A VC - Latest Comments in Talking Blackberry

Re: Talking Blackberry

Peter Chun — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:46:27 -0000

Fred, looks like your wait is almost over. Early word is it will hit TMO mid Feb. I'm using a Roger's one now unlocked on at&t. All good. Link from CG: http://www.crunchgear.com/2...

Re: Talking Blackberry

fredwilson — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:24:21 -0000

Ah, yes!

Re: Talking Blackberry

evbart — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:31:11 -0000

I ended up getting the Storm, and I'm loving it, but I don't think I require typing as much you do.

The big screen makes all the difference in the world. I'm all about reading RSS feeds with Viigo ( http://www.viigo.com/home )

Re: Talking Blackberry

fredwilson — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:27:21 -0000

This is what I want next

Re: Talking Blackberry

evbart — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:55:15 -0000

Here's a review of the new curve, which is coming out for Rogers
http://bit.ly/TX9P

Looks pretty sweet

Re: Talking Blackberry

fredwilson — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:30:55 -0000

I tried it once and didn't like it

I'll try it again

Re: Talking Blackberry

Cheyne — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:03:42 -0000

Install the Opera Mini browser on the blackberry. I use it on my Curve and it's an enormous improvement.

Re: Talking Blackberry

fredwilson — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:00:29 -0000

I use the BB browser about 20x per day

It's not great, nowhere near the safari browser on the iPhone

But it gets the job done for me whenever I need it

Re: Talking Blackberry

josh guttman — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:34:05 -0000

I'm in the midst of my 2nd try at the iPhone and predicting a similar result as before and return to blackberry. I've been impressed with the Bold, but not clear on advantages of getting the new Curve 8900. If the Boy Genius picture is accurate, the keys are redesigned to match the bold and it looks like the frame is plastic (rather than metal on the bold), which makes it slightly less durable. I've heard RIM is marketing the curve as a more affordable option so maybe it also has a slightly less powerful processor, but their website doesn't say yet. If all this is true, the only other potential advantage I could see is a smaller form factor, which could be significant.

Re: Talking Blackberry

evbart — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:35:52 -0000

You might be able to score one of these sooner by getting it in Canada....and unlocking it

http://www.boygeniusreport....

I think I'm going to spring for the Storm, the big screen is just too nice to ignore.

Re: Talking Blackberry

Mark — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:31:57 -0000

Agree completely, Fred. Although, I am loving my Bold. Like all of the new Blackberry models (besides the Pearl and Storm), you'll get used to the keyboard. iPhones/Androids/Windows Mobile are all for kids and don't get the job done. I've gone through so many models now that I can't even count, and I'm convinced there's no way even the "all powerful" Apple will be able to compete with RIM.

Re: Talking Blackberry

Guest — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:07:23 -0000

Don't use Google Calendar in general but it looks pretty nice on Safari on the iPhone and I've read some hacks that pretty easily let you load it to your calendar. I'll try a few out and let you know if any of them are decent. When I use my blackberry, I usually delete my E-mails off of it and let them sit on the E-mail server or my laptop when I'm done with them so I don't think I've used that feature more than 2-3 times but it would be cool on an i-Phone. I used the Gmail app on the bb and it pretty much sucked compared to the i-Phone.

In RE to contact look up, would race you on the iPhone any day. With favorites, voice recognition apps (which blow the vr on bb away) and the ability to simply click a letter on the side and role to the contact name I find it a lot faster than bb but it may be a tasted thing.

Bottom line: All of these activities at best would take up a couple minutes each day of my life. I spend a lot more time on my i-Phone using apps and core functionality that the bb can't do than these sort of abilities but I'd definitely add them to the "wish list"

Re: Talking Blackberry

Christopher Herbert — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:08:34 -0000

How about the ability to search your email on the iPhone? Or to sync Calendar with Google Calendar? Or to start typing a name to dial and have Contacts filter until the correct name pops up (whether first, last or middle).

I find iPhone and Curve extremely complementary, but I hate carrying them both around. I just rock the holster and explain to fashion police that I'm married.

Re: Talking Blackberry

evbart — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 13:38:13 -0000

Thats definitely something that needs to be emphasized. Who has gone to the iphone from a blackberry curve, and not switched back? When I waited in line to return my iphone 3G, the guy knew right away that I was going back to my curve, he said those were the only people returning the iphone.

You don't count if you carry two phones. There absolutely no reason, in this day and age to carry two phones with one in a belt holster!

If the storm could deliver, I would love all the functionality of a blackberry curve along with a big screen, it just seems to be missing the sweet spot.

I'll second Fred, lots of kids in Manahattan use BBM.

Re: Talking Blackberry

fredwilson — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:15:54 -0000

Re: Talking Blackberry

fredwilson — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:00:40 -0000

I totally agree. My kids BBM way more than they text

Re: Talking Blackberry

lazerow — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:33:27 -0000

News reports today reveal that the Mumbai terrorists used BlackBerries to communicate during their attack. They didn't reveal which one. Just an interesting tidbit ... Happy holidays Fred. The security (they probably used Pins), the ease of use, the keyboard and better form factor made the device the obvious choice for the terrorists.

Re: Talking Blackberry

Guest — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:26:13 -0000

I stuck, wouldn't dream of going back...

Re: Talking Blackberry

NF — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:29:45 -0000

Because that's how kids in NY/LA roll! BBM is the mobile social network of choice for today's teens - much bigger than Loopt et al.

Re: Talking Blackberry

Dan Cornish — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:40:39 -0000

He is the thing, the keyboard will be irrelevant soon. Apple can build in a keyboard or a third party can but this misses the point. Apple just solved the marketing innovation which is the key to dominating the mobile market, much like Microsoft innovated marketing back in the day.

The arguments about keyboards and the like sound line the old arguments about a mouse driven operating system (Mac) and a text based OS (MS-DOS). I remember all of the arguments about this and they were irrelevant to who won the OS wars. Apple now has over 65 million customers with credit cards for iTunes. he growth rate is crazy. Even more than this is the growth of the app store. Today there are over 10,000 apps for the iPhone and Touch. http://148apps.com/10000/
I have a blog post about this and why software developers will not continue to develop for the Blackberry. Much like developers stopped developing for the MAC years ago.

Re: Talking Blackberry

andyswan — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:16:35 -0000

@bijan I saw the blackberry olympics where you brought that knife to a gunfight and lost your crown.

I sit corrected and say you are the exception that proves the rule.... :)

Re: Talking Blackberry

bijan — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:10:36 -0000

@andyswan

i went from a blackberry curve to an iphone. and i stil use the iphone as my main squeeze.

Re: Talking Blackberry

Mike Su — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:39:12 -0000

The Nokia E71 is the best phone I've used so far...slick packaging, keyboard, email....doesn't have the iPhone app store, but for business use, I'm totally happy with it and think it's worth checking out for any BB user.

Re: Talking Blackberry

fredwilson — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:43:38 -0000

My kids get my ³hand me downs² and the bold was a hand me down of a test
model I got for free and unlocked for $49

Re: Talking Blackberry

stan — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:24:28 -0000

Fred, why does your teenage daughter have or need a Blackberry?