Quote:
Originally Posted by greggebhardt
The mods need to move this to the kiddy section!
|
Since I am a user interface designer and understand the market, I think that Marmalade brings up some good points. This thread would actually probably be pretty useful feedback for RIM market researchers.
While this thread might have needed to be moved to this Handheld forum (I'm not the one who moved it), it is not a kiddie post. While I am deaf, and have no use for music audio, I know that RIM wanted to aim at the consumer market with the Pearl. Marmalade does bring up some sensible points, even though the iPhone is unproven (no reviewer has their hands on one yet, it could be a buggy platform). I do respect Apple products even though I have never owned one - they did make an impressive entry and it is certainly going to affect the BlackBerry market to a certain extent (unfortunately), because RIM was just beginning to market to
consumers (late in the cellphone game), and this will just make a slightly harder -- but this may produce a little new innovation at RIM, for example. Obviously, BlackBerries will always be better at many things, but there are some interesting tricks that the iPhone has, that will certainly siphon off at least some consumer-BlackBerry users (the market where people who buy their own BlackBerry).
Also, it is kind of silly to compare the iPhone to either a BlackBerry or Sidekick. The iPhone is far more professional than a Sidekick -- it has some amazing software on it for example - I've been reading extensively about this device, and it is a serious device rather than a Sidekick item. Also, I'll probably eventually buy an iPhone as a PDA once hype dies down a bit and availability goes up (I won't be activating phone service on the iPhone) -- it's literally a full pocket computer that uses MacOS X and has excellent video and photo viewing (H.264 640x480 megabit-level video viewing cability, 3D graphics) and I'm really interested in writing application software for it). It also has the best mobile web browser user interface I've ever seen - very easy to pan and zoom in/out (put two fingers on the multitouch-capable screen and pinch to zoom in/out, as if stretching a flexible sheet!). I am hoping that it can be programmed to do this over a Bluetooth connection, so that the iPhone can use my BlackBerry as the data connection for its web browsing too -- and also, it should be compatible with my existing ThinkOutside Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard I use with an older iPaq (which is superior to the ThinkOutside Shasta for BlackBerry). And I'm a deaf guy who doesn't have a use for its iPod feature. It may very well be the first Apple product I am buying, even if I never want to use it for email.
However, I totally understand why many Pearl owners will be giving it up for an iPhone. The iPhone has the best touchscreen I have ever seen (and from the video demonstrations, I am inclined to agree), even though I prefer a tactile device for fast text entry. However, there are many people out there who really just needs a phone that does better email/web than a regular phone, and not everyone needs full-fledged BlackBerry email, and there are many people out there who just casually choose a BlackBerry Pearl (from HowardForums, you can see MANY Sidekick people who switched to a Pearl -- alert, alert -- important point! -- and aren't afraid to switch to an iPhone).
People know me I am a total real user of a BlackBerry. Just look at my
BlackBerry FAQ. It is kind of funny to consider me not a real BlackBerry user, if I am actually even thinking of eventually buying an iPhone (although not for the reasons you'd expect!).
RIM won't lose business customers because of this, but RIM will lose at least a portion of the "potential" consumer market to Apple. This does not necessarily mean fewer BlackBerry users, since Apple is only aiming at 1% of the market in their first year -- but there is enough of a loss of potential market to worry RIM. Shareholders agree with me -- they knocked a few dollars off RIM. (Disclaimer: I am a RIM shareholder. But I did NOT sell my RIM stock -- still holding onto it)
Anyway, this iPhone device may very well be crap once it is actually on the market - buggy and problematic - but I do admire Apple's ability to pull things off with some very interesting products, and they tend to have a relatively good track record in the most recent few years. Apparently, they are becoming like a better Sony...
Let's keep discussions here productive. I don't see Marmalade is not attacking members here. I know that some some BlackBerry users may react negatively to other people who give up on BlackBerry and switch to another platform; but we should not get all upset over it, it will just make them less likely to come back once RIM releases something that is a major improvement...
There are apple zealots out there, and there are BlackBerry zealots out there. Let's all be neither -- Keep an open mind. It is okay to criticize BlackBerry politely. (I sometimes feel there should be a "BlackBerry Feedback & Imperfections" forums here - a good place for RIM to monitor)
Disclaimers:
I am a RIM shareholder (I'm holding: I did not sell when I heard of iPhone.)
I have never owned an apple product.
(These two little points adds weight and credibility to my post here: Look at me "sort-of" defending iPhone, something I never really thought I'd do)