Comments on: Fear and loathing with the upcoming 2008 iPhone http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/ BlackBerry News and Reviews Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:48:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: 10 reasons to ditch your Blackberry for the iPhone | BerryReview http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-7675 10 reasons to ditch your Blackberry for the iPhone | BerryReview Tue, 27 May 2008 22:56:45 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-7675 [...] readers and have seen or discussed many reasons to prefer the Blackberry over the iPhone. I have many reasons of my own. But certainly there are enough reasons for the opposite switch. Certainly iPhone fans have plenty [...] [...] readers and have seen or discussed many reasons to prefer the Blackberry over the iPhone. I have many reasons of my own. But certainly there are enough reasons for the opposite switch. Certainly iPhone fans have plenty [...]

]]> By: Randy http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2179 Randy Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:01:52 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2179 Don't get me wrong, I am no Apple fanboy. In fact, I am huge BlackBerry lover. But that had to be the worst article I've ever read. Save the rants for the forums! Don’t get me wrong, I am no Apple fanboy. In fact, I am huge BlackBerry lover. But that had to be the worst article I’ve ever read. Save the rants for the forums!

]]> By: Greg Myers http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2094 Greg Myers Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:49:55 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2094 This is a jumping little article isn't it. It seems to have stirred up a few emotions. I have just read a survey of CB about whether people would use the iPhone as a serious bit of business equipment. The results are at around 85% against...(But this is on a CrackBerry site and if the same question was asked on an Apple forum you could just about guarantee the same results in the opposite direction... A lawyer has also posted about how the iPhone carrier lock is actually unlawful in Australia. It will actually be in breach of Australian anti-competitive laws (ie: price fixing). So we might not be seeing the iPhone in Oz for a while. This is a jumping little article isn’t it. It seems to have stirred up a few emotions.
I have just read a survey of CB about whether people would use the iPhone as a serious bit of business equipment. The results are at around 85% against…(But this is on a CrackBerry site and if the same question was asked on an Apple forum you could just about guarantee the same results in the opposite direction…
A lawyer has also posted about how the iPhone carrier lock is actually unlawful in Australia. It will actually be in breach of Australian anti-competitive laws (ie: price fixing). So we might not be seeing the iPhone in Oz for a while.

