Halliburton To Dump Blackberry For iOS

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Halliburton To Dump Blackberry For iOS

Posted by Unknown on Tuesday February 7, 2012 @01:06AM from the death-spiral-in-motion dept.

grub writes "Halliburton has decided to drop Research In Motion's Blackberry platform in favor of Apple's iOS for its workforce. 'An internal newsletter outlined the plan for the nearly 70,000 employees who work for Halliburton in more than 70 countries. "Over the next year, we will begin expanding the use of our mobile technology by transitioning from the BlackBerry (RIM) platform that we currently use to smartphone technology via the iPhone."'"

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Seems fitting by gottspeed · 2012-02-07 01:09 · Score: 3, Funny

Lets all join hands in making the world a better place for investors!
1. Re:Seems fitting by jellomizer · 2012-02-07 01:55 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  A company like Halliburton, is a big company. Most of you the only reason to hate it was because of its connection with a former Vice President who was a War Hawk Republican. Like all Large companies they do a lot of things. And the IT decision to move from Blackberry to iOS, probably isn't part of some evil plot. Just probably more innocently trying to give customers a better tool for their job.
  Blackberry had some really large problems in the past few years. Network outages, lack of interests in developing 3rd party apps. Most likely a lot of employees wanted iOS devices more then ones who liked their blackberry. So they made an IT decision to switch... No big deal.
  
  If Apple messes up or something that is far superior pops up then you will see the market switch again.
  
  This isn't some Evil attracted to Evil, liberal hippy crap. To big companies often thing that are ethically wrong... Yes. Are all their decisions based on Evil... No.
  Sometimes an IT Decision is just that.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
2. Re:Seems fitting by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:01 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  A company like Halliburton, is a big company. Most of you the only reason to hate it was because of its connection with a former Vice President who was a War Hawk Republican. Like all Large companies they do a lot of things. And the IT decision to move from Blackberry to iOS, probably isn't part of some evil plot. Just probably more innocently trying to give customers a better tool for their job.
  Blackberry had some really large problems in the past few years. Network outages, lack of interests in developing 3rd party apps. Most likely a lot of employees wanted iOS devices more then ones who liked their blackberry. So they made an IT decision to switch... No big deal.
  If Apple messes up or something that is far superior pops up then you will see the market switch again.
  This isn't some Evil attracted to Evil, liberal hippy crap. To big companies often thing that are ethically wrong... Yes. Are all their decisions based on Evil... No.
  Sometimes an IT Decision is just that.
  No, I am pretty sure it was because they were shameless war profiteers who won no-bid contracts and earned billions in profits while ONLY BY COINCIDENCE were they hugely invested in and advised by several officials in the white house... And then they blew up an oil well in the gulf that shit all over the coastline of 5 states. All liberal hippy crap, no doubt.
3. Re:Seems fitting by postbigbang · 2012-02-07 02:21 · Score: 1, Troll
  
  It's only statistically significant as another anecdotal sign that RIM needs to change its tune. Haliburton gouged the people of the US, moved their assets base offshore, and generally fucked the USA. During the Mideast wars, they repeatedly gouged, profiteered, and were poster boys and girls for how to bone your country.
  So now they're changing to iOS. Who.Fucking. Cares.
  
  --
  ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
4. Re:Seems fitting by P-niiice · 2012-02-07 02:25 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  A company like Halliburton, is a big company. Most of you the only reason to hate it was because of its connection with a former Vice President who was a War Hawk Republican.
  
  Yeah, that's why we should hate them. It couldn't also be it's support and coverup of a gang rape committed by employees, or it's opposition to anti-human trafficing among other things.
5. Re:Seems fitting by DrgnDancer · 2012-02-07 02:39 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  As a fairly liberal hippy type person, I have to say he's still pretty much right. You can't just say "Halliburton has done evil things, therefore all things done by Halliburton are evil". I disagree with a lot of things about the company, and I take anything they say with a grain of salt, but I seriously doubt they have "Chief Evil Officer" who's job it is to double check all corporate actions and make sure they meet the necessary standard of evil. Most likely enough people complained about Blackberry that IT decided to switch platforms. It's news because it shows that RIM is seriously hemorrhaging big customers. If they can't hold onto the Halliburtons, they're in even worse shape than a lot of people thought. I believe it was just a week or so ago that I was responding to a post about how "regulate" industries were never going to move to IPhone just because some dirty users wanted to... Well, yeah...
  
  --
  I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
6. Re:Seems fitting by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:43 · Score: 0
  
  No, you are completely right, we don't have evidence that *everything* they do is Evil. However, we do have evidence that shows that they have no reservations about doing things that are evil, so when considering any given activity it is relevant to include "completely evil" in the spectrum of conclusions.
  And of course none of that really has any bearing on their Blackberry/Iphone standing, but when has slashdot ever slowed down to bother with causality?
7. Re:Seems fitting by tripleevenfall · 2012-02-07 02:50 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Moreover, why is Halliburton moving away from Blackberry to iOS supposed to raise any eyebrows? RIM is in a death spiral. This article could have been written about thousands of other companies.
  (Yes, I know that this is /. so there's necessarily evil afoot when android isn't chosen, but... )
8. Re:Seems fitting by Xest · 2012-02-07 03:11 · Score: 2
  
