RIM remembers developers write apps, creates a modern smartphone - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

MickMcGeough · 05-01-2012, 09:17 AM

BlackBerry 10 dev alpha unit unveiled: 4.2-inch screen, 1280 x 768 resolution

BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha hands-on

For the calamity of errors that is Research In Motion, I still think committing to their QNX-based OS was the right move, and the BB 10 dev alpha certainly makes it look like they employ somebody who has seen a smartphone this decade, all other evidence to the contrary.

The question of course is, does anybody care anymore?

ETA: Just saw the BB10 SDK provides tools for writing apps in C/C++, Java, and HTML5. Also a step in the right direction. I've never developed a native mobile app - are those more choices than are offered for iOS/Android/MS platforms?

Super Nintendo Chalmers · 05-01-2012, 11:10 AM

Never been a fan of BBs but I hope they right the ship.

Russic · 05-01-2012, 12:12 PM

It would be great to see BB come back to be a little competitive again, but I just don't see how it's possible. In the mobile race Apple and Google have been wearing jetpacks for several years now, Windows phone is getting a runners high and BB has just realized they've been driving in the wrong direction the whole time.

I don't see a foothold for them. People who use the iPhone generally adore them, those who do not (or want a cheaper alternative) are happy with Google and those looking for something completely different have Windows. Of those 3 groups I don't see too many people who are upset with their phone situation. The only people I know that hate their phones are BB users.

Rathji · 05-01-2012, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russic

It would be great to see BB come back to be a little competitive again, but I just don't see how it's possible. In the mobile race Apple and Google have been wearing jetpacks for several years now, Windows phone is getting a runners high and BB has just realized they've been driving in the wrong direction the whole time.

I don't see a foothold for them. People who use the iPhone generally adore them, those who do not (or want a cheaper alternative) are happy with Google and those looking for something completely different have Windows. Of those 3 groups I don't see too many people who are upset with their phone situation. The only people I know that hate their phones are BB users.

The clock is ticking on BB. If they don't fix the public impression of their phones soon, then soon pressure from within will force businesses away from BES and into alternatives. Without that base, RIM folds Vancouver in the first round.

Hemi-Cuda · 05-01-2012, 12:42 PM

too little too late. the only people who will likely be interested are those who have managed to stay with BB this whole time, and most of those are people who don't want a smartphone and prefer the physical keyboard. everyone i know that had a BB then switched to an iphone or android would never go back, and now they're entrenched into their OS of choice with loads of apps tied to their accounts

Windows phone isn't even really relevant, i just don't see how RIM can come back into the market

kermitology · 05-01-2012, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

ETA: Just saw the BB10 SDK provides tools for writing apps in C/C++, Java, and HTML5. Also a step in the right direction. I've never developed a native mobile app - are those more choices than are offered for iOS/Android/MS platforms?

Yes they are more, sort of. Android is written in Java, iOS in Objective-C, WP7 in ASP.NET.

This means nothing unless they've done a better job putting together a GOOD SDK. They've always had an SDK, it's just that it's been the biggest pile of garbage.

OldDutch · 05-01-2012, 01:23 PM

In the consumer market they need a roll out akin to the original iPhone to bounce back.

Me thinks this will just make a good phone that your happy your work gave you. However, soon 100% BB compliance won't be an issue. So what market will RIM have?

I think Win Phone 8 has a chance. Due to integration/entrenchment points in the workplace. They have a leg up on Android there. Example is SharePoint, Outlook, and Dynamics integration.

BB has sweet jack. It is a sweet communication platform that is walled in. It is a pain to integrate with other software compared to windows phone. MSFT no longer needs to play nice with BB, they now have their own horse in the race. So watch how many cool integrations Windows Phone 8 will have right out of box.

I seriously see Windows Phone eating the scrap pile that is BB. The vulture (capitalists) can/will pick their bones in about 12-24 months.

Azure · 05-01-2012, 01:46 PM

They do have BBM, which has 75 million users. Maybe they should offer it up on other platforms and drive for more revenue that way.

Reaper · 05-01-2012, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

They do have BBM, which has 75 million users. Maybe they should offer it up on other platforms and drive for more revenue that way.

I think that if they did that it would signal the last step before bankruptcy. Why buy a blackberry if you could get access to BBM?

