People Keeping BlackBerry Alive • Hacker News Board

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#131

Post by protomyth » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 12:44 PM UTC

kilroy123 wrote: post #116

thom wrote: post #94

Let’s say it’s January 9th, 2007 and Steve Jobs has just come off stage after the original iPhone announcement. You’re in charge of BlackBerry. What do you do differently?

I said this from the very beginning. Switch to android but skin it and lock it down as tight as possible. Port over BB messenger. Make a killer top of the line android phone with the signature BB physical keyboard.

I would have bought QNX as they did, but got it out to the hobbyist and on more platforms while picking one API and not the confusing mess they had. Android was not assured in 2007 and Google is not your friend.

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#132

Post by jcun4128 » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 1:49 PM UTC

skinnymuch wrote: post #127

jcun4128 wrote: post #73

Wish windows phone was kept alive :( I had an 8330 BB though dang ball would get dirty

I basically come to these sorts of threads to spot any webOS and Windows Phone lovers. And bask in nostalgia and what could have been for a bit. Both OSes will always be cherished by me.

Yeah I loved the Lumia 920, I bought a used one on eBay again just to have it. But yeah sucks it mostly doesn't work. Maybe if there are more legit Windows 10 mobile I can get it on there.

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#133

Post by 908B64B197 » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 2:07 PM UTC

Scoundreller wrote: post #107

thom wrote: post #94

Let’s say it’s January 9th, 2007 and Steve Jobs has just come off stage after the original iPhone announcement. You’re in charge of BlackBerry. What do you do differently?

Double-down on what people love most about your platform: BBM and make it cross-platform. Charge $0.99 after 1 year. Apple will be too inward to be competition for that.

BBM's userbase was basically worthless.

As soon as Facebook added chat there was a preloaded alternative on every phone. And Facebook was the first app people would install on every phone.

All the real pro users of BBM still kept all important messaging on the real pro platform: Bloomberg Chat.

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#134

Post by 908B64B197 » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 2:22 PM UTC

thom wrote: post #94

Let’s say it’s January 9th, 2007 and Steve Jobs has just come off stage after the original iPhone announcement. You’re in charge of BlackBerry. What do you do differently?

Try to find a buyer for the company. I'm completely serious.

BlackBerry did try to build a touchscreen phone, the Storm, and it was a disaster. Had less features than the original iPhone, no apps and launched right after the iPhone 3G and the App Store.

Tech-wise they were at least two years behind. The App Store and the iOS API would further widen the gap as it was easy to develop on iPhone (I remember high school kids getting their apps on the store) while blackberry still didn't have a stable and consistent API across it's heavily fragmented lineup.

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#135

Post by rospaya » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 3:12 PM UTC

hinkley wrote: post #20

HarryHirsch wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the infrared touchpad beats the hell out of swiping around the screen!

I can't recall who, but someone showed me a phone with a physical keyboard that had a touchpad built into the keyboard. Which is to say, if you ran your thumb over the keys without pushing any, a cursor would move on the screen. Was that a Blackberry?

HP had a phone with a similar feature, based on Windows Phone.

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#136

Post by Bakary » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 3:20 PM UTC

koiz wrote: post #102

Bakary wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you start worrying what people think of your phone choice of all things, you are giving them way too much power over your life. In reality, they don't care as much about others as you might think they do.

“I feel like an idiot when I tap a glass screen.” obviously he cares about being an idiot...

It's more about wanting a device that you subjectively enjoy using than worrying about perception in this case. But then again I have never used a BB

I still don't get the point of letting people live rent free in your head. In fact, if you are worried about status this is typically what a low status person would do

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#137

Post by skynet-9000 » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 4:34 PM UTC

gmiller123456 wrote: post #72

AlwaysRock wrote: post #66

I had a blackberry until last year. I love a physical keyboard. I know I'm the minority but I'll never be able to type as well on a screen with no tactile feedback as I can on a physical keyboard.

I don't think anyone prefers the screen keyboard over a real one. I use my phone mainly for consuming information, any typing can wait until I get to a real keyboard. Even when I had a Blackberry, typing was only marginally more tolerable.

I really love swipe keyboards. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any for LineageOS/F-droid unless you use the Play Store and Google .. which is the trade-off I'm willing to make. (The other one is the loss of a good maps/GPS app, but Garmin does still make and sell regular GPS devices, so..)

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#138

Post by koiz » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 4:47 PM UTC

Bakary wrote: post #136

koiz wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“I feel like an idiot when I tap a glass screen.” obviously he cares about being an idiot...

It's more about wanting a device that you subjectively enjoy using than worrying about perception in this case. But then again I have never used a BB I still don't get the point of letting people live rent free in your head. In fact, if you are worried about status this is typically what a low status person would do

>I still don't get the point of letting people live rent free in your head. In fact, if you are worried about status this is typically what a low status person would do

Like I said, he's obviously worried about that.

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#139

Post by marssaxman » Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 6:04 PM UTC

It was such a relief when the KeyOne came out and I got to use a QWERTY keyboard again - slab-of-glass style phones have been a never-ending exercise in frustration. I have a Key2 now and love it. I can't imagine that I will ever go back.

Re: People Keeping BlackBerry Alive

#140

Post by skinnymuch » Thu, Feb 04, 2021, 3:21 AM UTC

jcun4128 wrote: post #132

skinnymuch wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I basically come to these sorts of threads to spot any webOS and Windows Phone lovers. And bask in nostalgia and what could have been for a bit. Both OSes will always be cherished by me.

Yeah I loved the Lumia 920, I bought a used one on eBay again just to have it. But yeah sucks it mostly doesn't work. Maybe if there are more legit Windows 10 mobile I can get it on there.

Here here. Yeah :/