RIM attempts to create Apple-like buzz with BlackBerry Torch event

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 154
    Yeah, I'm looking fwd to the unboxing photos and then the tear down photos.....Yawn!



    Best
  • Reply 42 of 154
    foo2foo2 Posts: 1,077member
    Even with Photoshop at their disposal, I'd think RIM could make the display look better than that. Yuck!
  • Reply 43 of 154
    I think I'll stick wtih my iPhone 4.. it does look nice though, they did a good job.
  • Reply 44 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Orlando View Post


    ... Talking with people I know with Blackberries, the lack of a physical keyboard puts many of them off switching to an iPhone and those that do switch say a physical keyboard is the thing they miss the most.



    I believe RiM's past attempts at a touchscreen only phone (the Storm and Storm 2) didn't sell very well. You have to cater to your audience and in the case of RiM that means including a physical keyboard.



    Fair enough. But it's still a dwindling market of old-timers and young female messaging freaks IMO.



    I would also argue that the main reason the storm failed, was the attempt to get the screen to "click" (ostensibly to satisfy this same group), in a gimmicky way that was immediately unpopular. It seems to me that since they have a new touchscreen OS (announced at the same event), and capable touchscreen hardware, that now is the time to make such a product.



    If they just sit on the physical keyboard models they will be left behind for certain. If on the other hand they make products of both types, they may have a slim chance of success.
  • Reply 45 of 154
    cubertcubert Posts: 728member
    Well at least they didn't completely copy the iPhone GUI like some other phones.
  • Reply 46 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Whenever I see this line, I (like many people) just think "automatic fail." Virtual keyboards have proven themselves to be faster and easier to use in general than the ones with the little plastic keys and this is a full-screen touchscreen phone for cripes sake.



    Anyone making a phone in this day and age with a plastic slide-out keyboard is basically making a phone for old folks or for dizzy chicks that wear too much makeup and have long fingernails. there's nothing wrong with making a phone for that crowd, but having a big Apple-esque event and making out like this is a revolutionary new product just makes them look dumb IMO.



    If you're going to have a big event and introduce a revolutionary new product, it should actually *be* revolutionary. This thing just isn't.

    .



    Why do you hate old folks?
  • Reply 47 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by benice View Post


    Fox News is considered the most trusted news source in America and you're trying to equate it somehow to a single issue website.



    No it's not.



    As if there was even a way to quantify that idea.
  • Reply 48 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by agolongo View Post


    I don?t mind it (The 9800) and OS6 looks to be vastly improved (Syncing over WIFI!). I know it doesn?t have an Apple logo on the back so it won?t get the majority of the Lemmings on this site to give it any consideration.



    "Apple-Like" Buzz? How do you know this, are you attending the event? Or is it a standard launch event like any other product? If it was truly an Apple-like event the audience would consist of a bunch or irrational disciples crying with every word that flowed out of the speaker?s mouth, and looking desperately for genitals on the new tech monolith to make love to.



    Didn't you get the message? Any company that holds an event to announce new products is automatically copying Apple. My company sells clothes. I'm sure our NYC runway show will be nothing but a copy of Apple.
  • Reply 49 of 154
    I may be an iPhone lover, but being that I live in the Waterloo area (where RIM is headquartered) and some of my paycheque actually comes from RIM funding, this seems very wrong that one of RIM's biggest products in a long time is being introduced on a US Carrier.
  • Reply 50 of 154
    dsheldshel Posts: 16member
    What kind of a roll out is it when everything is done on PowerPoint with no live demonstrations. This doesn't look like much of a threat to Apple. It may effect sales of Android Phones and HTC. The Apple IPhone, ITunes, Macintosh, IPod, And IPad is a solid integrated System line-up that won't be breached easily. Facetime insures that Apple will be Number 1 in the SmartPhone market for the foreseeable future!
  • Reply 51 of 154
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Whenever I see this line, I (like many people) just think "automatic fail." Virtual keyboards have proven themselves to be faster and easier to use in general than the ones with the little plastic keys and this is a full-screen touchscreen phone for cripes sake.



    As a general rule I'd agree but RiM is going after a certain user type and there will likely always be a subset of users that prefer physical keys (at least for the time being). I think this is the first touchscreen smartphone they have made that looks promising for both consumers and business users. I look forward to the review but I may have to buy this one to test it out.
  • Reply 52 of 154
    razorpitrazorpit Posts: 1,796member
    Torch? Ironically that's what I'd like to do to my work BlackBerry!
  • Reply 53 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    As a general rule I'd agree but RiM is going after a certain user type and there will likely always be a subset of users that prefer physical keys (at least for the time being). I think this is the first touchscreen smartphone they have made that looks promising for both consumers and business users. I look forward to the review but I may have to buy this one to test it out.



