BlackBerry 8700c: Yes, its your fault.

The first glimpse of the next BlackBerry 8700c device is out and there are some big news behind it, namely: “Look for RIM to become the next company to blame its demise on the success of Microsoft.”

No, this is not Deja vu, this is another example of a company with an excellent product not recognizing its competition and sticking firmly on its ground without a bit of innovation. Yes, that may work great if you’re making staplers, but if you’re in the business of making gadgets for the corporate America you better add some of the features they are asking. Yes, mobile email is great, RIM, koodos on that. But guess what, a $10 cell phone can now get mobile email and instant messaging and pictures and sms and ringtones and… well, you’ve got the same brick with poor voice from 2000 except you added a color screen. Congratulations, the museum of obsolescene is on the right.

Perhaps thats a harsh evaluation of the situation with BlackBerry, but not everyone can be Apple. You cannot sit still while your competitors are blowing you out of the water and ride out your virtual monopoly on name alone. It is no secret that virtually everyone you see out there with a Blackberry also has another cell phone on them to make phone calls. They walk around with their mobile email gadget and their cell phone – so when they go back to the phone store and ask to see whats new — will they get another brick or will they get a PocketPC or SmartPhone that can do what BlackBerry does (and better) and only have to carry a single device? I guess time will tell, but I’m taking out my BlackBerry showel.