November 26, 2013

Blackberry – and that wonderful keyboard

I used to own a Blackberry. In fact, I think I have owned about five. Maybe more. As a family, we seem to have a drawer-load.

But now, like most ex-Blackberry users, I put up with the dreadful keyboard on an otherwise beautiful and nifty iPhone. I mis-type mor eth an I type. But I persevere with the iPhone because the idea of owning a Blackberry is no longer tenable on a 24 month contract.  Plus Blackberry was never any use on the internet – which was something of an achilles heel, to say the least.

The game has been up for Old Blackberry for some time. And the departure today of Frank Boulben, BlackBerry’s chief marketing officer is just another nail in a coffin that has been lurking at the heart of the brand for some months now.

However, I really do hope that this is not the end of the Blackberry heritage. That old-school keyboard still has many fans (even if most of us keep quiet about it nowadays). I’m not sure what will arise from the ashes of RIM in 2014. But I wish Blackberry well, even if they have to be reinvented with a new non-toxic brand name.

My tip: there is still a market for a great smartphone, with great apps, and – er – a great keyboard.