  Whilst I don't disagree that you're probably right, this is just an IT decision, let's please not trivialise how evil Halliburton actually is down to a mere connection to a politician people may or may not like.
  They were running empty convoys through Iraq just so they could charge the government for more money, despite the fact US troops and civilians died on such convoys.
  They're also still to this day trying to exploit the anti-BP rhetoric surrounding the deepwater horizon incident to shirk off their portion of the blame, despite the fact other companies involved have accepted their portion of the blame, companies such as Mitsui, Anadarko, Weatherford International, and Cameron International.
  This is before you factor in any number of cases of severe corruption in places like Nigeria, and responsibility for a number of other oil and other chemical leaks.
  So yeah, it may be an IT decision, but I suspect people hate it for far more than just it's links to Cheney alone. It's actions are quite despicable.
9. Re:Seems fitting by geminidomino · 2012-02-07 03:31 · Score: 2
  
  opposition to anti-human trafficing among other things.
  You know, just because someone is an anti-human, that doesn't mean they don't deserve to live free of the indignities of being kidnapped, abused, and sold like baseball cards...
  (Sorry, but with the phrasing, I couldn't resist)
10. Re:Seems fitting by dbIII · 2012-02-07 03:36 · Score: 1
  
  I use their software. At least the "support" side of their IT is evil.
11. Re:Seems fitting by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 04:48 · Score: 0
  
  ...this is just an IT decision...
  Okay, let's assume that this transition is relatively cheap, and you get the phone, plus training on using it and the new company email system, costs about $1000 per person. Multiply that by 70,000 people, and you're talking $70 million to convert.
  I don't care what company you work for, IT doesn't get to make $70 million decisions. I'd be willing to bet that whoever *did* make this decision is getting a few new luxury cars this year.
12. Re:Seems fitting by Xest · 2012-02-07 06:13 · Score: 1
  
  Possibly, but keep in mind that it'll probably be a rolling upgrade, meaning they'll do it as phones need replacing, so it may well cost $70million to convert, but if it was going to cost $65million to continue dealing with RIM anyway as handsets are upgraded, software licenses renewed etc. then they may have deemed the difference is worth it. For what it's worth I think $1k per person is probably a gross overestimate, particularly with the type of bulk discount a large corporation like this will get. Just as with getting a personal contract phone, much of the cost of the handsets can be absorbed into the contract with the telco also. I know when I worked in public sector and we were looking at what to do with our 5,000 staff, it was really the contract defining usage of the phones that was primary, once we'd decided that we just had a list of handsets to choose from that were free - if it's the same here, they may not be getting charge any more for the iPhone than the Blackberry as again, the contract with the telco will mask the per-handset costs.
  I'm not an Apple fan by any measure, I'd be much happier if they'd gone to Android, and in fact probably happier if they'd stayed with RIM, but I'm not convinced there's really any foul play here still.
13. Re:Seems fitting by Krojack · 2012-02-07 06:23 · Score: 1
  
  I find it sad that 2 of the parent replies for modded Score:5, Insightful yet yours, which is far more true then the other post, got a score of 2.
  
  RIM is old and not keeping up with what's current thus dieing slowly. From the BB phones I have played with, I hated the UI. Now if Android can get it's full system encryption working then I believe that will be 5 more nails in RIMs coffin.
14. Re:Seems fitting by ohnocitizen · 2012-02-07 06:30 · Score: 2
  
  This. Plus their corporate policy on the rape of their employees ought to land everyone responsible in jail. (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1)
15. Re:Seems fitting by scot4875 · 2012-02-07 06:40 · Score: 1
  
  There's no reason to think in terms of good and evil about any of this stuff. It's simply a matter of profitable vs. not profitable, and looking out for one's own self interests.
  Some people and/or corporations are better about recognizing the negative impacts that their profits might impose on other entities. You know, something like empathy. Most corporations and a disappointingly large number of individuals seem to have no empathy whatsoever for anyone outside their immediate circle of friends and family -- if it even extends that far.
  There's no moustachioed villain running Halliburton. It's just a big amoral conglomerate of people who are out to make sure their own lives are the best they can be, using the government and financial systems as they exist to do that.
  That said, they deserve zero respect because they've shown the rest of us zero respect. It's got nothing to do with good or evil.
  --Jeremy
  
  --
  Jesus was a liberal
16. Re:Seems fitting by tokul · 2012-02-07 07:19 · Score: 1
  
  IT decision
  IT does not make decisions. PHBs do. IT is stuck dealing with consequences of PHB decisions.
17. Re:Seems fitting by fangorious · 2012-02-07 13:11 · Score: 1
  
  here
18. Re:Seems fitting by fangorious · 2012-02-07 13:12 · Score: 1
  
  here
19. Re:Seems fitting by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-08 03:56 · Score: 0
  
  Of course they have a 'Chief Evil Officer (CEO)', its just known as 'Chief Executive Officer (CEO)'
Before the fandroids post this by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:10 · Score: 0, Troll

Am evil corporation adopts a product from another evil corporation
Physical keyboard? by PT_1 · 2012-02-07 01:11 · Score: 2, Insightful

I'm not saying that the iPhone isn't a good phone, but it has no physical keyboard. Many employees use their phone for answering email; to me the iPhone seems like it would really inconvenient for use in this manner. Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
1. Re:Physical keyboard? by vlm · 2012-02-07 01:13 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I'm not saying that the iPhone isn't a good phone, but it has no physical keyboard. Many employees use their phone for answering email; to me the iPhone seems like it would really inconvenient for use in this manner. Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
  Brevity of reply = feature not bug
  
  --
  "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
2. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:15 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?"
  Only while driving.
3. Re:Physical keyboard? by MrHanky · 2012-02-07 01:15 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Oh, don't say that. With autocorrect, an on-screen touch keyboard is just as fast and arrogant as a maniacal keyboard.
4. Re:Physical keyboard? by EMR · 2012-02-07 01:16 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  I use it all the time, and don't really have issues writing emails on it.. With any compact device it takes practice. I personally have a harder time on those mini physical keyboards than on the virtual iPhone keyboard.
5. Re:Physical keyboard? by MightyYar · 2012-02-07 01:18 · Score: 1
  
