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If you have not read Part1:http://www.wesisearch.com/blog/?p=39 

If you have not read Part 2:http://www.wesisearch.com/blog/?p=54

The key to success in the rapidly changing technology industry is innovation; innovation is the fuel to the corporate fire for companies such as Microsoft,Apple,Google,etc. Based on the events of the past year we can see that Blackberry maker RIM has been starving as their innovative fuel has been non-existent. Despite lackluster performances in the past, the recent changes in the form of new services,new features, and most importantly, new devices, may prove to be the fuel that will reignite the Blackberry brand.

When it comes to new features and services, Blackberry has never really been known for constantly releasing new features in the way that Apple does with big events seemingly every other week. New features for Blackberry devices have been stagnant outside of the release of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger), however with the rapid changes that have occurred in the past few weeks it appears that Blackberry is trying to take back some market share in its battle against Apple’s i os and Google’s Android operating system. The introduction of BBM music is Blackberry’s response to the ever popular itunes which has changed the music industry forever.

BBM music is a much needed innovation for Blackberry because, as mentioned in part 1, RIM lacks diversity in their products and services and that is the main reason for their downfall. When you look at other great companies in the industry,Apple has laptops,music players,itunes,Iphone’s,Tablets, an operating system etc. Microsoft has software,a cellphone operating system,Xbox,Bing. RIM only had it’s devices, and the truth of the matter is, single service companies do not survive in the 21st century, that is the reason why Wal mart sells food a couple aisles away from their t-shirts. The concept behind BBM music is a program that for only $5 a month you can share up to 50 songs with your friends through BBM. This means that if I have the new Katy Perry song and you don’t have it I can send it to you while you send me those classic Michael Jackson songs that you are always playing. The concept is great because it promotes social interaction around the love of music with your contacts through bbm.RIM is essentially trying create a social media platform for music. Great idea but flawed execution. We are not saying that the music program will be unsuccessful,we wish RIM all the success in their new endeavours, but the truth of the matter is 50 songs just isn’t enough. For some people to have 50 songs to share with your friends is a great concept, but if 50 songs were all people had on their playlist then ipods with 16,32, even 64 gb of storage allowing storage for thousands of songs would never have sold. They did sell, and a whole lot of them over the years have sold. The other issue with BBM music is the residual income that Blackberry is receiving from the consumer when they go over the 50 song limit. If you want another 50 songs you have to pay more money.Of course the math makes sense but those fees will add up without you noticing it. $5 here and there and before you know you spent $20 on top of the mandatory Blackberry data plan and the other fees handed to you from your service provider. These extra fees could be the death of bbm music.The other changes in the BBM upgrade  allows for social media updates with your contacts when you achieve a certain level in a game or are attending an event,etc. very similar to google places, but a bbm social version. For more information refer to part 2.

Blackberry has recently launched four new devices which are all different in their own ways which RIM hopes will appeal to returning customers and attract new ones. All of these devices come equipped with Blackberry os 7,BBM 6,a 5mp camera,expandable memory, and NFC(Near Field Communication). Not sure what NFC is check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk5mUdeEF8c 

 The Blackberry Bold 9900 is an update to the Blackberry Bold flagship device. The Bold 9900 is equipped with a 2.8 inch capacitive touchscreen(uses electric pulse from body,i.e Iphone touchscreen.) a 5 megapixel camera that records in 720p quality, and 8gb of storage on board. The device has also become thinner as it is only 10.5mm thick, which is always better when thinking about pocket comfortability. It is nice to see a touchscreen on a Bold, but a touchscreen size of only 2.8 inches limits the functionality and makes us wonder if it was put on there to make the device more useful or simply to seem relevant with other devices.

