Microsoft, Windows 10 & Blackberry

[kg4icg]

I certainty hope not! The only thing BlackBerry is doing that I'd like to see on Windows Phone is gesture based navigation so we can get rid of the bottom buttons. Yeah, I think BB10 OS is slightly ahead of WP 8.1 feature-wise, but Microsoft is getting there. In the mobile/enterprise market BlackBerry and Microsoft are kinda doing the thing, why would Microsoft pick up a financially troubled company that offers no advantage? And let's not have BlackBerry build physical keyboard phones for Microsoft as the double typing issue on the Q10 (and looking like the Passport and Classic are double typing too) proves that they don't build the wonderfully durable phones like they used to.

I don't have the double typing problem on my more than 1 year old Q10, sometimes, I think it is what some people are doing. I love the hub features of BB10, not even iOS and Android can compare, and as for apps, no big deal. I can use the web browser. I do have a Samsung Ativ S Neo with 8.1 on it too that I use for a back up just in case. By the way if you think a company that still has $3 billion in cash and virtually no debt is financially troubled.

 

[rhapdog]

Thought I'd put in my 2 cents here.

While I agree with a lot of people here on why Microsoft should NOT buy out Blackberry, there is only one reason to think of why they may want to consider it. That is, to own the patents. They don't need or want to have Blackberry phones, however, the patents Blackberry owns may be valuable and helpful to Microsoft. If they did this, that is, bought them for the sole purpose of patents, then Blackberry would be pretty much instantly killed off. I really can't see that happening, as it just isn't Microsoft's MO lately of trying to help and assist other companies as opposed to killing them and taking their stuff. Sure, they bought Nokia's phone division with all the patents, but didn't kill it off. They bought it to save it and to make use of it. If Microsoft wouldn't be able to make use of it in a big way, then there is no reason to buy Blackberry.

However, Blackberry may be doomed in the coming years anyway with Microsoft's Windows 10 possibly taking over the Enterprise sector. That would be cool. Not cool for Blackberry being doomed, but cool if MS takes over the enterprise mobile sector.

 

[SteveNoza]

I don't have the double typing problem on my more than 1 year old Q10, sometimes, I think it is what some people are doing. I love the hub features of BB10, not even iOS and Android can compare, and as for apps, no big deal. I can use the web browser. I do have a Samsung Ativ S Neo with 8.1 on it too that I use for a back up just in case. By the way if you think a company that still has $3 billion in cash and virtually no debt is financially troubled.

I agree BlackBerry hasn't been driven off the cliff yet, but they are losing customers and market share and you can only stay breathing so long on cash and stock investments.
As far as the double-typing issue, people on the Crackberry forums figured out it is caused by the metal discs in the membrane under the keyboard moving out of place, it is not user error. Admittedly, I am hard on phones, but all my prior BlackBerrys have had no problem, in fact my 7290 was still working perfectly when I gave it away a few years ago, close to a decade! BlackBerry has not even admitted there is a problem, much less deal with it. Does Microsoft want a company that operates like this? I know I don't, that's why I'm with Window Phone.

 

[Blade800]

You say that like its a bad thing.

It is if we are talking about SMARTphones. What smart things can you do with 3 inch display? Lose your eyesight? Call and text period.

I am not a fan of big displays either, I am owner of Lumia 925 and I am capable of having max 5 inch display but get over it, smartphones needs big displays.

 

[fatclue_98]

It is if we are talking about SMARTphones. What smart things can you do with 3 inch display? Lose your eyesight? Call and text period.

I am not a fan of big displays either, I am owner of Lumia 925 and I am capable of having max 5 inch display but get over it, smartphones needs big displays.

How much screen do you have left when the virtual keyboard is active? Ever try doing an Excel project in landscape without a physical keyboard? Smartphone doesn't mean watching YouTube or playing games.


Sent from my iPad Mini 3 using Tapatalk because it amuses me. Gotta problem with that?

 

[snowmutt]

That slider they teased looks awful sweet.

Sweet mother, yes it did, I have played around with the Passport about a dozen times at AT&T stores, and I love the gesture based OS. throw the portrait slider form factor at me, and I am getting weak in the knees....

I do not want to cheat on my Windows phones, but she is so darned tempting. If AT&T picks it up, I am in fear of my failure of will power.

 

[SteveNoza]

It is if we are talking about SMARTphones. What smart things can you do with 3 inch display? Lose your eyesight? Call and text period.

I am not a fan of big displays either, I am owner of Lumia 925 and I am capable of having max 5 inch display but get over it, smartphones needs big displays.

BlackBerry does have great full touch phones, the Z10 & Z30 that have great predictive keyboards. They are perfect to convert physical keyboard die hards (like me) to full touch. Unfortunately, both are getting long in the tooth, and have issues. BlackBerry desperately needs to release a flagship full touch phone.

 

[xandros9]

It is if we are talking about SMARTphones. What smart things can you do with 3 inch display? Lose your eyesight? Call and text period.

I am not a fan of big displays either, I am owner of Lumia 925 and I am capable of having max 5 inch display but get over it, smartphones needs big displays.

I remember doing plenty of things on a 3.1" Palm Pre 2 (only complaint was landscape PDFs, but that reflected more on the resolution than size), a 3.5" iPod touch, a 2.7" Palm Treo, a 3.2" HTC Aria/Intruder when I had those devices. (albeit sometime after the fact, I never really was on the edge of current tech)
Never seriously used ones, but Blackberries were king once.