  All I can say is, "Thank Jebus."
  Blackberry replies (actually any smartphone replies) are usually useless and poorly thought out. The useful ones are stuff like, "We'll talk tomorrow at 3," which can still be hacked out on a virtual keyboard.
  That said, I can understand the desire for an actual keyboard, but then I don't work for Halliburton.
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
6. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:19 · Score: 0
  
  I'm not saying that the iPhone isn't a good phone, but it has no physical keyboard. Many employees use their phone for answering email; to me the iPhone seems like it would really inconvenient for use in this manner. Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
  Millions!
7. Re:Physical keyboard? by twofishy · 2012-02-07 01:32 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Yup. Used BlackBerry for about 5 years before switching to iPhone when the 4 came out. It took a day or to to get used to it, but these days I'm just as fast typing on the screen as I ever was on the BlackBerry phone. And the phone a whole is a lot better than the last BlackBerry I owned.
8. Re:Physical keyboard? by mcwop · 2012-02-07 01:36 · Score: 2
  
  I do. Speech to text rules. I type less each day.
  
  --
  "I don't think it's selfish, to eat defenseless shellfish." -NOFX
9. Re:Physical keyboard? by Troke · 2012-02-07 01:36 · Score: 1
  
  Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
  Short answer, no. On the road my Droid 2 becomes my primary device. I purchased it because of the physical keyboard, but haven't slid the keyboard out in months. I'm just as fast with the on screen keyboard and have no problem responding to e-mails without a physical keyboard.
  That being said, my responses from a mobile device tend to be less eloquent and shorter, so for anything requiring long responses I will grab my laptop or sit down at the desktop and hammer it out.
10. Re:Physical keyboard? by JonathanF · 2012-02-07 01:39 · Score: 2
  
  Think the "I can't write unless I have a hardware keyboard" trope died once people actually bothered to learn to type on touchscreen keyboards. I know I can type faster on an iPhone (or Galaxy Nexus) than I can on the multiple recent BlackBerrys I've used. Not having to use awkward function key combos and using autocorrection to your advantage can go a long way.
11. Re:Physical keyboard? by SJHillman · 2012-02-07 01:39 · Score: 1
  
  Depends on the person. As a large guy, I find onscreen keyboards horribly inconvenient, especially when switching between case or letters/numbers/symbols (my passwords kill me on onscreen keyboards). My girlfriend is the opposite, after a half hour she could type nearly as fast as on a physical keyboard and didn't mind it at all. Of course, I'm usually much more into grammar and capitalization than most people on mobile device. From the companies I've supported using iPhones for their mobile salesforce, most of them find it to be a good balance between perceived coolness, functionality and simplicity of use.
12. Re:Physical keyboard? by swalve · 2012-02-07 01:44 · Score: 1
  
  Genius.
13. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:44 · Score: 0
  
  I had a lot of questions about going to a virtual keyboard after owning a Motorola Droid for about 2 years. I went to iPhone 4 and it took me all of about 3 days to get use to it. I text and write mails with no serious issues. YMMV, obviously.
14. Re:Physical keyboard? by Danathar · 2012-02-07 01:44 · Score: 2
  
  Yes. And there are many where I work that are happy with it.
15. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:44 · Score: 0
  
  >arrogant
  Can we assume that's from your iPhone auto correct?
16. Re:Physical keyboard? by octothorpe99 · 2012-02-07 01:47 · Score: 1
  
  Ha. The "I-can't-do-it-because-i'm-better-than-most" argument.
17. Re:Physical keyboard? by digitalsolo · 2012-02-07 01:49 · Score: 1
  
  They are replacing Blackberry phones with iPhones. I've used both keyboards extensively, and I find the iPhone keyboard no more difficult to use than the Blackberry, and with practice, I'm nominally faster on the iPhone.
  
  Now, versus a REAL keyboard, sure, it's a PITA. That isn't what they're changing from however.
  
  --
  Just another ignorant American.
18. Re:Physical keyboard? by ewanm89 · 2012-02-07 01:49 · Score: 1
  
  Right, which is why I prefer Android myself. And yes I'm typing this on i touchscreen keyboard on my Android phone.
19. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:50 · Score: 0
  
  (Posting AC from work...)
  Given how poorly most people write using BB's physical keyboard, I'm quite fine with people using a virtual keyboard and having auto-correct fix their mistakes. Odds are their messages will better resemble actual English....
20. Re:Physical keyboard? by cc1984_ · 2012-02-07 01:52 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  >arrogant
  Can we assume that's from your iPhone auto correct?
  Choose
21. Re:Physical keyboard? by Etdashou · 2012-02-07 01:53 · Score: 1
  
  I'm not sure to understand this post, is this sarcasm? I have an iPhone for some years now and I don't see why I would need a physical keyboard at all. I type really fast on the iPhone keyboard. Same thing for my friends who has both option (physical + virtual keyboard). They don't use the physical keyboard anymore. Perhaps I live somewhere strange.
22. Re:Physical keyboard? by stewbacca · 2012-02-07 01:54 · Score: 1
  
  I'm not saying that the iPhone isn't a good phone, but it has no physical keyboard. Many employees use their phone for answering email; to me the iPhone seems like it would really inconvenient for use in this manner.
  
