Comments on: Should Research in Motion create a Windows Mobile powered BlackBerry device?

By: BlackBerry Sacrilege | RIMarkable

BlackBerry Sacrilege | RIMarkable — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 06:51:21 +0000

[...] ain’t the BlackBerry OS running on the BlackBerry Curve. I remember writing a post asking should Research in Motion create a device that runs Windows mobile and someone told me that it was BlackBerry sacrilege even to suggest such a [...]

By: Analyst predicts that RIM will kill the BlackBerry OS and run Symbian | RIMarkable | The official, unofficial BlackBerry Weblog

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 04:53:58 +0000

[...] In the most popular post here on RIMarkable in recent months, I asked the question should Research in Motion create a Windows Mobile powered device in addition to the BlackBerry. If there is one [...]

By: martin c.

martin c. — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 05:23:39 +0000

I am with Josh on this one. I have been using a BlackBerry for about 4 years now and a Windows Mobile device for about 3 1/2. I love my BlackBerry, however, if I could only keep one, I would keep my new Palm 700w hands down.

I’ll even admit that Windows mobile 5 isn’t as stable as my BlackBerry 7250 as I make a point to softboot it before I charge it for the night. There are, however, just too many things that I use Windows Mobile for that aren’t available on the BlackBerry that I cannot live without.

By: Josh Maher

Josh Maher — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 06:15:25 +0000

I would personally like to see RIM make a WM device, it would be interesting to see what they could come up with. There are alternative push technologies though. SyncML (OMA-DS) and LEMONADE are the two most common standards based push technologies P-IMAP (Push IMAP) is replaced by LEMONADE so it is getting down to two standards. These of course are the technologies that can sync the 80% of the devices out on the market (not RIM and WM devices). Most SymbianOS phones already support them and the support is growing. Take a look at Funambol, Isode, Consilient, Synchronica, Sun, the list goes on and on for companies supporting these two standards. The feature sets supported are strong and the ideas behind them are as well.

Ideally RIM will end up supporting one of these (kind of like how everyone supports SMTP for email and how IM is getting close completely open).

Stay tuned, I will put up a better analysis of the alternatives.

By: Amac

Amac — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 06:04:08 +0000

I have a question for those of you who say you wouldnt buy RIM products if they make a WM device. What product would you use? Palm? Their Versa Mail isnt push. So what would you do?

By: Thought

Thought — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 02:37:08 +0000

No doubt Robb hit a home run with this question…look at the number of responses!

As to those who say they’d abandon BB if RIM also made a WM unit…I agree that it may not be a totally rational move given that RIM would also in this scenario still make the BB units…but humans are emotional, psychological creatures too, and so it is very probable that any RIM association with WM would alienate some of their current customer base.

With the customer, perceptions are reality, and so this has to be taken into account.

However, going back to the original question of whether this makes sense…I don’t see any point in RIM putting out any models with such a broken OS as WM. A company is judged by consumers often on the totality of its reputation in the marketplace, and putting out a WM device can only subtract from RIM’s reputation. Better to put the resources to work developing even better BB’s…

By: Amit

Amit — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:00:32 +0000

I still don’t think that this is a move that RIM needs to make, however, I do see your point Robb. No matter what RIM does with their BlackBerry line of devices there will always be a market for Windows Mobile Devices as Microsoft isn’t going anywhere and many of it’s users, like users of the BlackBerry will never switch.

This is a very good, thought provoking question my friend.

By: Robb Dunewood

Robb Dunewood — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:32:02 +0000

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t understand how someone could say that they are a die-hard BlackBerry user, however, if RIM ever decided to offer a Windows device, in addition to the BlackBerry that you know and love, that you would never use a BlackBerry again.

I am not asking the question if RIM should make a Windows Mobile device in place of the BlackBerry. I am talking about a completely separate line of hardware in addition to the BlackBerry.

Think about how Ford makes F-150 pick-up trucks. Ford also makes the Lincoln MKZ. Multiple hardware lines within the same company are not mutually exclusive. Saying that I will no longer buy GE kitchen appliances because GE also makes trains just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

By: thirtythreezero

thirtythreezero — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 05:33:37 +0000

Totally agreed with “hell NO”. The reason I got a black berry is because I hate
windows based phones. I’m a die-hard mac user, I’d never go back to blackberry
if they made a windows phone. ew.

By: Hell NO

Hell NO — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 02:07:58 +0000

windoz sucks