A new company promises a 5G keyboarded BlackBerry in 2021(pcmag.com)
pcmag.com
A new company promises a 5G keyboarded BlackBerry in 2021
https://www.pcmag.com/news/new-blackberry-with-keyboard-coming-in-2021
67 comments
I don't know if there is a such a term or concept but I would put these companies or products in the same category:
Motorola, IBM Thinkpad, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Fujitsu computers
Motorola, IBM Thinkpad, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Fujitsu computers
Lenovo has done a decent job with ThinkPad. I'm running an X1 Carbon and love it.
I have had nothing but bad experiences with Lenovo ThinkPads, and refuse to buy anything else of theirs (especially in the wake of Superfish).
I had a T60 that had the both hinges snap in the case in normal operation, x230 screen broke and it refuses to start without reinserting the battery. I had similar screen issues with an x100e but at least that didn't have a quality persona around it, so I can't say I'm surprised.
I gave up a while ago and just use an iPad for everything (currently a student so I use the pencil heavily). If something warrants me using a keyboard then I just do at home with a tiny NUC I bought for cheap (HP EliteDesk 705 G2 Mini).
I had a T60 that had the both hinges snap in the case in normal operation, x230 screen broke and it refuses to start without reinserting the battery. I had similar screen issues with an x100e but at least that didn't have a quality persona around it, so I can't say I'm surprised.
I gave up a while ago and just use an iPad for everything (currently a student so I use the pencil heavily). If something warrants me using a keyboard then I just do at home with a tiny NUC I bought for cheap (HP EliteDesk 705 G2 Mini).
I can't speak for anything but the X1 Carbon series. I will say when this thing arrived it had a battery issue, but Lenovo overnighted a box and turned around a fixed machine in less than a week.
I see that they haven’t improved their QC. Why can they test their computer before shipping them to us, consumer? By the end before i switched to Mac, i was simply ordering 2 and keeping the one with the less issues.
Eh, they've butchered the T and X series. Aping the Macbooks will be their downfall.
What did they do to butcher them in your opinion? I just recently picked up a new X390 and it's a great machine for the price, with better specs in just about every area than a Macbook for half the price. Only thing I would improve is the screen, 1080p doesn't cut it these days.
I've used the older T420/30/X220/30 series laptops, and they are generally regarded to be well built modular machines that can last for a long time and can be upgraded with minimal fuss. They had 2 non-soldered RAM slots, removable storage, easily swappable batteries. If anyone is looking for cheap refurbished laptops, these are usually the go to suggestions for them.
I think the among the newer Thinkpads, only T480 has these capabilities, except the swappable batteries.
I think the among the newer Thinkpads, only T480 has these capabilities, except the swappable batteries.
IBM still seems to be doing well. Many businesses still rely on their products, such as AS/400
Not by choice.
It's not 1:1 with the narrative you lay out, but there are tons of parallels with Clay Christensen's Disruption Theory[0] ... basically that a successful business misses a new technology that cannibalizes them from the bottom up and they go into a slow death spiral because of their inability and unwillingness to adapt along the innovative axis.
[0] https://www.christenseninstitute.org/disruptive-innovations/
[0] https://www.christenseninstitute.org/disruptive-innovations/
Oh man Thank You. I came across this video (https://youtu.be/rpkoCZ4vBSI) years ago and I've haven't been able to find it again since. Your comment gave me enough of a breadcrumb to finally track it down
Essential Phone?
Blackberry was initially B2B. You could technically get your own personal Blackberry device, but you pretty much needed needed a business server to get the full experience.
They were starting to lean more towards consumer features in 2006 (reluctantly adding a media player!) but the iPhone forced them into the consumer market.
They were starting to lean more towards consumer features in 2006 (reluctantly adding a media player!) but the iPhone forced them into the consumer market.
Wondering if this is Nokia/HMD or more like previous BB/TCL.
No actual device announced, just a licensing agreement for the Blackberry brand to a Foxconn subsidiary "to deliver a new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone with physical keyboard, in the first half of 2021 in North America and Europe".
