and expensive, and not selling that well:
http://www.motioncomputing.com/products/tablet_pc_J35.asp [motioncomputing.com]
http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=home [axiotron.com]
And until recently the battery life wasn't that great either (technology is finally catching up to the early promise) --- I still have to use 9-cell extended life batteries in my Fujitsu Stylistic ST-4121 (and unfortunately Fujitsu has discontinued their ST-6012)
William
(who has been using pen computers w/ Wacom styluses since the NCR-3125)
Re:Guarunteed way for success (Score:5, Interesting)
I would agree with you, but not so specifically. Any pressure-sensitive tablet capable of running Photoshop would be an instant winner in the art community, especially if it were priced around that of the iPad. The trend into digital illustration is huge, and not just in the comic industry, but frankly, working on a split screen/tablet format sucks. It's certainly doable (as I can personally attest) but it's a FAR cry from working directly on a medium.
The problem with this is that it's self defeating. The moment you bring ANY form of input device (other than your fingers, which most of us always have with us) back to the tablet, it completely changes the user experience to the point that the device risks falling back out of the "tablet" definition altogether. Would the "stylus" be required for input? It is on any Wacom device.
While such a device is a pipe-dream for artists (and has been for a LONG time), I seriously doubt the public wants to give up the versatility of finger gestures in favor of a pen, even a pressure-sensitive one.
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After some reflection, it even makes more sense for a company like Wacom to take the display technology like that used in the iPad, and put it under their pressure sensitive matrix as a display hooked up to a stand-alone system. I know they did this with the cintiq, but at $2,000, the price point is just too high for all but the most serious of artists. To be viable in the current market, I'd say they need to cut their price point by half at least. A display with pressure input that was say, 20-30% more th
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get a Wacom Cintiq (Score:3, Informative)
They've been available for years now --- but they're expensive enough that most people won't buy them:
http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Cintiq-12WX-12-Inch-Display/dp/B00115OFJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1279042099&sr=8-1 [amazon.com]
List price $1,199.99 --- on sale ``just'' $947.54 at the moment.
William
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You can do this already [tenonedesign.com] with the iPad, but it uses an private API, so it's a no-go for now. However, I expect Apple will see the value in opening this up at some point (please?), so we will set third-party pressures sensitive drawing apps and pens.
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Flash, that big a deal? (Score:5, Interesting)
Does Flash support really make or break the deal when buying a smartphone or a tablet? Do people really double think that iPhone/iPad purchase just because of Flash? Does anyone even on Slashdot go Android just because of Flash?
Maybe I'm biased as I have an iPad but lacking Flash is a minor annoyance at best. If I switched to some other OS for a tablet or smartphone, Flash support is way at the bottom of the list of features I would switch for.
Personally, I think Flash needs to just die as it's only used for games and annoying ads.
Also, I really don't see why Flash should be in the headline. Unless BlackBerry is really targetting the Farmville segment of users.
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Unless BlackBerry is really targetting the Farmville segment of users.
There's an app for that.
Re:Flash, that big a deal? (Score:5, Interesting)
It's actually important for me.
From Google Analytics and Yahoo Finance to a game I play daily I rely on Flash. I actually like flash. I also like to be able to write my own flash app and to be able to install it on a device.
I seriously considered buying an iPad, but I decided against it due to lack of flash and MKV support (I understand there is a player albeit very buggy).
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It's actually important for me.
From Google Analytics and Yahoo Finance
Thank you for informing me of legitimate Flash uses. Those and Hulu, that someone else mentioned, are good uses of Flash.
However, I do still think that the lack of Flash support isn't a way to shoot yourself in the foot. Apple obviously didn't support it. I'm just wondering if any other companies will follow suit because of whatever reason or do they really believe Flash is a must-have.
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"Thank you for informing me of legitimate Flash uses. Those and Hulu, that someone else mentioned, are uses of Flash."
The use of "Good" is subjective. I happen to think it's a waste in Hulu Why do we not have flv support as a plain codec? Why is it still only usable in flash based players?
And you can't tell me those sites couldn't code their sites to work with Ajax or retool them for HTML5 (you know, an actual defined standard).
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Also, although Google analytics probably has a generous dev. budget, Yahoo is in a perilous financial position and maybe can't afford the designers and testing costs of a makeover into new technology (for Hulu i cannot comment, I know nothing of their finances)
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HTML5 is not a defined standard yet, it's still very much a work-in-progress (although I do dislike Flash also.)
