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Topic: Mobile OS

Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

Summary: I tried to give RIM a real chance with a new BlackBerry Bold 9930, but after a month I have to give up on it and the PlayBook and move on to active platforms.

Matthew Miller

By for Smartphones and Cell Phones |

Just over a month ago I posted about my new BlackBerry adoption and am now ready to give up on RIM and sell off my BlackBerry Bold 9900 and PlayBook. I have several reasons for giving up on the Bold 9900 and PlayBook with the Windows Phone Mango and Amazon Kindle Fire news just making my decisions so much clearer.

BB Smartphone

I knew that I was giving up some things going from the Droid Charge to the Bold 9930, but the extremely poor Gmail functionality (does RIM really think I should spend time managing email in two places?), lack of native Exchange (I knew this going in, but can't deal with it in every day life.), battery life about the same as most other current smartphone, minimal real life usage of BBM, and much more exciting happenings on other platforms make my decision to drop my Bold 9930 pretty easy. Application support isn't a concern as most all apps I have on other platforms are available on BlackBerry smartphones even though the overall number of apps in App World is much less.

The Bold 9930 is a very nice piece of hardware, but the battery life is not stellar like previous BlackBerry smartphones, the camera is just decent and not great, there is still no NFC support for the Verizon model, and it hangs way too often for my tastes (especially when compared to my Mango devices that fly around the interface). Application updates take a long time and almost always require a 5 minute reboot.

BB PlayBook

The BlackBerry PlayBook is a good tablet, but it is very expensive for what you get and the slow rollout of the major update is killing me. With the new Amazon Kindle Fire in the same form factor with a MUCH better ecosystem I don't see the appeal of a PlayBook unless you are a die hard BlackBerry user. RIM should be releasing the PlayBook 2.0 update soon, but it really should have been before the Amazon Kindle Fire announcement as $199 for a fully functional Android tablet is tough to beat.

I am now looking to sell my Bold 9930 and PlayBook and move on. If Verizon had a new Windows Phone Mango device I would buy it today and I am now considering the iPhone 5 on Verizon too. Mango is my preference, but since I have two Mango devices on T-Mobile I am more open to something else on Verizon.

Topics: Mobile OS, Amazon, Hardware, Mobility, BlackBerry, Security, Verizon

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42 comments
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  • wow

    WOW... I left the BB platform in 2006 and never looked back, so sad to see you had to suffer this long...
    Hasam1991
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

      @Hasam1991 <br>I left RIM after the Storm. What a piece of crap. I made the mistake of buying the Playbook thinking Jim Balsillie was actually telling the truth last April when he said the new apps would be out in 60 days. He's an idiot of epic proportions. <br><br>Truth be told, the Playbook is an awesome piece of hardware. Unfortunately RIM is clueless and cannot execute any sort of game plan.

      They are completely lost in a parallel world someplace in another galaxy.
      ryork272
      Reply Vote

  • Yep RIM is DEAD. We knew that though. QNX isnt changing anything

    Its a non issue. RIM's completely blown it, their only hope for relevance now is to beat Nokia to the enterprise market with Windows Phones. If they cant do that theyll just continue to hemorage share until they hit 2%, then 1% and eventually go away with zero share holder value.
    Johnny Vegas
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

    A stripped down Kindle Fire is no match for the Playbook, which you can now get at Staples B&M for $250.

    Playbook specs:

    Starts at 16GB ($250 at Staples B&M stores)
    Front camera, 3 Mega Pixels
    Rear camera, 5 Mega Pixels
    HD video recording
    Built-in Video Chat
    Full Flash playback so you can watch videos on Amazon.com, Crackle.com and Youtube.com/shows, etc.
    HDMI out and can play full 1080p standard profile on high-end flat panels

    Also, the CPU/GPU combo in the playbook is the best of the field right now, see the Anandtech.com review.

    Within weeks we'll have QNX OS 2.0, which will have an Android virtual machine to run android apps, quite possibly including Netflix, which just opened up its app to almost all Android devices in the last week or so.
    sagec
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

      @jacec Yea you beat that dead horse!
      Bates_
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

        @Bates_

        Reach deep..., now, do you have a valid/logical response?
        sagec
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

      @jacec $250 really? I just bought 2 last night for $299...help! I'll buy you a beer....
      danallan2@...
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

      @jacec

      It's not about specs - it's about experience. People want to buy a tablet to simplify their lives, not to have to run android apps in a VM. You say that like it's a good thing. It only indicates how thin the BB ecosystem is ... not a particularly impressive statement for RIM's ability to inspire developers to move to the PB platform.

