Blackberry Support Please

I've been watching the iphone Threads (and participating) because I'm hopeful that m.logos.com will be more than just an iphone portal, but I'm losing hope.

It's time to start an official request thread (yes in general rather than in suggestions).

Here's why I think it would be worthwhile for Logos to pursue a Blackberry platform: it's market share is greater than the iphone. Don't miss it, it's market share is greater.

Admittedly a recent article points that analysts are seeing a slight drop in Blackberry while iphone rises but currently the Blackberry has the largest share, and besides the two companies (RIM and Apple) “combine for 66% of the industry's operating profit." --COTD Can you really ignore that?

Blackberry still holds about 19.9 percent of the Global Market while Apple 10.8 percent. The Market Share in the USA is even higher for RIM: [quote]“We are starting fiscal 2010 with strong financial performance and
impressive market share gains, including a 55% share of the U.S.
smartphone market according to IDC’s latest estimate,” -- Jim
Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion

Follow the numbers.

There may be a lot of hype over the iphone, but there are a lot more hardware (and carrier!) options for the Blackberry.

Currently in the US the iphone is locked in at AT&T and looks to be hamstrung that way for the foreseeable future. But there remain multiple hundreds of Sprint (and other carrier's) users out there. There have been over 26 million Blackberries shipped (and projected) in 2009 alone. The Blackberry is a market force that cannot and must not be ignored. Mobile developers ignore Blackberry at their own peril.

So let's hear it Logos, I'm pushing to get a Blackberry port.

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Comments

John Nerdue

Yes! Please!

J.R. Miller

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19520#Comment_19520

Verizon Wireless is my carrier so no iPhone option for me. I don't own a Blackberry at this time, but according to the Lord's provision it will be my next upgrade.

Chris Burrows

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19535#Comment_19535

I'll put my vote in. I have no desire to get an iPhone... I really like my Blackberry and have no issues with my carrier (Sprint).

Mike T

Count me as another vote for Blackberry... I am also with Verizon Wireless, and switching is not an option just to have an iphone...

Jacob Hantla

Great point, Thomas. I absolutely echo this request. I will purchase an iPod touch if necessary to take advantage of the app, however. Nevertheless, I would very much prefer to not have to carry a second device to take advantage of the digital library.

I am grateful for any move Logos is making to the portable digital library world.

TCBlack

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19544#Comment_19544

Another reason for concern is AT&T itself. An article in last week's PCWorld indicates that the single iphone carrier may be considering caps or metering...

[quote]“AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega bemoaned the disproportionate wireless bandwidth usage of a small number of its smartphone customers [read iPhone users] in a speech to wireless industry professionals here today, and hinted at an unpleasant way of dealing with the problem.
--AT&T Wireless CEO Hints at ‘Managing’ iPhone Data Usage - PC World

If AT&T starts capping iphone usage all of those other providers like Sprint will be ready to take over with their capable networks.

NOTE: I'm a Blackberry/AT&T user so the metering would affect me as well, but at least without lockin, I can carry my 'berry to a new provider.

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19550#Comment_19550

[quote]“AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega bemoaned the disproportionate wireless bandwidth usage of a small number of its smartphone customers [read iPhone users] in a speech to wireless industry professionals here today, and hinted at an unpleasant way of dealing with the problem.
--AT&T Wireless CEO Hints at ‘Managing’ iPhone Data Usage - PC World

If AT&T starts capping iphone usage all of those other providers like Sprint will be ready to take over with their capable networks.

That article confirms my continuing decision to avoid getting an iPhone, at least until Verizon can get them. I'd thought about the Palm Pre...but the driving factor is bible software availability, and Logos exclusivity to iPhone would sway me. So I wait. Never really considered the Blackberry...any reason I should?

TCBlack

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19557#Comment_19557

Never really considered the Blackberry...any reason I should?

I can't really give you a reason you should Todd, but I'll tell you why I did.