MickMcGeough · 05-01-2012, 04:08 PM

To those that have already written off Windows phones as failures, have you used one? What are we basing their premature demise on?

I think MS has an opportunity with Windows 8 to get people committed to their ecosystem. You'll pry my MacBook and iPad out of my cold, dead hands, but I'd ditch my iPhone for a new Android phone in a second if it weren't so darned convenient to use in conjunction with the other two gadgets.

I quite like the user experience on the Lumia 900. Windows Phone 7 might be the most complete out-of-box mobile operating system, with native Facebook integration and MS Office baked in.

The smartphone market is a very big pie...

QuadCityImages · 05-01-2012, 04:44 PM

I've never seen a WP7 phone in real life. Outside of a store, that is. Obviously, somebody's buying them, and everyone seems to say that they're great, but I'm just not seeing them "in the wild."

Azure · 05-01-2012, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

To those that have already written off Windows phones as failures, have you used one? What are we basing their premature demise on?

I think MS has an opportunity with Windows 8 to get people committed to their ecosystem. You'll pry my MacBook and iPad out of my cold, dead hands, but I'd ditch my iPhone for a new Android phone in a second if it weren't so darned convenient to use in conjunction with the other two gadgets.

I quite like the user experience on the Lumia 900. Windows Phone 7 might be the most complete out-of-box mobile operating system, with native Facebook integration and MS Office baked in.

I'm sold on Android because of everything I can do with it, but I can see where Windows phones can get a lot of business customers on board if they play their cards right.

Quote:

The smartphone market is a very big pie...

And getting bigger all the time.

RedMileDJ · 05-01-2012, 09:04 PM

I used to have BB. Now I have an Android. I'll never go back.

Sorry RIM.

But being a Canadian company, I hope they can get back into the game. It just won't be with my money.

Regular_John · 05-02-2012, 08:23 AM

Like many here I'd like to see RIM turn things around and get back in the game. But I'm starting to see the long time BB holdouts starting to jump ship to the iPhone. My father in law finally took the plunge, my old boss took the plunge (after a failed attempt in the past) and I'm just not seeing many people defend the physical keyboard anymore.

For a while there were dyed in the wool blackberry users that wouldn't part with their BB's until you pried it from their cold dead hands... but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

MickMcGeough · 05-02-2012, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

And getting bigger all the time.

Speaking of which:

400 million smartphones shipped in Q4/2011

With that kind of volume, a company could conceivably turn their fortunes around in a hurry with the right offering.

Russic · 05-02-2012, 09:23 AM

I haven't tried a Windows phone, but people that I have great respect for in the tech community claim it's great (and kermitology too!).

photon · 05-02-2012, 09:27 AM

I'd try a Nokia phone if it had a high resolution display.

Rathji · 05-02-2012, 09:34 AM

Since this is kind of relevant to this thread, has anyone looked into RIM's Fusion product? It seems like it might be an indicator that they are ditching BES and realizing that non longer will the workforce be sea of Blackberrys but a mixture of all phones.

It essentially is BES (watered down a bit, so maybe BESx - lite) but for every device, tablet or phone, iOS, Android or BB.

Thinking about testing it at work, since our BESx population keeps dwindling.

MickMcGeough · 05-02-2012, 10:33 AM

The other big thing that RIM is going to be missing for consumer smartphones is some form of native cloud storage integration. If we're not there already, we'll soon be at a point where native cloud storage is something people just expect of any phone.

chemgear · 05-02-2012, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Speaking of which:

400 million smartphones shipped in Q4/2011

With that kind of volume, a company could conceivably turn their fortunes around in a hurry with the right offering.

I just wonder how quickly they can really turn it around - how much of it is a momentum thing? That and with Samsung and Apple taking essentially ALL the profit from the entire market, it's going to be rough going no matter how you slice it.

http://business.financialpost.com/20...its-canaccord/

They are the 99%. Together Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. captured almost all of industry profits attributable to handset sales in the first quarter of the year, according to Canaccord Genuity.

Nokia, Motorola Mobility, Sony Ericsson all posted or are expected to post losses and capture -1% of industry profits.

At US$480-million in operating income, Research in Motion Ltd.’s share is 3%.