      Don't forget - this is a company that built a tablet that required a tethered BB to properly support email. They've clearly lost their orientation.
      lapland_lapin
      Reply Vote

  • &quot;I am now looking to sell my Bold 9930 and PlayBook and move on&quot;

    Sell it to me! I'll pay you US$10.00 :D
    disparates
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

      @disparates I'll give you $25....and pay for shipping
      danallan2@...
      Reply Vote

  • Best of luck

    Matt the Playbook (16gb) is now $250. Is $50 too much for the extra space, cameras. Kindle has not listed their hardware specs.

    Everyone has their needs. I use Blackberry (9930) as my primary need is voice and messaging. I have access to every device on the market and use many of them and still use a Blackberry as nothing beats the core thing I use it for. Android is a mess IMO. I find the UI cumbersome and inconsistent based on carrier / hardware vendor whims.

    I'll accept your knock on RIM for being slow as yes they have spent a long time working on QNX updates. OS 2.0 announcement is in a couple weeks so I'll have to see what they announce and how long until they release it. I enjoy the Playbook as it does again exactly what I need.

    I have no need for a ecosystem. I do not buy content. Period. I have well over 10TB of movies and music along with a vast amount of ebook/emags. Being able to sync this onto Playbook as needed is exactly what I want. If they supported MKV I'd be even happier.

    I understand the appeal of an ecosystem but frankly I don't have the wallet to purchase or desire to stream my media.

    How soon will we see the Kindle book by Matt Miller?
    MobileAdmin
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

      @MobileAdmin <br><br>FYI, the specs are now live:<br><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Color-Multi-touch-Display-Wi-Fi/dp/B0051VVOB2/ref=amb_link_357575542_4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0ZXYEF5ZVDFP628JH7E2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1321408942&pf_rd_i=507846" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Color-Multi-touch-Display-Wi-Fi/dp/B0051VVOB2/ref=amb_link_357575542_4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0ZXYEF5ZVDFP628JH7E2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1321408942&pf_rd_i=507846</a><br><br>No mic, no camera, no deal.<br><br>The Playbook has it beat hands down, but rabid ABRs (anything but RIM) are foaming at the mouth rather than comparing specs and $$.
      sagec
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

        @jacec

        No memory specs, no AVI support, no HDMI

        It's a cloud tablet period.
        MobileAdmin
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

        @jacec

        512mb so half that of Playbook.

        Lower specs are apparent in early hands on with frequent screen lag and hiccups.

        You get what you pay for.
        MobileAdmin
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

    I have the Blackberry Bold 9930 as well and I agree with your assessment. If the Windows phone came with a good keyboard the like Bold, I would get that. RIM really missed the boat and my next phone will be an Apple or Nokia Win phone if they survive. RIM, RIP......
    CowboyJake
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

    BB9930/9900 is one of the best phone ever Built. Stop being mouth piece for some other company. What you doing promoting Windows Mango. Useless negative propaganda, Amazan Kindle not even out, without checking it you saying you will replace PB for Kindle. Why you guys try to write a article? If you can not do fair judgement don't even try.
    powerphrase@...
    Reply Vote

  • Mat Miller - We pity your decision

    So the 9930 bashing has started, just when I started reading rave reviews about the product somebody had to come on - and oh its you Mat! I am still struggling with an i pad that constantly hangs and deletes data, my friends tell me about how confused they are with the android and Oh yes, this poor self owns a blackberry which has managed to keep me going for the last many years.. and you expect me to believe that article of yours Matt???
    GraXY
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

    So Matt's new suit didn't fit--who cares? BB isn't one-size-fits-all, Matt.
    bud carlos
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

    Mouth piece for Windows, Please stop writing reviews
    powerphrase@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Sorry BlackBerry fans, I just can't stick around any longer

    Staples web site says $299 after rebates....$250? where? how?
    danallan2@...
    Reply Vote
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