    I agree with you. RIM's audience of users is very different from the sorts iOS and Android are trying to gobble up, and it would be silly for RIM to morph its platform in an effort to clone these competitors (although that doesn't exclude the option of a specific phone meant to complete directly with them). I imagine the best thing they could do would be to evolve the features that make BlackBerry users love BlackBerry while at the same time adapting iOS/Android features which are badly needed by the BlackBerry platform (e.g. the WebKit based browser, better multimedia management, a reliable touch-screen interface combined, for the time being, with a great keyboard).



    So while some might say BlackBerry = 'FAIL' for finding a middle ground, I'm looking forward to seeing a potential success here. They've got a very different demographic and if they play their cards right, they'll win back some of the loyalty they've been losing, and expand interest into other areas as well. Pending a review, this looks like a device I wouldn't hate to be stuck with in a business environment.
  • Reply 54 of 154
    nkalunkalu Posts: 315member
    First Blackberry Blackpad, now Blackberry Touch. Whatever happened to originality? It's all copy, copy, copy. Copy form and shape. You can only try to be like Apple, you can't beat them. Good to know Apple is finally getting the respect it deserves.
  • Reply 55 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vital0gy View Post


    Why do you hate old folks?



    Actually I'm one myself. I'm just not one of "those" old folks.



    I don't "hate" old folks, It's just that I've always been of the opinion that *everyone* (including old folks), "should either get with it or get out of the way," as the saying goes.



    I find it's usually best to expect constant change. A different, brand new world usually shows up every morning without fail.
  • Reply 56 of 154
    benicebenice Posts: 382member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by halfyearsun View Post


    No it's not.



    As if there was even a way to quantify that idea.



    Sure it's difficult to quantify and probably moves around. I was relying upon this report which suggested it. I don't really mind what it concludes but to equate AppleInsider with a network news service isn't useful either.



    "Almost half of all Americans surveyed in the poll of 1,151 registered voters said they trusted Fox News. That is a notably larger vote of confidence than the 39% who said they trusted Fox's great rival CNN, and vastly more than the credibility ratings of the traditional news networks ABC News (31%), CBS News (32%) and NBC News (35%)."
  • Reply 57 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jacobo007 View Post


    Did you just create an account to troll?



    Please be polite to the trolls. No need to get into a name calling contest.
  • Reply 58 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Fair enough. But it's still a dwindling market of old-timers and young female messaging freaks IMO.



    I would also argue that the main reason the storm failed, was the attempt to get the screen to "click" (ostensibly to satisfy this same group), in a gimmicky way that was immediately unpopular. It seems to me that since they have a new touchscreen OS (announced at the same event), and capable touchscreen hardware, that now is the time to make such a product.



    If they just sit on the physical keyboard models they will be left behind for certain. If on the other hand they make products of both types, they may have a slim chance of success.



    I'm a pretty hardcore fanboy too.. but I'm pretty sure RIM is fairly successful lol...
  • Reply 59 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Fair enough. But it's still a dwindling market of old-timers and young female messaging freaks IMO.



    I would also argue that the main reason the storm failed, was the attempt to get the screen to "click" (ostensibly to satisfy this same group), in a gimmicky way that was immediately unpopular. It seems to me that since they have a new touchscreen OS (announced at the same event), and capable touchscreen hardware, that now is the time to make such a product.



    If they just sit on the physical keyboard models they will be left behind for certain. If on the other hand they make products of both types, they may have a slim chance of success.



    I am as big an apple fan as the next guy, my wife has an iPhone and I have an iPad, but this comment is a little shortsighted in my opinion. The keyboard on the blackberry is what has made it successful in its original core market, the business market. For the majority of these users, email and phone is what you use it for, not apps and the web. I think RIM is smart to try and combine the full screen for apps and web, and a physical keyboard for email. Additionally, RIM puts some intelligence into their keyboard design, unlike the Palm Pre or even the Droid with its terrible keyboard.



    One thing that RIM is finally starting to capitalize on for the consumer market is BB Messenger. People are sticking with their BlackBerry's because their friends have them and using BBM is free and very convenient. This phone could help with the texting/web trade off too.



    My 2 cents.
  • Reply 60 of 154
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Fair enough. But it's still a dwindling market of old-timers and young female messaging freaks IMO.



    I would also argue that the main reason the storm failed, was the attempt to get the screen to "click" (ostensibly to satisfy this same group), in a gimmicky way that was immediately unpopular. It seems to me that since they have a new touchscreen OS (announced at the same event), and capable touchscreen hardware, that now is the time to make such a product.



    If they just sit on the physical keyboard models they will be left behind for certain. If on the other hand they make products of both types, they may have a slim chance of success.



    I agree on the bold and the OS. I think once they release a new virtual keyboard phone with the new OS that's actually made to be used that way, that they'll be just fine, and they've already expressed a desire to make one. It'll be some competition for Apple to keep them doing the right thing over the hacker-y droids.



    The Bold was awful though, I hope they launch it with a new name. I met someone who had one, it was almost completely useless.
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