Re:Flash, that big a deal? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Pity she's now missing out on Hulu for the iPad. If that was her only reason, I feel bad that she's stuck with a "full sized" device that probably requires it to be plugged into the wall because flash just ate all the battery while watching her favorite show on hulu.
If you build it, they will write software for it, and in this case demand for Hulu on the iPad necessitated a push for it there.
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I feel bad that she's stuck with a "full sized" device that probably requires it to be plugged into the wall because flash just ate all the battery
With more or less recent versions of Flash, it's perfectly usable on Windows, and not at all a "battery eater". All the complaints seem to be coming from other OSes.
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I feel bad that she's stuck with a "full sized" device that probably requires it to be plugged into the wall because flash just ate all the battery
With more or less recent versions of Flash, it's perfectly usable on Windows, and not at all a "battery eater". All the complaints seem to be coming from other OSes.
Exactly, Adobe can't seem to make Flash work well anywhere else other than Win32, it hasn't even been officially released on 64-bit Windows yet. It's a barely useable resource hog on MacOS and Linux. So do you actually think that Adobe can make Flash work well on mobile devices?
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it hasn't even been officially released on 64-bit Windows yet
It has been officially released on Win64 a long time ago - it's the same 32-bit plugin, which happily runs in the default 32-bit IE that comes in Win64.
A native 64-bit version - which is not required to run it on Win64 - hasn't been released yet, that is correct. But also largely irrelevant (they don't do it not because they can't do it, but because there's no business case for it).
So do you actually think that Adobe can make Flash work well on mobile devices?
Seems to work fine on my Nexus One.
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The ability to broadcast from any location on any network to a world wide audience with a few clicks seems 'flash easy' at this time.
Apple is still trying to get beyond wifi and device lockin with its open FaceTime camera efforts.
Sure html5 is fast, pretty and new but easy UVC web cam support is still a ?
Re:Flash, that big a deal? (Score:5, Insightful)
Although I program in and use Flash daily, actual flash support was not a dealbreaker when I chose to get an android phone. It was important, sure, but not a dealbreaker. The dealbreaker was WHY flash isn't supported on apple products. It's clearly not a technical limitation since it can be installed on a jailbroken ipad and works well even through a compatibility layer http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/how-to-install-flash-on-your-jailbroken-ipad-for-real/. It's entirely political. I don't want to be told what I'm allowed to install or not. My devices are MY devices.
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To be fair, the version of Flash that people are installing on their iPads is a hacked version of the Flash Player 10.1 for Android that was just barely released a couple weeks ago. It still has a lot of issues with Flash that requires hover actions, and playing back video at a decent framerate. Most of the complaints I've seen are that it is impossible to scrub video because the controls are too tiny to actually tap on with a finger.
Personally, I don't blame Apple for not including it with the iPad - It
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That's an interestin
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Your "minimum 1GHz processor" argument is complete bullshit. The N800 had a 400 MHz processor (ARM-based, like iToPhoPad) and could run full Flash 9 just fine (it came with the device). This was three years ago, in the relatively early days of the iPhone, which actually had a more powerful CPU IIRC. Yes, hover was tricky, and yes, it used battery life more quickly, but it *worked* just fine.
There is not, and never was, a legitimate technical reason for lack of Flash on Apple's mobiles. Linux and OS X aren't
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Parent is correct. For a more recent example, flash 10.1 is coming to the Droid. The Droid runs a 550mhz processor.
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> Adobe's Flash Player for Android requires a minimum 1GHz processor
Actually, it doesn't, it just requires Froyo. It runs just fine on (e.g.) the MotoDroid, which is a ~600MHz ARM.
Of course, since Froyo isn't yet available for anything less than 1GHz...
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Flash sways iPhone/iPad purchases because people beleive they should be able to think for themselves. The "think different" line is definitely no longer accurate.
You never know what they're going to decide for you next.
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"Does Flash support really make or break the deal when buying a smartphone or a tablet?"
I don't own an ipad because it lacks Flash. The primary reason I wanted a tablet was because I wanted a home viewer for legitimate streaming sites, many which are Flash based and encrypt the video data. Having a general purpose browser that worked well without restrictions would be a benefit. The ipad doesn't match either of these because it lacks Flash. Adobe is partly to blame, since they don' t have a clear Flash
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You didn't look hard enough, I watched world cup no problem with mine.
