vB Easy Archive - New Blackberry Electron?

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New Blackberry Electron?
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Posted by: GregGebhardt

Sorry if it has been posted but this looks like it will be out new BB device
http://www.bbhub.com/2005/05/29/is-...est-blackberry/

Posted by: bperkins

First I have seen of this......thanks for posting. What a great looking Blackberry.

Looks as if it has dedicated phone buttons. I just hope it is thinner than my current 7250.

Posted by: dna48363

OHhhhhhh I'd so get that if it has EDGE. I'd love it even more if it had a camera (doubt it.)

Posted by: GregGebhardt

I would just like to hear more specs on it. It looks good and I can't believe that if it IS the new BB that it will not have more features. Like WiFi and BT for DATA and toss in a 5mp camera with a 5x zoom. A nice crisp TFT screen would be welcome, too.

Oh well any one know of more ifo please post!

Posted by: nskgti23

Lets just say "if" this is actually a real device it will have EDGE, a much better screen than the 7100 or 7290, thinner than the current devices and a few other features I have left out...

No camera though...

That should be enough for now.

Posted by: phone-aholic

when, when, WHEN?????

memory card?

Posted by: GregGebhardt

Quote:

Originally Posted by phone-aholic

when, when, WHEN?????

memory card?

We are still only in the RUMOR stage!

Delivery will be down the road. Which provider would get it first while the other painfully wait.

Sound like fun but worth the wait!

Posted by: tyassine

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregGebhardt

We are still only in the RUMOR stage!

Delivery will be down the road. Which provider would get it first while the other painfully wait.

Sound like fun but worth the wait!

why do i have a sneaking suspicion that Rogers will be the first carrier?

Posted by: Brad00111

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregGebhardt

I would just like to hear more specs on it. It looks good and I can't believe that if it IS the new BB that it will not have more features. Like WiFi and BT for DATA and toss in a 5mp camera with a 5x zoom. A nice crisp TFT screen would be welcome, too.

Oh well any one know of more ifo please post!

Looks like a great phone but BT for Data I dont think will ever happen for BB's atleast not for a while, just because of the security concerns, and BB's are built like Vaults.

But WiFi would rock, a camera wouldnt be bad.........but how about just a descent case to ship with it!!

Posted by: Mark Rejhon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad00111

Actually, the Bluetooth Serial Port Profile is being opened up this summer. It may seem that Bluetooth modem may not be quite far behind, assuming someone writes a third party modem simulator, which isn't too farfetched as sufficently enough API's are now accessible under SDK 4.0.1 ....

I read about the Bluetooth SPP stuff on RIM's developer site recently. Even says Bluetooth SPP works for Bluetooth GPS, scanners, keyboards (the SPP-based ones, not the HID-based ones)

Posted by: Brad00111

Wow thats awesome, great to see RIM now getting in tune with the consumer and business market as well!

Posted by: CBRstunter

nice find, sweet looking BB.

Posted by: Jack T. Chance

*Bumps the thread up*

I KNEW there was an older topic about the Electron with a picture! Took me awhile to find this thread again! ^_^

*Looks at the picture* Man, that thing looks SWEET!

I want one NOW!!!

Posted by: WILLIAM.H.HOLLA

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregGebhardt

We are still only in the RUMOR stage!

Delivery will be down the road. Which provider would get it first while the other painfully wait.

Sound like fun but worth the wait!

dont worry greg, i think nextel will get it last, or not at all.

Posted by: GregGebhardt

Quote:

Originally Posted by WILLIAM.H.HOLLA

dont worry greg, i think nextel will get it last, or not at all.

No doubt about it. Seems hard to add that button for PTT! <vbg>

I am afraid that RIM is going to toss us the 71XX to keep us happy. That will be sad as I can't stand the keyboard.

The one thing the Electron will offer for everyone is faster speed and a better screen. I would love to see full backlit TFT screen on the 75XX series but the batttery life would suffer. I still know people who are using and like their mono screen on the 6510.

No mater what, RIM will have to get some new hardware out there to compete with what the other MFGs are offering. MicroSoft's pushed email has been delayed but they do have the ifrastructure to make push email very tempting for PPC users.

My 7520 does the job quite nicely and I have tried every other device and always come back to the 7520. Until it is replaced with something that has a full QWERTY keyboard, I have trouble getting excited.

Posted by: corey@12mile

The electron has a 300mhz IBM processor in it. It has 64megs of RAM with possibly 128megs. There will never be a camera, nor will there ever be a card slot in a Blackberry. This has been said so many times that I can't believe people still ask for it.

cd.

Posted by: jase88

Quote:

Originally Posted by corey@12mile

The electron has a 300mhz IBM processor in it. It has 64megs of RAM with possibly 128megs. There will never be a camera, nor will there ever be a card slot in a Blackberry. This has been said so many times that I can't believe people still ask for it.

cd.

What is your source for this information?

Posted by: GregGebhardt

Quote:

Originally Posted by corey@12mile

I hope you are right about the processor and the RAM.

I KNOW you are right about the camera and card slot. No doubt!

I am most interested in the "improved" screen, but I am a Nextel customer and do not expect to see a Electron Nextel for a few years if ever.

