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Nov 20, 08 - 11:43 am Comment from: Demon

RIM, Rims itself in a Storm of Razz-berries for inept Blackberry Storm design and implementation.

I thought to myself that having to press the screen in every single time would be tiresome. I also would grow annoyed with that clicking noise. One of the things I love about the iPhone is its silent and effortless operation. Just very light taps on the screen, no click-clacketiness (though it's an option for those who prefer it). I don't want to press any buttons, I can barely stand the home button.

But everybody screams about buttons and tactile feedback, so I figured that I was a unique case and SurePress would be a positive for the Storm. Doesn't seem to be the case so far, at least not when matched with a sluggish interface.

Looks like RIM found the "Uncanny Valley" (google it) of phones!

""With the touch-screen Storm, Research In Motion Ltd. offers a response to Apple Inc.'s "

I really don't think that Apple has asked anything to RIM, what are they responding to?

Funny a few weeks ago over here in uk in the Evening Standard I read a pretty positive review of the Storm especially the speed of the clickable keypad blah, blah, blah. After reading this succession of damning reviews I rather think number one that they never actually tried it at all and two they probably copied the review directly from RIM pr material. After all they (and others like them) are used to doing that with Microsoft.

As usual and expected...RIMM gets their device pooped in all articles and AAPL drops lower than RIMM...thanks a ton, multiple HEDGE funds. Buffet was correct about you...way too many of you out there...you are killing the average joe investor and the market in general. You don't tank a company with fantasy numbers to lift up your companies who can't innovate and compete.

Nothing can compete with the iPhone.

Nothing.

Not that I am against all these negative stories about the Storm, I would never give up my iPhone, but MSNBC seems to like it.

can't always be a biased source for Mac news.

This one is the most devastating commentary I have read so far...

http://www.mortgagebrokers4london.co.uk/article.php?article_id=1120

I think RIM, Verizon and Vodafone are about to be sued to kingdom come with this product if they keep on selling it...

Nov 20, 08 - 12:45 pm Comment from: HMCIV

Tough day of reviews for Blackberry.

It cracks me up these companies and there trademark names for a technology.

SurePress. PlaysForSure. etc.

People have such little faith in their product already, that they have to reassure them in the title of their sub-technology.

MW: Hil as in: larious

It's from MS--NBC. 'Nuff said.

Nov 20, 08 - 01:32 pm Comment from: LordRobin

What companies like RIM are missing is a hard-ass, design-oriented CEO that won't let a product out the door unless it Just Works. Like you-know-who. I can't see Jobs allowing such crap design choices in his products.

Instead, I figure the opposite motivation was in play here. Hurry, hurry, just get it out the door in time for Christmas!!

------RM

Nov 20, 08 - 01:41 pm Comment from: NCMacMan

You have the usual pre-release reviews from the typical sources that are close to the manufacturer. These are usually the first ones out. What gets me is that once the general press gets a hold of these devices, the truth comes out about the device, and the Bold is no exception.

Well, it looks like RIM is just shooting blanks at this point. You can't even win a battle with a big bang, a little smoke, and no results.

Nov 20, 08 - 01:52 pm Comment from: Crazylegs

This is brutal stuff. I'm probably one of the most fervent defenders of the Blackberry on this site, but even I am disappointed beyond belief. I do want to play with one myself but the reviews are mediocre at best and scathing at worst. Ouch.

There were rather unflattering iPhone reviews, true and imaginary issues reported, yet - iPhone sales were and are surprisingly strong.

Storm will sell, and RIM is in better position than Apple. RIM does not need to sell 10 million devices to prove success. Their target is lower and will be easier to hit.

Nov 20, 08 - 02:12 pm Comment from: Zune Tang®

Another good thing about the Storm is that it connects with the existing IT infrastructure where I work. Cool!

I'm a PC.

Your potential. Our passion.™

RIM is the perfect name for the company since the company is heading toward the toilet rim....flush...

