The New Handheld Killer App Found at Last

[Ed Hardy]

Brighthand's Ed Hardy says that the feature that will push handheld sales back into high gear has finally come along.

Read more at http://www.brighthand.com/article/Ne...eld_Killer_App

[Sunz]

I cannot say how much i disagree with that whole included keyboard. .. i do agree with the push .. or rather i'd just say that having a constantly connect pda would be the 'killer state' that would make more buy it .. always online .. that would sell .. look at dsl and cable internet at home .. it isn't just speed . it was the being online all the time and the lack of being disconnected ..etc.

i think there are other hurdles and maybe some have been correct since i puchased my 5455 some years back .. reliability and consistency .. with software refinement would make things infinately better .

syncing and facing problems like MS software loosing the devices identiy so that you have a full duplication of contacts and appts etc .. big problem... happend a lot for me especially tyring to keep things sync'd betwween work and home.

hardware freezing and draining battery or in general complete resets of the device .. happend quite often to the point that there was a period where i just was not interested in using the thing anymore .. (always happend when i needed it the most)

Better music capabiliies .. we buy these things to be our all purpse device .. plya mp3z like an ipod (or damn close) ..can you say BT STEREO heaseet .. better program .. no winmedia .. there was a winamp type program don't knwo what happend to that.

im sure there are more . .but this post is getting really long

just my 12.75 cents.

-sun

[imported_palmsolo]

As I just posted about on Geek.com today, you can get this same RIM functionality on a Treo 600 or 650 with the excellent Chatter email program. It has been out for a while, but I just picked up a Treo 600 and discovered this application. I now don't think I can go back and am getting more and more addicted to this push instant email ability. You do have to have an IMAP email service, but you can find those for free too.

[Bulverde]

I agree that push email and a QWERTY keyboard are critical elements for wireless PDAs, but there probably are a few additional requirements for success, especially in enterprises:

1) Great battery life. RIM has mastered power management.

2) A great keyboard. Again, RIM sets the standard, and it is surprising that other vendors have not licensed and implemented more RIM-like keyboards. There are plenty of devices with QWERTY keyboards, but not all are created equal. The Motorola MPx keyboard is too small to be very useful and the even though the keys on the Nokia 9300 are larger, they are not discrete, so you have to watch every keystroke.

3) Over-the-air synchronization. See Good Technology's GoodLink licensees. Never need to cradle these devices.

4) Solid security and managability software. RIM BlackBerries have a pretty good reputation in this regards. Credant has a great security suite and many device vendors are starting to bundle it. However, now that the T-Mobile Sidekick II has been hacked, it's not cool anymore.

5) Wide geographic coverage for email. Can you take the device to lots of other countries and still get your email and surf the Web? RIM has this covered and Good Technology is getting there. Forget about devices like the T-Mobile Sidekick II.

6) A decent PIM and wide range of third-party software. The RIM PIM is rather rudimentary and could be improved, but I guess most users that have not used other PDAs find it adequate. On the other hand, the Sidekick II will probably never be much more capable than the moment you take it out of the box, as there are few third-party applications available.

7) A fast enough processor so that you can run Skype and have free phone calls.

No one vendor has nailed all of these items, so there is still plenty of opportunity for new devices to come along and hit a home run.

[Heda]

people make far to big a deal out of push email, like it is some kind of amazing discovery. it's basically just a cross between regular email and IM, except not NEAR is fluid or intuitive as IM. honestly, whats the big deal about recieving your email that very second? u could just set your inbox to check for email once a minute.

BlackBerries are ok for their intended email usage, but thats about it. that's the only interesting thing they even offer. all you basically need is BlackBerry push email tech built into a PPC and you'll be fine. because PPC's can do a zillion other things a BlackBerry cannot.

i was issued a BlackBerry by my work awhile back, was not impressed even in the slightest. it's like really old tech somehow being hailed as a great thing because of 1 feature.

[Ed Hardy]

Let's be clear, I'm not saying that everyone should go out and get a BlackBerry. What I'm saying is RIM has had some very good ideas; ideas that many other companies should -- and are -- emulating.

I'm perfectly aware that a BlackBerry isn't isn't right for everyone. Me for instance. However, RIM has found a function that many, many people want.

What I want to happen is for other companies to emulate what RIM has done, while at the same time offering features that BlackBerries do not.

The purpose of the whole second half of this editorial was to tell some handheld makers what they are doing wrong on trying to imitate the BlackBerry. I only hope they are listening.

[Spiderman]

I have to agree with Ed and Bulverde on their assessment of RIM. Many business executives don't care about anything else except their email and they want it NOW!

Heda, while its true the only interesting item that the Blackberry provides is the push email, it does it very well and its very simple, which is why so many people are flocking to it. Execs and others don't want to be technically savvy to read their email. With the Blackberry, they don't have to be.

Now, for us techies who are technically savvy and want all the other goodies that are out there, but still want and require push email, is there a way to retrofit existing PPC's to use the same technology that RIM offers? I don't mean using similar technology like Goodlink, but using RIM technology that pushes email content to different devices? My company already supports RIM and will not support any other technology, so if you don't have a Blackberry then you're out of luck.

[jimn367]

You miss some really key points in your article:
1) In general people buy Palms, Pocket PCs IT departments buy Blackberries
2) Blackberries are successful because of IT security concerns
3) Blackberries are successful because they are simple and work "as delivered". No third party e-mail, complex configuration, software conflicts
4) Did I mention IT security?
5) UI designed for no stylus
6) Did I mention IT security?

Pocket PC phones and Palm phones continue to be consumer purchased goods - relegating them to the world of the 'uber'geek.

Let's see Treo 650 costs me $400. Blackberry free from my company with free service

[Fzara2000]

Another consideration that none has made it SPAM.

Push e-mail has its advantages but if you receive spam would you like it pushed. or better said push spam.

Also the Blackberry lacks an e-book reader (altough mobipocket is developing a version for it). And the Blackberry lacks multimedia software to play video and music, something that today is included even in the most basic handhelds.

[imported_CSimpson]

Two key features in RIM's success that weren't mentioned are:

1. The wireless network they run on has better in-building penetration than most cellular-based data services, and

2. The U.S. Federal governemnt is so addicted to Blackberry use that they won't let RIM die. Back when the sales weren't rolling in as fast and the lawsuits were piling up, people on Capitol Hill were actually talking about a RIM bailout in the event that they became insolvent.

That being said, my vote for PDA killer app, at least in a business sense, has always been portable real-time access to a corporate database.