[jsconyers]

I guess you have never used Swype. You can type fast on Swype, faster than a physical keyboard once you get used to it.

[David Haddad]

Originally Posted by Robert_K

Sorry, you must have got a dud. Mine has been absolutely perfect. Of course I did my research before I bought the phone and bought an extended battery. I use it all day and when I get home from work I still have 75% battery left. So far everything about my ThunderBolt kills anything my Storm and Bold were capable of doing.

It would be different if ALL I needed was instantaneous email and nothing else I would have Blackberry, but I don't. My email client updates every 5 minutes and that's fine for most people especially when you're not required to pull the battery twice a day. My phone never crashes or freezes up or tells me my memory is low and I need to reboot. The apps are better, faster, and the MarketPlace is 10x faster than navigating App World.

Regardless of which Android you purchase there is a reason it now accounts for 33% of OSs installed on smartphones. Just a matter of time before someone cashes in on a viable enterprise solution to take full advantage of them.

Robert,

I'm also a long time BB user that just purchased a Thunderbolt. I'm in heaven. It kills me when people keep using the line that the BB is a "business device". ALL I use my phone for is business and the Thunderbolt is more of a business device than any BB can dream of, for *me* (not saying for everyone). I actually didn't realize until I got my hands on this thunderbolt just how much my productivity was being impacted by my BB. A lot of us actually need good internet access as part of our business, not just email.

IMO if BB doesn't catch up soon they will be like Palm in a couple of years.

You are also spot on, everything I cared about that I originally HAD to have my BB for is now easy to do with other phones. Multiple email accounts, multiple exchange accounts, and with MS active sync on an exchange account the user doesn't really know the difference versus BES.

[Dohzen]

nahh way

[David Haddad]

Yes way :p. In fact I've now got something I always wanted on my BB which is categories for calendar events, full meeting request and multiple recipients (if those were possible with BES I didn't have it). I'm also managing 2 Exchange accounts with stay in perfect sync. I even kept my BB service connected so i could make sure i wanted to switch, and I can tell you that on average emails arrive on both within a seconds of one another.

It is taking me some getting used to the touchscreen keyboard, no doubt about that, but with Swype I can now type at about the same speed or faster as my BB. Without Swype I would be in trouble, though one of my workers can out type me on an iPhone so I think it's all about practice.

[RitualJman]

I agree that blackberry's were made for the professional worker, but they are also really reliable for the average Joe that is looking for a good phone that can do it all. You won't be seeing RIM going away any time soon. I do agree with the fact that RIM's prices are a steep for there phones but like the saying goes "if you want it bad enough, you are willing to pay the price". You can get a blackberry for cheap when you sign up on a new contract or upgrade depending on what your service provider is offering in that sense.

RitualJman

[brandonaybar]

All good points, but only time will tell.
Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile

[David Haddad]

Investors Sour on BlackBerry - WSJ.com

Research In Motion Ltd., the BlackBerry maker that revolutionized the way workers communicate but has struggled to find a second act, saw investors abandon the company in droves Friday amid fresh concerns about its future.

Shares in RIM plunged 21% to their lowest level in five years as investors questioned whether its executives can pull the company out of its slump. RIM, which was worth more than $80 billion three years ago, ended the day worth less than $15 billion.

Demand for BlackBerry phones has fallen as RIM has been slow to match innovations in Apple Inc.'s iPhone and devices powered by Google Inc.'s Android software. The company, as it fumbles to launch new models, has seen its share of the North American smartphone market shrink to 17% from 50% in 2009.

"I do believe that the game as far as [RIM is concerned] is up,'' said Stephen Jarislowsky, chief executive of Canadian money manager Jarislowksy Fraser Ltd., who was one of RIM's biggest shareholders until the firm recently dumped the bulk of its stake. At March 31, the firm was listed as RIM's fourth-largest shareholder with 10.2 million shares, according to FactSet Research.

Some of RIM's biggest believers on Wall Street threw in the towel Friday, with brokerage firms that had long championed the stock pulling their recommendations.

The duo admitted on a call Thursday the company has had difficulties. They said the next generation of smartphones, starting in late August, will make the BlackBerry a contender again.

Still, for several years, RIM has been the target of speculation it could be an acquisition candidate for the likes of Microsoft Corp., Cisco Systems Inc. or Oracle Corp. Analysts and bankers reason that RIM, whose BlackBerrys are popular with business customers, could appeal to these tech behemoths because they already supply hardware, software and IT services to corporations.