Bad title, the original is "OnwardMobility Announces Agreements with BlackBerry and Foxconn Subsidiary FIH Mobile to Bring BlackBerry 5G Smartphones to Market" which I might summarize as "Foxconn Subsidiary Licenses Blackberry Brand".
Bad title, the original is "OnwardMobility Announces Agreements with BlackBerry and Foxconn Subsidiary FIH Mobile to Bring BlackBerry 5G Smartphones to Market" which I might summarize as "Foxconn Subsidiary Licenses Blackberry Brand".
OK, we've replaced the submitted title ("New BlackBerry with physical keyboard announced") with a substring of the article title.
This thread is pretty good though. Sometimes a lame article generates good comments.
This thread is pretty good though. Sometimes a lame article generates good comments.
This article includes a bit of history and context ("Who Are These People?") about the new team, https://www.pcmag.com/news/new-blackberry-with-keyboard-comi...
> The maker of super-tough phones largely sells them to large business and industrial customers, but it also has products at all three major US carriers.
> The maker of super-tough phones largely sells them to large business and industrial customers, but it also has products at all three major US carriers.
Ok let's change to that from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200819005202/en/Onw.... Thanks!
Yes. I think that entire long 'article' could have been summarised in about two, very uninformative sentences.
As someone currently with a Key1 and have stubbornly held onto physical keyboards, I am hopeful this pans out. But other phone with physical keyboards have been promised and never come to fruition
I have a Unihertz Titan and it feels like a better Blackberry than Blackberry ever was. (I only ever used Blackberries since BB10 and later.)
A Key2 is my daily, but there's a backup unlocked Titan running Lineage ready to take over if it dies. Now the question is, once this hardware becomes available will I still need it or will the Key2 power though.
Although being able to load GSIs on the Titan feels amazing!
Although being able to load GSIs on the Titan feels amazing!
Woah, I had no idea there was a Lineage build for the Titan! Is it available through the Lineage site?
> But other phone with physical keyboards have been promised and never come to fruition
And others have; I'm typing this comment on a Gemini (Planet Computers).
And others have; I'm typing this comment on a Gemini (Planet Computers).
Relatedly I find it amazing that Planet Computers has found a niche and developed multiple cell phones with tiny qwerty keyboards.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transforme...
https://store.planetcom.co.uk/
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transforme...
https://store.planetcom.co.uk/
I just "finished" my first Gemini after using the hell out of it for two years straight until it finally gave up on me - it had missing keycaps, the obligatory cracked screen, dents & scratches for the last few months of its life, but still would not give up on me - until it finally went out few weeks ago.
I tried to do without a keyboard for two days, but I just can't do it, and got myself a new unit from Planet.
I guess I'm an old-skool kind of user, my primary app is termux + openssh for doing my mail and irc remotely, but the keyboard is good enough to do the occasional sysadmin and coding work - and that's not something you'd typically do on a blackberry.
I highly recommend this device. It has its flaws, but it's unike any other device available at this time.
I tried to do without a keyboard for two days, but I just can't do it, and got myself a new unit from Planet.
I guess I'm an old-skool kind of user, my primary app is termux + openssh for doing my mail and irc remotely, but the keyboard is good enough to do the occasional sysadmin and coding work - and that's not something you'd typically do on a blackberry.
I highly recommend this device. It has its flaws, but it's unike any other device available at this time.
How usable do you find the keyboard with a terminal? I had not heard about these before today but I am curious now.
Both the Gemini and the Cosmo look almost perfect as a portable terminal - the only thing I can see missing is usb-c power delivery for docking.
Both the Gemini and the Cosmo look almost perfect as a portable terminal - the only thing I can see missing is usb-c power delivery for docking.
It takes a day or two to get used to the small form factor, my left hand types with 4 fingers, right usually one or two. I was never a 10-finger-type of touchtyper anyway. Because of the limited key count somey characters are in strange places with a fn-combo, but these you just learn over time.
