So-called Media Manager

[F5fstop]

Why did Blackberry decide to use Roxio for their media manager? I have never had good luck with Roxio and it appears, I never will. In additon, this program is slower than molasses in the Antarctic.

Part of that problem might be my mistake. When I first installed it, it asked if I wanted it to catalog all my photos, and like a dumb a** I said yes. Did not understand that from that time on, when I open the manager it looks at all my photo files and loads displays their images.

When you have over 2000 image files on a hard drive, and some are in proprietary Nikon RAW format, it takes almost 15 minutes to load and display (and it can't display the Nikon NEF files, but it sure does try).

PS Bridge displays all photos too, but only take about 20 seconds to load and display. This Roxio is a POS.

I am going to load the manager again, then this Roxio POS program and this time, I will tell it to NOT catalog my photos; hopefully it will open a lot faster in the future.

Ok...rant now over....

[JSanders]

You don't even need the Roxio software, why are you stuck on loading it?

[wabbit]

its about 10 times faster to just copy your content to the sd card once the phone is connected to the pc. but thats just me.

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8820)

Ditto the above. I've never used it. Never saw the need.

[Worker]

Originally Posted by wabbit

its about 10 times faster to just copy your content to the sd card once the phone is connected to the pc. but thats just me.

Absolutely. Using an an app to do what an OS does by default is pollution.

In general I'm worried by the level of abstraction that PC/MAC users have to deal with nowadays. There are additional layers of nonsense involved in what should be very straightforward processes.

[ArgonNJ]

Originally Posted by JSanders

You don't even need the Roxio software, why are you stuck on loading it?

You do if you want to load video. Otherwise it won't be properly formated for the BB and won't play.

[Worker]

Not necessarily, it's perfectly possible to encode BlackBerry compatible videos away from the Media Manager.

Me? I use Super to encode my videos, but everyone's got their personal preference.

[SteveO86]

While I do find Roxio to be slow and bloated I've only really used it to move videos, as far as music/sound/picture files go those can just be copied via Windows Explorer/My Computer like any normal external media. So you can bypass the Media Manager for those entirely.

All that aside to date I've never had a problem a with Roxio software yet. *Knock on wood*

[JoelDF]

Originally Posted by JSanders

You don't even need the Roxio software, why are you stuck on loading it?

Originally Posted by wabbit

its about 10 times faster to just copy your content to the sd card once the phone is connected to the pc. but thats just me.

Originally Posted by Worker

Absolutely. Using an an app to do what an OS does by default is pollution.

In general I'm worried by the level of abstraction that PC/MAC users have to deal with nowadays. There are additional layers of nonsense involved in what should be very straightforward processes.

Well, can someone explain to me how to transfer files from my Pearl's built-in memory to my PC without the Media Manager? My BB doesn't have an SD card installed (and, BTW, the OP never mentioned if that BB had an SD card installed either). And even though a "removable disk" pops up in my list of drives on my PC when I plug it in, I have no direct access to it - it tells me to "Please insert disk into drive..."

The ability to set the phone to show up as a mass storage device on the PC is only for an installed media card. At least that's how it is on my Pearl. Maybe some of the newer phones have this ability with built-in memory too?

[SteveO86]

If you do NOT have a media card they must use the Roxio program, as that is the only way to access the onboard memory of the 8100.

Plus the 9630 (listed in the OPs profile) comes with a 2GB media card out of box, So we are assuming its still there.

Also this is a Rants and Raves forum, another post should probably be opened in the 8100 series forum so you get the proper assistance as not everyone comes to this particular forum.

[JoelDF]

Originally Posted by SteveO86

Also this is a Rants and Raves forum, another post should probably be opened in the 8100 series forum so you get the proper assistance as not everyone comes to this particular forum.

I didn't really need assistance as I knew what the deal was with my BB. I was (sort of) merely ranting back.

I was not, however, aware that the OP's BB actually came with an SD card. So the responses provided where appropriate.

[SteveO86]

And there I go keep trying to be helpful

[monkeypaw]

RIM really needs to find an alternative for Roxio. It's one of those flawed things that BB users accept but shouldn't have to put up with.

It bogs down the startup of one of my computers, and I can't even get it to open on that one in spite of many attempts to install it with different versions of DM. Way back on DM 4.3 was the last time it worked on that PC. Another computer gives an error that I've tried to fix but can't. It does run on a third PC.

