[mobileman]

Don't they all have the ~$99 unlimited talk + text + data bundle?

Yep, can I borrow an extra $30 a month to pay for that over my $70 blackberry plan?

[mobileman]

The point is to draw negatives from a non issue for most people.

Its not a non issue to Blackberry users who may be looking to switch to the Pre. I know you love the Pre, but please don't assume that if the Pre doesn't have a certain feature, it is unimportant to everybody else.

[DougB541]

Its not a non issue to Blackberry users who may be looking to switch to the Pre. I know you love the Pre, but please don't assume that if the Pre doesn't have a certain feature, it is unimportant to everybody else.

Please show me in my post where I said everyone else?

I said MOST people.

I have a Blackberry Curve now...I love BBM, but I'm obviously going to another phone that is not a blackberry so why in the world would I expect a blackberry messenger feature?

Its just *****ing for the sake of *****ing, simple as that. If you like BBM so much, you wouldn't be looking to get rid of a blackberry.

[mobileman]

I have a Blackberry Curve now...I love BBM, but I'm obviously going to another phone that is not a blackberry so why in the world would I expect a blackberry messenger feature?

Its just *****ing for the sake of *****ing, simple as that. If you like BBM so much, you wouldn't be looking to get rid of a blackberry.

I do love BBM, however I'm not crazy about some of the other Blackberry features?

Nobody here said they expected BBM on the Pre. They are just discussing a feature they will miss if they move to a Pre. They is a strange thing that goes on in this message board. If anybody brings up any feature that the Pre does not have, the attacks begin.

[DougB541]

What attack? Where was there an attack.

YOu post a thread you will get various opinions.

I don't agree with your opinion. I don't want/need a Pre messenger. SMS/IM is perfectly fine for me and with only one WebOS phone coming out in a month there will be a limited amount of people I could even think of who would use it.

You would then need Palm to build a backend server similar to RIM that does push IM...which at that point, may as well do Push email....and then you start to realize, hey, maybe its just not fiscally sensible to do this (at least at this time).

[asforme]

There wasn't just talk about missing BBM. The thread started with talk of palm making something similar exclusive to pre owners. Then it was brought up that this would be preferable to SMS because not everyone will have unlimited SMS.

The point being missed is that everyone with a Pre WILL have unlimited SMS, and since the original discussion was talking about a service exclusive to the Pre, so there is no advantage to having another messaging protocol.

[mobileman]

The point being missed is that everyone with a Pre WILL have unlimited SMS, and since the original discussion was talking about a service exclusive to the Pre, so there is no advantage to having another messaging protocol.

So PRE users better only chat with other Sprint users or people with unlimited sms on other carriers.

[asforme]

So PRE users better only chat with other Sprint users or people with unlimited sms on other carriers.

Which is no worse than a proposed new messaging protocol exclusive to the pre.

Except that we can still SMS with anyone, they just might have to pay for it, just like they have to pay for talk minutes.

[cardfan]

So PRE users better only chat with other Sprint users or people with unlimited sms on other carriers.

That should've been in AT&T's chart that compares the Pre and iphone.

[DougB541]

So PRE users better only chat with other Sprint users or people with unlimited sms on other carriers.

As someone said...its all that someone has to worry about currently when the Pre comes out if it had its own messenger.


And Blackberry people have to hope that all their friends with blackberry's are paying for the data plan.

[mobileman]

And Blackberry people have to hope that all their friends with blackberry's are paying for the data plan.

Why else would you have a blackberry?

[hparsons]

There wasn't just talk about missing BBM. The thread started with talk of palm making something similar exclusive to pre owners. Then it was brought up that this would be preferable to SMS because not everyone will have unlimited SMS.

The point being missed is that everyone with a Pre WILL have unlimited SMS, and since the original discussion was talking about a service exclusive to the Pre, so there is no advantage to having another messaging protocol.

Actually, there are still advantages. Not everyone does text on their phones. Not everyone even has a cell phone. There are lots of messaging protocols that are computer only, and they have value.

When I first saw this thread, I envisioned something similar to the Sprint Mobile Messaging service the Sprint currently offers. This is basically a two part system, a client on the phone, and a back end server that communicates with the three involved protocols (AIM, Windows Messenger, and Yahoo IM). One of the problems with the Treos was that if you wanted to use Yahoo, AIM, or WM, you had to "stay connected", and that interfered with phone calls. Plus, it could only be one of the three, since the devices didn't multi-task.

A number of options came up (including Sprint's) that involved a back end server that stayed connected, and a client that received messages from that server. Most worked pretty well at the limited functions that they did.

Since the Pre will multi-task, I suspect that something more similar to Pidgin could be developed, but it still leaves a problem - if your connected live, it might interfere wth phone calls. Most likely a back end server would still be required to overcome that.

