It seems like every other tech article that you read over the last week is about BlackBerry Thumb. I haven’t posted anything about BlackBerry Thumb mostly because I wrote about it about 10 months ago and really didn’t have anything new to say about it. I am, however, chiming in now about it because I have a cure for it for some of the most severe cases.
“BUY A FRIGGING LAPTOP”
I have been reading some of the ridiculous stories about CrackBerry addicts who spend hour after countless hour writing emails from their BlackBerry. One road-warrior estimated that he emails over 10,000 words per day and spends 7 to 9 hours each day with his BlackBerry in his hands. A business owner stated that his company has suffered because it is just too painful for him to type on his BlackBerry any longer and crucial emails have to wait until he gets back to the office.
Um, guys… Refer to the statement in big bold capitol letters. I think that I qualify as a die-hard BlackBerry addict. I absolutely love my BlackBerry and really don’t see how I could get along without it. If you were to tell me that I had to choose between my BlackBerry and my sub-laptop, however, I would choose the laptop over the BlackBerry without hesitation. (Actually, I would search for a loophole that would allow me to keep both but I think you get the point)
I type around 90 words per minute on a computer. I might type 20 words per minute on a BlackBerry. If the guy that types 10,000 words per day and spends 7 to 9 hours with his BlackBerry in his hands has similar speed differences, a laptop could save his thumbs, save him 5 to 7 hours a day in productivity, and allow him to get a life.
I would say that my 9-5 keeps me connected to email more than 99.5% of the rest of the world. I send and receive dozens sometimes hundreds of emails per day. I can honestly tell you that less than 10% are critical and those that are generally only require a simple response of yes, no, or call me. For the business owner whose company is suffering because BlackBerry Thumb is too painful for him to continue using his BlackBerry and has to leave timely emails until he gets back to his office, I say get a laptop with wireless broadband access and if that doesn’t work, get an assistant.