]]> By: Luciano ES http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2092 Luciano ES Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:57:43 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2092 You make some good points, portorikan: . About Blackberries being too tied to Windows and not supporting OSX, I agree with you 100%. I use Linux, that's even worse. Note that one could argue that it's not a very fair comparison: RIM are merely focusing on the world's most popular OS, which has no connection to RIM whatsoever. Apple, on the contrary, force the use of their other own products. But I wouldn't accept such excuse in favor of RIM. Their support to Mac sucks, support to Linux is non-existant and that must be pointed out as a disadvantage at all times. . That's why I can't agree with your notion of "errors in understanding the iphone and Apple". So whenever a company does something stupid, it gets away with "it's not stupid, it's just you who fails to understand the company and the product"? No, we should not let them get away like that. Apple makes some very nasty mistakes and they shall be pointed out in every opportunity. If you read this site often, you should know that we don't look the other way when RIM screws up either. Especially Ronen. :-) . My Blackberry Curve can send and receive MMS messages. What model do you have? Please check with your carrier, they may be imposing restrictions on your usage. . About Apple's "business decision and arrangement with AT&T": please don't forget the main point of the article: should RIM be afraid of Apple and the new iPhone? Apple have the right to make any business decision and arrangement they damn well please. But at the end of the day, that business decision and arrangement make the iPhone ridiculously expensive. That's a major disadvantage. Put yourself in the shoes of the procurement department of a company that is considering distributing smartphones to the staff. Would you recommend the iPhone over the Blackberry? Why??? Because it has better media capabilities in spite of its prohibitive cost? Do you pay your staff to sit down and watch movies on their phones? That doesn't make sense. This cost issue is one of the first things to be taken into consideration in this idea of an Apple vs. RIM war. . About the iStore: it's too exclusive and restricted. Apple are not alone in that sad move. Symbian are infuriating a lot of users with their compulsory signature program. That's just like DRM: they're introducing evil in the hopes of killing another evil. Look at how successful Palm and Windows Mobile have been without restrictions. They have HUGE third-party software catalogues to please current users and lure new ones. Yeah, yeah, Palm is moribund blah blah blah etc., I read Engadget too. But Palm ain't definitely dead yet, thanks to the huge number of applications you can find for that platform. . Besides, the iStore only accepts American money. People from other countries are banned. Once again, main point of the article: should RIM be afraid of Apple and the new iPhone? How does Apple intend to eat RIM's lunch at the same time banning people from other countries from buying official SDK'ed applications? I am not in the U.S. I can buy ALL existing Blackberry applications if I go nuts and want to. But I can't buy any song at all from iTunes. What reason do we have to believe this same ban won't apply on the iPhone applications? If they place that ban on music, why wouldn't they apply it to a phone that is only sold under very stringent "business decisions and arrangements"? . We can't be too proud of RIM in that aspect either. I wish we could rely on a lot more software for the Blackberry. Although RIM do not impose ridiculous restrictions on developers, they certainly don't make developing for Blackberries easy at all: http://www.berryreview.com/2008/01/14/rant-blackberry-platform-not-developer-friendly/ Bad RIM! Bad RIM! . And here is another very good link for the fine art of Blackberry hating: http://www.berryreview.com/2008/01/25/new-rim-campaign-ask-somebody-why-they-hate-their-blackberry/ . . Quote: "How many years will it be until RIM allows me to use any mpeg 4 video I want to view on my Blackberry without having to recode it? you know, H.264 format. (...) I can't watch streaming videos on it." . That is a very good question. And I think it supports my point. The Blackberry wasn't made for media, entertainment and popular consumer market initially. NOW it's beginning to encroach there too. Result: the iPhone does it better. Same thing the other way around: the iPhone wasn't made to be a serious productivity tool initially. NOW it wants to encroach there too. Result: Blackberry has the headstart. Can the iPhone catch up with the Blackberry? That is the entire point of the article. Only time will tell, but I am betting that NO, the iPhone can't quite catch up with the Blackberry. . I support my theory with two very clear (and curious IMO) ideas: 1) the Blackberry is ahead of the iPhone; the iPhone will get better, but so will the Blackberry (I hope so! What seems to be the new 9000 series didn't exactly get me excited.) 2) Steve Jobs and Apple are weird. The iPhone (and the Air, incidentally) could be a lot better, but something very weird goes on in that company and they sabotage their own products consistently. Basically, what I am saying is: Apple are going to find a way to screw this up too. They always do. . The last point is very important. RIM make mistakes too, but they still come across as a very sane company that is not interested in selling one-summer fads and driving their own user base crazy as some sort of overrated woman who tramples on her candidates with stiletto heels "because they like it" if you know what I mean. On the contrary, they seem to be (slowly) trying to give people what they want: magically instant communication, a good camera, now video (with the next firmware release), a media player, A2DP, replaceable battery, expansion card slot, mini USB for data transfers and recharging and last, but not least, extremely standard 3,5mm headphone jacks. . Apple is totally the opposite: the masses clamor for copy and paste, but they refuse to implement it, and even the wildest mouth-foaming Apple fanboy is unable to provide a plausible explanation. Their headphone jacks are not standard. Complaints. Bluetooth sucks. More complaints. No warm and fuzzy standard mini USB. No card slot. No replaceable battery, and that seems to be some odd policy across the entire product line, like the no-buttons rule. Apple is weird. Just plain weird. Hip, but weird. A lot of people all over the internets have been saying they're weird and they just can't help being weird. You can score high with the populace by being hip and weird, just ask any fashion or rock'n'roll fan, but hip'n'weird doesn't bode that well with the corporate types. Corporate types usually see right through smoke and mirrors and that's why the Blackberry has succeeded: the Blackberry has not been trying to be hip'n'weird. The Blackberry has been trying to be frank and straightforward like a stare, a proposal and a handshake. I may sound like an ordinary Apple hater sometimes, and I guess I really am, but the upshot of all this is that Apple is weird, so I'm not putting much hope on them. RIM should be wary, of course, but I think RIM is saner, will make saner choices and will prevail in the long run. . This has become too long. Sorry about the lack of proofreading. Come one, it's just a blog where we get around and chat. I'll be more careful the next time, OK? Great comment, Leo Persica. I used a little bit of that in my conclusion. Thank you for your comments, everyone. You make some good points, portorikan:
.
About Blackberries being too tied to Windows and not supporting OSX, I agree with you 100%. I use Linux, that’s even worse.
Note that one could argue that it’s not a very fair comparison: RIM are merely focusing on the world’s most popular OS, which has no connection to RIM whatsoever. Apple, on the contrary, force the use of their other own products. But I wouldn’t accept such excuse in favor of RIM. Their support to Mac sucks, support to Linux is non-existant and that must be pointed out as a disadvantage at all times.
.
That’s why I can’t agree with your notion of “errors in understanding the iphone and Apple”. So whenever a company does something stupid, it gets away with “it’s not stupid, it’s just you who fails to understand the company and the product”? No, we should not let them get away like that. Apple makes some very nasty mistakes and they shall be pointed out in every opportunity. If you read this site often, you should know that we don’t look the other way when RIM screws up either. Especially Ronen. :-)
.
My Blackberry Curve can send and receive MMS messages. What model do you have? Please check with your carrier, they may be imposing restrictions on your usage.
.
About Apple’s “business decision and arrangement with AT&T”: please don’t forget the main point of the article: should RIM be afraid of Apple and the new iPhone? Apple have the right to make any business decision and arrangement they damn well please. But at the end of the day, that business decision and arrangement make the iPhone ridiculously expensive. That’s a major disadvantage. Put yourself in the shoes of the procurement department of a company that is considering distributing smartphones to the staff. Would you recommend the iPhone over the Blackberry? Why??? Because it has better media capabilities in spite of its prohibitive cost? Do you pay your staff to sit down and watch movies on their phones? That doesn’t make sense. This cost issue is one of the first things to be taken into consideration in this idea of an Apple vs. RIM war.
.
About the iStore: it’s too exclusive and restricted. Apple are not alone in that sad move. Symbian are infuriating a lot of users with their compulsory signature program. That’s just like DRM: they’re introducing evil in the hopes of killing another evil. Look at how successful Palm and Windows Mobile have been without restrictions. They have HUGE third-party software catalogues to please current users and lure new ones. Yeah, yeah, Palm is moribund blah blah blah etc., I read Engadget too. But Palm ain’t definitely dead yet, thanks to the huge number of applications you can find for that platform.
.
Besides, the iStore only accepts American money. People from other countries are banned. Once again, main point of the article: should RIM be afraid of Apple and the new iPhone? How does Apple intend to eat RIM’s lunch at the same time banning people from other countries from buying official SDK’ed applications? I am not in the U.S. I can buy ALL existing Blackberry applications if I go nuts and want to. But I can’t buy any song at all from iTunes. What reason do we have to believe this same ban won’t apply on the iPhone applications? If they place that ban on music, why wouldn’t they apply it to a phone that is only sold under very stringent “business decisions and arrangements”?
.
We can’t be too proud of RIM in that aspect either. I wish we could rely on a lot more software for the Blackberry. Although RIM do not impose ridiculous restrictions on developers, they certainly don’t make developing for Blackberries easy at all:
http://www.berryreview.com/2008/01/14/rant-blackberry-platform-not-developer-friendly/
Bad RIM! Bad RIM!
.
And here is another very good link for the fine art of Blackberry hating:
http://www.berryreview.com/2008/01/25/new-rim-campaign-ask-somebody-why-they-hate-their-blackberry/
.
.
Quote: “How many years will it be until RIM allows me to use any mpeg 4 video I want to view on my Blackberry without having to recode it? you know, H.264 format. (…) I can’t watch streaming videos on it.”
.
That is a very good question. And I think it supports my point. The Blackberry wasn’t made for media, entertainment and popular consumer market initially. NOW it’s beginning to encroach there too. Result: the iPhone does it better. Same thing the other way around: the iPhone wasn’t made to be a serious productivity tool initially. NOW it wants to encroach there too. Result: Blackberry has the headstart. Can the iPhone catch up with the Blackberry? That is the entire point of the article. Only time will tell, but I am betting that NO, the iPhone can’t quite catch up with the Blackberry.
.
I support my theory with two very clear (and curious IMO) ideas:
1) the Blackberry is ahead of the iPhone; the iPhone will get better, but so will the Blackberry (I hope so! What seems to be the new 9000 series didn’t exactly get me excited.)
2) Steve Jobs and Apple are weird. The iPhone (and the Air, incidentally) could be a lot better, but something very weird goes on in that company and they sabotage their own products consistently. Basically, what I am saying is: Apple are going to find a way to screw this up too. They always do.
.
The last point is very important. RIM make mistakes too, but they still come across as a very sane company that is not interested in selling one-summer fads and driving their own user base crazy as some sort of overrated woman who tramples on her candidates with stiletto heels “because they like it” if you know what I mean. On the contrary, they seem to be (slowly) trying to give people what they want: magically instant communication, a good camera, now video (with the next firmware release), a media player, A2DP, replaceable battery, expansion card slot, mini USB for data transfers and recharging and last, but not least, extremely standard 3,5mm headphone jacks.
.
Apple is totally the opposite: the masses clamor for copy and paste, but they refuse to implement it, and even the wildest mouth-foaming Apple fanboy is unable to provide a plausible explanation. Their headphone jacks are not standard. Complaints. Bluetooth sucks. More complaints. No warm and fuzzy standard mini USB. No card slot. No replaceable battery, and that seems to be some odd policy across the entire product line, like the no-buttons rule. Apple is weird. Just plain weird. Hip, but weird. A lot of people all over the internets have been saying they’re weird and they just can’t help being weird. You can score high with the populace by being hip and weird, just ask any fashion or rock’n'roll fan, but hip’n'weird doesn’t bode that well with the corporate types. Corporate types usually see right through smoke and mirrors and that’s why the Blackberry has succeeded: the Blackberry has not been trying to be hip’n'weird. The Blackberry has been trying to be frank and straightforward like a stare, a proposal and a handshake. I may sound like an ordinary Apple hater sometimes, and I guess I really am, but the upshot of all this is that Apple is weird, so I’m not putting much hope on them. RIM should be wary, of course, but I think RIM is saner, will make saner choices and will prevail in the long run.
.
This has become too long. Sorry about the lack of proofreading. Come one, it’s just a blog where we get around and chat. I’ll be more careful the next time, OK? Great comment, Leo Persica. I used a little bit of that in my conclusion. Thank you for your comments, everyone.

