Now, there is a bit of irony that I’m writing this on the release date of the new Blackberry Torch, because for all intents and purposes, this new Torch is their attempt to answer the iPhone and Android (and upcoming Windows Phone 7), and from what I’ve read and seen, it’s not too bad. But I’ll make a Bold prediction (see what I did there?) and say that I think it’ll be a relative flop.
Why? I just got done setting up our first Blackberry device for one of our users. To this point, we had been exclusively Windows Mobile, Android and iPhone, but had not purchased the Blackberry Enterprise Server, so we told our users to avoid Blackberry devices. Well, that changed when the VP decided he wanted one because his daughters had one and they loved them. Mind you, he was coming from a Verizon Touch Pro 2 (which I hadn’t yet updated to Windows Mobile 6.5.3, but I have now) and it was too “fancy” for him. He just couldn’t get the touch screen figured out and didn’t like having a keyboard on the face of the device. Ok, fine, whatever.
So, we got BES installed and configured, and I got his device configured yesterday. To show my extreme ignorance to the Blackberry Model, I had no idea that the device actually synced with Research In Motion (RIM)’s server, not the Exchange Server (like Active-Sync). So, I was clueless as to how it worked.
Unfortunately, sometimes ignorance truly is bliss. In this case, once I realized that in order to sync email, the device has to talk to the RIM servers in Canada which then have to talk to the Blackberry Enterprise Server, which then has to talk to the Exchange Server to get mail/calendar/contacts/tasks. Honestly, it’s a bit amazing that a) they ever got it to work, and b) anybody ever accepted that model as something to use. Active-sync, on the other hand goes from the device to the Exchange Server. Period. No wonder Google, Apple, Nokia and Palm have all paid the licensing fee for Active-Sync from Microsoft. It just makes sense.
So, anyway, then I moved on to the device, a Blackberry Bold 9650 (I think) on Verizon. I kept trying to hit stuff on the screen, and it wouldn’t respond. Then I remembered what it was like to have a non-touch screen device. It was agony. The stupid optical trackpad worked, but what a pain. The device moved really quickly, right up until I synced it with the BES server. Then it slowed down to a relative crawl. After 5 minutes with the Bold, I wanted to rip my hair out.
But then it hit me, the very reason that I hate that device so much is the very reason that so many people in the corporate world swear by them: they’re simple basic devices. They really are, in my opinion, the dumbest of the smartphones. I’ve played with every other Smartphone OS (except Symbian), and they’re all considerably more powerful, but also a bit more complex to use on a regular basis. Sure, iOS SEEMS easy now to most people, but for a 50+ year old, it’s just not intuitive. WebOS is beautiful, no doubt, and once you get used to it, very easy to use. Android has a bit of a learning curve, as it’s more tailored for geeks. Windows Mobile 6/6.5, as much as I love it because I’m a total geek and can do just about anything with it, it NOT user friendly. Yeah, I’m a Microsoft fanboi, but comparatively, it sucks. Windows Phone 7 is natural for me to use because I have a Zune HD. I think the interface is simple and easy, but I’d be willing to be that if I handed it to my 60-something year old mother, she wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails of it.
Blackberry still exists because of two groups of people:
- The people who’ve been using it for years and are just really comfortable with it
- People who are, uh, more advanced (in years) and just want something simple that they can still get their email and contacts on
There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I do believe that it’s a diminishing market. Much like Buick has had to reinvent itself with the new Lacrosse and Regal, I believe Blackberry will have to reinvent itself. Maybe the Torch is that device, but I don’t believe it is. I think they’re going to have to change their model to keep up with the iPhones, Androids and (hopefully for my sake) Windows Phones. HP may be able to do something with WebOS and Palm, but I wouldn’t say the future is looking to promising for them either.
So, Blackberry users, enjoy your devices. But when the younger generation looks at you with questioning eyes, understand that just as you find these new-fangled touch-based devices awkward, we find those old-fashioned, touchpad-based devices antiquated and difficult to use.
Oh, and RIM: Get a clue about single point of failure. Just license Active-Sync like everybody else and make life easier. kthxbye