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1. Yes, some people do need flash, for various reasons. Not as many as used to need it; but still some.
2. Given that Adobe, spurned by Apple, is in full breakup/rebound mode, alternately calling Apple at odd hours and leaving sobbing voice mails, and vowing that they don't need Apple, there are plenty of other device makers who are just as good, and Flash 10.1 will be not sucking on anything that isn't a 2+GHz win
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Flash 10.1 will be not sucking on anything that isn't a 2+GHz wintel any day now;
I will believe this when I see it.
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I have Flash 10.1 Beta 1 on my Nexus One and its kinda handy actually - its fun to watch some of those funny web cartoons, or the videos on The Escapist, or the videos on crooksandliars.com, or an inline video someone linked on a blog to youtube/vimeo or whatever. Oddly enough this really is a case of "it just works" you can rest assured visit any site and everything on it will work without any external app I have to pay for or download. Yeah sometimes its a bit buggy (its never crashed though), and the pho
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Re:Flash, that big a deal? (Score:5, Interesting)
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Flash doesn't do any of that. H.264, the video codec Flash puts its own wrapper around, delivers all of that stuff. Remove the wrapper, and you've still got the same video stream. The issue isn't that the content is not available in an video format that the iPad can't play, it's that all the websites are slow to catch up on the shift. Give them time, however, and Flash will follow Realplayer into the history books.
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I hope the software doesn't suck (Score:5, Interesting)
I am currently thinking about getting an iPad to replace my personal laptop entirely, probably after a few more first adopter issues get sorted out and I am convinced that I can carry on my normal workflow with it, browsing web pages and being able very quickly to switch to read and reply to instant messages and e-mails (which will most likely be in another browser window until a better Gmail app with threading becomes available), etc. I have an iPod Touch and believe that there is actual potential for the iPad to effectively replace my personal laptop. I also have a BlackBerry and I can't imagine a larger version of it being even the least bit useful.
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Blackberry is (unfortunately) being marginalized. They've still got a strong hold on the corporate market, but they see the writing on the wall. At some point Android and iPhones will be considered "good enough" for the corporate IT.
The problem is (as mentioned above) the blackberry OS sucks. I mean, it sucks almost as bad as Windows Mobile. That bad. It's a miracle it works at all with multimedia.
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Preach it. Really all we are waiting for (us blackberry admins) is a good management server for Android or iPhone. Really all we want to do is be able to put policies on our phones so they automatically lock and encrypt. We could do these one at a time but when you have more than 10-20 phones this becomes problematic. Are there any projects out there for this?
I know of no such thing for Android yet, but there is centralized management with onboard encryption and remote-kill/lock capability available for iPhone/iPod Touch, see the Apple marketing speak here for more info. On the bottom-right of that page there are PDF links for Deployment Resources.
I'm currently researching all of this because our BES users are fed up with BB OS and it's useless browser, so we're looking to jump ship possibly to either iPhone, Android or *shudder* Windows Mobile 7.
Does any
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A Blackberry tablet? (Score:2, Funny)
Trackpad (Score:3, Interesting)
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Funny, you'd think a blackberry user would remember the bb storm. All screen, no keyboard and it distinguishes hovering from clicking.
Not that I'm saying the bb storm touchscreen was particularly good, but at least it let you interact with the web as if you had a mouse. Now if only it didn't freeze up every other week.
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Funny, you'd think a blackberry user would remember the bb storm. All screen, no keyboard and it distinguishes hovering from clicking.
Not that I'm saying the bb storm touchscreen was particularly good, but at least it let you interact with the web as if you had a mouse. Now if only it didn't freeze up every other week.
We're looking at different Canadian carriers for replacement work phones, all offer the iPhone and classic keyboard-equipped Blackberries, none offer Storm on their business plans. When asked, one of them said it didn't meet their quality requirements for a business device.
Interestingly they have no problems selling it to consumers.