]]> By: LeoPersica http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2091 LeoPersica Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:56:14 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2091 I'm a huge Apple/Mac/iPod fan (not quite fan boy status) but I'm also aware that while Apple is a fantastic consumer products company, they've never had any success in enterprise sales. Why? It's not unusual. Sony hasn't really been a great enterprise product company either. Conversely IBM doesn't send consumer hearts a fluttering. This isn't unique to "tech". That's why there are companies like Sysco and others like Procter & Gamble. Point is, serving the B2B market is very different than the B2C market. It takes very different skills to produce the right products and services for each. I'm not sure I hear any CIOs saying, "OMG bro, we totally need to have iPhones here." Conversely, I don't see people lining up the night before on the street for the next Berry. Forgive me for the pun factor here, but "apples vs. oranges" might as well be "Apples vs. Berries." It's just not a realistic comparison. I’m a huge Apple/Mac/iPod fan (not quite fan boy status) but I’m also aware that while Apple is a fantastic consumer products company, they’ve never had any success in enterprise sales.

Why? It’s not unusual. Sony hasn’t really been a great enterprise product company either. Conversely IBM doesn’t send consumer hearts a fluttering.

This isn’t unique to “tech”. That’s why there are companies like Sysco and others like Procter & Gamble.

Point is, serving the B2B market is very different than the B2C market. It takes very different skills to produce the right products and services for each.

I’m not sure I hear any CIOs saying, “OMG bro, we totally need to have iPhones here.”

Conversely, I don’t see people lining up the night before on the street for the next Berry.

Forgive me for the pun factor here, but “apples vs. oranges” might as well be “Apples vs. Berries.”

It’s just not a realistic comparison.

]]> By: portorikan http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2090 portorikan Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:05:32 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2090 Wow, that's spewing a lot of bitterness there. I think for a company that has had a phone out less than a year, Apple is doing quite nicely. You do make a few errors in your understanding of the iphone and Apple, but it's an opinion piece/Rant, so that's understandable. How many years will it be until RIM lets me use my Blackberry with any PC, and by any, I mean my safer and securer Mac? And by use, I mean, do every single thing I can do with the BB Desktop Manager on Windows but on OSX with RELIABLE software? How many years will it be until RIM allows me to use any mpeg 4 video I want to view on my Blackberry without having to recode it? you know, H.264 format. Higher quality, smaller sized videos. I could possibly go on but I won't. Don't get me wrong, I love my Blackberry, but it has issues as well. I can't send MMS messages on it. I can't watch streaming videos on it. You asked a lot of dumb questions in your list rant that are easily answered as well. In the US, it will be another 4.5 years or so before you can use the iphone on another network. That was a business decision and arrangement they made with AT&T. You might have missed that, but now you know. You're complaining about the 'iStore' for downloading apps and it's not even released yet. How would you know what the experience is like for users. They don't need to use itunes to download apps anyway, they can do it directly from their phone. I think you're missing the point. You're right, RIM has had years to perfect what they've done, and it's great, but not perfect. What makes you think Apple isn't planning on taking it slowly and slowly expand and build their product little by little to make it better than not only what it is now, but than any other competitor. They've taken the most important market, the consumer market, which is what RIM is actively trying to go after now. Anyway, you're right, Apple may be playing catch up, but guess what? The iphone has been out less than a year and it's got rave reviews from users, and CEOs are scared of it. If they've done that in less than 1 year, imagine what they'll be doing in, oh, I don't know, how many years. Wow, that’s spewing a lot of bitterness there. I think for a company that has had a phone out less than a year, Apple is doing quite nicely. You do make a few errors in your understanding of the iphone and Apple, but it’s an opinion piece/Rant, so that’s understandable.