  Hello 2007,
  I'm glad to see you are still around complaining about the lack of physical keyboards. It seems the market has spoken and is in disagreement with your assessment. Now if you would kindly return to complaining about the lack or right mouse buttons on Macs or claims of "security through obscurity", the slashdot world will all be right again.
  Sincerely,
  Humanity
23. Re:Physical keyboard? by rockmuelle · 2012-02-07 01:56 · Score: 2
  
  I'm an iPhone user and generally like the platform, but the lack of a physical keyboard is problematic when it's cold out. I suspect many employees oil services company will be using their phones outside while gloves, which will be an challenge on the iPhone's touchscreen.
24. Re:Physical keyboard? by MightyYar · 2012-02-07 01:57 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  typing this on i touchscreen keyboard
  Comedy gold!
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
25. Re:Physical keyboard? by swalve · 2012-02-07 01:58 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I'm not even that large of a person, no sausage fingers for me, and I find that I am unable to use onscreen keyboards with any kind of accuracy either. Four years ago when I was buying my first smartphone, I honestly wanted an iPhone. But when I tried to type on it, nothing but gibberish. Picked up the Blackberry and it fit like a glove. And it still works. Maybe onscreen keyboard prediction technology has gotten better, but I doubt it based on what I see in various forums.
  
  Part of the problem, I think, is that the keyboards include predictive word choosing, and people don't really normally look at the spelling of a word when they are reading. They just see a word that starts and ends with the right letters and is roughly the same size.
26. Re:Physical keyboard? by Rakishi · 2012-02-07 02:01 · Score: 1
  
  That's not an issue.
27. Re:Physical keyboard? by jezwel · 2012-02-07 02:01 · Score: 1
  
  I've used an iPhone 3G to write an entire resume plus cover letter for a job application, which was painful in that I had to save and close those docs to open the PDF of the job application from an email. I'd imagine that would be much easier now with the advanced hardware and multi-tasking in the 4 /4S.
  Add to that the ~$800 in roaming charges I incurred by doing this while overseas (Japan yay) and it was a bit frustrating. Got an interview out of it - plus a job offer - so wasn't too bad.
  tl,dr: yes it would work for many situations.
28. Re:Physical keyboard? by garatheus · 2012-02-07 02:01 · Score: 1
  
  Other than with the auto correct fails that often occur with the iPhone (and BlackBerry) completely getting it wrong sometimes... Heck, there are whole web sites dedicated to this very thing (well, at least I think there are, right?)
  
  Or perhaps it's just that our particular style of English (South African) has so many different mixtures in it - where we often will have an Afrikaans or other language based word included in our sentences...
  
  That's just going to go down well when you're sending out corporate emails!
29. Re:Physical keyboard? by MightyYar · 2012-02-07 02:03 · Score: 1
  
  They make gloves with contact patches for smart phones. If you aren't completely retarded and have 20 extra minutes you can make any gloves smartphone friendly with conductive thread.
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
30. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:08 · Score: 0
  
  Layers of funny.
31. Re:Physical keyboard? by Tharsman · 2012-02-07 02:10 · Score: 2
  
  My touch screen phone is my primary digital device. Period.
  My computer has fallen back into niche uses like coding and writing extensively long multi-page articles.
  The touch screen keyboard becomes second nature within a week of ownership. This holds true for all touch screen phones, Android, iPhone or WinPhone7.
  At the end of the day, if a keyboard is so important, there are a a lot of cases that come with bluetooth keyboard. Just check this link out:
  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bluetooth+keyboard+case+iphone&id=76D36CFA8438B11231CD36CAF645900802FD70E6&FORM=IQFRBA
32. Re:Physical keyboard? by ewanm89 · 2012-02-07 02:12 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, that right there is the usual problem with onscreen keyboard, the automatic completion and correction can go screwy at times. Although it is getting better, currently building a have Java dictionary into this one.
33. Re:Physical keyboard? by Tolleman · 2012-02-07 02:21 · Score: 1
  
  I find it harder to type on touchscreen keyboards then on physical phone keyboards when I'm shitfaced.
34. Re:Physical keyboard? by MightyYar · 2012-02-07 02:25 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  LOL, a have Java dictionary?
  One pro tip: never type curse words into your phone. It will learn the curse words and then auto-correct at the worst possible times.
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
35. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:26 · Score: 0
  
  You have better screen real estate when half of it isn't being consumed by a keyboard. I've seen some rather schizophrenic emails composed on small screens because the author literally had forgotten what they had mentioned a paragraph ago. I personally find I compose much more coherently on a large screen where I can see what I said more than two sentences ago.
36. Re:Physical keyboard? by nine-times · 2012-02-07 02:28 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, I use the iPhone for work. I type emails on it. It's fine. In fact, I prefer typing (and type faster) on my iPhone to typing on my Blackberry, but I recognize that it's a personal preference thing.
  I have both an iPhone and a Blackberry, and the Blackberry gets no use.
37. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:31 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I find it harder to type on touchscreen keyboards then on physical phone keyboards when I'm shitfaced.
  But the touchscreen is easier to clean the puke off of.
38. Re:Physical keyboard? by EvilBudMan · 2012-02-07 02:34 · Score: 1
  
  Why would it necessarily be there primary work device?
39. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:36 · Score: 0
  
  Yes. Not having a physical keyboard is a trivial issue.
40. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:37 · Score: 0
  
  Do you also find it harder to differentiate homonyms when you're sober?
41. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:38 · Score: 0
  
  An Android phone with Swype (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S2 which has it by default) is much faster than both a physical keyboard or a regular touchscreen keyboard. Autocorrect is decent too - though iOS's autocorrect is notoriously terrible - HTC's keyboard is absolutely fantastic.
42. Re:Physical keyboard? by dkf · 2012-02-07 02:41 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I find it harder to type on touchscreen keyboards then on physical phone keyboards when I'm shitfaced.
  You reply to work emails when drunk? I know it might make dealing with the utter rubbish out of Marketing easier, but even so it's probably unwise...
  
