Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Smart Phone

Our world very much revolves around being available 24-7 which is why the invention and popularization of the smart-phone with QWERTY keyboard is so incredibly important. For one the keypad has made typing a breeze, still a sticking point for the IPhone users whose typing keypads are still nowhere near as easy as the BlackBerry ones.

I find the Blackberry -in general- very easy and user friendly even if it does not offer the fun factor the IPhone and it's IPhone Killer counterparts have. I do have one complaint (well actually two).

In addition to the fact the SHIFT and CAP keys are reversed-look at a CPU keyboard then at your BB's- there is one other issue which is less of a nuisance but can almost cripple you when you are in a pinch.
Let me explain
In many cases ads for phone numbers use their phone equivalent letters to help people remember them. So if your number was 1-900-909-JEFF you would dial 1-900-909-5333 which is brilliant marketing IF everybody has the alphanumeric combination listed on their phone.
The question of course is if you are going to build Hardware with a full keyboard, why then also list the phone-pad letters above their corresponding number?
Well I tell you why, because if you use a BlackBerry and you see an ad in the subway which gives a phone number of 1-800-MARGARITA (believe it or not but that is an actual phone # in a subway ad for some Spanish Speaking law-firm) and you wanted to call to sue a Mexican Restaurant for food poisoning you would have a shit-hard time because try to dial that when your keypad doesn't have the letters above it.
A four letter word is manageable, especially if it was something like 1212-555-ABBA but a seven-letter word like 1-800-MIX A LOT with letters at the end of the alphabet is torture.
So BB people, I implore you to look at your short-coming and attack the market with products which are both 'smart' and intuitive.
And while you are at it, improve the camera, my BB supposedly has a 3.2MB camera but every picture I take looks like it was taken through a film of grey.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

1 comment:

  1. i had this happen just yesterday when the credit card company asked me to spell my mother's maiden name on the keypad. so aggravating. why can't i just say it's the same as my last name. all Indians that i know and rule are Patels after all.

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