Comments on: Not Getting a Blackberry Pearl

By: Rob Hyndman

Rob Hyndman — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 00:20:42 +0000

There's no question that they're targeting first time BB users, but they've been quite open about that.
As to first time cel users, um, no. I now know several long time BB users who are now on it. (Psst - it's smaller.)
And the BB has always been a damnable brick.
Dudes - lose the holster (and the man purse). It looks about as badass as bermuda shorts and black socks, and no, the chicks don't dig it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:59:13 +0000

I agree, the boss just got a Pearl as 3 of us int he office have 7290's and I played with his for a couple of hours and just could'nt get the typing down as easy. I'll wait for the 8800!

By: sternthinker

sternthinker — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:28:01 +0000

Hi Mark. A more charitable explanation for RIM's choice of that unquestionably annoying keyboard is that RIM is targetting 1st time buyers, who have been using an “ordinary” cell phone — and therefore don't have previous BB keyboarding experience. If this is hypoithsis is borne out, RIM will have trained an emerging, younger customer cohort to becooe comfrotable with RIM's new, proprietary keyboard. Now that's a significant switching cost, IMO. I think RIM chose the right keyboard for the Pearl.