The Blackberry Curve 9630 is more of an entry level device in comparison with the Bold, but is still a device that many have and will use. The new curve comes equip with a 5 megapixel( no 720p recording), 512 mb of on board storage, and is 11 mm thick. The Curve lacks a touchscreen but due to the size of the 2.4 inch screen it is not really a drawback. The issue with the Curve is the slow processor which can be a deal breaker for those wanting an extremely fast device. Overall, all the new Blackberry’s have increased in speed but are still not up to par with devices from other makers.

 The update to Blackberry’s first touchscreen slider is the the Blackberry Torch 9810. Can this device really be considered an update  is up to you to decide. The device has a very similar look to the first generation Blackberry Torch, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your taste. The 9810 has a 3.2 inch touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera that records 720p resolution,and a slide out keyboard. There have been some instances in the past of screens sliding off due to bad hinges but it is rare.  The Torch at 14.5 mm thick, although not 1990′s ish, is still thicker than alot of other devices. Of course this is due to the slide out keyboard, but it is definently something worth noting when considering this device.

 The Blackberry 9860 is Blackberry’s first all capacitive touchscreen. The Blackberry Storm was a touchscreen but it used haptics technology which made the screen click when you pressed it, this made it not very good in quite situations. The 9860 has a 3.7 inch touch with a trackpad and four control buttons. The 9860 also has a 5mp camera with 720p recording, 4 gb of storage, and is 11.5 mm thick. The device is Blackberry’s answer to the full touchscreen devices which are becoming very popular in the marketplace.

 For those who have an older model blackberry and would like to upgrade their phone, there is the Blackberry trade up program where you can get up to $100 for your old Blackberry and apply that to the price of your new one. It is unsure if this program applies to the newly launched Blackberry os 7 devices as the website still shows the previous models. This program may also only apply to Canadian users but visit the link and check with your service provider for more info. https://tradeup.blackberry.com/en/ca/web/home.html 

The answer to the question “Should I get a new Blackberry?” is simple, it’s up to you. The pros and cons of the company’s structure, new features, and devices, have all been addressed and now that you have the knowledge it is your decision as the consumer to decide which device is best for your lifestyle. After all once the device is purchased it is really hard to bring it back with all those cancellation fees, contracts, waiting in line, using a loaner phone until you can get another one, you get the picture.

Don’t have the time to search for yourself, want to know which product you should buy? send us your questions at http://www.wesisearch.com/wesi.htm Why Search When WE Can

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What’s happening with Blackberry?

If you have not read Part1: http://www.wesisearch.com/blog/?p=39

If you have not read Part 3: http://www.wesisearch.com/blog/?p=102

For many companies or products, there comes a point where the actions made can change the course of corporate history. For RIM, the Blackberry product and brand is at a point where every announcement,unveiling, and sale will determine the future of the product. The future of the Blackberry product has been revealed in the form of many different devices, however the Blackberry Bold 9900, Blackberry Torch 9810, and the Torch 9850, appear to be the driving forces behind the future successes of the Blackberry brand.

These three models, which should be released by September the latest, share across the board improvements which should increase Blackberry’s performance and customer satisfaction. The improvements integrated into these new models include, the Blackberry operating system(os) 7 update, a revamped Blackberry messenger service(bbm), a faster processor, and a liquid graphics display screen.

The Blackberry OS 7 update will be available in the upcoming devices and includes improvements in the internet browser and the bbm application. The browser has come some ways from the blackberry internet experience of the past, which it is fair to say was not much of an experience. The updated browser is faster in loading and is more fluid in motion, especially when zooming in and out on the touchscreen devices. The disadvantage with the browser is really a preferential disadvantage, if you like flash content….it’s not here. Flash is important to those who it is important to. You know if you need flash integration if you are constantly streaming videos or want to experience the complete integration of YouTube videos and features while on the go. However, by not having flash your internet page will probably load faster, or in some case not at all, it just depends on the site.The internet experience is not at the level of Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android, but coming from a product that was initially designed as a businesspersons gadget turned teen text enthusiasts weapon of choice, the progress is applaudable.