The new phones mentioned in August need to be radically improved.

[smoothadmin]

Originally Posted by David Haddad

Investors Sour on BlackBerry - WSJ.com



The new phones mentioned in August need to be radically improved.

A....

[dulcamara]

The main thing keeping me with BB is the unlimited international data plan I have from ATT (grandfathered). If ATT follows Verizon and eliminates my plan, I may well change platforms. I'm not signing a new contract until the 9900 has been out for a few weeks, and ATT can change the rules on me anytime.

My workplace moved my email account to gmail, which saved me the cost of my BES plan. Even with my old 9000, gmail/gcal sync perfectly OTA with BIS (mail) and google sync (cal).

I'll miss the battery life of the BB if I switch

[BigA]

For those who want to switch to the iphone/ipad. This is how you should connect your device back to your network.
You first need a Cisco ASA 55xx series firewall/vpn appliance.
Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances - Products & Services - Cisco Systems

Then get the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client - Products & Services - Cisco Systems

Support for Android is coming soon.

[BigA]

RIM is black-burying carriers with half-baked BlackBerrys

[stevetaz]

Originally Posted by BigA

RIM is black-burying carriers with half-baked BlackBerrys

How many places are you going to post this?

I am truly amazed at how much time RIM haters spend on these BB boards just to take pot shots, point out the mistakes made by RIM (and there have been many) and generally revel in what they perceive as the demise of BB.

If this is what makes your day then I feel very sad for you......

[juwaack68]

Originally Posted by stevetaz

How many places are you going to post this?

I counted 5.

Wait, was that a rhetorical question?

[stevetaz]

Originally Posted by juwaack68

I counted 5.

Wait, was that a rhetorical question?

I lost count. Probably due to a bad application or faulty programming.....

[juwaack68]

Maybe you need an OS upgrade.

[JBlue]

Originally Posted by jsconyers

I guess you have never used Swype. You can type fast on Swype, faster than a physical keyboard once you get used to it.

It doesn't mean it is the solution if it is not widely adopted. Who knows but at this point don't seem to be. Just look at PALM, they had their own method of writing, amazing if you learn it but it was not widely used.

[jsconyers]

Originally Posted by JBlue

It doesn't mean it is the solution if it is not widely adopted. Who knows but at this point don't seem to be. Just look at PALM, they had their own method of writing, amazing if you learn it but it was not widely used.

That statement was in regards to the previous statements about not being able to type as fast on a virtual keyboard as you can on a physical keyboard. With Swype, you can. That was the point of the comment. Is Swype for everyone? No. Also, I am sure the more you use a virtual keyboard, the better you will get at it and probably type just as fast as you do on a physical one. A lot of Android phones come with Swype preloaded these days. It may not be the solution for everyone, but it is an alternative which is always nice to have.

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by jsconyers

That statement was in regards to the previous statements about not being able to type as fast on a virtual keyboard as you can on a physical keyboard. With Swype, you can. That was the point of the comment. Is Swype for everyone? No. Also, I am sure the more you use a virtual keyboard, the better you will get at it and probably type just as fast as you do on a physical one. A lot of Android phones come with Swype preloaded these days. It may not be the solution for everyone, but it is an alternative which is always nice to have.

I personally don't care for Swype, however, I have found that other manufacturers keyboards are severely lacking. I type fairly fast on virtual keyboards now, and the stock one my SonyEricsson Xperia Arc that I use with all other SIM cards besides my US one does not have multi-touch which meant letters were missed if I typed fast. I loaded the one from the stock Gingerbread load, and now all is right with the world.

[BigA]

Originally Posted by stevetaz

How many places are you going to post this?

I am truly amazed at how much time RIM haters spend on these BB boards just to take pot shots, point out the mistakes made by RIM (and there have been many) and generally revel in what they perceive as the demise of BB.

If this is what makes your day then I feel very sad for you......

Yes. It makes very very very happy and it also makes my week / month / year. Because it proves that RIM does NOT care about its users or carrier partners. You have got to be kidding me! REALLY!!!!

But go ahead and continue to blindly defend this company.

This is RIM's former user base venting on their crappy hardware, software and platform.

[ifonline]

Here we see BigA in the basement of his parents' house helping to free lost souls
from the embarrassment of using BlackBerry products. He doesn't get out much.