I've been a Palm user since they came out. I switched to Handspring with the original Palm developers jumped ship and made their own company. (I still have my handspring, well my daughter does). One day my Handspring Visor slipped out of my shirt pocket onto a marble floor and shattered the screen. I was back in the market, but I was also tired of carrying two devices, one for my calendar and one for phone. By that time the Handspring Treo line had been bought by Palm and I started looking at their phones. I Finally purchased a Treo 650 when they were shiny new off the assembly line. I immediately acclimated to the form factor and used it so much that I was wearing the paint off the keys.

When My Treo died I was able to get hold of another one as a temporary stopgap. I started searching every phone out there for a replacement. I needed it to be powerful, I needed it to have a full qwerty keyboard and I needed it to have WIFI, Email and a few other related requirements. Short order: it had to fit the way I wanted to work, rather than forcing me into compromise. If I was going to plunk down good money, it was going to be the phone I wanted.

I investigated the iphone before it even came out, I read every spec, watched Job's keynote, I appreciated it's asthetics and rejected it outright. Truth be told, I was biased against the iphone because of Jobs. I can't stand the guy for some reason. But my bias isn't and wasn't my only reason for rejecting the iphone.

On top of the hype was the interface. It did not, does not and cannot work the way I work. It does not major in the things I wanted to major in. The iphone struck me and still does as a music player with a phone attached. I do not build my life around music at all. I'm not interested at all in massive mp3 libraries. I read reviews of the iphone email app and the onscreen keyboard and I rejected the iphone as an overhyped eye-candy toy. People may not like my summation but that's it.

Turning away from Iphone I began seriously investigating RIM because I'd heard that RIM had actually sued PALM for "stealing" it's curved keyboard design. I'm not even sure how that lawsuit turned out, but the one thing I kept rejecting phone after phone over was the keyboard. Yeah, I know it's a strange requirement but for me it was important.

So I looked at, I think, every blackberry in production and settled ultimately on the curve 8900 just two months before it was released.

I continued reading every review (iphone included) I could get my hand on for the next two months, but when the curve went live I placed my order and have not regretted it.

I prefer Blackberry because it feels more solid in my hand than the iphone did.
I prefer Blackberry because the keyboard works.
I prefer Blackberry because it works the way I want to.
I prefer Blackberry because it was designed from the beginning as a business tool which is capable even of playing around, rather than a plaything which might also do business if you tweak it just right.
I prefer Blackberry because the BIS and BES servers are consistently secure.
I prefer Blackberry because the operating system, while quite different from my familiar Palm OS is still amazingly functional.
I prefer Blackberry because it's available on multiple carriers.
I prefer Blackberry because, while there is plenty of hype out there for it - the hype is not the defining characteristic.
I prefer Blackberry because they continue to test, innovate and sometimes fail. But their failures create better products. Compare the Storm 2 with it's predecessor for example.
I prefer Blackberry because out of the box it did WIFI, GPS, Syncing of contacts with Google, Email, Calendar Sync, and so much more that I was hoping for.

Those are just a few reasons why I considered blackberry.

Philip Gurgel

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19577#Comment_19577

I think your original post is a bit deceptive. Yes, there are more blackberries out there than there are iphones, but when you factor in the fact that the iphone app would also work for anyone who owns an ipod touch, that changes the statistics a lot.

I'm sure there are tons of people out there like me who have ipod touches because we don't feel like (or in my case can't afford) paying close to $100 bucks a month in phone/data bills but still like the productivity tools/fun that a smart phone offers.

While I hope that blackberry gets it's own app for your sake, I don't want an app that is poorly designed because it has to cater to a number of different operating systems. I'd rather they have an incredible app that takes advantage of all that the iphone/ipod touch has to offer. And afterwards that they move on and produce an equally incredible app for blackberries.

TCBlack

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19580#Comment_19580

I think your original post is a bit deceptive. Yes, there are more blackberries out there than there are iphones, but when you factor in the fact that the iphone app would also work for anyone who owns an ipod touch, that changes the statistics a lot.