Nov 20, 08 - 02:31 pm Comment from: Demon

Why did RIM get the Bold so wrong?
Easy, instead of focusing on what RIM's business is (Corporate email Enabled Phones) and what RIM does best. They took their eyes off the ball and started chasing Apple's iPhone. Currently RIM as a choice to make, they can forget all about the iPhone and what and where Apple is going and go back and take a LASER focus on what RIM was doing best in (Corporate email Enabled Phones). Or they can become one of the pack following the leader and chasing what Apple is doing and were they are taking the iPhone.
RIM needs to take a good look at the PMP Market were Apple's iPod is the top selling device. How did Apple get their? By doing what they are doing in the Smart Phone Market, Create Hype, Generate a BUZZ, and causing all the other makers to abandon their focus and flushing all their plans to chase Apple and to follow Apples Path. As they say in Business if you're not the first out with an innovation then you're not the sells leader. iPod and Smart Phone companies will never be leaders as long as they are chasing Apple.
Big Huge Cash rich and developer Microsoft will never beat or even compete with Google in Ad revenues because Microsoft's corporate culture is not about creating and exploiting innovation it's all about being a virus, you adopt or copy others innovation then you extend it. (Windows, IE, ActiveX, .NET, Silverlight, IIS, MediaPlayer, Zune, Live, Windows Mobile....) While some of the products listed have some minor innovative feature or implemented concept overall the product was not first to market and other then Windows and IE (both are now slipping in Market share), are not the leaders in their markets, ActiveX is still beyond Java and fading, .NET is behind Web Application Servers and not gaining ground, Silverlight is so far behind Flash that it stands about as much chance as a snowball in Phoenix during July, IIS is a distant third in Web servers behind Apache HTTPd, Windows MediaPlayer is fourth and being trounced by iTunes/QuickTime and some Commercial play software, Zune doesn't even beat iRiver in sells with the iPod being the market leader, MS LIve, well if you assume it's a Google, Yahoo, competitor it's number 3 in a three way race so far behind the market leader google it requires MS to use StatNav Tracking just to know how far behind they are. Then there is Windows Mobile not the first smart phone OS but, MS failed attempt to build a Software, hardware vendor model (the the PC Market) to the cell phone industry, But this year in not meeting their goal of 20 Million licenses sold it's clear that Windows Mobile is a failing endeavor. (I'd be remiss if I failed to comment on how the Wii is kicking the XBox 360's Ass)
So, as they say, if you're not the lead dog the scenery never changes and neither does the aroma. So, if you're in Business pick something that you're the lead dog in by being first then be better then everyone else and say LASER Focused on your customers, your business, your plan, and your market, do not, I repeat, do not, loose focus and start chasing the shiny balls or the shiny new money because if you do you'll be a pack dog fighting over the lead dogs scraps with the rest of the pack, just like were RIM is headed now.
Why is Apple's iPhone so popular? It's a new class of Cell Phone. Apple saw a gap in the market and used that Gap to leverage it's way into an already tightening market. The Gap Apple used an Plugged was the true internet on a cell device. It didn't hurt that Apple did it with an innovative approach and a cool looking device. They just sent the iPod along for the ride. The iPod touch is a platform test - trial balloon if you will, to find out what works and what does not while Apple continues to push the base OS forward till it's ready for a new device hardware platform. Why have an iPod that might chew-up some of your iPhone market and revenues unless you want to risk some iPhone sells to test a potentially much larger market.

Nov 20, 08 - 02:36 pm Comment from: MikeK

"Tough day of reviews for Blackberry."

---------------------

Actually, some reviewers (including Walt Mossberg's) had some good things to say about the Storm... I doubt they will make it to the MDN page though..

Appleinsider did a recap of the reviews:

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/11/20/review_roundup_rims_new_touchscreen_blackberry_storm.html

You sure are obsessed, MDN.

People like Mossberg have a reason to treat the Storm with some kindness... he's already criticised for being too pro-Apple.

The fact is that this is another example of the difference between Apple and the rest, be they phones, pc's or mp3 players... Apple makes them all enjoyable, easy and intuitive to use.

But with the Storm, the rush to make it, the pressure from Verizon and Vodafone means there are fundamental flaws, not just usability.

The screen being a click pad, means there is space and air directly accessing the innards of the device - and that is bad, really bad. Dust, pocket fluff, sand - let alone water or even moisture will be the real Achilles heel of the Storm.

Does that mean that the new MacBook touchpad will suffer the same fate?

I mean, it does work the same way.

"Does that mean that the new MacBook touchpad will suffer the same fate?"

No, because Apple knows what the fsck they're doing.

It doesn't "work the same way" at all. And nobody I know keeps a MacBook in their linty pocket or purse.

Gotta love 'em.