  --
  "Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
43. Re:Physical keyboard? by Wovel · 2012-02-07 02:45 · Score: 1
  
  I am not saying your not a good commenter, but 2007 called and they want their argument back. Many if not most people find typing on a virtual keyboard far superior to the pointless little keyboard on the blackberry.
  Does it take getting used to? Sure. Give it a week. The email signatures about "excuse my fucked up typing" originated on Blackberry.
44. Re:Physical keyboard? by tripleevenfall · 2012-02-07 02:52 · Score: 1
  
  Touchscreens are much harder to type on whilst driving a car, which may or may not be a feature...
45. Re:Physical keyboard? by Wovel · 2012-02-07 02:52 · Score: 1
  
  Takes about a week. Your large finger parent is full of it btw. The iPhone keyboard is far superior for those of us with large fingers. I had about 5 years on the blackberry and within a week I typed faster and more accurately with the virtual keyboard.
  People try it once and mumble about change and go back into their hole.
46. Re:Physical keyboard? by DrgnDancer · 2012-02-07 02:56 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Add me to the pile of "I find virtual keyboards easier than the little ones on a Blackberry" people. I was using a coworkers BB a few days ago to text with another coworker who's number I didn't have. I wanted to throw the thing against a wall. It was awful to type on that tiny little chiclet keyboard, I am at least twice as fast on my iPhone or friends Android devices with virtual keyboards. It's all about what you're used too.
  
  --
  I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
47. Re:Physical keyboard? by Builder · 2012-02-07 02:56 · Score: 1
  
  I do. After about 3 weeks of getting used to the change from my Blackberry device to my iPhone, I find I'm more efficient on the iPhone.
  I only use a messaging device when I can see the screen and focus on my message. The iPhone keyboard works more than adequately as long as you can look at it for the initial typing - once you've started, your hands will touch-type. More importantly, it seems more forgiving than the Blackberry once you're typing long messages.
  Overall, I'm happier. I have one device that serves me well, company security are happy with it and it doesn't anoy me as much as the BB does.
48. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 03:04 · Score: 0
  
  You go to hell and you die!
49. Re:Physical keyboard? by courteaudotbiz · 2012-02-07 03:12 · Score: 2
  
  I remember the good ol' times of the Graffiti handwriting recognition. It was so fast and reliable...
50. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 03:14 · Score: 0
  
  Why do you type on a touchscreen keyboard followed by a physical phone keyboard when you're shitfaced? Do you carry two phones to the bar with you?
51. Re:Physical keyboard? by governorx · 2012-02-07 03:44 · Score: 1
  
  Completely and utterly disagree. Your large finger post was obviously written on a keyboard. The iPhone keyboard is a freaking nightmare.
  No full keyboard? No purchase.
52. Re:Physical keyboard? by CohibaVancouver · 2012-02-07 03:49 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Touchscreens are much harder to type on whilst driving a car
  Conveniently, this usability issue is addressed by Darwin.
53. Re:Physical keyboard? by Hadlock · 2012-02-07 03:59 · Score: 1
  
  I've been typing on a 4" android keyboard for just over a year now, and I still can't crank out a paragraph nearly as fast as I could on my blackberry. I tried the stock keyboard, then switched to swype (which cancels their beta version every 2 months, requiring you to re-teach it the custom dictionary) finally got sick of re-teaching the dictionary and currently I am working with swiftkey.
  
  Finally some more android phones with physical keyboards are coming on the market, and I may dump my (otherwise beloved) Nexus S in favor of one.
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
54. Re:Physical keyboard? by Nadaka · 2012-02-07 04:07 · Score: 1
  
  Add me to the list of "both those phones suck" people who prefer a full sized qwerty keyboard on their phone.
  The Epic 4g has a 50 key slide out physical keyboard more than 4 inches wide.
55. Re:Physical keyboard? by Nadaka · 2012-02-07 04:08 · Score: 1
  
  He is working on it.
56. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anomalyst · 2012-02-07 04:09 · Score: 2
  
  I type less each day.
  Doesn't typing the same word every day get a little boring?
  
  --
  There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
57. Re:Physical keyboard? by fostware · 2012-02-07 04:14 · Score: 1
  
  My BB 9860 has no physical keyboard...
  Only reason I like it over the Apple is the phone sound, signal quality, and better defined handset policies.
  (ActiveSync support is a little pot-luck - http://www.sysadminlab.net/activesync/iphone-os-4-and-exchange-activesync-policies-what-really-works)
  
  --
  "We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over." - Aneurin Bevan
58. Re:Physical keyboard? by jasomill · 2012-02-07 04:49 · Score: 1
  
  Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
  No, but I certainly don't carry a laptop around merely to write email. In fact, I have no laptop smaller than a 17" MacBook Pro, as I've learned from long experience that, for my own applications at least, the delusion that laptops without "desktop-grade" keyboards and displays are reasonable "desktop replacements" is a real productivity-killer (c.f., e.g., an iPad, which is obviously not a reasonable desktop replacement, hence more likely to be used only "as intended").
  More to the point, I find the iPhone's onscreen keyboard superior, for typing English prose, to every other "handheld" device I've used, from the HP 95LX to modern Blackberry-style keyboards on-screen keyboards on larger displays, and at least on par with crappy, cramped "netbook-sized" keyboards.
59. Re:Physical keyboard? by ncc74656 · 2012-02-07 05:05 · Score: 1
  
  I find it harder to type on touchscreen keyboards then on physical phone keyboards when I'm shitfaced.
  
  I knocked a beer over on my Treo once. A couple of buttons quit working; the keyboard needed replacement. I've managed to avoid knocking beers over on my iPhones, but if I had done so, at least it'd just need to be wiped off.
  