Posted by: corey@12mile

Quote:

Originally Posted by jase88

What is your source for this information?

Just a friend of mine who works at RIM... few cubies down from the guy who was building the GUI for the electron. The screen BTW, looks much nicer than the screen on the Treo650 as well... and fwiw, the cpu uses about 5mw of power, significantly less than the ARM processors that are in current handhelds.

cd.

Posted by: Jack T. Chance

Since the issue's been raised again, and since no one here ever explains the logic behind it, I'm going to ask for an explanation now:
WHY does RIM continually refuse to include an SD card slot or other memory card reader, thus preventing users from expanding their memory and/or having access to removable media?!?

I don't understand their logic on that. The camera issue, I understand completely. But why this continual snubbing of an important PDA phone feature?!?

And I want a REAL, IN-DEPTH explanation, not just some lame 2 or 3-word response like "security risk", capice?!?

I mean, I love my Blackberry, but when I see Treo 650s and Windows Mobile PDA phones that have 1 or 2 SD card slots, I get jealous! That ability to expand the memory could be invaluable to some users! If any one thing caused me to abandon the Blackberry for a competing PDA phone, that might be it.

Posted by: corey@12mile

The US goverment is by far the largest single customer of RIM. This includes the various branch's of the military. It is the policy of most branch's of the Gov't not to allow devices with cameras or removable media to be used. I have worked for a few different pharma companies that employ the same policies. Most big business with trade secrets will not allow cameras or devices with removable media into their buildings. This is the reason.

cd.

Posted by: Mobile PhD

That logic still has holes in it. For instance, they make PPC's some with and some without cameras. Why not do the same for BB's? Sounds pretty simple to me. If HP can do it, so can RIM. Problem solved. The US Government would not stop doing business with RIM altogether just because one or two of their models have a camera and removable media. They would just update their security policy to only include models without those features. Why is this so difficult for everyone to grasp, especially since other manufacturers are already doing it!

FWIW....I was told by another RIM employee that there IS a camera model on the way.

Posted by: Soapm

Then they should disable the gov undesirable features on the gov sold models or via IT policy. Heck, they can sell to the gov for $600 or $800 per unit since they don't want all the features (gov logic). They will only get away with one size fits all for a while, the market is gunning at them.

Posted by: aristoBrat

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack T. Chance

?!

I've got 30 days worth of email, a few hundred entries in my address book, a full calendar, and about 5 free BlackBerry utilities installed on my 7290 and still have over 1/2 the memory free in the device.

What possible help would a SD card provide?

Posted by: aristoBrat

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mobile PhD

That logic still has holes in it. For instance, they make PPC's some with and some without cameras. Why not do the same for BB's? Sounds pretty simple to me. If HP can do it, so can RIM. Problem solved. The US Government would not stop doing business with RIM altogether just because one or two of their models have a camera and removable media. They would just update their security policy to only include models without those features. Why is this so difficult for everyone to grasp, especially since other manufacturers are already doing it!

FWIW....I was told by another RIM employee that there IS a camera model on the way.

FWIW, there're a few users over at blackberryforums.com that work in secure areas where Treos aren't allowed, period. Apparently they don't trust their security folks enough (or want them to have to go thru the hassle) of trying to figure out which Treos have cameras and which don't.

IMO, it seems pretty easy to figure out if a device has a camera or not, but how do you visually check for BlueTooth? Or know that even though they don't have a SD card in the slot when they go thru security that they don't have one somewhere else on them that they can pop in later, load up with info, and then hide again when they back out thru security?

I don't think that anyone here (including myself) know all of the ins and outs on security, so as much as we'd like to speculate, ... speculate is all that we're doing.

I also don't think that RIM has their head in the sand either. If there's a way for them to produce a model that has everything and the kitchen sink, then they'll do so.

Personally, I like Mark M's idea of RIM creating another line of products for consumers called something other than BlackBerry.

Posted by: Pennywise

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soapm

Then they should disable the gov undesirable features on the gov sold models or via IT policy. Heck, they can sell to the gov for $600 or $800 per unit since they don't want all the features (gov logic). They will only get away with one size fits all for a while, the market is gunning at them.

Say they do make one, and then the employer disables the camera and/or card reader by IT policy. Rogue employee then goes out, buys themself a personal BlackBerry, one that isn't going to be disabled, brings it to work. It's not like there are going to be guards at the door asking if that's a work issued BB.

Posted by: Soapm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pennywise

Cameras I agree and like the fact that my BB never gets a second look when I enter secure areas. I personally don't feel all the security is toward the employee because they have access to the information as it is. If they can put it on their BB then they have access and if their efforts are to steal or mishandle the information then locking up the BB's won't stop that. Where there is a will there is a way!

When I worked for the government, we had a person who would call his house and read classified documents on to his voice message machine then transcribe them later. Luckily all phones were monitored so this didn't last too long.

I believe the security has more to do if the device is lost or comprimised. How much info can be stored on the device in the event it is lost. Same with SD cards, they are lost daily so the questions is how much secret information can be lost if the device is lost.