Ah, well the deception was not intentional. [:)] I neglected to consider the ipod touch at all because it's not a phone. However you point to an interesting dilema. While I'm able to discern market shares for similar products (Blackberries and iphones) there's no true way that I'm aware of to gauge unrelated products (Blackberry and ipod touch). One is a smart phone the other is a glorified MP3 player. It's a comparison of (ahem) apples and blackberries and at least they are both fruit. The closest you can say about the Blackberry and the touch is that they both have screens and electronics inside. So do wristwatches.

While I hope that blackberry gets it's own app for your sake, I don't want an app that is poorly designed because it has to cater to a number of different operating systems.

Indeed, a poorly designed app is not in anybody's best interest, neither the users nor the company. Once someone get's a bad taste in their mouth it's tough to get it out.

I frankly am not holding out a lot of hope for a Blackberry app, but I'm asking for one. I'm not even asking for it to replace the iphone app. It appears, from Bob's earlier comments, that there are a good number of iphone/Logos users. I'm hoping that the iphone app is so good that it fosters further smartphone development, in other platforms as well.

The point of this thread isn't to advocate dumping, watering down or otherwise harming the iphone app. It is merely to provide a place to advocate for Blackberry support.

Andrew Hughes

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19593#Comment_19593

As a blackberry and iphone owner, one for work and the other for personal use, I find the prospect of having to choose between the two (or buying both) interesting

I certainly would add my vote for a Blackberry capable version, if for no other reason than choice. I find the current selection of Bible apps for the Blackberry weak, and generally do not like the idea of re-paying for resources I have already purchased for Logos.

One interesting stat to look at would be typical application usage of Blackberry users vs iPhone users. The Blackberry market share is largely a result of their corporate penetration, and early adoption in the corporate environment as a standard. The iPhone has largely built it's user base purely from a consumer targeted audience. I know this distinction is not clear cut and there will be some overlap, but I'm sure this factors into the decisions of companies when deciding which platform to develop for...

I can't comment on the credibility of surveys like these (http://blog.flurry.com/?Tag=Blackberry) but I've seen a number of them that seem to indicate market share may not mean much...

Please don't take my comments negatively. You have my vote! Simply consider them food for thought, or even discussion

-Andrew

Scott Chambers

please oh please help us faithful blackberry users...[;)]

Praiser

Yes, Yes and Yes again! I would love to have Logos on my Blackberry Storm!
I'm looking forward to seeing it offered one day soon. I'll sign on as soon as it happens.

Steven Kaminski

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/28601#Comment_28601

I have a Storm on Verizon. I am very tempted to switch to the Droid. But the presence of a Logos app for one or the other will probably seal the deal for me.

TCBlack

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/29026#Comment_29026

Indications are that it won't be soon Steven. I've got time since I'm locked in with the majority of a 2 year contract remaining [:)] iphone first, then it seems like WInmo, with BB brinigng up the rear. At least that's my educated guess since they're currently doing a windows mobile survey.

Bob Pritchett

We're hoping to have a generic mobile web solution next, after which we'll evaluate more dedicated apps for specific platforms.

The iPhone has the advantage of being one device; our investigation of BlackBerry and Windows Mobile so far shows that there are lots of device-specific issues for development and testing. (Some with touch screens, some without, some with soft keyboards, some with physical, etc.)

We'll start with something "everybody" can use, even if with reduced functionality, then try to add platform specific helps and extensions, then see if we can afford the development investment for the next level.

TCBlack

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/29791#Comment_29791

We're hoping to have a generic mobile web solution next, after which we'll evaluate more dedicated apps for specific platforms.

This is my new favorite post!

Thanks Bob.

Steven Kaminski

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/29611#Comment_29611

The phone gurus in the industry are beginning to question the viability of Windows Mobile, since Microsoft issued an significant upgrades lately (6.5 wasn't much of an upgrade). The buzz is that Android is quickly filling the gap--Motorola has announced that all their future phones will run Android.