BBM 6 is also an incentive to upgraded your Blackberry device, but the changes are minimal in regards to the overall functionality and the ” I lost all my pin numbers” issues. It is too early to say if BBM 6 has repaired the past issues, but the main feature that is being marketed with the service is the integration of social media into your bbm. Similar to the connectivity on Facebook of being able to post what app you are using or the level you achieved in a certain game, bbm 6 will allow that information to be shared with your contacts. Simply it is a way to feel more connected with your contacts and integrate them into the events you are attending or the apps you use. Overall, the bbm concept has been innovative over the years and has been a driving force behind Blackberry’s success in the past and the creation of the term “pin me”. With some improvements this service can become extremely effective, and the fact that it is free is always an incentive.

The two major upgrades which are found on the three devices mentioned above, and will be further covered in the part 3 finale of this article, are the processor and the liquid graphics display. These new devices are powered by a single core 1 -1.2 ghz processor which is an improvement for Blackberry products, so past users will feel the increase in speed which is a good thing. The problem is those numbers will not put you in competition with the competition. As much as people love a upgraded honda civic, you probably will not see one at a race between two Bugatti Veyron’s. The innovation is great but products are now being powered by much more powerful processors, it kind of makes the improvement seem outdated . That issue aside the processor is an improvement and the liquid graphics screen definently appears brighter and sharper than older model Blackberry devices. These new products are suppose to function 30-40% faster than Blackberry os 6 models, and over a 100% faster than Blackberry os 5 models.

The truth is the update of the Blackberry OS to Blackberry OS 7 can be considered an update because changes occurred, but not enough change has occurred for you to really notice a difference. The update can be best described as paying an interior decorator to remodel a room and the end result was they simply opened the blinds and let some sun in. Not to discredit the changes that were integrated into this update, but it just seems that a little more effort should have been put into the update to make it more attractive to returning and new customers. Blackberry is in the process of developing a new operating system called QNX which is the system powering the Blackberry playbook tablet, however this software will be integrated into the next batch of Blackberry products. It appears that Blackberry should have skipped os 7 and implement the new os, but everything is done for a reason.

To see the QNX OS visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u38QxazX1cs

Have you ever owned a Blackberry device? let us know your positive or negative experience.

For more assistance on any product before you purchase or other inquiries visit http://wesisearch.com/wesi.htm let us research for you,why search when we can ?

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What’s happening with Blackberry?

Part 1

If you have not read Part 2: http://www.wesisearch.com/blog/?p=54 

If you have not read Part 3: http://www.wesisearch.com/blog/?p=102

Before we decided to write this article, a few of our members roamed the streets in search of blackberry users to ask them what they thought about the recent issues surrounding Blackberry maker RIM. We discovered two things that day, there are alot of Blackberry owners, and the more shocking finding, 90 percent of them did not know that the company was going through some hard times. The problem with RIM and Blackberry is not necessarily that their products are bad or people no longer like Blackberry’s, the issue is simply outright procrastination. Everyone knows the effects of procrastination;falling behind at work, last minute studying for an exam, waiting to the last minute to book your vacation,etc. RIM’s procrastination is a bit more serious then being late for school, RIM is simply moving to slow to compete in the ever growing mobile device industry. You might wonder “so what they take a little longer to launch their products,big deal”, the truth is this a very big deal and has resulted in thousands of job cuts and a drastic drop in market share. When you are competing with a company that has more cash reserves than the United States Government, and another company that is probably the home page of almost every internet user in the world, you have some serious no hold back competition.

Blackberry devices have evolved from the pagers they used to be. With that innovation came the efficient portrait qwerty Keyboard, sleek designs, and the fan favourite Blackberry Messenger (BBM). However as time progressed competitors have risen up and have done an effective job of stealing the market and pushing Blackberry down a few notches in the mobile hierarchy.The innovations which once placed Blackberry on a pedestal have either been integrated into rival devices or simply have become primitive in this rapidly changing market. The best example is BBM, a free messenger which enabled users to communicate seamlessly with other Blackberry users around the world, has now found competition in the imessage text based messenger from Apple which will be available for iOS 5 users. The more recent issue with BBM is the numerous malfunctions which have resulted in messages not be received and individuals losing their contacts information and pin numbers due to unexpected reboots in the system.