  --
  20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
60. Re:Physical keyboard? by rnsimoes · 2012-02-07 05:47 · Score: 1
  
  I also prefer a physical keyboard, I do not understand why people insist on trying to deny the obvious advantages of a physical keyboard over a virtual one... I tend to choose the best tool for the job and for heavy e-mail use, there is no better tool than a physical keyboard.
61. Re:Physical keyboard? by qamerr · 2012-02-07 06:16 · Score: 1
  
  I was a BlackBerry user for 7 years and switched to the iPhone a little over a year ago at work. My biggest concern was the lack of phsyical keyboard and the lack of a message indicator light (my BlackBerry would flash a red light on top when a new message arrived.) I adapated to the virtual keyboard in just a few days and I'm just as fast, if not faster because of the autocorrect, on the iPhone's keyboard. It took me about a week or so to get over not having the indicator light, but now I don't miss it. I wouldn't want to go back to the BlackBerry, the RDP/SSH client is much easier to use on the iPhone, the other apps seem more polished, and I don't have to reset the device near as often as I've had to do with my BlackBerries.
62. Re:Physical keyboard? by revoldub · 2012-02-07 06:21 · Score: 1
  
  I have a blackberry for work, find myself hitting the backspace key every 2 or 3 keys, because my fingers hit too many buttons at once. Considering, I probably type just as fast with one hand on touch screen as I do with two thumbs on the blackberry.
  On a side note, you should probably refrain from doing work related business while shitfaced.
63. Re:Physical keyboard? by quacking+duck · 2012-02-07 06:26 · Score: 2
  
  If they only Darwin'ed themselves by hitting trees, that's one thing.
  Unfortunately, Darwin doesn't discriminate between the idiot texting while driving on an undivided highway, and the family of four that he/she hits when he crosses the center line.
64. Re:Physical keyboard? by Overzeetop · 2012-02-07 07:03 · Score: 2
  
  Actually, you need a bit of training to use the on screen keyboards. I, too, was wedded to my HTC phones for their kbd, and had troubles at first with the iPhone because I didn't understand how they work. The capacitive screens see a potential rise which is centered around the contact point - like a big bump or hill - not a single x,y location. The OS (well, drivers) then reduce that potential field to the most likely point. I believe that for the keyboard, additional processing is done to predict what key you are more likely to hit based on the typing in order to increase your chance of a correct keystrike in a borderline case.
  The key (ha!) is to press the key you want like you mean it. Don't try to finesse it or you'll probably end up with the potential field skewed one way or the other. Once you realize that you don't have to touch just the key you want, it gets much easier. It's basically the opposite of how you deal with a chicklet keyboard.
  It works, mostly. M and backspace suck mightily, and there is occasionally confusion in the U-I-O recognition, but for the most part it's as good as a physical keyboard. The biggest beef I have is that there are no arrow keys.
  
  --
  Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
65. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 07:28 · Score: 0
  
  problem solved http://www.boxwave.com/iphone-4-cases-and-covers/keyboard-buddy-iphone-4-case/bwpdd/pkz-twvc/
66. Re:Physical keyboard? by thetoadwarrior · 2012-02-07 07:28 · Score: 1
  
  Yes but it has GTA 3 and Angry birds.
67. Re:Physical keyboard? by Ryanrule · 2012-02-07 08:12 · Score: 1
  
  Business drunk. Its like rich drunk. Either way, its legal to drive.
68. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 08:38 · Score: 0
  
  I'm not so sure that speech to text rules. Here's a recent text I received from a friend, as entered via speech recognition:
  "I am almost denuding I can just about see the nouvelles buildings will surpass that I'll pop in the Cambridge to take a left onto Morrall Drive and drive right down there by JFK Harbor Bellback rot so it shouldn't take me to want to guess in 15 minutes outsell the Gobles get to that barrack street garage hundred that hotel there at about Sigtim."
  Incidentally, my response (typed) read: "Dude, fuck your extra-chromosome-having Siri, she just went full-auto retard, man."
69. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-10 16:29 · Score: 0
  
  Are you absolutely sure, or is it possible you just drunk the kool-aid and CONVINCED yourself you can type faster? I mean have you actually measured your typing speed on both devices? ... because on any BB Bold or Torch physical keyboard I can quite trivially beat the "world record for typing on a touchscreen phone" held by SWYPE, and I won't pretend I'm some sort of demon superhero BlackBerry typist or anything, I think my BB typing is pretty average. I've seen otherwise-intelligent people completely brainwashed by it though - "OMG this swype is so fast, look how fast I can swype 'The Quick Brown Fox Jumped'..." but in the meantime I've finished and I'm partway through Mary Had A Little Lamb for an encore.
70. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-10 16:37 · Score: 0
  
  Honestly, this is crap. My office is full of people who can trivially beat the Swype "world record for typing on a touch-screen phone" on any BlackBerry keyboard.
Remember their coveted corporate user base? by MrCrassic · 2012-02-07 01:13 · Score: 3, Informative

Now we know that RIM is dead. You heard it here first.
Feds won't like it by gruntled · 2012-02-07 01:15 · Score: 4, Insightful

iOS does not have a FIPS 140-2 certified encryption module associated with it, meaning that viewing non-public government data on their e-mail system would be a contract violation at worst and might expose them to criminal liability. Aren't these guys basically government contractors?
1. Re:Feds won't like it by jonwil · 2012-02-07 01:17 · Score: 1
  
  There is no reason why Apple in conjunction with the Federal Government and others couldn't come up with a way to make the iPhone meet whatever federal standards are necessary, especially if it means a big sale to a major company.
2. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:22 · Score: 0
  
  iOS does not have a FIPS 140-2 certified encryption module associated with it, meaning that viewing non-public government data on their e-mail system would be a contract violation at worst and might expose them to criminal liability. Aren't these guys basically government contractors?
  Maybe Anonymous can hack them something up to secure their shizzle ...just a thought as they seem to know their networks pretty well
  peace.
3. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:23 · Score: 0
  
