Seriously AT, What Gives?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
142
116
Really? Most of the reviews are of products no one has nor will ever have. How many SSD reviews do we see yet I bet most of us will never get? How many times do we need to see the Silverstone case get a review ever time it gets a new screw placement update? I guarantee more BBs will be sold than SSD drives or the latest cool case mod. So yea, I agree with the OP.
What if Anandtech's internal statistics show that more of their readers own iOS or Android devices than Blackberries?

Just because a product sells well in the general population doesn't mean it generates traffic for the site.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,062
881
126
What if Anandtech's internal statistics show that more of their readers own iOS or Android devices than Blackberries?

Just because a product sells well in the general population doesn't mean it generates traffic for the site.

But if anandtech reviewed more BBs then maybe more BBs would be sold because of said review and the statistics would change. As a review site I feel AT has become somewhat biased over the last few years. I know the market has become stagnant with the ss/dd stuff but when something slightly different hits AT doesnt really focus on it. Way back when I signed up here I would see the most obscure indepth reviews of electronics I never heard of, now its just reviews of the latest trendy stuff that, imo, is quite boring. IOS has an update, AT reviews it in depth yet its basically the same as the last revision. I think the new BBs are pretty damn cool and yea, RIM may be dying a slow death but I think AT has lost focus on the little guy, and AT has a lot of internet clout to change that if given a fair shake. There used to be a time when AT wasn't all about $$$ and business.
 

alent1234

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,915
0
0
But if anandtech reviewed more BBs then maybe more BBs would be sold because of said review and the statistics would change. As a review site I feel AT has become somewhat biased over the last few years. I know the market has become stagnant with the ss/dd stuff but when something slightly different hits AT doesnt really focus on it. Way back when I signed up here I would see the most obscure indepth reviews of electronics I never heard of, now its just reviews of the latest trendy stuff that, imo, is quite boring. IOS has an update, AT reviews it in depth yet its basically the same as the last revision. I think the new BBs are pretty damn cool and yea, RIM may be dying a slow death but I think AT has lost focus on the little guy, and AT has a lot of internet clout to change that if given a fair shake. There used to be a time when AT wasn't all about $$$ and business.

as a newly former BB user, there is nothing positive to say about them

BIS latency
crappy browser
tiny screens

few years ago all the cool people wanted one. now it's a first smartphone for those who know nothing about them and only get it because it's free on contract. and a smartphone you get your kids because it's free on contract and won't shatter when its dropped
 

DivideBYZero

Lifer
May 18, 2001
24,117
2
0
as a newly former BB user, there is nothing positive to say about them

BIS latency
crappy browser
tiny screens

few years ago all the cool people wanted one. now it's a first smartphone for those who know nothing about them and only get it because it's free on contract. and a smartphone you get your kids because it's free on contract and won't shatter when its dropped

All your complaints are either moot (BIS latency) or addressed (Advanced webkit browser and 3.8" screens). Are BlackBerrys out of date, or are your opinions?
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
I bet AT will review the first QNX Blackberries. Till then everything is obsolete which is a no-no for a geek site.
 

Deeko

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
30,213
12
81
Virge's point is very valid - if Anandtech isn't getting a device to review, well, they can't review it.

I'm looking forward to in depth reviews of this year's BB phones, as its the most advanced hardware they've had (relative to the competition) in years...even if these are just holdovers to the QNX phones next year.
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
Anandtech tends to run behind everyone else in the reviews, but what they lack in speed, they prove their worth in depth. If they got a phone to review, I'm sure they'll post something, and you can be sure they'll look at the QNX phones when released.
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,124
12
81
OK, so every Android Iteration HTC or Motorola poops out its ass gets a detailed review.

Every Apple software update gets a frontpage article.

Blackberry releases their next generation of smartphones, and they get buried in Dailytech somewhere.

Thanks Anand - no bias here.

I think you should ask Anand for a refund.

MotionMan
 

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
All your complaints are either moot (BIS latency) or addressed (Advanced webkit browser and 3.8" screens). Are BlackBerrys out of date, or are your opinions?

All of those complaints are valid and shared by many thousands of current and former Blackberry owners. RIM's patchwork approach to modernizing its ancient platform doesn't mean squat until they start shipping QNX phones and everyone knows it.
 

GTSRguy

Senior member
Sep 21, 2009
459
0
0
The amish are now allowed to use blackberrys because they are no longer considered modern technology
 

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,757
12
81
Why are people so defensive of a brand?

