Originally Posted by rambo47 (Post 1668736)

I have moved away from BlackBerry multiple times and always came back.

Went to Nokia phones for multimedia capabilities back in the days of the BB 7230. Tried a bunch of different Nokias and did the same thing each time. I tried to make them more "BlackBerry-like". The only rational thing to do was go back to BlackBerry.

When the Palm Pre first came out I left AT&T and my BB Bold 9000 (which I won in a contest right here at BlackBerry Forums!) and went to Sprint. I used Treo smartphones way back before discovering BlackBerrys, and while Palm's execution slacked off terribly, their concept of a conversion device for phone + organizer was revolutionary. Especially because it was geared to the consumer, not the business user as BlackBerrys had been. They had games, other fun apps, and even did email. At the time it was really quite something, marrying the excellent Palm Pilot organizer to a cell phone. But by the time the Treo 650 was the hot model the platform had major stability issues. That's what led me to the BlackBerry 7230 and the 7105t (an all-time favorite of mine). So I had this soft spot in my heart (and probably my head!) for Palm and I bought into the hype of WebOS and the Palm Pre. I lasted just long enough to get my mail-in rebate for the Pre and promptly put it on my shelf. I ran (not walked - ran) to the nearest Sprint store and bought another BlackBerry. My relief was palpable.

More recently I bought the Samsung Epic 4G for Sprint. Very interesting device, does tons of stuff, and has a gorgeous screen that looks like a mini plasma tv. Android is fun. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting some cool new app for Android. I loved the skymap and droidsat (for pinpointing the positions of all known satellites). But the Epic was too big go be used/carried comfortably, has releavitely short battery life, and just didn't do email like a BlackBerry. I gave it a good 4 weeks or so before putting it on the shelf next to my Palm Pre and re-activating my BB 9650.

I have no brand loyalty to RIM and BlackBerrys. I continually try the latest thing, and I will probably continue to do so. But BlackBerrys just get it done for me. And while no platform is perfect, nothing else is as good for my needs. Not even close.

Originally Posted by cjmac49 (Post 1686991)

I was forced to a Windows Mobile phone - HTC Touch Pro 2 - by my employer. I now am retiring and have returned to the BB fold with a 9330 Curve. What a relief. Great battery life, never needs a reboot, always works, no pocket calls and no junk.

Originally Posted by Losedge (Post 1689450)

moved from g1, best decision ever

Originally Posted by rambo47 (Post 1691089)

I'm still on the fence about sticking with my Evo or going back to my BlackBerry full time. If Sprint got a version of the Torch it would be a no-brainer. But my Bold's 2.4" screen is just a bit cramped, and my eyes are not what they used to be. Plus a full-screen calendar on the Evo is a thing of beauty. I never really got used to the BlackBerry calendar app.

Originally Posted by Tom (Post 1668448)

There is lots of talk, but very little actual data to back it up. I am curious how many of you are considering moving away from your BlackBerry and moving on to another device that can do more for you in whatever category.

Originally Posted by khrisflohr (Post 1710534)

Changing the sim card is a pain in the ass if you dont have the tool

Originally Posted by rambo47 (Post 1708825)

For many of us the keyboard and email is enough to keep us using BlackBerrys. They're also pretty good with voice calls and PIM functions. Notes and tasks as well. My BB is not a toy or an entertainment center so I'm not interested in watching movies on it, nor do I use the browser for more than looking something up quickly. For music I prefer a dedicated mp3 player, in my case an iPod. But that's just me.

Of course you need a BlackBerry data plan with a BlackBerry. But you need a data plan with an iPhone or Android device too. Prices are about the same for either kind of data plan. And with a BlackBerry, because they are so much more efficient with data use than any other platform out there, your monthly data allowance will go much farther.

As for app selection, there may be less of a selection than some other platforms, but there is far less useless junk out there. BlackBerrys are more business-oriented than any other platform so there is still a bias tossers business apps. If you're looking for games or multimedia then BlackBerrys are probably not for you. Although I was recently dismayed to find a fart app for BlackBerry as well as a vuvuzela app. That made me sad.

As far as web browsing, there is no denying that's one of BlackBerry's Achilles Heels. The new WebKit/Safari-based browser in OS 6 is supposed to be a big step forward, but there is no denying that they're coming from way back in the pack.

There is definitely less unbranded/unlocked BlackBerry sellers than any other phone. That's because RIM relies on the various carriers to sell and support BlackBerrys. I've often thought a dedicated BlackBerry store would be a cool idea, but I don't know if they could be profitable. Competing with carriers and their subsidized prices would be tough.

Originally Posted by rambo47 (Post 1691089)

I'm still on the fence about sticking with my Evo or going back to my BlackBerry full time. If Sprint got a version of the Torch it would be a no-brainer. But my Bold's 2.4" screen is just a bit cramped, and my eyes are not what they used to be. Plus a full-screen calendar on the Evo is a thing of beauty. I never really got used to the BlackBerry calendar app.