I don't know what Sprint's plans are for the future of their current Messaging system, but I don't see it being a big bonus for them, so I don't hold out much hope for that.

BES causes a whole new wrinkle though. BES systems must connect to RIM's servers. It's how they control the licenses, and control of the licenses is part of their business plan.

I do not anticipate them sublicensing that to anyone else; however, I could see them developing an app that would run on the Pre to allow it to connect to a BES, thus maintaining control (and charging for) the BES license.

If such an app were written (both the BB and Pridgin type app) and done properly, they would adopt the "Synergy" format.

[prereferee]

So PRE users better only chat with other Sprint users or people with unlimited sms on other carriers.

This really is just like saying, you should only call other people only if they have unlimited minutes or are on your network. It is such a moot point and adds nothing.

You make it sound like some big technological limitation on the Pre being imposed by Sprint and Palm on the world. They use a standard protocol, SMS, available to all and that is a major knock because the person you are talking to might not have texting or not have many texts? Well I might as well not call my friends on T-Mobile because they only have 400 minutes. I shouldn't text them either because they only get a package of 500 texts a month.

Unless you know someone and have some sense they have texting, aren't you more likely to call first anyway? If they are so worried about getting texts and being billed for them they will tell their friends and/or get the cell company to block the things. If they have limited texts per month they need to keep an eye on it themselves and let their friends know when they are low, that has nothing to do with Sprint and Palm here it is purely on users.

This texting thing you keep bringing up is such a non-issue and seems like an attempt to generate controversy where none really exists and score points bashing Sprint and to a limited degree Palm.

On the other issue of BBM, would it be great to attract Blackberry people? Yes. But is it likely to come? No, because I really highly doubt RIM will give a competitor access to one of their proprietary marquee features. I think the threading of conversations across all forms of communication should provide sufficient communications power in its absence though I know it will not be perfect for all.

[jbg7474]

If such an app were written (both the BB and Pridgin type app) and done properly, they would adopt the "Synergy" format.

WebOS already has IM built in (GTalk and AIM right now). It wouldn't surprise me to find out that they're using some of the back end Pidgin libraries, as these are open source. My bet would be that the Windows Live messenger protocol gets added quickly. Adding any other Jabber servers should also be pretty easy to do in the future. I am personally looking forward to Facebook chat, as that's where I do most of my chatting.

[mobileman]

You make it sound like some big technological limitation on the Pre being imposed by Sprint and Palm on the world.

My goodness, this is the second time you said this. You are wrong both times. Lets just agree to disagree.

[Outrigger#WN]

BBM does not use data, it is just like sms but all blackberry's can talk to each other for free.

Please do an ounce of research before posting something as misleading as this. Try turning off your data and send a message through BBM to see if it goes through.

[hparsons]

...
Adding any other Jabber servers should also be pretty easy to do in the future. I am personally looking forward to Facebook chat, as that's where I do most of my chatting.

That's pretty much my point. No need for a "Pre only" service, instead, it would be a "Pre everything" service, which seems to be the whole goal of Synergy.

The fly in the ointment could be BB, but I suspect that BES will offer a solution. As I said, if they do, and it's written well (neither of which are extreme stretches) it would take advantage of Synergy.

[jhoff80]

It wouldn't surprise me to find out that they're using some of the back end Pidgin libraries, as these are open source. My bet would be that the Windows Live messenger protocol gets added quickly. Adding any other Jabber servers should also be pretty easy to do in the future.

I would bet it's much more likely that they're using the telepathy framework, which if the case would be even more interesting, considering it supports VOIP. (Of course they can easily not include those parts if they want.)

[prereferee]

My goodness, this is the second time you said this. You are wrong both times. Lets just agree to disagree.

Even if it isn't what you are in fact saying, you are making it sound as such based on what you are replying to and the manner in which you frame your reply. Additionally, I can't see any other reasoning or point behind what you are saying than what I have been able to extrapolate.

So PRE users better only chat with other Sprint users or people with unlimited sms on other carriers.

The implication being the Pre is somehow limited here. It is like saying, so Moto Q9c users should only chat with people on Sprint or with unlimited SMS on another carrier. It goes without saying that you should be limiting texts to those without the service for it, just like you shouldn't send picture texts to people without the service. I think this is more a point of cell phone etiquette than something related to hardware or plan that needed significant highlighting, but maybe that is just me. I can't think of any other possible point you were trying to make, hence why I am led to my conclusion.

[quipper8]

I would bet it's much more likely that they're using the telepathy framework, which if the case would be even more interesting, considering it supports VOIP. (Of course they can easily not include those parts if they want.)

my money is definitely on the telepathy framework as well. I use it on my Nokia Internet tablet integrated chat/voip/contact/etc and it is already pretty 'synergistic'