Seriously, it'd take stock or putting me on the payroll to have me defend any brand the way some of you defend RIM. I'm an Android user, we don't have the brand loyalty of cigarette smokers or Saab owners, I guess.

No offense to any Saab owners intended.

To answer OP's question, it's probably because enthusiasts aren't as interested in BBs as they once were. AnandTech's target demographic is clearly the enthusiast segment. Things like DailyTech cover the tech news.
 

OBLAMA2009

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2008
6,574
3
0
as a newly former BB user, there is nothing positive to say about them

BIS latency
crappy browser
tiny screens

few years ago all the cool people wanted one. now it's a first smartphone for those who know nothing about them and only get it because it's free on contract. and a smartphone you get your kids because it's free on contract and won't shatter when its dropped

this is exactly right. the one thing keeping bb in business is the fact that they have free phones. some people are stupid enough to go for the free phone
 

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,757
12
81
this is exactly right. the one thing keeping bb in business is the fact that they have free phones. some people are stupid enough to go for the free phone

Come on now, the enterprise market keeps them in business, which is no shock because that's exactly who they target. It's a good enterprise product.
 

alent1234

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,915
0
0
All your complaints are either moot (BIS latency) or addressed (Advanced webkit browser and 3.8" screens). Are BlackBerrys out of date, or are your opinions?


The last time I saw a storm 2 the owner hated it. The apps sucked and were nothing more than shortcuts to a website. And the screen sucked as well compared to iPhone and android. I think he had to press the whole screen to click. He dumped it for a wp7 phone and is happier now.

The toughness makes them perfect phones for British teens. They are almost us army soldier proof.

At work they gave us a choice of android or bb for new phones and I took android. The only thing my old curve was good for was the fact that I could drop it on concrete with no case and it would survive with a small scuff mark.
 
Last edited:

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
The last time I saw a storm 2 the owner hated it. The apps sucked and were nothing more than shortcuts to a website. And the screen sucked as well compared to iPhone and android. I think he had to press the whole screen to click. He dumped it for a wp7 phone and is happier now.

The toughness makes them perfect phones for British teens. They are almost us army soldier proof.

At work they gave us a choice of android or bb for new phones and I took android. The only thing my old curve was good for was the fact that I could drop it on concrete with no case and it would survive with a small scuff mark.

The storm 2 came out in 2009 and is regarded as the biggest piece of shit ever produced phone-wise.

The new full-screen torch should be much better (and apparently is).

QNX on the playbook is actually very nice to use. If RIM can make a phone that is essentially a 4" playbook with the obvious phone + email stuff, they'll have a winner.

I've got an iPhone 4 and find that other than whipping through the new angry birds levels when they come out, all I ever use the thing for is phone calls, email, browsing, messaging, and social media. The other 400,000 apps don't do much for me at all.

I played with a 9900 at BestBuy a few days ago and I was surprised that I liked it so much. It'll do everything I want and that's just fine for me.
 

DukeN

Golden Member
Dec 12, 1999
1,422
0
76
The last time I saw a storm 2 the owner hated it. The apps sucked and were nothing more than shortcuts to a website. And the screen sucked as well compared to iPhone and android. I think he had to press the whole screen to click. He dumped it for a wp7 phone and is happier now.

The toughness makes them perfect phones for British teens. They are almost us army soldier proof.

At work they gave us a choice of android or bb for new phones and I took android. The only thing my old curve was good for was the fact that I could drop it on concrete with no case and it would survive with a small scuff mark.

Thanks for the review of the Storm 2, a phone that came out TWO FUCKING YEARS ago.
And as for the screen click thing, you are wrong again - that was the original BB storm, more like three years ago.

As for someone with a Windows phone - lol. I've had CE/PocketPC/WP from the Casseiopiea/Jornada days and they've evolved about the amount Win 98 evolved from Win95 (ie not much).

Android and Apple devices are nice, and there's a lot out there. I just find it ridiculous AT finds themselves licking up every minor update, but for a major platform change for a top 3 company finds no mention.

Eg a detailed Tmobile Slide 4G review. The new RIM devices will sell 10X more than this turd.

In the end products are not just about specs, so the new BBs may not have a dual processor but they have the best keyboard on any phone and close to the best build quality. And a nifty touchscreen/NFC thrown in for good measure. Not to mention they have the reliability and durability that is miles better than most Android/Apple devices.

I'm not a RIM devotee (personally LOVE Android), but I just find the ignorant bias stupid.