The End of Blackberry?

Greetings from Mobile Generated News®  MoGN!

We learned that Blackberry’s CEO is stepping down, they have decided to raise 1-Billion dollars by issuing convertible notes to its long time investors and that they are basically running out of options.

What a shame!

Even though I personally turned in my Blackberry several years ago in favor of the iPhone, I have a special place in my heart for Blackberry.  That special place was, in my opinion, their biggest asset ─ that wonderful Blackberry Keyboard.  I really had high hopes for the new operating system and specifically their Blackberry Q 10 with that physical keyboard.

I knew something was wrong when Blackberry first came out with the Z 10 and eventually the Q 10.  Shortly thereafter, a truck wrapped in Blackberry advertising showed up in front of our Los Angeles office.  The Blackberry promoters were happy to show me both devices but their Z 10 wasn’t working.  I went to my local Verizon store and their demo model wasn’t functional either.   

I remember writing the tribute to my good friend, colleague and longtime KTLA 10:00pm News Anchor, Hal Fishman, when he passed away in 2007.  The story was for the Los Angeles Emmy Award Program and the Academy of Television Artsand Sciences needed the copy right away.  I was on vacation and spent hours crafting the document on my T-MobileBlackberry.  I could never have done it in a timely manner on a virtual keyboard, even with the auto-correction spelling feature on my iPhone.

Eventually, it was clear even to this loyal Blackberry user, the technology that Apple created for its iPhone was far superior to Blackberry’s.  I made the switch but still miss that physical keyboard.

Blackberry’s stock lost 16% of its value yesterday.  As of this writing, it is up a fraction today.  The infusion of cash will only hold off the inevitable…Goodbye Blackberry.  Unless a miracle happens…

So what do you think?  Download the Mobile Generated News® App and send in your own video commentary on whether you think Blackberry will survive or any subject we talk about in the Mobile Generated News® Blog! 

─Jeff Wald, Executive Director, Mobile Generated News®, Los Angeles

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