Did RIM just shoot themselves in the head?

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/03/blackberry-to-integrate-bing-services-at-the-os-level/

Steve Ballmer made an appearance today at BlackBerry World 2011 and after briefly pimping Windows Phone live on stage, announced a partnership between Microsoft and RIM to integrate Bing into BlackBerry products. In addition to making Bing the default search and map provider for all BlackBerry devices going forward, the services will be added at the OS level instead of being bundled as a series of apps.

Don't think this will help your death spiral guys.
 

bonkers325

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
13,076
1
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bing maps are pretty good, i use it a lot for work. it's got bird eye aerial view with 4 points of view, which is very useful.

if it's integrated at the OS level, it could be a pretty strong feature if the implementation is good. but then again, we're talking about MS and RIM here. they'll probably just throw money at it and rehash old UI.
 

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
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Bing maps was pretty neat when I tried it on WP7, but Google Maps takes the cake because of the built in GPS. What good is a mobile map application if it doesn't provide voice guidance?
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,080
136
Bing maps on the Playbook worked fine except no navigation.
If RIM wants a new buddy like Nokia they may have to take the plunge and switch over completely.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
452
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Bing maps has been more accurate for me lately when I've needed directions. For some reason google with take me somewhere way off sometimes.

Sounds like a good idea to me. What's with the hate?
 

alent1234

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,915
0
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i can't understand RIM. people want phones with big screens. 25% of all phone sales are 4" or larger screen. yet the new BB's are 2.8". and the smaller screen phones are mostly the cheap models.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,080
136
i can't understand RIM. people want phones with big screens. 25% of all phone sales are 4" or larger screen. yet the new BB's are 2.8". and the smaller screen phones are mostly the cheap models.

They're Storm and Storm 2 didnt go over so well.
I suspect the standard business user thinks of display-only phones as multimedia toys, not work tools.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
i can't understand RIM. people want phones with big screens. 25% of all phone sales are 4" or larger screen. yet the new BB's are 2.8". and the smaller screen phones are mostly the cheap models.

People don't want huge phones. The Prophet said so.
 

CVSiN

Diamond Member
Jul 19, 2004
9,289
0
0
Bing and Bing nav suck money nuts.. yes this would be a deal breaker.. other than being a POS BB in the first place.

RIM is so 2005..
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Christ, people are acting like Google apps don't exist any more...

Back to my usual serious self. The issue is that Microsoft likes to lock it down to Bing and Bing only. Bing and Bing Maps are terrible, for starters. Locking a user to them and preventing them from using alternatives, which Verizon tried to do on the Fascinate, is like rubbing salt in the eyes.

Depending on how tightly RIM integrates Bing, you may not be able to use G-Maps or Google search at all, aside from just hitting the website anyway.

But, there's a silver lining, I guess. How many people web browse on their Curves/Bolds? Not like its going to be an enjoyable experience on the 2.8in screen.
 

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
Honestly, Microsoft isn't even in the same class as Google with regard to Google's integrated suite of cloud/apps/device/web services.

Sure, I'll use Windows and Office, but I've never been a huge fan of their online services or their business practices and I know that I am not alone...

A lot of people knocked Verizon (and rightly so) when they started shipping Android devices that were carrier-locked with Bing search. It was because of the consumer backlash that Verizon backpedaled and started allowing users to change the default search settings on these devices.

Does RIM really want to hitch its wagon to Microsoft's horse...?
 

Deeko

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
30,213
12
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Yes, OP, you've made very clear that you hate Bing. Its not like Google can't release Google Maps on on these things, or you can't go to "google.com" in the browser.

I'll answer your question with another - has defaulting to Bing destroyed Verizon? You could argue that the Fascinate didn't do as well as the other Galaxy S phones, but that would be ignoring that it released later and onto a carrier with much more competition as well.

Seriously - this is the kind of thing nerds get riled up about, but the average person REALLY doesn't care. If they want to use Google, they will. I'm pretty sure my last Blackberry (Curve 8330) didn't come with Google maps - I had to go to Google.com and download it.
 

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
has defaulting to Bing destroyed Verizon? ...ignoring that it released later and onto a carrier with much more competition as well.

You're ignoring the fact that the Bing/Verizon Samsung debacle was only changed to a "default" after a huge consumer backlash against Verizon. These devices were originally shipped as search-locked to Bing...

And yes, I believe if Verizon would have persisted with a locked Bing search on their Android devices, they would have seriously damaged their reputation as a market leader.
 

Deeko

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
30,213
12
81
You're ignoring the fact that the Bing/Verizon Samsung debacle was only changed to a "default" after a huge consumer backlash against Verizon. These devices were originally shipped as search-locked to Bing...

And yes, I believe if Verizon would have persisted with a locked Bing search on their Android devices, they would have seriously damaged their reputation as a market leader.

The nerd community is loud, but small. The average consumer doesn't go into a store and wonder "hmmm...what might the default search provider on this phone be? That's a deal breaker for me!"

Its really not that big of a deal. Just go to google.com.
 

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
Its really not that big of a deal. Just go to google.com.

Ignorance is bliss...?

Verizon's original half-assed search lock implementation broke some of the integration built into the Android which assumes that the user will at least have the ability to change the default to Google if they decide to take advantage of that functionality.

No, the average user won't care about nuances like this. But they will care if their carrier is blocking non-Bing-lock compatible Google apps on the market (as Verizon did) and other functions aren't behaving as they do on other market-leading Android phones, then yes - they will start to notice.

So no, it's alot more than "just going to google.com"...
 

DivideBYZero

Lifer
May 18, 2001
24,117
2
0
Back to my usual serious self. The issue is that Microsoft likes to lock it down to Bing and Bing only. Bing and Bing Maps are terrible, for starters. Locking a user to them and preventing them from using alternatives, which Verizon tried to do on the Fascinate, is like rubbing salt in the eyes.

Depending on how tightly RIM integrates Bing, you may not be able to use G-Maps or Google search at all, aside from just hitting the website anyway.

But, there's a silver lining, I guess. How many people web browse on their Curves/Bolds? Not like its going to be an enjoyable experience on the 2.8in screen.

OK, apart from making ish up, "you may not be able to use G-Maps or Google search at all", clearly bullspit, you're heading off topic desperate to trash BlackBery devices. Either you think Bing is bad, and that's fine, or this is a trojan horse thread...
 

Deeko

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
30,213
12
81
Ignorance is bliss...?

Verizon's original half-assed search lock implementation broke some of the integration built into the Android which assumes that the user will at least have the ability to change the default to Google if they decide to take advantage of that functionality.

No, the average user won't care about nuances like this. But they will care if their carrier is blocking non-Bing-lock compatible Google apps on the market (as Verizon did) and other functions aren't behaving as they do on other market-leading Android phones, then yes - they will start to notice.

So no, it's alot more than "just going to google.com"...

Can things be taken too far? Yes.
Is making Bing search and maps the default on a device going to starkly impact consumer demand? No.

Its as simple as that. There has been no indication that it will go as far as people here are opining (such as the "you won't be able to install Google Maps" comment), and despite what you say about Verizon, they still haven't been hurt by it.

I know everything is "doom and gloom" here, but seriously...not that big of a deal. In fact, there are even people who *gasp* prefer Bing.
 

simonizor

Golden Member
Feb 8, 2010
1,312
0
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Google search is going downhill. The Bing ads are right. You type in one thing, and you get a million things that aren't even related to what you typed in, but only show up because they have one word in them that you were searching for. It seems to me that it's becoming harder to actually search with Google and find what you're looking for.