I find the keyboard good enough to take my phone out and write a proper business email, caps, punctuation, lingo and all. I find the keyboard good enough to reply to threads like this while waiting for the kids in the park. I find it good enough to fix a small bug in software, do basic git bookkeeping. I use it for IRC all day long.
I do not find the keyboard good enough to sit down and write proper documentation, or do real coding sessions.
I find the keyboard good enough to take my phone out and write a proper business email, caps, punctuation, lingo and all. I find the keyboard good enough to reply to threads like this while waiting for the kids in the park. I find it good enough to fix a small bug in software, do basic git bookkeeping. I use it for IRC all day long.
I do not find the keyboard good enough to sit down and write proper documentation, or do real coding sessions.
After two years I would expect issues like you have mentioned. It does not sound too good in my humble opinion. I guess you were doing more than just occasional work? :)
I have noticed they put MediaTek CPUs into their devices. Personally, I had bad experience with MT chips in various devices and they are putting me off to try out any of Planet PDAs. What is the Gemini performance in your opinion?
I have noticed they put MediaTek CPUs into their devices. Personally, I had bad experience with MT chips in various devices and they are putting me off to try out any of Planet PDAs. What is the Gemini performance in your opinion?
Well, it lived in my jeans' pocket without any protection for two years. The nature of a mechanical device like this (hinge, keys) you can expect to be more fragile than your average slab-of-metal-and-glass phone. I am not easy on my devices, i dont treat them nice, so i am not at all disappointed with lasting it for two years.
One note: the keyboard hates sand. It really does. Do not. ever. take your gemini to the beach.
Initially I was not happy about the MediaTek chipset, but in the end I figure I don't really care - the performance is still good enough for me to get a new gemini after two years, but I'm not the average multimedia consumer I guess.
One note: the keyboard hates sand. It really does. Do not. ever. take your gemini to the beach.
Initially I was not happy about the MediaTek chipset, but in the end I figure I don't really care - the performance is still good enough for me to get a new gemini after two years, but I'm not the average multimedia consumer I guess.
What percentage of the market for phones come with physical keyboards? I know some cling to the idea but I think the technology has progressed far enough to mostly eclipse it in every practical way, certain holdouts not withstanding, and the market reflects that.
Even after over a decade to adjust, typing on my old Blackberry's keyboard was just light years better than any touch keyboard I've tried since. Gesture typing, aka "swype," seemed promising at first but has somehow progressively gotten worse since then, to the point where I'm now considering disabling it.
I guess for most people, probably myself included, the tradeoff is still worth it, because most of what we do with our phones benefits more from a larger screen, than it would from a physical keyboard.
But, if I had a job that required me to write messages all the time, I would certainly consider a physical keyboard again. In fact I would even consider carrying a second device with it.
I guess for most people, probably myself included, the tradeoff is still worth it, because most of what we do with our phones benefits more from a larger screen, than it would from a physical keyboard.
But, if I had a job that required me to write messages all the time, I would certainly consider a physical keyboard again. In fact I would even consider carrying a second device with it.
I miss the days of rattling off detailed email responses with practically zero typos on the physical keyboard, on a touchscreen I'm constantly checking for incorrect Autocorrect replacements.
I carried two phones (an Iphone and a blackberry) for about a year before dropping the Blackberry, and I'd had about 10 different Blackberry models over the years.
That said, I don't think going back to physical is worth it anymore, I found that getting a slightly larger touch screen phone made the keyboard just big enough that my typing became sufficiently accurate that I can live with it.
That said, I don't think going back to physical is worth it anymore, I found that getting a slightly larger touch screen phone made the keyboard just big enough that my typing became sufficiently accurate that I can live with it.
I have a gargantuan phone now (which I can't stand, but anyway), but I think my typing accuracy is worse than it was on 2013-era Android, and I think that it's because the keyboard software is getting worse and worse.
Virtually every single time I have to enter anything more than "ok" or "5m", it's a frustrating experience.
