Several months back, I downloaded a Blackberry Messenger app in Google Play store on my Samsung Galaxy 4. The app basically told me that the app wasn't the real "BBM" that I had grown to love during the four Blackberry phones that I once used. This app was like a showcase of BBM that allowed me to leave my email address so that when a proper BBM app had been developed for Android, I would be one of the first people to be notified.
Well 48 hrs ago, I received that notice and downloaded the brand new BBM app for Android. I sent out a text message invite to family, neighbors and coworkers who I knew used to own Blackberries. I figured that everyone would be ecstatic to see the rebirth of the messenging app that we all once loved and used. 48 hours later, I finally received my first (and only) response back, and it was lukewarm. It came from a neighbor who just gave up her 3 1/2 year old Blackberry in July - long after most of her friends, had long since left Blackberry within the last two years. She now owns a Samsung Galaxy S3 and is quite happy with it.
I remember when Blackberry or the former Research In Motion's company motto used to be "We think three years ahead of the competition." Seems like even with one of their longest holdouts, they are three months too late. No one I know has offered me their new BBM pin number, or asked for mine. And I know hundreds of people. Blackberry waited too long to roll out its messaging service. By now, unfortunately, people have found BBM like substitutes. The new revised BBM app looks great too. Anyone out there want to chat with me on it? 7abe050b Yep, it's that bad folks.
Moving right along, the Samsung Galaxy Gear...man ohhh man. How tech nerdy can we get? Now I started this blog because I am a gadget guy. Actually, I still think that buying a decent cellular phone "watch" is a very gadgety thing and actually more useful than any of these new Bluetooth watches that are coming out from Samsung, LG, Sony and Apple. When you make a watch that I can actually make phone calls with, or see email and text messages with at a glance - way cool! However, when you make a watch that tells me what my phone has received via phone calls, text messages (and maybe eventually email notifications) umm - why? Especially when it involves rechargeable batteries and is costing me $300 and up?? Wow.
That's really having disposable cash. That's really taking "convenience" to an extreme. If I want to ignore a call or notification on my phone, I can just do so - for free! Why do I need to flip my wrist 3 inches to look at my watch? Is reaching down to my waste and glancing at my phone when I hear a beep or feel a vibration really going to interrupt a conversation I might be having with someone? Ehh...nope. Not for me. Especially at $300 plus.
Not all rechargeable items are made the same off of the production line. In this tech world you can end up with a $300 lemon real quick! And let's not forget that this is the second round of Bluetooth watches that the aforementioned manufacturers have created (with exception to Apple). That first round produced more duds than the original sales of the DeLorean back in '75 (you'll have to be over 40 to remember that debacle). You can find those Bluetooth watches on Amazon for as low as 1/3 the price of these newer, second round models. I'm going to wait until round three of Blue tooth watches...if there is even a third round...to see what better offerings they come up with on the watch's actual function and performance.
Folks there are numerous bloggers and tech sites that have reviewed the Samsung Gear. I'm just rendering an opinion here. And while I'm rendering such opinion, did you notice how anti-climatic the new Apple iPad Air announcement was? I went into work the day after the announcement and not a single person was talking about it at the water cooler. Not even the college kids who work in my office. I remember just two years ago when someone said the words "Blackberry, iPhone or iPad" the whole office would stop and listen, or even just eavesdrop. Now both companies have managed to fall into the mundane and uneventful. The only company who still seems to have that water cooler talk factor is Samsung. People were talking about the Gear. Maybe not so favorably (because of the price), but at least they were talking about Samsung. So Samsung wins that battle.
Personally, for me, I might just wait until the "fad" of the Samsung Gear wears off. When the price drops down to somewhere near $100, I might just go for it. If not, I can spend about the same and buy a watch that actually makes the call itself, and not just tell me what my phone is doing.
As for the iPad Air...I actually think that this is the iPad we've all been waiting for. Even though it basically has all the same technology as the iPhone 5s (64 bit technology, A7 processor), this is actually the true "forward" thinking iPad that probably should have came out a year ago. My guess is that there's going to be a lag and slower sales with this iPad, as there will be a natural resistance from returning Apple consumers, who probably feel that they got bilked during the jump from iPad 3 to the iPad 4, which occurred within 10 months. The same with the 11 month jump from iPhone 5 to the 5s. The normal tech jump has been about 18 months. Apple has broken this jump twice. Most of the people around me who own Apple mobile products are refusing to jump to the newer Apple offerings and are swearing to "stick to the Apple product that they already own...as long as it still works."
All of that being said, I honestly do think that the iPad Air is probably the best "actual" iPad upgrade - by far. No other tablet or prior iPad even close.
However, like I said before, most people will say, the older iPads I have at home are working great, so I'll stick with them for now. But if you're starting out in the tablet market, the iPad Air is going to put you in a whole new atmosphere of tech performance.
In summary, the tech world has a lot of good things in it folks...it also has a lot of junk and redundancy products. We are all buyers and consumers and so we must beware. We shouldn't pay a premium price for convenience for something that you really don't need...or has yet proven to be a reliable product. Well...not just yet.
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