  I might be reading this wrong, but according to the report from NIST linked below the iPhone/iPad cryptographic module is in the same category as the Blackberry cryptographic library when it comes to FIPS 140-1 and 140-2 status.
  http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/140InProcess.pdf
4. Re:Feds won't like it by retech · 2012-02-07 01:24 · Score: 0
  
  Well they're a bit higher up the food chain. Since they make the conflicts their contracted to solve they write many of their own policies. No doubt they'll just rewrite this one as well. No sense in upgrading the tech when paper is quicker to upgrade. Now that they've bought the world court system and convinced us all that wikileaks is a terrorist cell they don't have to worry about people reading their email or docs.
5. Re:Feds won't like it by d00f · 2012-02-07 01:26 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  There is also no reason why the Android couldn't do the same. Lawyers don't care about whether it would have been possible for some company to modify their product to meet the requirements of a contract - they care what was done.
  RIM designed their infrastructure and device from the ground up to be secure and there is a reason why nearly all the law firms, government contractors and big business uses their devices. Apple designed their iPhone around the best user experience - 2 different objectives and this explains why they've had great success with the home type users.
6. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:26 · Score: 0
  
  Aren't these guys basically government contractors?
  No. KBR, the government contractor, used to be owned by Halliburton but no longer. Halliburon is a oil well services company.
7. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:30 · Score: 0
  
  Halliburton could write their own secure mail app and deploy it, if the built-in stuff isn't secure enough.
  And at least this way they're assured the company making their phones will still exist in five years.
8. Re:Feds won't like it by gruntled · 2012-02-07 01:32 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  You're right, there's no reason Apple can't...except it hasn't bothered. Until last year, Apple didn't have a FIPS 140-2 certified encryption module for *anything*. And it's not like if Apple developed an iOS encryption module and submitted it for approval that suddenly it's done; FIPS 140-2 is a testing requirement; it can take a long time before your encryption module is certified after being submitted for testing.
9. Re:Feds won't like it by MrCrassic · 2012-02-07 01:38 · Score: 1
  
  iOS might not, but good chance the management tool that will be baked into their phones is. I'm also confident that Apple's staunch refusal to accommodate corporate customers got pushed to the side here.
10. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:39 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  (Posting AC because I'm at work)
  It would appear you're not entirely correct: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3829534.htm
  "Mocana Corporation, a company that focuses on securing non-PC connected devices, today announced that it has earned the government's first FIPS 140-2 level one validation for an encryption product running on the Apple iPhone or iPad."
11. Re:Feds won't like it by Danathar · 2012-02-07 01:46 · Score: 1
  
  And yet....iphones are used throughout the Federal Government...
12. Re:Feds won't like it by gruntled · 2012-02-07 01:46 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  You can think of FIPS 140-1 as what's commonly referred to as encryption strength (that is, the type of encryption, like AES 256). FIPS 140-2 is a certification that the encryption you're using under 140-1 has been implemented properly and it looks like this chart combines both one and two. To the best of my knowledge there's no 140-2 certification for iOS.
13. Re:Feds won't like it by gl4ss · 2012-02-07 01:52 · Score: 0
  
  secure and a single point of failure don't really mix that well, nor does government tapping option.
  what BB did was spend enormous amounts of time and money to convince people that it's a secure and reliable solution, a lot of that comes from the fact that many companies used it so it was automatically assumed that they used it because it was reliable and secure, but what it was really was just "easy".
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
14. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:53 · Score: 0
  
  Major government contractors do not give a ... about laws. Such as having L1 transfers working on DoD projects that require US citizenship and security clearance
  inside DoD buildings this being just a random example :)
15. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:54 · Score: 0
  
  There is no reason why Apple in conjunction with the Federal Government and others couldn't come up with a way to make the iPhone meet whatever federal standards are necessary,
  Except that would require Apple to give up control of the device to the people who bought their phones.
  Apple is all about control. When using an iDevice, you are only allowed to do what St. Jobs magnanimously allows you to do. Apple spies on its users. Apple has the ability to restrict what you do with your iDevice. And Apple regularly does both.
16. Re:Feds won't like it by stewbacca · 2012-02-07 01:58 · Score: 1
  
  Gee, I wonder where Apple is going to ever find the resources to develop a FIPS 140-2 capable device. Will $40 billion cover it?
17. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:01 · Score: 0
  
  Corporate iOS customers use http://www.good.com/ for their email app (or an equivalent) which meets FIPS 140-2. With Good all corporate mail (including calender etc,) is kept in an encrypted database on the device. Other applications on the device are not allowed access to that encrypted data.
18. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:07 · Score: 0
  
  They were.
19. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:18 · Score: 0
  
  Aren't these guys basically government contractors?
  No, they're a construction company, specializing in petroleum and gas, that happened to get a lot of government contracts when a former executive was elected to the vice presidency and the country went to war in an area of the world that had a lot of petroleum.
  Its primary customers are the big oil companies (Chevron, BP, Exxon, Shell) and their partner companies and ventures.
20. Re:Feds won't like it by Tharsman · 2012-02-07 02:19 · Score: 1
  
  Reason: When a bunch of high profile senators want to use their one iPhone to handle their email, or the president of the United States himself wants to use his iPad to check his email, they will come up with legal exceptions to allow it.
  Sure, can happen with Android, once they forget about CarrierIQ.
21. Re:Feds won't like it by EvilBudMan · 2012-02-07 02:38 · Score: 1
  
  From what I've seen Blackberries aren't that secure maybe less secure than an iPhone which seems even more boxed in.
22. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:45 · Score: 0
  
  Encryption? Why are they using encryption? Are they terrorists? If they don't have anything to hide why are they using encryption?
23. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:45 · Score: 0
  
  More tinfoil?
24. Re:Feds won't like it by CharlyFoxtrot · 2012-02-07 03:02 · Score: 1
  
  iOS does not have a FIPS 140-2 certified encryption module associated with it, meaning that viewing non-public government data on their e-mail system would be a contract violation at worst and might expose them to criminal liability. Aren't these guys basically government contractors?
  Insightful ? After 5 minutes of Googling :
  "Mocana Corporation, a company that focuses on securing non-PC connected devices, today announced that it has earned the government's first FIPS 140-2 level one validation for an encryption product running on the Apple iPhone or iPad. "
  
  --
  If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
25. Re:Feds won't like it by CharlyFoxtrot · 2012-02-07 03:03 · Score: 1
  
  OK, I see an AC beat me to that. That'll teach me to ignore them.
  