The only reason I put up with it is that I never need to write emails or engage in long chats on the phone. I just use a computer for those. If I'm not home, well, you might have to wait until I get home to chat with me. This is a rather stark difference from the Blackberry days, I was happily emailing and chatting away on mine even at home with a computer within easy reach.
Since the pandemic started, I only use my phone for the 2FA app. It's regularly a chore to even find it, when it's been a week since I've used it and the battery is dead, so "Find my phone" can't be used.
Side note, I just got a new phone in December... considered the more expensive S10e, but ended up with the dirt cheap ($150 shipped) Moto G6. Man, was that a great decision in hindsight or what!
Virtually every single time I have to enter anything more than "ok" or "5m", it's a frustrating experience.
The only reason I put up with it is that I never need to write emails or engage in long chats on the phone. I just use a computer for those. If I'm not home, well, you might have to wait until I get home to chat with me. This is a rather stark difference from the Blackberry days, I was happily emailing and chatting away on mine even at home with a computer within easy reach.
Since the pandemic started, I only use my phone for the 2FA app. It's regularly a chore to even find it, when it's been a week since I've used it and the battery is dead, so "Find my phone" can't be used.
Side note, I just got a new phone in December... considered the more expensive S10e, but ended up with the dirt cheap ($150 shipped) Moto G6. Man, was that a great decision in hindsight or what!
The typing accuracy of physical is crazy! I was able to take notes in meetings without looking at the screen, can't do that on touch...
More importantly - where the heck did you get a G6 for $150??
More importantly - where the heck did you get a G6 for $150??
Amazon. They were on sale (November or December of last year).
I kind of wish I'd bought two.
I kind of wish I'd bought two.
Thanks, I'll keep an eye out this year
In the (previously) fast growing smartphone market people prioritize other things (mostly software, camera and multimedia playback related things). But in a plateaued market? I think there will be opportunity for differentiation. I certainly would consider a qwerty smartphone after trying the Passport.
Do people really like these huge breakable touchscreens that you leave oily fingerprints on, or do they merely tolerate them? It's a damn shame that phones with smaller screens and optical touchpad don't exist any longer.
> Do people really like these huge breakable touchscreens that you leave oily fingerprints on, or do they merely tolerate them?
Yes, people like them, which is why when they and “lets use half the available space for a physical keyboard” phones were on the market together, the latter got slaughtered by the former. Physical keyboard win for tactile feedback (touchscreen haptics aren't even close), but lose in adaptability (can't switch positions or layouts dynamically for different languages/contexts/emojis/gifs/one-handed use/handwriting/etc, usable screen space when the keyboard isn't in use, and, plus, the screen is still breakable but smaller, but now you also have a bunch of breakable mechanical parts.
Yes, people like them, which is why when they and “lets use half the available space for a physical keyboard” phones were on the market together, the latter got slaughtered by the former. Physical keyboard win for tactile feedback (touchscreen haptics aren't even close), but lose in adaptability (can't switch positions or layouts dynamically for different languages/contexts/emojis/gifs/one-handed use/handwriting/etc, usable screen space when the keyboard isn't in use, and, plus, the screen is still breakable but smaller, but now you also have a bunch of breakable mechanical parts.
Glass and screens on modern phones are amazingly durable now. I don't even bother with screen protectors now since under normal usage they're virtually unscratchable.
It's not the scratching that's the problem. It's the shattering.
I'll take, any day, a hard plastic screen which will survive being kicked round the streets with only a bit of scuffing to show for it over a scratch-proof glass one which turns into a mosaic if it drops off my desk.
I'll take, any day, a hard plastic screen which will survive being kicked round the streets with only a bit of scuffing to show for it over a scratch-proof glass one which turns into a mosaic if it drops off my desk.
I wonder this myself. If I can ever be bothered to read a review of a mobile phone these days [which is rarely] it seems to be accepted as self-evident that ultra-thinness, huge screens and non-existent bezels are what everyone wants.