Underwhelmed? (Score:5, Interesting)
I really like my Blackberry. As a phone. It's nigh indestructible, and the OS is ideal for the itsy bitsy 2.5" screen. I can even buy aftermarket replacement parts for it (trackball). However the smartphone industry has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last year. As much as I am satisfied with my BlackBerry, I know it's so far behind the curve now that even their new OS 5 can't save them now. My next phone will for sure be an Android device, maybe an iPhone. Even the new "Windows Phone 7" isn't completely distasteful. Do you really want to buy a consumer device tablet running an outdated OS designed for enterprise users? On an oversized tablet device? There's so many better options out there, starting with the Apple iPad, various Chrome/Android products in the works, and HP has a WebOS tablet in the works. But something running the Blackberry OS in this day and age simply looks....antiquated. RIM may never catch up in the smartphone OS race at this point; I think the BB Storm is proof of that. And with the Motorola Charm [google.com] on the horizon... well, we come to bury RIM, not praise their outdated OS.
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I recently received a BB Bold from my company for work (I didn't really want a smartphone, but the BB Bold was literally 50% of the options offered by Verizon that did not have a camera, and the other 50% was some soon-to-be discontinued BB model; I work at locations that prohibit cameras and actually enforce that policy).
During my initial attempt to familiarize myself with the phone, the thing crashed while using the default browser on the NOAA website. Not just hung, mind you, but dump to the white screen
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60 seconds!? Lucky! My POS 8820 stuck on lowly OS 4.6 takes 6 fucking minutes to boot with a 2GB MicroSD card in the slot, with no progress indicator, just that annoying blinking clock on a white background.
Re:Underwhelmed? (Score:4, Interesting)
running an outdated OS designed for enterprise users?
Enterprise user here. Apart from the exchange support and BES (which is admittedly quite nifty and unique), I certainly wouldn't argue that Blackberry's OS fits our needs to a T. In fact, we're routinely frustrated by almost all aspects of it.
I've said this many times, but it bears repeating -- The first phone manufacturer who can make a product that functions as a drop-in replacement for BES will capture the enterprise smartphone market. It's ripe for the picking.
If it's anything like my corporate Blackbury (Score:2)
It will crash all the time.
It will not display most web pages properly.
It will be slow as fuck.
The user interface will be confusing, the error messages will use inadequate terminology, esp. in i18n.
Scrolling through long lists will give you callosities.
It will be butt ugly.
But it will have great battery life!
In other words, I won't ever be seen carrying in one except if I'm forced to by the incompetent nazis at the IT department.
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> "Incompetent nazis" suggest to me you lack perspective and experience in supporting 10,000-100,000 users.
I'm not calling them incompetent nazis because they use Crapberry, I'm calling them incompetent Nazis because they are incompetent and arrogant.
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"Given Apple's 'f u' corporate service focus and poor enterprise support,"
Not sure what you're talking about but the crappy Enterprise Exchange support on the blackberries make me laugh at my colleagues who allowed their phones to be "upgraded".
I stayed on a 4 year old xv6700 with WinMo 6 to avoid the "upgrade" to Blackberry because I at least get to keep my task lists and a calendar and email I can navigate quickly and at least resembles Outlook to some degree. They always complain about how crappy the em
A tablet...from blackberry? (Score:3, Interesting)
That's two strikes, I'm waiting for the third.
It's not that blackberry can't make an OS...it's just that their OS isn't one I want to use for recreational purposes. Corporate email? Ok, they've got that locked up, I'll grant them that. But usable might be a bit of a stretch.
And a tablet? It's a niche market, at best. Sure, because apple released a tablet everyone's nipples are hard for one, but honestly it's a flash in the pan. What app will really drive people to a device with no keyboard, or any physical input method whatsoever? Portable media player is about all I've got here.
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RIM doesn't have corporate email locked up. Apparently that's mainly a Midwest thing; people in traditional GSM markets have been using WinMo + Exchange for quite some time.
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That's exactly why I said that. Having used WinMo, blackberry definitely has the edge.
While the Blackberry OS does suck, it's nowhere near the the level of suck that is Windows Mobile. Maybe that'll change with 7, who knows.
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As far as I can tell, Microsoft has ceded the enterprise market to RIM with the introduction of Win Phone 7, which looks like a mostly consumer OS. There's got to be some detail they're leaving out about the new MS phones; when phone7 was announced there was hardly any mention about buisness use. I guess they'll expect buisness customers to continue to use WinMo 5/6 which has a featureset from five years ago?
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Ok, you tell me what use a tablet is then. I can see it as a fancy media player...but other than that, what? eReader? Web browser? I realize many geeks are skilled in browsing one-handed ( myself included ), but that's not a skill that the general public is interested in learning.
