Should users disregard BBM as a thing of the past or test it out if they want?

[anon3230140]

I guess that the information given by the representative at the local store was obviously used to persuade me to choose another OS other than BlackBerry is the only assumption I can come to at this point. I will DEFINITELY be checking into your comment above in hope that the features that I used on a daily basis with os7 will now actually have come to fruition with os10. Thank you for clarifying!

Yup. You can connect to the Web, use the phone as a remote control for movies presentations in the playbooj, browse and access your cellphone files and bbm. You can't access sms, calendar or emails. Having said that.. I never needed to as the Playbook has emails and calendar already. Would've been nice to have the sms capability again.

Sent from my Z10 using Tapatalk 2

 

[anon(3733516)]

I tried it out purely out of nostalgia. And I continue to use it for that very reason.


Sent from my iPhone 5s using iMore Forums mobile app

 

[jclisenby]

Tried it and deleted it. If anyone I know would use it, I would have maybe kept it. But not a single real-life friend or family member uses it. iMessage for all!


Tappin and Talkin from my iPhone 5

 

[Not Quite Right]

People should do as they feel, with one exception...

They should at least try it before bashing it.

Why?
Here's me downloading BBM -
"Yaaaaaaa I downloaded BBM, now who do I message?!"

Here's me trying to get my friends to use BBM - "I know it's just like every other IM app available"

 

[GingerSnapsBack]

People should do as they feel, with one exception...

They should at least try it before bashing it.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

I had enough "trying it" when I had my BB. No thanks.

 

[anon6040766]

Try it out, but don't judge it in its current form. Right now it's a simple cross platform messaging tool. In the months to come you'll get Voice Calling, Video Calling, BBM Channels, and lots of great features on top of that. This is just the beginning.


Sent from my iPhone 5s on Verizon from Philly.

 

[LazyStarGazer]

Should users disregard BBM as a thing of the past?
If a superficial and uncritical snap judgement works for you, then yes.
Otherwise, take a few moments, evaluate it by its features and potential usefulness to you and then decide.

Should users test it out if they want?
Sure, it's free. What have you got to lose?

I tried it out for nostalgia and curiosity.

Glad I did.
Used to chat and have a lot of laughs with a great group of people back in my CB Off Topic days.
Most moved on to other platforms, drifted apart.
Thanks to BBM, the band is back together again!
Having a great time with my old friends.

 

[madeinhb]

Funny how people disregard BBM as a thing of the past because Blackberry screwed up under previous CEOs. Remember, Apple was in the same place and they created the iPod which brought Apple back. Then they created the iPhone. BBM will be a great app once it's updated with the voice calling, video calling, etc. and in my opinion, if they can integrate SMS into BBM it will be all in one. For traveling, and using it over wifi- that will be a plus.

Just funny how people have this hatred for blackberry, when almost every company has had it. It's a cycle. It's a matter of can blackberry pull itself out. Right now they are at the mercy of developers. Developers are waiting to see if sales are there. People are waiting for the apps to be there. Personally I like BBOS10. I'm like others and waiting for key apps before I buy it.

 

[Spdracer]

My wife likes it from her Pearl days. She uses it so forces me to use it

 

[Elite1]

I had enough "trying it" when I had my BB. No thanks.

This is the kind of thinking that exemplifies the anti-BB sentiment so many former BB users have.

For some, BBM is a cross-platform IM app. One that works well, albeit with a few bugs on the new versions just rolled out for Android & iOS platforms. It also has unique features that will be liked by some and irrelevant to others.
And unlike just some new IM app, it comes with a proven infrastructure and millions of established users already there.

For others, it's the latest call to arms in Smartphone Wars.
A lot of people felt betrayed by BBRY for one reason or another, or just frustrated with the problematic BBOS platform.
"I'm not getting BBM... just because it's BBM!"
Everyone is entitled to their opinions about any subject, this one included. But some people are really overthinking this!
It's a free IM app. You're not getting back at someone by NOT using it, and you're not somehow surrendering by using it either.

Sorry, I know this thread's been dead for a week, but I enjoyed reading both sides of this debate and felt like throwing in my 2 cents.

 

[BlackBerry Guy]

Welcome to iMore elite1

 

[mbar9607]

i like that other companies like gogole and bb are releasing their instant messaging apps for all platforms, but i think bbm is generally a thing of the past now

 

[Elite1]

i like that other companies like gogole and bb are releasing their instant messaging apps for all platforms, but i think bbm is generally a thing of the past now

Can totally understand that sentiment, given that most things associated with the old BBOS platform should have been things of the past long before they were finally replaced by the new BB10 platform that most people have never used.