Not me. I want a phone that has a bit of ruggedness to it, will fit in my pocket and leaves some room round the edge of the screen for me to hold the damned thing, without triggering some unwanted app or function.
Not me. I want a phone that has a bit of ruggedness to it, will fit in my pocket and leaves some room round the edge of the screen for me to hold the damned thing, without triggering some unwanted app or function.
A touchscreen keyboard is definitely one of those "good-enough" pieces of technology. It works because fewer and fewer people are into composing long texts these days.
I don't think it has eclipsed physical keyboards though. I make tons of mistakes on my iPhone 11 keyboard and have to backspace and retype, sometimes several times because the predictions are persistently incorrect. It's supposed to learn from my mistakes but I've been training it for a couple of months and it still hasn't figured out my typing habits.
I've accepted that it is what it is. The iPhone is a better phone than any phone with a physical keyboard. But a physical keyboard is incontrovertibly superior to a touch-screen one.
I don't think it has eclipsed physical keyboards though. I make tons of mistakes on my iPhone 11 keyboard and have to backspace and retype, sometimes several times because the predictions are persistently incorrect. It's supposed to learn from my mistakes but I've been training it for a couple of months and it still hasn't figured out my typing habits.
I've accepted that it is what it is. The iPhone is a better phone than any phone with a physical keyboard. But a physical keyboard is incontrovertibly superior to a touch-screen one.
I would be super into a phone with a physical keyboard, but I am on Google Fi and I am hesitant to switch.
I've given up on swipe typing. I have been using it for almost a decade and I still cannot type effectively with it. I am ready to go back to physical keys.
I've given up on swipe typing. I have been using it for almost a decade and I still cannot type effectively with it. I am ready to go back to physical keys.
I've been really content with my BlackBerry KeyOne and now KeyTwo. I got really tired of trying to type on glass; physical keys just work. I can find them with my fingers instead of my eyes, so there's a lot less ongoing frustration. I will likely try this new BlackBerry whenever my KeyTwo wears out, because the real keyboard makes a big difference.
I'm amazed no company seems to be interested in filling the market niche for physical keyboards.
I swear swype typing seems to have gotten progressively worse since it's early days, I suspect as machine learning from public data is relied on more than personal mechanics.
And also as the pool of users became more diverse, especially older (fat finger users like my parents) and less tech knowledgeable (ie don't use shortcuts or "hidden" features like swiping the spacebar, etc).
I used to be able to rely on muscle memory to swipe, but now that just seems to beg for the wrong result.
I know I'd pay a premium for a blackberry or htc tilt-2 style physical keyboard.
At this point, I'd almost go back to pocket typing with a physical dialpad and T3, circa 2000 style.
I swear swype typing seems to have gotten progressively worse since it's early days, I suspect as machine learning from public data is relied on more than personal mechanics.
And also as the pool of users became more diverse, especially older (fat finger users like my parents) and less tech knowledgeable (ie don't use shortcuts or "hidden" features like swiping the spacebar, etc).
I used to be able to rely on muscle memory to swipe, but now that just seems to beg for the wrong result.
I know I'd pay a premium for a blackberry or htc tilt-2 style physical keyboard.
At this point, I'd almost go back to pocket typing with a physical dialpad and T3, circa 2000 style.
The weird thing about swype typing for me is how it can swing from hugely impressive to beyond lunatic in the space of a couple of sentences.
One minute, I'm amazed when I've swyped a sentence using some of my favourite slang words [or even made up words / nicknames etc] and found it's been transcribed perfectly. The next, I'm staring in disbelief as it inserts some completely off the wall term like 'albatross' or 'dar es salaam' for a really everyday word.
One minute, I'm amazed when I've swyped a sentence using some of my favourite slang words [or even made up words / nicknames etc] and found it's been transcribed perfectly. The next, I'm staring in disbelief as it inserts some completely off the wall term like 'albatross' or 'dar es salaam' for a really everyday word.
Google Fi should work with most devices, including iPhone, laptops, tablets and mobile hotspots.
