If you had been watching various BlackBerry news releases yesterday, you would have seen that the BlackBerry 8700 series devices are pretty horrible when it comes to video playback. They can do it, but, pail in comparison to oh, lets say, about everything else.
Well, according to the BlackBerry maker co-CEO, Mike Lazaridis, Research in Motion meant for it to be that way…
In response to questioning over the BlackBerry’s poor video performance, Lazaridis said that the Intel processor in the 8700 had always boasted extensive “onboard acceleration” features, but that RIM “never enabled it” in order to ensure maximum “stability and reliability”.
The next version of the BlackBerry firmware, v4.2, will enable these dormant hardware features on future and existing Intel-based BlackBerry devices (currently the is the only Intel-based BlackBerry), Lazaridis said. Once enabled, hardware acceleration could improve audio/video performance dramatically.
My question is if you purposely cripple processor performance because you want to ensure maximum “stability and reliability”, how can it be OK to enable it after consumers voice how much it sucks that you didn’t enable it in the first place?
Is stability and reliability no longer important?
RIM didn’t cripple the Intel PXA901 processor. They just didn’t enable hardware acceleration.
I think that depends on how you look at it. No, they didn’t write code that slowed the processor down, however, they purposely didn’t write code that could take full advantage of all the things they promoted when they first announced that the 8700s would have Intel Inside…
I beleive that stability and reliability is of primary
importance in a cell phone.
I don’t have a problem with them turning off
some of the features. It gives them more
time to correct anything that is associated
with those extra abilities.
If the video downgrades the stability and reliability,
then I will “downgrade” to the prior version to
maintain that.
Scott,
I agree that stability and reliability is paramount, but I cannot beleive that RIM just all of a sudden figured out how run the Intel processor with stability and reliably right around the same time that software manufacturers start coming out with mulitimedia applications. What are they going to do in BB OS 4.2 that couldn’t be done when the first 8700c hit the streets back in November?
Robb, it is obvious that you have no idea of the process for development and integration of hardware/software in new devices. It requires a lengthy period of development, testing, identifying the problem, fixing it, and retesting. Then you add the next feature and start all over, insuring that is doesn’t mess up any of the previously integrated features. This should be done in a fairly linear fashion, otherwise you may have serious problem in causing operability problems when you put it all together. The more functions you try to integrate, the longer the process takes before you have a reliable and dependable device.
RIM, in my opinion, took the correct path in this by integrating the functions of features of their existing hardware, and releasing the new device first without the additional features. Apparently, they are now in the process of adding new features that take advantages of the capabilities of the new hardware, and will release a new version of the OS that will do what you desire.
I for one am glad that RIM, took this path, as we had the 8700 and its new speed and other new features much earlier than possible if they had followed the path you are pushing for. An example of a company that followed your path and rushed the process is the Treo, which from what I hear has a lot or integration problems that cause a lot phones to need to be reset multiple times daily.
In answer to your question of what are they going to do in OS 4.2 that couldn’t be done in 4.1 is nothing except, to take the time to do it right, and let us have the 8700 while they are doing it.
Richard
Good points Richard and I almost agree with you on the the “path” RIM took except for that fact that RIM did a lot of marketing on all the great things the Hermes could do, but failed to qualify that many of these things would be disabled on the first wave of 8700s.
How do I upgrade my blackberry 8700g and get it to play videos.thanks