So, I don't know that there's much of a future to Windows Mobile.

Damian McGrath

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/30049#Comment_30049

The buzz is that Android is quickly filling the gap--Motorola has announced that all their future phones will run Android.

And Motorola share prices are skyrocketing as a result.

Jacob Hantla

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/29791#Comment_29791

We're hoping to have a generic mobile web solution next, after which we'll evaluate more dedicated apps for specific platforms.

The iPhone has the advantage of being one device; our investigation of BlackBerry and Windows Mobile so far shows that there are lots of device-specific issues for development and testing. (Some with touch screens, some without, some with soft keyboards, some with physical, etc.)

We'll start with something "everybody" can use, even if with reduced functionality, then try to add platform specific helps and extensions, then see if we can afford the development investment for the next level.

Bob this sounds like an excellent solution. I will likely use my blackberry as a reading device and to run simple searches/reports; so this sounds like a perfect solution for the meantime. I think it was a reasonable and probably wise solution to launch onto iPhone first. I know of at least 3 brand new sales that it has generated in the first week in my small circle of influence (two scholars & one leaders)...and dozens of downloads of the app which will likely turn into sales. Brilliant

Brian Whalen

As a storm user that refuses to be an at&t customer, and therefore an iPhone or iTouch user, I say this would be fab. Olive tree has a Bible reader app for the storm, but it isnt nearly as complete of course.

James Macleod

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/30763#Comment_30763

I am both a Blackberry (for work) and an iPhone user. My vote would be to skip the Blackberry and focus on the iPhone. I would rather have a great iPhone app only than a bunch of mediocre mobile apps. I think the Blackberry UI would be cumbersome for an app like Logos. I think the Blackberry has really fallen behind the iPhone and the only reason that they have such a market share is that they are so entrenched in the workplace. Just my two cents. Take it for what it's worth.

Neal Glass

I would greatly appreciate having the app on my Blackberry Storm.

Steve Clevenger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/41790#Comment_41790

Yes Blackberry app[Y]

Westie

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/19535#Comment_19535

Verizon Wireless is my carrier so no iPhone option for me. I don't own a Blackberry at this time, but according to the Lord's provision it will be my next upgrade.

I believe that verizon will be signing an agreement with apple regarding iphone, in june. I would hold off until then.

jHoon

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/64388#Comment_64388

Even better would be a bible app for blackberry that worked regardless of data plan.

YouVersion has an insanely verstaile app for blackberry's and iphones but the only downside is it can only accessed through the web via data plan or wi-fi.

I have wi-fi but no data plan which is really inconvenient because i can't use it anywhere except places i have wireless access to, namely my house and libraries, which in that case it would be much more convenient to just use the computer.

If this app could run without any web acess it would be PERFECT! just a suggestion!

Allen

or some kind of sprint product with logos. Blackberry would be awesome.

I have been pressing my help key for two hours now and no one has arrived here yet.

Robert Volk

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/165653#Comment_165653

yeah blackberry most defiantly.

There is nothing more permanent than a temporary solution.

Chris Bell

Long overdue! Logos for Blackberry! Seems Apple is getting all of the attention these days.

Terry Dryden

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/166721#Comment_166721

I would be very happy to be able to read my books, read and write to my notes and prayer lists on my BlackBerry. I don't see an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch in my future. May the Lord provide a BlackBerry Logos app very soon.

Pastor Kevin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/191993#Comment_191993

I have perused the thread and find it frustrating that this conversation has been going on for a year and no response from LOGOS to affirm or deny a willingness to assist Blackberry users.

TCBlack

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/199203#Comment_199203

On the contrary... kind of. It may not be in this thread - since I haven't re read it but there are other threads which essentially state the following:

1. http://library.logos.com and http://biblia.com both exist as alternatives for ALL phones/smartphones including Blackberry.