[deleted]
I remember a few years ago Samsung selling a keyboard case for one of it's phones [0]. If I recall the phone would detect it and scale the UI so that the keyboard wouldn't cover any important part of the screen.
Sounds like the ideal tradeoff. I've never seen one in real life however, so that tells me how big the demand for a physical keyboard is.
[0] https://www.zdnet.com/article/samsung-keyboard-cover-for-gal...
Sounds like the ideal tradeoff. I've never seen one in real life however, so that tells me how big the demand for a physical keyboard is.
[0] https://www.zdnet.com/article/samsung-keyboard-cover-for-gal...
I've actually been planning on getting one of those mini Bluetooth keyboards, take it out of the case, and design a custom cell phone case where the top hinges up similar to how a tackle box opens up. Still working out the details and measurements though.
Those mini BT keyboards are great for the money. I got a no-brand copy of a Rii one for £8 off eBay to replace the Apple keyboard I use to control my media server and which was gradually dying one key t a time.
I was really impressed at how the mini BT keyboard 'just worked' on my odd setup of Ubuntu running on Apple hardware. It's pretty tolerable to type on --at least for shortish stuff like web searches and naming files, etc. and it goes for a week or two on a charge.
I was really impressed at how the mini BT keyboard 'just worked' on my odd setup of Ubuntu running on Apple hardware. It's pretty tolerable to type on --at least for shortish stuff like web searches and naming files, etc. and it goes for a week or two on a charge.
God I wish BB10 was open sourced. Today the biggest problem with phones is their bloated runtimes, android being the largest offender. I want something with the form factor of the q10 running a QNX-based os I can ssh to and use rsync to copy music, contacts, and a calendar to.
BB10 had the opportunity to support security and the open web, instead of chasing the app store quagmire. WebOS is now open-source and based on OpenEmbedded, which can be minimized. Blackberry has already ported some of their special sauce to Android, they could do the same for WebOS, extracting suitable components from both BB10 and QNX/automotive.
Instead of worrying about apps (previous war), they could invest in a Rust-based browser and WebAssembly for mobile devices, building on their security strengths. Allow the 'mobile' device to dock with USB-C to a desktop display and keyboard, and you've got a WFH story for security-sensitive apps/data. They have enough proprietary security software to sell on top of WebOS.
Convert Blackberry Messenger to IETF MLS (open-standard E2E encrypted group messaging) and enable interop with Matrix and other apps/platforms that embrace MLS, while (re)creating a business identity network. By focusing on open standards and honoring their heritage in email/chat and physical UX, they could provide a usable alternative for high-end users who favor productivity and security without lock-in. Yes, BB was once the king of carrier gardens, but Apple is now a garden to be escaped, not emulated.
There may be Firefox browser engineers recently on the market, who can hit the ground running with variations of the above strategy. LG, lead developer of OSS WebOS, does not compete with QNX or Blackberry. QNX remains an undervalued gem. A hybrid OSS+proprietary model can bridge BB past & future, but it requires vision from Blackberry, not only a new brand licensee.
Instead of worrying about apps (previous war), they could invest in a Rust-based browser and WebAssembly for mobile devices, building on their security strengths. Allow the 'mobile' device to dock with USB-C to a desktop display and keyboard, and you've got a WFH story for security-sensitive apps/data. They have enough proprietary security software to sell on top of WebOS.
Convert Blackberry Messenger to IETF MLS (open-standard E2E encrypted group messaging) and enable interop with Matrix and other apps/platforms that embrace MLS, while (re)creating a business identity network. By focusing on open standards and honoring their heritage in email/chat and physical UX, they could provide a usable alternative for high-end users who favor productivity and security without lock-in. Yes, BB was once the king of carrier gardens, but Apple is now a garden to be escaped, not emulated.
There may be Firefox browser engineers recently on the market, who can hit the ground running with variations of the above strategy. LG, lead developer of OSS WebOS, does not compete with QNX or Blackberry. QNX remains an undervalued gem. A hybrid OSS+proprietary model can bridge BB past & future, but it requires vision from Blackberry, not only a new brand licensee.