What problem is a tablet trying to solve that would dismiss the format's failings?
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You named them. Reader and web browser. To the average person the Internet IS the web, e-mail and IM, probably in that order. The iPad excels at the first two and is decent at the third. It's convenient to use on the couch (where most people want to use the web, e-mail and IM), it runs cool and is lighter than a notebook.
As for an reading, colour tablets are going to soon be pretty much required for students and people who need to have a lot of technical documentation around.
And if, for some reason, you
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You missed my point; the physical format of the device requires you lay it down on something or use it one handed. eReader, ok. Media player, fine. Web browser? Not so much. Email? Again, not so much. IM? I don't know anyone who actually likes using a virtual keyboard. Smartphone users do it because their mobile options are limited, but that's not a niche this device is trying to fill.
Most users who would have a tablet will also have a laptop, complete with keyboard AND is easier to use on the couc
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I suppose you can use a netbook or notebook with both hands without laying it down on something? Or even with just one hand? Good luck with that.
I doubt very much you've actually tried an iPad or iPad-like tablet. Or observed how the average person uses a computer at home, for that matter.
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Except, you know, you can set the laptop/netbook down, and the screen presents itself at an angle.
I've used an iPad, but perhaps I'm missing this functionality of it somehow?
( one of us is very confused. Given you still don't really understand what I'm saying, I'm guessing it's you )
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If you want to type on the thing, you need to have a case with a wedge so it sits at an angle. Or you can stick something under it. there's a tape measure sitting on my coffee table right now that looks like it would work pretty well. Of you can just hook up a keyboard.
It seems to be MOST useful when it's not sitting on something though. Look at how most people use a computer. They look at web pages or video and read articles, forums and e-mail. Sure, a tablet isn't an ideal platform for writing the e
What are blackberries good for? (Score:2)
I've never carried a blackberry myself, although I do know a fair number of people who were issued them for work. I remember my father saying that there were a few younger folks at his workplace that loved their crackberries back in the day, but for him it was just an oversized cell phone.
Now that you can get similar devices on pretty much every cell network, with your choice of iPhone, Android, or Windows Mobile (Win7?) OSes, I really don't see why anyone would particularly care about what RIM is creating,
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What are blackberries good for?
Making pies. Yum!
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BES is the reason I hear most enterprising loving their blackberries because they can push out apps do remote wipes, etc..
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They have a really good keyboard. Email, facebook, phonebook, phonecam integration is superb, it even has a (rather good!) integrated PDF viewer. But it can't browse the web worth shit. Blackberries were excellent devices barely a year ago, but I think RIM got blindsided by cheap, excellent Android phones. I think their OS development VP thought they had at least another year before Android really caught on, and could count on the iPhone exclusivity contract to bide their time. Sadly, nowadays a Blackberry
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NOOOOOOOO... (Score:2)
Seriously, as a BB admin I can say that their OS sucks big hairy balls. Why would I want, or why would ANYONE want a tablet edition of this? Even with the BIS, you are so limited in what you can do..eg I can brick it and a couple other neat tricks. What is the point? You are a sinking ship BB, going the way of palm because you are a one trick pony whose trick isn't even good anymore.
Things that BB needs to fix before they can even pretend to compete with iPhone
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Why this is going to be a success (Score:2)
When the BlackPad comes out I will be the first in line to get one. The main reason will be that I already have a great dataplan for my Blackberry and I will not have to pay for another dataplan. What will also set Blackberry out from the crowd is that their OS and servers are way more effiecient at using bandwidth. I am a very hearvy user of emailmail and internet on my blackberry and I have yet to ever come close to using 25% of my dataplan limit. Now with the Blackpad, I will now not have to go throu
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Oh, because you've used OS6? Sorry, I remain skeptical. RIM claimed that there would be numerous improvements to BB Browser in OS5 which was not the case when it came release time.
blackberry appeal? (Score:2)
Hi there,
Could someone please explain me what's the big deal about BlackBerry? Every time I tried to use one of those I hated the experience, from top to bottom, and never managed to understand why anyone would actually choose a device by RIM than from Nokia or even SE (or now Apple).
Is it the Enterprise support with things like the BlackBerry server? But now you can get that with other phones, right? I mean, even with Google Apps you get most of that now through their Exchange support...
Is it that they wer
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