4 ms·
> The iPhone was a success not because it was the first, but because it was the first really usable device This is both true and a horrible rewriting of histor
by zmmmmm 13y ago
> The iPhone was a success not because it was the first, but because it was the first really usable device
This is both true and a horrible rewriting of history. People loved their Blackberries. The term Crackberry was invented before the iPhone was even a rumor. And don't tell me it wasn't mainstream, it had taken over most of the business and government market. It was confined to those markets, but within those huge markets it was utterly mainstream. But even before that other people loved Palm devices.
The capacitive touch screen was a clear advance - but don't tell me there was no "usable" device prior to that.
- breakupapp 13y agoI think people were addicted to being connected, not to the device.
- snowwrestler 13y agoYes. I had a work-issued Blackberry and while the constant connectivity was great, it was really only usable for email, and device itself sucked.
- philwelch 13y agoSuits loved Blackberrys. Not normal people.
- ewoodrich 13y agoI could type faster on my Blackberry Curve (a consumer targeted device) than my current Galaxy Nexus or any iPhone/iTouch touchscreen (plus I could literally type a full message and send by touch-typing, without any doubt as to what I was actually doing without looking at the screen). I admit I prefer the button-less form factor in many respects, but boy do I miss that well-designed tactile keyboard.
- parasubvert 13y agoI had a BB for about 8 years (1999-2007) before moving to touchcreens with the iPhone, and I can't actually go back to a physical keyboard - it's too slow! I can type way faster on the touch screen now. Though you do need to pay attention to your auto-correct.
- Peaker 13y agoEven with Swype/Kii keyboards? I find they're quite fast!
- ewoodrich 13y agoYou probably can type faster than I can using Swype/Kii/etc. But for whatever reason, I do best with tactile feedback. (I use a Das Keyboard for the IBM Model M "clicky" experience, and hate my laptop or other keyboards after getting it. I completely understand that I may be in the minority, but regardless, I loved the response of my Blackberry keyboard).
- afterburner 13y agoBlackberry's were sought after by status hungry students and later by BBM-addicted students.
- philwelch 13y agoBusiness students?
- ZeroGravitas 13y agoIn the UK it was ordinary kids who were emulating American rappers who were emulating businessmen (or so the story went).
- afterburner 13y agoAny university student, and later even high school students (as Blackberrys got cheaper as they started to be in bigger and bigger trouble).
- rmrfrmrf 13y agoBBM was what people loved. Have you forgotten about Blackberry's nubs and balls that constantly broke/got stuck? People dealt because that was the state of the art at the time.