Truth is, the company should have abandoned it's OS before they released their first touch screen device and go with Android. I remember playing with it (the Storm?). It was 2 years after the iPhone was released and it was two years behind the original iPhone.
The only moat to keep users they had was their messaging app, but Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp killed it with interop. And it's not like their userbase was as valuable as, let's say, Bloomberg chat.
The only moat to keep users they had was their messaging app, but Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp killed it with interop. And it's not like their userbase was as valuable as, let's say, Bloomberg chat.
The first release of Android was only a couple months before the release of the Blackberry Storm. That obviously wasn't an option.
I'm really getting downvoted without explanations here.
The Storm should have been a warning sign that their OS was starting to heavily lag behind. By the time it arrived on the market Apple already had the App Store and the 3G on the market. Anyone from BlackBerry taking a trip to the local mall would have noticed what was wrong with the Storm and the OS in the first 30 seconds when trying a (first gen!) iPhone.
The Storm should have been a warning sign that their OS was starting to heavily lag behind. By the time it arrived on the market Apple already had the App Store and the 3G on the market. Anyone from BlackBerry taking a trip to the local mall would have noticed what was wrong with the Storm and the OS in the first 30 seconds when trying a (first gen!) iPhone.
There developer story was way too confusing. Adobe Air just wasn't a good idea. Blackberry had been Java, and I wonder what made that a pain. The Runtime for Android was a good idea, but they really needed to pick something.
QNX is doing fine in cars, shame it never really got a chance. The 2 screen Doom and rebooting drivers over the network showed some amazing stuff.
QNX is doing fine in cars, shame it never really got a chance. The 2 screen Doom and rebooting drivers over the network showed some amazing stuff.
It wasn't so much that it was Java (albeit ME without generics) it was more you didn't get an awful lot out the box.
You had to hand roll all your UI with drawing routines that scaled across various devices and handle all the touch/tracker button events yourself.
Networking was a minefield. Depending on your connection (bis/bes/tcp/WiFi) you'd have to pass various undocumented params. Think we had a modified version of some networking code a RIM employee has given us, God knows how you'd have figured it out as an indie dev.
The support and open source ecosystem wasn't really there at the time either. Just a couple of devs who were super prolific and knowledgeable on the dev forums (thanks Peter Strange, if you're about HN)
You had to hand roll all your UI with drawing routines that scaled across various devices and handle all the touch/tracker button events yourself.
Networking was a minefield. Depending on your connection (bis/bes/tcp/WiFi) you'd have to pass various undocumented params. Think we had a modified version of some networking code a RIM employee has given us, God knows how you'd have figured it out as an indie dev.
The support and open source ecosystem wasn't really there at the time either. Just a couple of devs who were super prolific and knowledgeable on the dev forums (thanks Peter Strange, if you're about HN)
Q10 was a great form factor... and BB10's swipe methodology and permission control were great. Sadly they couldn't compete with Android and were really headstrong.
Give me a Q10 with a higher resolution display, better camera, USB C, and you got yourself a banger.
Sadly the Key2 physically was a step back from the comfort of the KeyOne. I hope this device actually stacks up, or they finally decide to make an official physical keyboard attachment for some other popular devices
Give me a Q10 with a higher resolution display, better camera, USB C, and you got yourself a banger.
Sadly the Key2 physically was a step back from the comfort of the KeyOne. I hope this device actually stacks up, or they finally decide to make an official physical keyboard attachment for some other popular devices
How is it possible that the key announcement of this development includes absolutely no photo of the purported keyboard?
Coming before that: A Psion Series 5-inspired keyboard for PinePhone.
1) successful consumer business
2) lose in the market so pivot to b2b
3) slow long decline
4) sell brand / assets to somebody else
5) new money results in a “hey we are going back to our roots” and launch products they originally were known for
6) finally go out of business for real, or sell remaining IP to a troll