However,Blackberry’s new devices show great promise with the introduction of Blackberry OS 7 and a revamped BBM software which now has social media integrations allowing your contacts to better connect with you through the apps you use,etc. We will cover these updates in part 2 of this article.

What many people do not know is that the last  Blackberry cellular device to be launched was the Blackberry Torch Slider, that was in August of 2010. The last 12 months has been filled with speculations about new devices that would be launched in early 2011, spring 2011,etc. After 12 months of waiting RIM recently launched several new devices, most importantly a Blackberry Bold update, as well as two new Blackberry Torch variations one with a slide out keyboard and the other a 3.7 inch full touchscreen device. The question to ask yourself now is “Should I get a Blackberry ?”. For all the Blackberry lovers out there who did not know the severity of this situation….it is pretty serious. Blackberry has posted lackluster sales this year and is at breaking point. Depending on the success of the newly launched devices, the company could recover or digress into a state of disrepair. The recent job cuts should not be too much of a worry as they have to cut jobs in order to repair the mistakes and move forward. However, if there is another string of job cuts in the future it would not be a favourable sign.

How has your experience been with your Blackberry device? Will you support your company when these new devices launch in a few weeks or are you planning to switch to another company? Let us know your opinion below.

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Should I buy a Netbook? The Consumer Dilemma

Unfortunately for many students the school year is quickly creeping around the corner and the only thing on your mind is holding onto every ounce of summer that is left. The truth is you might not have the slightest clue about why you took quantum theory 2200,but it is more important to know about what tech gadgets you should buy to get yourself through the year. Every student at one point or another comes to this question “should I buy a netbook?”

When it comes to making a choice on computing it can be one that at appears much harder than it really is. To make this process as simple as possible we omitted brand names, which company had the best commercial, etc. and simply went to the root of the battle between buying or not buying.

Netbook is the universally accepted term for those ultra portable small computers that you usually find positioned on a table at your local coffee shop. Netbooks usually range in screen size between 10-12 inches and allow for easy access to the internet. Netbooks have become increasingly popular since their release a few years ago due to their sleek profiles,ease of portability, and most importantly to students, their low cost. At average prices ranging from $199.99 to $299.99 they almost always fit comfortably into every students backpack and budget. For the most part netbooks also offer a faster start up time and a substantially longer lasting battery then the conventional laptop. These important features are made possible due to the lack of components under the hood, which is both a positive and a negative trait, all depending upon the individual.

Netbooks on average give you a battery time of about 7 hours, with some models pushing the usage time to 9 hours. The battery lasts longer which is great but that is not due to the technology they put in, it is from what they took out. Netbooks lack DVD drives,powerful processors, adequate memory space, and powerful graphic cards. If you plan on watching movies in your dorm, doing ten last minute essays in one night, saving all your favourite songs and pictures from your numerous albums, or playing online with friends,a netbook may not be the best fit for your needs.

When it comes down to the decision making process the most important advice to take is the personal one. Technology purchases are an individual decision,that is why there are so many options and configurations in the market place. If you are simply looking for a device that can allow you to check your Facebook while on the go, do some word processing, and still have a battery life that will last the whole length of lecture without looking for a plug, a netbook should be a consideration for you.

For anything else that you love to do that requires more computing power it would be advised that you spend the extra money and upgrade to a full scale laptop with a dual core processor and all the trimmings. If you look around you can find a great full scale laptop that are in a similar price range as a netbook.

What computing devices do you use or plan on buying, netbook, laptop, tablet? Let us know why you chose that device.

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