What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#1

Post by macrael » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 2:30 AM UTC

What's really wrong with BlackBerry
mobileopportunity.blogspot.com

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#2

Post by Isamu » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 3:22 AM UTC

Very insightful analysis. At the very least read the section "How a computing platform dies" - this is the first I've seen that perspective. I wouldn't mind reading more about this.

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#3

Post by bretpiatt » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 3:29 AM UTC

Isamu wrote: post #2

Very insightful analysis. At the very least read the section "How a computing platform dies" - this is the first I've seen that perspective. I wouldn't mind reading more about this.

Agreed, this quote from it is a good way to summarize, "The symptoms to watch closely are small declines in two metrics: the rate of growth of sales, and gross profit per unit sold (gross margins)".

A good book that elaborates on these is "Every Business is a Growth Business". Unless you are a lifestyle business with a well defended niche reaching a plateau is dangerous.

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#4

Post by Legion » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 3:43 AM UTC

>> "Yes, Android is doing well, but neither RIM nor Apple is giving away its operating system, so it was close to inevitable that Android would eventually get the unit lead"

How is that any kind of rebuttal? How does saying that it was inevitable Android would eat up a bunch of market share hand-wave away the fact that it was really bad for RIM's situation that it happened?

>> "Yes, RIM's not good at sexy marketing, but it has always been that way."

Again with the rebuttals that don't actually make a point that helps RIM's case. The fact that RIM has always been poor at marketing doesn't somehow make it OK. Especially since now, as pointed out above, Android is eating up share. RIM's inability to market is becoming more of a liability. Saying "gee, it's always been that way" does not legitimately hand-wave the issue away.

Saying that the criticisms against RIM are "superficial and petty" and offering those kinds of nonsense counterarguments against them drove me up the wall.

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#5

Post by Isamu » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 3:49 AM UTC

bretpiatt wrote: post #3

Isamu wrote: post #2

Very insightful analysis. At the very least read the section "How a computing platform dies" - this is the first I've seen that perspective. I wouldn't mind reading more about this.

Agreed, this quote from it is a good way to summarize, "The symptoms to watch closely are small declines in two metrics: the rate of growth of sales, and gross profit per unit sold (gross margins)". A good book that elaborates on these is "Every Business is a Growth Business". Unless you are a lifestyle business with a well defended niche reaching a plateau is dangerous.

Thanks for the pointer - the book is on order.

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#6

Post by gbhn » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 4:17 AM UTC

I found the claim that RIM's market is saturating to be suspicious. What was smartphone penetration in the US three years ago? It is only about a third even today, after huge growth. In many parts of the world growth in the last three years has been even more explosive.

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#7

Post by deepu_256 » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 4:23 AM UTC

Legion wrote: post #4

>> "Yes, Android is doing well, but neither RIM nor Apple is giving away its operating system, so it was close to inevitable that Android would eventually get the unit lead" How is that any kind of rebuttal? How does saying that it was inevitable Android would eat up a bunch of market share hand-wave away the fact that it was really bad for RIM's situation that it happened? >> "Yes, RIM's not good at sexy marketing,…

I guess he is pointing out that - Although Andriod is gaining market share, it isn't exactly eating into potential RIM market share. Other way to put it is that both RIM and Android target different set of customers.

P.S :- I am not making the above assertion. Just writing what i understood from reading that article.

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#8

Post by timtadh » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 4:23 AM UTC

"Yes, Android is doing well, but neither RIM nor Apple is giving away its operating system, so it was close to inevitable that Android would eventually get the unit lead."

If that is true, why doesn't the Linux desktop have the unit lead? I mean its free, installable on everything, and easily obtainable. This kinda of reasoning simply does not hold. There a loads of reasons why Android is doing well, but I don't think that being free is necessarily one of them.

[Edit: I should note that other than that one line, I thought his analysis was excellent.]

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#9

Post by alanh » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 4:27 AM UTC

The argument that Apple has a much rosier future than RIM cannot possibly be distilled to “Apple has better marketing.” They do… but their phone also don’t make you want to tear your eyes out. (I am not under the impression that our author thinks it’s all marketing, but Business Insider sees it more or less that way.)

Re: What's really wrong with BlackBerry

#10

Post by alanh » Sun, Dec 12, 2010, 4:34 AM UTC

Remember how everyone likes to note that Apple is never afraid to obsolete itself? Killing OS 9 to start completely new in OS X… Aggressively and constantly re-imagining the iPod… Replacing the iPod (effectively) with a completely new touch-based system (iOS)… beginning the revolution from PCs to iPad-style devices (they are selling as many iPads as they are computers, now).

When has Blackberry ever really dared to cannibalize itself?