But BBM isn't a thing of the past obviously considering it just released cross-platform with some fanfare... to the tune of tens of millions of downloads so far.

 

[Elite1]

Welcome to iMore elite1

:angel:
What? I'm just some n00bie.

Actually a Nanite. Not even a Newbie.

 

[BlackBerry Guy]

i like that other companies like gogole and bb are releasing their instant messaging apps for all platforms, but i think bbm is generally a thing of the past now

An instant messenger is an instant messenger. The question is whether or not BBM is enticing enough to Android, iOS, and BlackBerry users as a cross platform solution to stay relevant.

 

[melbsteve]

my brother is the last family member/friend still clinging to his BB device and I must admit I enjoy texting him on BBM. It looks neat (probably better than on his actual blackberry haha) and works much quicker than my Whatsapp which I hate hate hate. So yeah, good stuff. Hope that the video feature etc. will be integrated soon as well.

 

[melbsteve]

An instant messenger is an instant messenger. The question is whether or not BBM is enticing enough to Android, iOS, and BlackBerry users as a cross platform solution to stay relevant.

but unlike e.g. Whatsapp I'd wager that in 99.99 per cent of all cases where BBM is used as a cross-platform messenger, ONE of the two devices will be a BB. So it's in essence used as a gateway to BB friends. At least that's my perception. I think that the number of people who use BBM to communicate between iOS and Android devices is marginal, those would make use of google/facebook/whatsapp messenger. What I'm trying to say is that I reckon the BBM relevance will kind of live and die with the Blackberry (phones) relevance. I don't consider it an actual competitor in the cross-platform messenger race... which is sad, because I find BBM superior to most already.

 

[Elite1]

but unlike e.g. Whatsapp I'd wager that in 99.99 per cent of all cases where BBM is used as a cross-platform messenger, ONE of the two devices will be a BB. So it's in essence used as a gateway to BB friends. At least that's my perception. I think that the number of people who use BBM to communicate between iOS and Android devices is marginal, those would make use of google/facebook/whatsapp messenger. What I'm trying to say is that I reckon the BBM relevance will kind of live and die with the Blackberry (phones) relevance. I don't consider it an actual competitor in the cross-platform messenger race... which is sad, because I find BBM superior to most already.

Actually I know quite a few former BB users now on iOS mostly or Android for some that have switched to BBM for communicating, especially with other formerly active CrackBerrians.

I have one friend with numerous BBM contacts already, and I think I'm only one of a couple of those that actually has a BB.

Ditto for my family and my wife's. They're all iOS, and my wife and I are the only BBM contacts they have with a BB.
So far, our families are really enjoying using BBM Groups. (And to be fair, WhatsApp groups has 2-3 great features that BBM Groups don't, but I still prefer BBM Groups personally.)

Anyway, this is all pretty anecdotal. Are you right overall? You might be, but cross-platform BBM is barely even a month old, with BBM Video, BBM Voice, and Windows Phone support all on the horizon too.

 

[GingerSnapsBack]

"I'm not getting BBM... just because it's BBM!"

I don't think like that. I'm not getting it because it's not needed for me.

 

[BlackBerry Guy]

but unlike e.g. Whatsapp I'd wager that in 99.99 per cent of all cases where BBM is used as a cross-platform messenger, ONE of the two devices will be a BB. So it's in essence used as a gateway to BB friends. At least that's my perception. I think that the number of people who use BBM to communicate between iOS and Android devices is marginal, those would make use of google/facebook/whatsapp messenger. What I'm trying to say is that I reckon the BBM relevance will kind of live and die with the Blackberry (phones) relevance. I don't consider it an actual competitor in the cross-platform messenger race... which is sad, because I find BBM superior to most already.

As far as personal communication (between friends and family) there's a very good chance that one of the devices is a BlackBerry. That said, I also have friends who've moved to iOS or Android and that became WhatsApp users out of necessity, but ended up downloading BBMx when it became available. Is it a gateway to BB users? Perhaps. But no more so than Gtalk (or Hangouts as it's now known) is gateway to Google users. Unless it's a third party solution who's sole purpose is messaging, it's going to be a gateway to someone's platform. Beyond the IM, there's also a social aspect to it. Have a look at the forums here or on Android Central, and you'll see groups that've been started by forum members. Those groups are probably almost exclusive iOS or Android users communicating with each other using BBM.