Originally Posted by BigA (Post 1720036)

Loyal Blackberry user from 2005 - 2010. Now moving the entire company's 55 users to the iPhone. RIM's lack of innovation, quality and platform. Apple has what we need for messaging, emailing, applications and the personal experience. Wake me up when Blackberry can produce a device that won't break in 2mo of use (hint 9300, Tour's track ball, Storm's touch screen) we are done spending money to replace broken devices, upgrading devices just to get the latest platform update. Or when RIM can get applications that are actually useful.
For RIM they will always be catching up to Apple and Google period and maybe even Microsoft with WinMo 7+..
Buh Bye RIM it was interesting while it lasted.

Originally Posted by rambo47 (Post 1721881)

Enjoy a couple hundred "fart apps" and other awesome titles. What apps for BlackBerry could you NOT find?

If you bought a 9700 and really only wanted to play Angry Birds, you made a bad choice. If you wanted a professional-grade communications device there is nothing better (or even close) to BlackBerry. It's a question of where your priorities are. Web browsing and even IM are not BlackBerry strengths. Email and BBM definitely are strengths of the platform. But your claim that "App World feels empty compared to the App Store" rings hollow. Sounds like you never even looked at App World or tried to find what you wanted. Sounds kind of Apple fanboy-ish to me. If you're simply comforted knowing there are a bazillion apps for iOS available, well, I really don't know what to say.

Originally Posted by Infinity1 (Post 1721955)

It's great that you will never ever switch phone, it's just RIM cares if people switch and I'm sure they care more about keeping a lot of customers than about having a few people say "it does what i want it to do"

Originally Posted by brownkc (Post 1721930)

I get a little sick of the 100 fart apps comments. It's just a dodge of the real issue that Apps for the Blackberry come out much later, if at all, than either of the other two major smart phone OSes. The reason there are a 100 fart apps is because there are so many more apps/people writing apps for Android and iOS. The nature of a locked down Blackberry and the user market has led to software writers focusing their attention elsewhere.

I have had a Blackberry phone for the last 7 years, 9700 for the last 2, and feel I have spent more than my fair share of time in the Blackberry App World. That app alone has been a miserable experience. Obviously, the selection of apps has always lagged behind the competition but the layout and search function of the app itself is bad. The newer phones may have a better version/layout of app world but my 9700 with OS5 still sucks. It's slow, occasionally loses the list of installed apps, I have no idea how it decides to check for updates (they seem to happen all at the same time at random intervals) and it doesn't indicate whether apps will play nice with permissions.

I have an iPad so I have started to get a taste of apps on other devices. I will list a few examples of apps I use and see if you can tell me whether they are available for the Blackberry and what I found. First, I like Dropbox. Yes, I know about the current security issues but it is very convenient while I travel. Yes, Blackberry eventually got it but while my iPad will open all of the files I have in it, the Blackberry needs another program for the pdf files. While traveling, I use FlightTrack and Flight Update. Flight Update is not available for Blackberry and FlightTrack doesn't have all of the features that are available on iOS. I did find a competing app with good reviews in this category but it lacked the polish of the other apps. I regularly use iBooks, Kindle and Google Books for reading on the go. I don't find any of those in the App World. I have tried downloading the Kindle App directly but it wouldn't start because of permission issues. I use Netflix and VLC for watching movies on my iPad and believe both are available for the iPhone. App World had neither. I found Maplets to be a great source for high quality maps for hiking trails, metro maps, street maps, bus maps, train maps, tourist attraction maps, airport diagrams, etc. There was nothing in App World. On top of these apps, I have lots of other apps I enjoy such as starwalk, google earth, BBC news, Bloomberg, NPR News, Chase Banking and USAA Banking. Only one of which I found in the App World.

I guess you could counter with most of those aren't business apps. Well then, what business apps does Blackberry have that arenxxx8217;t on Android or iOS? Yes, you have to purchase a program to edit Office docs where Blackberry has Dataviz Standard for free but there are apps available for the other two that are equal to this app. So you can save $10-20 by buying a Blackberry that comes with the Standard Version.

So, what features does a Blackberry have that make it stand apart? Email and BBM? I have few friends with Blackberries these days so BBM just isn't a factor. No one I know uses it. As for email, I don't know what the major difference is. When I am sitting at work with both my Blackberry and iPad near me it's a tossup as to which one gets my work emails first. I may hear the Blackberry vibrate first or maybe the ding from the iPad. They both usually beat Outlook to the punch. As for readability and options, they each have their strengths. The Blackberry seems to be a bit quicker with loading the messages but the iPad creates links for any useful data on the page so you can add a calendar item, pull up an address on the map or create a new contact quicker. They both do an equally good job of hotlinking a phone number on the page for quick dialing.

