How about a BB with a HD so that you can load and listen to your mp3s (and other stuff) while doing your email? No need for 2 devices!!

sure I'll have one, thanks

And a camera.
With a touchscreen.
We can call it the Palm Treo 650.

Don't forget the SD card slot...

Toss one my way too!!

Guys, I think we're missing the point here!!! Remember BlackBerry is a tool, not a toy with flashing lights. Why have a memory card - the point of attachments on a BlackBerry is that you request them live, ensuring your keeping data transmission costs down and making sure users don't store sensative corporate data locally on their devices. What does a businessman want a camera in his phone for, and why would I use my BlackBerry to listen to music when an iPod does the job far better!!!!!!! Remember, racking up a phone with lots of technology does not always make it better!!!

Read the posts again mate, and you may detect a hint of sarcasm

As much of a gimmick as it might seem, having a 2Gb SD card full of MP3's was really handy when I owned a Treo 600 and I think it would be a great feature in an upcoming BB.

The BlackBerry is a secure, stable tool used by businesses around the world to get their e-mail. It is not their iPod. Remember your Treo 600? And how you hacked it and it crashed and everything like that - NO THANKS!

WE WERE JOKING. No MP3 player. No camera. No SD card slow.

Keep the solid OS, with security.

The camera is why I had to get rid of my Treo and replace it with a blackberry.

My phone/pda/email does me little good when left at the security desk of many of the compaines I work with.

I hate to play devils advocate here, but I have a few questions.

How exactly do MP3 and camera capabilities hamper the security? I personally don't have a use for either of these features, but it is plausible that some do.

I know an engineer / architect who use's his cell phone camera for emailing site and foundation pictures. I'm not sure what the exact reasons are for why he uses it, but I know he has mentioned that it has been a valuable tool for his line of work.

If anyone is interested I'm sure I could ask him specifically what he uses it for and what the benefits are.

I know you cant enter any fed goverment facility or securities company with a camera phone.

A mp3 player usually uses detachable memory and can be loaded into a computer download what you want slip back into your phonbe and out the door you go.

Those are two reason on the security issue

I just did a quick search and found this article some what interesting:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...onechip30.html

As for those security points an easy solution would be to have a specific Blackberry model with a camera only. Or, it could be detachable somehow so that if a person needs to go into one of those security tight areas it won't be a problem.

I agree that removable media is a security hazard, but flash media is growing increasingly cheaper so future devices should have much largest built in storage capabilities. Heck, I still use a Yepp-64 MP3 Player (64 mb flash) that I bought 5 years ago and it holds enough for my needs.

One business use I can see for MP3 capabilities is for recording studios. Since most project studios record in strictly digital it is quite common to proof mixes via email as a MP3. This could have come in handy for me in the past, but not nearly enough to be a selling point. I could also see uses for proofing radio spots for advertising agencies.

Providing the hardware is already up to par, I would think MP3 integration should be quite simple. Cameras on the other hand I can understand why there would be resistance to modify the hardware.

Camera phones do have business purposes (like real estate and insurance agents etc)

Anyone here one of those?

By and large business users do not require a camera and large corporations don't want them in their building.

Absolutely.

My Berry has never crashed on me. NOT ONCE in well over two years. Try THAT with a Treo or PocketPC.

i have a business use for an MP3 player: I am stuck in airports all the time.

Can't question the security rationale, because I am simply not that smart, but I don't agree with the argument that "this is a business device, not a toy" because the blackberry's come pre-loaded with brickbreaker and can download hundreds of games. I most definately use my BB for business, 99% of the time, but nothing wrong with killing boredom when on a plane, in a hotel away from family or on a dull conf call.

As long as it doesn't sacrifice security (SD cards that are lost; data transfers that are compromised - Bluetooth), then I am fine with it. You can barely load data to the BlackBerry, I can't believe what it will take to load MP3s (and I say that as I am sitting at Newark airport with a two hour flight delay). Good thing I have my iPod

Mybe they can secure the SD card like it auto wipes if it is removed without the password or something. I agree mp3 can be handy for a businessman who travels a lot.

Wirelessly posted (Sanyo MM-7400: Mozilla/4.0 (MobilePhone MM-7400/US/1.0) NetFront/3.1 MMP/2.0)

All I know is, if Blackberry doesn't put an optional camera on a device, some other manufacturer will. And they will reap the rewards, as long as they make an easy to use, high quality product. I would just hope that BB would do it, because we already know that they make quality products.

In case you haven't heard RIM has introduced a new device in the past year - the 7100 series - aimed squarely at the consumer smartphone market. So before you slam camera phones, mp3 players, etc. you need to acknowledge what RIM has... your big brick with expensive BES may be OK for businesses but if you want to compete with the rest of the world you also need BWC on consumer devices that actually look like phones.

IMO... the perfect device would have:
- the BB OS (more stable than WinMobile & palm)
- BB push e-mail service,
- no camera phone (security issue)
- full qwerty keyboard on a phone-type form factor (ala Treo)
- removeable storage like SD so I could dump my USB thumb drive. (and yes this is for business use as I have used my usb key to give clients presentations, graphics, etc. without having to email them when I get back to the office)
- bluetooth (fully enabled!)
- quad band world GSM
- high speed data
- Wifi

Great news, Sony Ericsson, now has an external Bluetooth Camera, the ROB-1

"Expect the camera to appear on shelves during the 3rd quarter of 2005."


Those who want a camera can now get one. lol, someone will just have to get it to work with the BB.



In my opinion, bottom line, if you want the information secure, don't make it electronic. In the end, if it's in an email, someone could copy it into a note, then sync it off the BB, or email it to another account.

External storage does facilitate data theft, but if you have it on the BB, you have it. SD / Compact Flash / MMC, really doesn't matter. If you're motivated, it can be had. If they are worried about physical security, then they better check watches. I've seen USB storage in watches!

You know, for a wireless specialist, you didn't think that one through too much.

Plenty of professionals want and need a small camera on a mobile device.

Real Estate agents. Journalists. Architects. Marketing/PR folks.

I have been completely underwhelmed by music players in mobile phones. They always suck, and have no real storage available for them. My P910a has a music player and such, but it is limited by virtue of it only having 1GB of removable storage. The iPod's hold tens of thousands of songs. I'd rather take that when I'm needing music.

Having said that, I do have some favorites on my handset and the PSP, just in case I don't have my iPod handy!

I was not sure whether to get the Treo 650 or the BB 7250 to replace my POS Kyocera 7135.

I went with the BB because I don't want or need the camera, MP3 player etc on my mobile communication device.

The BB is the single best purchase I've made in the last 5 years. Its fast, stable and does its job.