Is the Blackberry era Over? Still big in many parts, but "Laying off workers."

[Distant Observer]

Whats the feeling in the US. I have been away for a while?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/21/us-rim-jobs-idUSTRE75K2AU20110621

RIM starts handing out layoff notices

The stock is down more than 50 percent this year after a series of missteps as it tries to keep pace with Apple Inc and other innovators in the smartphone and tablet computer markets.

[drm604]

1. My company still uses them.

I don't think we'll be changing anytime soon.

[Shagbark Hickory]

2. Over. nt

[MineralMan]

3. My wife will not be happy. She just re-activated her

Blackberry Curve with Verizon. She hated the Android phone she switched to for its touch screen keyboard. So, she put it in a drawer and reactivated her old Blackberry. She will not be amused when she has to change again, unless she can find a decent phone with a hardware keyboard.

[daa]

4. Just like Nokia no new products like the Iphone or Ipad or Android

[Lex]

8. Wrong. Blackberry Playbook (like an iPad)

[daa]

11. Not mainstream definitely not like an Ipad any more than my

color Nook.

[Lex]

12. They are comparable. A quick Google search

shows that they are with tons of articles comparing the two.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/ipad-2-vs-blackberry-playbook-of-course-you-realize-this-means-war/15990

[Cetacea]

5. They are still relevant and have a faithful following

They need to do something "flashy" soon, though.

[TrogL]

6. tell that to my wife - she just bought a new one

I had a Blackberry for awhile and hated it. It's sitting in my briefcase dead. I just found the iPhone more intuitive and had more applications for the kinds of things I do.

Some people just prefer the Blackberry interface.

[Lucian]

7. They're a dying smartphone.

Android phones have dual-core processors and they can keep up with technology. RIM's BlackBerrys get updated rarely and I think they've just hit 1 GHz on a single processor and they take forever updating software. I used to own an original BlackBerry Storm and BlackBerry Tour but I moved to the Droids because they can keep up with technology.

[Lex]

9. Can't beat the reliability of my Blackberry. The others seem

to be non-stop river of troubles.

[Initech]

10. Translation: Blackberry executives cutting and running, making bank while they can.