How many years will it be until RIM lets me use my Blackberry with any PC, and by any, I mean my safer and securer Mac? And by use, I mean, do every single thing I can do with the BB Desktop Manager on Windows but on OSX with RELIABLE software?

How many years will it be until RIM allows me to use any mpeg 4 video I want to view on my Blackberry without having to recode it? you know, H.264 format. Higher quality, smaller sized videos.

I could possibly go on but I won’t. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Blackberry, but it has issues as well. I can’t send MMS messages on it. I can’t watch streaming videos on it.

You asked a lot of dumb questions in your list rant that are easily answered as well. In the US, it will be another 4.5 years or so before you can use the iphone on another network. That was a business decision and arrangement they made with AT&T. You might have missed that, but now you know.

You’re complaining about the ‘iStore’ for downloading apps and it’s not even released yet. How would you know what the experience is like for users. They don’t need to use itunes to download apps anyway, they can do it directly from their phone.

I think you’re missing the point. You’re right, RIM has had years to perfect what they’ve done, and it’s great, but not perfect. What makes you think Apple isn’t planning on taking it slowly and slowly expand and build their product little by little to make it better than not only what it is now, but than any other competitor. They’ve taken the most important market, the consumer market, which is what RIM is actively trying to go after now.

Anyway, you’re right, Apple may be playing catch up, but guess what? The iphone has been out less than a year and it’s got rave reviews from users, and CEOs are scared of it. If they’ve done that in less than 1 year, imagine what they’ll be doing in, oh, I don’t know, how many years.

]]> By: Luciano ES http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2089 Luciano ES Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:40:10 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2089 What errors? Maybe you don't like my treating companies as plural (Apple have) instead of singular (Apple has)? What errors? Maybe you don’t like my treating companies as plural (Apple have) instead of singular (Apple has)?

]]> By: ToughHouseRook http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2088 ToughHouseRook Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:27:50 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2088 Great article but it would have been much better if you had bothered to proofread it, that many gramatical errors makes for a very hard read. Great article but it would have been much better if you had bothered to proofread it, that many gramatical errors makes for a very hard read.

]]> By: Joseph http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2085 Joseph Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:50:34 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2085 Apple fanboy in the house above there... So, out of that long article, that's all you found. LOL! If I buy an iPhone and learn how to use it, would I learn how to send/receive MMS on it? Oh that's right, you can't MMS on an iPhone. Such a basic functionality.... like that recessed headphone jack. HAHA! Apple fanboy in the house above there… So, out of that long article, that’s all you found. LOL! If I buy an iPhone and learn how to use it, would I learn how to send/receive MMS on it? Oh that’s right, you can’t MMS on an iPhone. Such a basic functionality…. like that recessed headphone jack. HAHA!

]]> By: The Enforcer http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2080 The Enforcer Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:32:24 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2080 The iPhone does have multiple SMS recipients. Do your research before making these ridiculous comments unless you want to lose all credibility. Oh, and buy an iPhone. If you have one, learn how to use it. The iPhone does have multiple SMS recipients. Do your research before making these ridiculous comments unless you want to lose all credibility. Oh, and buy an iPhone. If you have one, learn how to use it.

]]> By: Chad D http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2079 Chad D Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:45:07 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2008/03/10/fear-and-loathing-with-the-upcoming-2008-iphone/#comment-2079 You forgot to mention UMA, GPS, camera flash, IM, free ringtones, voicedialing, removable battery, etc. You forgot to mention UMA, GPS, camera flash, IM, free ringtones, voicedialing, removable battery, etc.

]]>