To me, the strong point of the Blackberry is also its weakness. They are built to be trustworthy workhorses. The most trustworthy workhouse is one built on technology that is tried and true. Technology that is tried and true is not going to include the latest improvements. I know my Blackberry will pull a signal where many other phones won't (rare to drop a call and I usually get a signal before my friends). I know my battery life will be above average (based on reviews of the devices). I hope my software reliability will greatly exceed that of the competition. Since I have used nothing but a Blackberry for the last 7 years, I can't compare software reliability. I do know both my Blackberry has required a couple of battery pulls since I bought the iPad while the iPad has frozen up only once (user error with iTunes update starting while updating the iPad). Signal Strength is not a major issue for me since I spend most of my time in cities where I dead spot is fairly rare. As for battery length, itxxx8217;s nice to last a bit longer but I still keep chargers everywhere (home, work, car and suitcase). I also carry an external charger for long trips.

For years, I have been a defender of Blackberry. While RIM dominated the smart phone market when I first entered it, it went years with little innovation. New competition quickly flew past it. Over the last year, it has struggled to catch up but we are still left trying to figure out its plans. I would say that creating a way to use Android apps is RIMs way of the admitting that they have fallen behind/may never catch up in the App wars. While you may argue that apps don't matter, I would argue that they are what make a smart device useful to its owner even if that owner just needs the amusement of a fart app.

Originally Posted by Infinity1 (Post 1721955)

It's great that you will never ever switch phone, it's just RIM cares if people switch and I'm sure they care more about keeping a lot of customers than about having a few people say "it does what i want it to do"

Originally Posted by Infinity1 (Post 1721950)

All great assumption, while I don't have a single Apple product.
You keep talking how amazing BB is for email and communication, why?
Not every company has a Enterprise server and every device can send/receive emails. A lot of people say their company makes them use BB while they would rather use their own personal iPhone for work.
Also you can't use Skype on BB unless you are on Verizon (USA hurray) and not everyone lives in the USA nor is everyone on Verizon. A lot of business employees use Skype for whatever reasons and they can't use it.
I know that it's not RIM's fault that Skype don't publish their software for non Verizon customers but that's non of my business, all I need to know is that you can use it on Android and iPhone.
Also RIM would probably go bankrupt if they really only wanted business customers.
For the normal customer iPhone and Android are always better, ignoring the keypad. So if we'd cut all nomal customers we would only end up with a few business customers since many of them use iPhone and Android instead of only BB.
That means?
It doesn't matter whether it's supposed to be for business/communication/whatever or not. If they want to stay in business they need to improve drastically because there seriously aren't many if any reasons to stay with BB for business or norma use.

And regarding apps, what apps are so mind blowing?
The only apps I remember are the ones that make your BB's light glow red when whatever contact messages you which is just a little bit poor.
Everything looks as if it was ancient, and there's no game that's actually fun to play compared to a lot of good games on other phones and yes our dear BB business phone should be able to run -good- games too insted of 2D images.
Why?
Because that's what you pay money for. If you wanted a phone mainly for business you could probably buy the oldest BB you can find and still do the same things as on the 9700 Bold. If they're not improving the hardware (which games rely on) when they are selling you a phone for £40 a month or £350 then what am I actually paying for?
When you buy a new Android or iPhone it feels like you bought something new. You see those new features with their unique feel but when you buy a BB it's all just a boring smarthone with no new features at all. The only reason BB is still in the race is because it's the cheapest smartphone and people want to jump on the smartphone train so they buy it. Or they have friends with BBM and want to join the club.
Also a lot of apps that companies sometimes release for members to use often don't work on BB but is always advertised with "Download ABC for your iPhone for free!". This gives BB customers again a disadvantage and no you cannot tell anyone that you pay over £350 for a phone ONLY for business use, you just can't say that in today's word.

Originally Posted by jasbart (Post 1722109)

I've owned 6-7 blackberrys in the past 10 or so years. My needs are very simple, I'm not interested in 99% of the apps my wife is running on her iPhone4. All I want is dependable email, dependable and INFORMATIVE address book (ie organize by company/last name), dependable calendar, and a browser that will get me to and from various websites (mostly news/financial). I'm not interested in games, not interested in listening to music on a blackberry. I know, I'm boring, just like the blackberry.

Everything was going just fine with my year-old 9700, running os5, and syncing through DM5. Then I made the mistake of upgrading to os6/DM6. I swear I don't think the 9700 has enough memory to dependably run os6. And 75% of the time I sync with DM6 it freezes for one reason or other after the sync has been successfully completed.

I've been playing with my wife's old iPod Touch just to get used to the Apple experience. With a few exceptions (I don't like the address book) it works pretty good. My contract with Blackberry/AT&T ends 5/21...

By the way, I'm a semi-early adopter of Outlook 2011 for Mac. It doesn't work. Not even with the updates and the infamous SP1. God forbid that you even think of syncing a Blackberry with it.

Full disclosure: my computer is a MacBook, running 10.6.6. Outlook 2003 (still the best email/calendar/address book MS has ever made) is running on Parallels 6/WinXP. I really like the idea of subtracting one major Windows piece from the puzzle, and the white bread Apple Mail/iCal/Address Book will do.

Thanks, Jim