It always boggles my mind when supposed technology experts make vague comments to try to justify a point of view. In a post titled "Why RIM Keeps Winning?" Om Malik tries to rationalize the RIM's excellent quarterly report and defend his purchase of a Blackberry by using three arguments:
1. "Simple - it is the best damn email device… period! Nothing works like Blackberry."
I could not disagree more, every time I show a Blackberry user what I can do with my Windows Mobile T-Mobile MDA with Direct Push, they drool with envy.
2. "I had been using Nokia E61 with GoodLink, and it rocked. Except when you added the cost of having an hosted exchange and Good service on top of $50 a month data plan, it added up."
T-Mobile's Blackberry service costs $39.99 per month. 4smartphone.net hosted Exchange service Professional plan $6.99 plus T-Mobile Total Internet $29.99 equals $36.98 per month, a $3.01 savings. In addition to email, with this combination you get access via Outlook for Web Access from any Internet connected PC, a copy of Outlook 2003 for you desktop and unlimited access to T-Mobile WIFI Hotspot service. I think it is a great value.
3. "The other solutions - Microsoft ActiveSync only work if you have Exchange, and don’t work too well. The connection stops, the syncing stops and what not. Same is the case with other email clients like Seven. Most don’t play nice with Mac. RoadSync is the only good activesync solution. I frankly could not get Blackberry connect to work on my device, so I just gave up."
Sorry to hear that, I have been using Direct Push since March with no problems under than the occasional network hiccup. I can attest that the same hiccups occur on the Blackberry. My sister has a corporate issued Blackberry and she resets it on regular basis.
The one thing we can agree on is that Microsoft has done a lousy job of marketing Direct Push and their update distribution model for Windows Mobile leaves a lot to be desired (see my post here). The bottom line is that Microsoft Direct Push works just as well as the Blackberry's native service and that one good quarter does not mean that RIM is out of the woods. Microsoft will tell you that they are in it for the long haul and I agree. Given the pent up demand during the final days of the Blackberry patent litigation it is too bad Microsoft did not have the software distribution mechanism to update Windows Mobile 5.0 devices with Direct Push. The OEMs have done a poor job of distributing updates which has frustrated many users, this is a very different scenario than Om Malik's point that the technology does not work.
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