In order to get sensitive information onto the SD card the BB has to somehow be connected to the companies network. Rather it is your personal or company BB, if you hook it to the network you get the policy. If the policy says no company info to the SD then it doesn't matter if it is company or personally owned, the policy will still apply or the device won't get on the network.

Bluetooth, they won't let me connect to my BB via bluetooth but they supply a USB cable that I can put the two together with. This tells me the security is not about me connecting via bluetooth but it's about someone randomly connecting to me via bluetooth. Again, for me to get company info onto the the device I have to connect it to the company network. If I connect via bluetooth I get the company policy that says no bluetooth and it shuts off the connection.

Obviously there is a major flaw to my thinking which is why RIM doesn't do this. What is the flaw?

Posted by: mgerbasio

Quote:

Originally Posted by aristoBrat

What possible help would a SD card provide?

I'm in the same position with about 1/2 memory free on my 7290. However, a SD card would get you maps, pictures, free memory to cache web pages (avantgo). Maybe the ability to sync full outlook notes without having to truncate. Bring files like pdfs, office docs and even something as simple as text docs to the SD memory and viewable/editable on the BB.

On my PocketPC SD Memory, I just use it for iNav maps about 300k. It isn't a big deal not having SD memory on my BB since I don't see it totally replacing my PcoketPC anyway. Although I don't use my PocketPC as my PIM anymore, just maps/gps, avantgo, zagat, notes and web browsing/skype/im if I find myself waiting near a hotspot.

I don't see why this isn't possible on a blackberry if they limit the transfer of SD data and encrypt it on the card, isn't that what the "SD" in SD memory stands for, "secure data".

Regards-Michael G.

Posted by: jase88

Who wants a camera on a phone anyway?! The take crappy pictures and videos. I wouldn't touch a digital camera under 5MP. And only recently have phone cameras broken the 1MP ceiling.

The typical blackberry-carrying professional doesn't want a camera device; or can't have one due to corporate policies. RIM knows this, and I'm happy with it.

Why inflate the price of a great device by adding "toys" which provide negligible value?

Posted by: Moonbase0ne

I somewhat agree that RIM should atleast give us the option of a SD Card. Not everyone works for the government or some secret organization. Some people run a business where extra memory or removable memory would really help them out. And, if this SD was lost, it probably wouldn't hurt them as much.

The age old argument that they are limiting the memory and options for government and security measures is getting kind of thin. Why not make different models where you give the consumers a choice. If they don't want the SD Card, buy the model that doesn't have it, and if you do want it, buy the model that does.

But, on a second note, they are simply not in the business to make the Blackberry for the average consumer, so they feel that alot of these extras are unecessary.

But, I like the BB and will probably not go back to a regular cellphone anytime soon. But, Text Messaging(I'm with NEXTEL) would be nice. Some people do use it for business purposes and not just for fun and games.

Just my $0.02

Posted by: Pennywise

I guess when the market demands it... who knows.

Posted by: AboutBlackBerry

for those that are interested.. i have a PIC of the "Electron" on my site.
take a look

Posted by: mroher

Just bought BB 7290 through Cingular. With all of the talk about the Electron, do you think I should return the 7290?

Posted by: aristoBrat

Quote:

Originally Posted by AboutBlackBerry

for those that are interested.. i have a PIC of the "Electron" on my site.
take a look

Where? Link please.

Posted by: Soapm

Quote:

Originally Posted by aristoBrat

Where? Link please.

Where have you been, we all know the link to his site...

Posted by: aristoBrat

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soapm

Where have you been, we all know the link to his site...

Sorry, looking at his site (is it a site, or is it just forums??), I didn't see a picture of the Electron. I was looking for a link to the page on his site with the picture.

Posted by: AboutBlackBerry

the pic is there. under "current news"..

Posted by: BlackBerryFinch

Quote:

Originally Posted by aristoBrat

Where?

You can view images by clicking the links in the following from my response to another thread.

Quote:

The 7290 will most likely replace the 7280/7780 colour devices and the "Electron" aka 8000 series of devices will be the going forward flagship of BlackBerry devices. Further by the looks of it RIM will only be developing and updating code for 32MB+ devices which means the 62xx/72xx/77xx device may be coming to end of life cycle soon. Expected release is end of Q3 early Q4. Here's a brief from BlackBerry Cool and another fom BBHub they even make reference to Mark Rejhon from BlackBerry Forums and Howard Forums!

Posted by: GregGebhardt

Quote:

Originally Posted by mroher

Just bought BB 7290 through Cingular. With all of the talk about the Electron, do you think I should return the 7290?

The Electron is a good way down the road. In the mean time the 7290 will do what you need. We may not see the Electron till next year.

Posted by: jase88

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry7250/4.0.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

Regarding memory cards: if the device doesn't have a camera or play MP3's, or do much with attachments, what is the benefit of removable memory?

Posted by: aristoBrat

Quote:

Originally Posted by AboutBlackBerry

the pic is there. under "current news"..

FWIW, if you search your site for "electron", the post under "current news" isn't returned as a result.

Posted by: Soapm

http://www.bbhub.com/2005/05/29/is-...est-blackberry/