2. Market trends indicate that Android is growing faster than Blackberry and therefore it has/is/was developed first. (http://www.logos.com/mobile/android )

3. Blackberry is not ruled out as a potential development platform; but it takes time and money to build these things and if I understand the stated position so far, Logos will move to blackberry after Android is complete IF it still makes sense to do so.

4. Logos has at least created a launcher for Biblia.com for Blackberry. http://blog.logos.com/archives/2010/11/logos_bible_software_blackberry_launcher_for_bibliacom.html Sure it's not a full application but it works on my BB8900 just fine.

Ryan Robinson

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/199203#Comment_199203

I've been hoping for one for a while. If I had access to all this material on my phone and my PlayBook tablet, I would probably be willing to spend a fair bit here. As is, unable to really effectively take it to classes with me, it isn't nearly worth the cost to me.

Adam Lambert

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/251602#Comment_251602

I spoke with CEO Bob Pritchett and he explained to me in some detail the reasons why they are not doing a blackberry app. The first reason is blackberry's share of the market is on a steady down hill run and at this present time is extremely small where as iphone and android are the top 2 on the market. Secondly, for there to be a blackberry app they would actually have to amke it to fit 10 - 15 different types of platforms because of all the add ons that have been done to blackberry such as the joystick control or the wheel control. Both of them take different commands in order to make an app function. For those of you who are program inclined you will understand this, for teh rest the simple version is logos would have to do so amny different versions of the app that it is not cost effective. Now ontop of all of that the other issue is not enough programmers. Bob said they are in search of 5 programmers right now and if anyone knows of some they need to point them in logos' direction. To make an app requires 2 dedicated programmers and logos jsut does not have the man power right now but again even if it did with the shrinking market share of the blackberry it is very unlikely there will ever be a blackberry app unless blackberry does like androi and iphone and make one platform for all their phones combined which would probably bring it back into contension with iphone and android.

Ryan Robinson

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/274009#Comment_274009

I'm not at all surprised. I am a BlackBerry developer (amateur, not very frequently) and I follow BlackBerry pretty closely. It's very trendy to hate on BlackBerry right now and those are two of the standard excuses from developers, even though they don't really make very much sense.

I think the market share argument is honestly a terrible one. Their market share is shrinking, yes, at least in the U.S., but their overall user base is still growing at a huge rate. We're still talking about hundreds of millions of people. I can totally understand saying that iPhone and Android get priority based on market share, but to completely ignore a huge user base is foolish in my opinion.

The other argument makes a bit more sense to me, but not a lot more. It's still all the same operating system, except for the PlayBook which is the new operating system that will be on phones in another year or so. That means that about 99% of the code is the same across all the phones. The only things they need to change are stuff like screen resolutions. Even stuff like buttons to touch or buttons to click on using a trackpad is pretty much if not entirely identical code I believe. I don't think you can really use the 1% of the code that will need to be changed as an excuse not to do the rest. If they wanted to do the rest, they would and they wouldn't think anything of updating screen resolutions. And there are still way more Android form factors than there are BlackBerry form factors, so the comparison vs iPhone makes sense but not against Android.

Sorry if this came across as harsh, but especially for a company the size of Logos, it would not take them all that much to hire a couple programmers and pull in a nice profit from the huge BlackBerry user base. I'm not even a Logos user - considered it before I found out that there's no shot of a BB app, but I'm not - so this doesn't really concern me. I just wanted to clear up in defense of us BlackBerry users and developers why it is not nearly as terrible as the media makes it out to be.

JENNIFER ROBINSON

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/274432#Comment_274432

Thanks for the insight. I am disappointed with the lack of support for Blackberry users.

JENNIFER ROBINSON

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/199212#Comment_199212

The biblia app for Blackberry functions poorly.

TCBlack

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/275695#Comment_275695

The biblia app for Blackberry functions poorly.

Just to clarify... the biblia launcher for blackberry launches biblia.com in the browser.

If you're referring to poor biblia.com performance in the blackberry browser; what do you mean by functions poorly. If there is a specific issue, they can fix it.