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6 months to a year ago, a lot of people didn't believed me when I said RIM was irrelevant. It was quite obvious when the iPhone came out that RIM was going to n

6 months to a year ago, a lot of people didn't believed me when I said RIM was irrelevant. It was quite obvious when the iPhone came out that RIM was going to need to make some big changes. The only person I actually heard praise the BB UI was somebody who had gotten a smartphone for the first time. Then he used my iPhone... The only people I know still buying BB's are old and/or adverse to change. That's about the market segment they have left.

rpeden 15y ago
Interesting observation, because in cities I've observed (Ottawa and Toronto) the type of people using BBs are the opposite of the ones you've seen. Among young people I see around town, on the bus/train, etc., almost all of them have BBs. This is particularly true for young women. I'm not sure exactly why this is the case, but it seems that most of them prefer BBM over SMS.
- Ismene 15y ago
  It's mainly because BBM is a non-threatening way to give out your contact information. You can add a guy to your BBM list, chat with him and then if you find out he's a crazy you can block him. The person can't constantly txt you or call you back like with your cell phone number. It's brilliant for us ladies. :)
  - glhaynes 15y ago
    Interesting. Seems like a big opportunity for a mobile carrier to push how easy it is to block numbers on their service.
- kmgroove 15y ago
  Maybe it is because you are in Ottawa/Toronto? I really don't have any stats as to RIMs market in these areas but every time my BlackBerry loving friends make the point that they see people using it everywhere I always make the point that we live in Ottawa and that likely has a lot to do with it. I would venture to guess geography plays a big part in this. Still, BBM is a better experience then SMS.
corin_ 15y ago
I own an iPad and love it, but I'd never want that interface on my phone - and hate using the iPhone. Blackberry UI certainly could be improved, but it's all small things that they should have thought of, overall I love using it and wouldn't consider swapping.
- stevenj 15y ago
  In my experience, an iPhone takes 2-4 weeks to get used to.
  - thought_alarm 15y ago
    I find writing anything more than a single sentence on an iPhone is an exercise in frustration, even after 3+ years with various iOS devices. The iPhone onscreen keyboard is nearly perfect; the software isn't, and the autocorrection is asinine, inconsistent, and unpredictable. As a email and messaging device, the Blackberry is still the best thing out there by a long shot. And since I own and use a number of iOS devices anyway, there's absolutely no reason for me to give up the Blackberry and its specific strengths.
badmash69 15y ago
I would guess I am the "old" guy you mention buying the Blackberry. I own a Blackberry Bold and I love it. It does only a few things and it does them really well for me. And I really like the feel of the keypad while typing --- I do a lot of that.
Ismene 15y ago
Actually, everyone I know who has a blackberry is young. The reasons are varied - one of the big reasons is that most of the cell companies offer plans where facebook, twitter, and BBM do not count against your data plan or you don't actually need a data plan to use these services. Again, the same companies often charge for txt messages but not for BBM.

rpeden 15y ago

Interesting observation, because in cities I've observed (Ottawa and Toronto) the type of people using BBs are the opposite of the ones you've seen. Among young people I see around town, on the bus/train, etc., almost all of them have BBs. This is particularly true for young women. I'm not sure exactly why this is the case, but it seems that most of them prefer BBM over SMS.

Ismene 15y ago
It's mainly because BBM is a non-threatening way to give out your contact information. You can add a guy to your BBM list, chat with him and then if you find out he's a crazy you can block him. The person can't constantly txt you or call you back like with your cell phone number. It's brilliant for us ladies. :)
- glhaynes 15y ago
  Interesting. Seems like a big opportunity for a mobile carrier to push how easy it is to block numbers on their service.
kmgroove 15y ago
Maybe it is because you are in Ottawa/Toronto? I really don't have any stats as to RIMs market in these areas but every time my BlackBerry loving friends make the point that they see people using it everywhere I always make the point that we live in Ottawa and that likely has a lot to do with it. I would venture to guess geography plays a big part in this. Still, BBM is a better experience then SMS.

corin_ 15y ago

I own an iPad and love it, but I'd never want that interface on my phone - and hate using the iPhone. Blackberry UI certainly could be improved, but it's all small things that they should have thought of, overall I love using it and wouldn't consider swapping.

stevenj 15y ago
In my experience, an iPhone takes 2-4 weeks to get used to.
- thought_alarm 15y ago
  I find writing anything more than a single sentence on an iPhone is an exercise in frustration, even after 3+ years with various iOS devices. The iPhone onscreen keyboard is nearly perfect; the software isn't, and the autocorrection is asinine, inconsistent, and unpredictable. As a email and messaging device, the Blackberry is still the best thing out there by a long shot. And since I own and use a number of iOS devices anyway, there's absolutely no reason for me to give up the Blackberry and its specific strengths.

badmash69 15y ago

I would guess I am the "old" guy you mention buying the Blackberry. I own a Blackberry Bold and I love it. It does only a few things and it does them really well for me. And I really like the feel of the keypad while typing --- I do a lot of that.

Ismene 15y ago

Actually, everyone I know who has a blackberry is young. The reasons are varied - one of the big reasons is that most of the cell companies offer plans where facebook, twitter, and BBM do not count against your data plan or you don't actually need a data plan to use these services. Again, the same companies often charge for txt messages but not for BBM.