But then it's almost worthless. It is easy to find alternatives to convert video, but why is that necessary? RIM should provide something that works so it isn't necessary to install multiple programs when you buy a BB. How does an average consumer figure out what alternative program to download?

Look at iphone. Apple gets it. There's no reason BB couldn't take a whack at this problem and find a program that works.

[SteveO86]

I now see why the this thread is the rants and raves.. LOL

What else does the iPhone do??

[monkeypaw]

Originally Posted by SteveO86

I now see why the this thread is the rants and raves.. LOL

What else does the iPhone do??

I don't own an iphone and I'm not planning on buying one. I do have an old ipod that I won in a contest so I occasionally fiddle with itunes. Plus some friends have the ipod Touch or whatever that's called.

My point is that the iphone is a significant competitor and RIM should start looking at basic things like the software that comes with the device. Most new BB users are consumers now (more accurately BIS) instead of enterprise. That's an entirely different market. Business users have tech support to fall back on and don't generally convert videos and mess with media as much as consumers do.

Even in just the last two years or so, I used to see maybe one or two iphones among business flyers, or those in Business Select on Southwest. The people flying with ties, or business casual, like me. One trip early this year I glanced around and iphone was the majority. That was a shock as that's theoretically the core BB market. I've been in and out of RIM stock instead of Apple and luckily have made a nice profit. Like I said in another thread, I think RIM will have a better holiday season than lots of analysts think. But that doesn't mean I think they're doing everything right.

I think iphone is closer to plateauing, but they're not the only competitor out there.

I won't be devastated if RIM don't do anything I wish they would. Going back to 1991, my history is I buy about 2 or 3 devices in a row from a manufacturer, then some other manufacturer seems to be a bit ahead 4 or 5 years down the line. I'm likely to have my 2nd Blackberry within a month. Barring the loss of the device, they don't have to charm me again until 2011/2012.

[SteveO86]

Well most of RIM's money still does come from the Enterprise side of the market, Between the BES, CAL, and Support licensing. The BlackBerry will rule the Enterprise market until someone comes up with a more secure/reliable solution (period).

The consumer market is growing for them and I won't deny that.. I still a vast use in both BlackBerry and iPhone's in both consumer and enterprise, and I won't deny that.

RIM will survive and if you look back in even 2 years ago, you will notice the difference in what RIM is doing. I was ecstatic with 8830 WE (for personal use), not I have a Storm2. 2 years I could not get an official AIM program on my 8830 now they have them, not to mention the App World (Yes App World is new and needs work, but it's there it's a stepping stone for RIM).

2 years from now we will look back and be surprised on how we did without what will have then compared to what we have now.

But yes RIM has things to work, and RIM will be working on things but I can't see them going any where anytime soon.

[ArgonNJ]

Originally Posted by SteveO86

Well most of RIM's money still does come from the Enterprise side of the market, Between the BES, CAL, and Support licensing.

Which is why smaller companies are looking elsewhere. RIM charges an arm and leg for features other provide for free and without all the middleware and IT support you need with BES. The BES cash cow won't go on forever.

[SteveO86]

True, that matter has come up with my other business friends, the BES/BlackBerry implementation is rather costly and that is why many of my friends don't have any BlackBerry solution implemented at their business.

As far as IT Support I don't really find it hard to implement/Support BlackBerry/BES it's only a few Windows services, granted their are little configurations with it but I wouldn't call it overly complex.

And besides 90% of government employee's have BlackBerries (CIA/FBI/etc) so unless some hacks RIMs secret key that they can not even produce (so we are told) I doubt RIM will go anywhere in the next 2-3 years.

( Granted at first I thought RIM's whole idea was the greatest, a few NOC's and all those proprietary servers/software almost sounds a bit like Novell.. )

[ArgonNJ]

Originally Posted by SteveO86

And besides 90% of government employee's have BlackBerries (CIA/FBI/etc) so unless some hacks RIMs secret key that they can not even produce (so we are told) I doubt RIM will go anywhere in the next 2-3 years.

There will always be a market for BBs at government and at fortune 500 companies. However, many smaller businesses will opt for a cheaper solution that does what BB does, minus all the security that many simply do not need. All RIM has do is license Active Sync and include at no extra cost for non BES users and that would end the argument dead.