I never used one beyond a store demo, but hey, many people got by on the 2.6" HP Veer. (I heard it was smartphone enough for Jon Rubenstein.)

I realize it might not be ideal, video watching is going to be a pain, but its being pretty neglected.

 

[snowmutt]

Honestly, love me some BB. Always have. But I see the direction they are moving, and if Mr. Chen has his way (which there is no reason to think he won't), this will be a services company. They will release phones simply because with them not manufacturing them much anymore, it is cost effective so long as enterprise users and government agencies are interested.

But I had to use a Note for a while as a backup device, and I am so over the Google experience. Forget the app gap- there is one. I just think the apps run poorly on Android. I think the phones- even the high end ones- end up laggy. If I had to leave Windows, I would put Android at the bottom of my list. That BB is depending on Google Play services which require a GMail account and often Google+ accounts which in turn have pushing advertising to you whether you want it or not an art form, makes me worry about BB devices. It makes sense from a business sense, as does using the Amazon services. Just may be enough to keep me from actually buying a BB.

Have I mentioned my opinion on that portrait slider idea yet??

*shudders in excitement*

 

[anon(6038817)]

I agree BlackBerry hasn't been driven off the cliff yet, but they are losing customers and market share and you can only stay breathing so long on cash and stock investments.

BlackBerry does a lot more than make phones. They've turned the company around with their software and services and in their last shareholder meeting announced that they were cash flow neutral ahead of schedule. They're not making money on their phones. Even if they stopped making phones tomorrow they would be alright, thanks to QNX, BES12, etc.

Many people don't realize they've improved substantially from their condition a year ago.

 

[fatclue_98]

I'm shuddering too brother 'Mutt

Sent from my Ancient HTC Titan II on WP7.8 using Tapatalk because I like slumming every now and then

 

[anon(6038817)]

Honestly, love me some BB. Always have. But I see the direction they are moving, and if Mr. Chen has his way (which there is no reason to think he won't), this will be a services company. They will release phones simply because with them not manufacturing them much anymore, it is cost effective so long as enterprise users and government agencies are interested.

But I had to use a Note for a while as a backup device, and I am so over the Google experience. Forget the app gap- there is one. I just think the apps run poorly on Android. I think the phones- even the high end ones- end up laggy. If I had to leave Windows, I would put Android at the bottom of my list. That BB is depending on Google Play services which require a GMail account and often Google+ accounts which in turn have pushing advertising to you whether you want it or not an art form, makes me worry about BB devices. It makes sense from a business sense, as does using the Amazon services. Just may be enough to keep me from actually buying a BB.

Have I mentioned my opinion on that portrait slider idea yet??

*shudders in excitement*

Actually, BlackBerry phones do NOT support Google Play Services. Their phones have the Android runtime, which allows them to install and run Android apps, but apps that require Google Play Services do not work. 10.3.1 comes with the Amazon Appstore preinstalled, but most Amazon apps do not require Google Play Services.

The day BB phones support Google Play Services is the day I start looking for a Windows phone. And I certainly hope Windows does not implement the Android runtime, either, as has been rumored. I want no part of Google, thank you.

 

[Alain_A]

Actually, BlackBerry phones do NOT support Google Play Services. Their phones have the Android runtime, which allows them to install and run Android apps, but apps that require Google Play Services do not work. 10.3.1 comes with the Amazon Appstore preinstalled, but most Amazon apps do not require Google Play Services.

The day BB phones support Google Play Services is the day I start looking for a Windows phone. And I certainly hope Windows does not implement the Android runtime, either, as has been rumored. I want no part of Google, thank you.

there is a way to install Google play service on a Berry.....

 

[anon(6038817)]

there is a way to install Google play service on a Berry.....

It's not a feature that ships with the OS. You have to patch it yourself.

 

[Keith Wallace]

I think Microsoft could do well to get Blackberry to produce enterprise-level devices. They're best-known for their security and appealing well to that sector, so if they were an OEM for Windows 10, it would probably be a good get for the device portfolio. I don't think they should buy the company (if that was the solution, I'd just patent security tech and create a device in-house), but if they could get Blackberry to release a Windows Phone version of their next device, it could be a smart pairing.

 

[Alain_A]

It's not a feature that ships with the OS. You have to patch it yourself.

yes, you do but at least, it is available for you to do so

 

[fatclue_98]

It's not a feature that ships with the OS. You have to patch it yourself.

Not exactly a con, we put PfD for WP8.1 and Insider to get the W10 Tech Preview. Neither of those ship with the OS. Sideloads, homebrews, whatever you want to call them, they're available for most platforms.

 

[spideymaniac]

Whoa this is interesting read, i am using Lumia and Z10 and quite like em both, on Z10, i love Hub, it's just splendid! But i see no reason why would MS buy BlackBerry, but i'd like to see BlackBerry become big again, just so their apps are growing!

 

[ianberg]

Microsoft has stated it is Cloud First, Mobile First (software) and BlackBerry has cut back its hardware lineup to focus on software. They're positioning to be direct competitors rather than positioning for a merger.

Sent from my Lumia 710 using Tapatalk

 

[fatclue_98]

Microsoft has stated it is Cloud First, Mobile First (software) and BlackBerry has cut back its hardware lineup to focus on software. They're positioning to be direct competitors rather than positioning for a merger.

Sent from my Lumia 710 using Tapatalk

It would not kill Microsoft to enter into a symbiotic relationship with BlackBerry as Samsung has. By helping each other they stand a better chance to climb the ladder instead of trading paint and letting the leaders pull even further ahead.