  --
  If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
26. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 03:14 · Score: 0
  
  You can deploy something like Good Technology on either iOS or Android and that would meet FIPS 140-2
27. Re:Feds won't like it by DigiShaman · 2012-02-07 03:20 · Score: 2
  
  Apple hasn't shown much willingness to cater to the enterprise market. They do of course have such a product division, but they treat it like a red headed stepchild and with low priority. Their server is basically a joke for small businesses in comparison to an MS SBS box. I should know, we deployed one at the request of one of our clients. Actually, I thought it would be an awesome experience. I was wrong, sadly.
  Maybe it's growth. Maybe they're setting up the pieces for the final "keystone" to capture all market share including the enterprise segment. Doesn't matter in the end though because it hasn't happened. Apple is sticking with the two fastest growing markets. Mobile computing and cloud-based services. In fact, I'm willing to bet they will start to abandon OSX over iOS purely from a philosophical view point. That is to say, they might even abhor decentralization. How much longer will it be before you can only install apps on your MacBook from App Store? Effectively locking out all other channels to obtain your software from.
  
  --
  Life is not for the lazy.
28. Re:Feds won't like it by DrgnDancer · 2012-02-07 03:21 · Score: 1
  
  I wasn't directly involved in the site security certification stuff, but the Contractor I used to work for was doing test runs on iPhones as corporate communications devices when I left 5 months ago; and my wife's boss at Raytheon was debating an iPhone or BB as her new work phone a month or so ago. They must have gotten certified sometime in the last 6-8 months.
  
  --
  I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
29. Re:Feds won't like it by thevil · 2012-02-07 03:57 · Score: 2
  
  Aiming to break into the government market on an enterprise level, Apple has submitted three cryptographic modules that are in the modules in process queue for FIPS 140-2 compliance, according to Easter. Two of the modules in the testing process are specifically designed for iPhone and iPad security, and the third is a more generic module, he said.
  Apple seeks to better iPad, iPhone security via FIPS 140-2 compliance
30. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 04:02 · Score: 0
  
  Not strictly true.
  FIPS 140-1 was the first incarnation of the FIPS 140 standard issued in January 1994. FIPS 140-2 superceded it in May 2001 and took account of developments in encryption technology and techniques in the time since 140-1 was issued. FIPS 140-3 is currently under developement.
  None of the FIPS 140 standards prescibe specific methods or strength of encryption it simply describes a set of requirements for software and hardware that ensure that cryptographic modules have been developed in such a way that they meet the requirements for use in agancies of federal government in the US.
  You can develop a crytographic module that implements AES256 that will be just as secure as one developed and certified to FIPS 140 without going through the certification process. You just wont be able to sell it to the US government.
  iOS may not have FIP 140 certification but that does not mean it is inherently less secure in the way it encrypts infomration held on iOS devices.
31. Re:Feds won't like it by gtall · 2012-02-07 04:49 · Score: 1
  
  Personally, I'm willing to bet that sooner or later pigs will fly, purely from a philosophical point of view. Pigs generally abhor being locked into a single mode of transportation since it has a tendency to lead to pork chops and ham shoulders. How much longer before you can only buy pigs from the Pig Store, effectively locking out other channels to obtain your pig products.
32. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 05:19 · Score: 0
  
  What about once they forget about Apple tracking everyone? It's okay, that was just a bug... we promise we'll remove it. Or how there was a form of Carrier IQ found in the iPhone as well. Or how iOS has been very insecure (visit website, get jailbroken)
33. Re:Feds won't like it by DigiShaman · 2012-02-07 06:05 · Score: 1
  
  Pigs are controlled by DRM? I have to say, that's news to me!
  
  --
  Life is not for the lazy.
34. Re:Feds won't like it by Fjandr · 2012-02-07 07:09 · Score: 0
  
  The point wasn't that Apple is unable to do it technically, or unable to pay for it. Anyone with more than 2 brain cells to rub together understands they can.
  The point was that they haven't done so, despite being, to all appearances, more than capable of handling it from a technical and financial standpoint.
35. Re:Feds won't like it by stewbacca · 2012-02-07 07:20 · Score: 1
  
  That's called capitalism. Without demand, Apple has had no reason to have done so yet.
36. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 14:42 · Score: 0
  
  Ummm, NO the iPhone & Android devices are NOT anywhere as secure as a BB. nuff said. Don't even bring the topic up.
  Points for the curious googlers: How do you install encryption on your iPhone? How can you tell if your email is going out encrypted when one of the receivers doesn't support it (assume encryption is enabled in the settings for ALL outgoing email)?
37. Re:Feds won't like it by nahdude812 · 2012-02-08 02:45 · Score: 1
  
  Sure, can happen with Android, once they forget about CarrierIQ.
  You realize that CarrierIQ has nothing to do with Android other than that this company wrote an Android version of it, right? You also realize that Apple was shipping CarrierIQ on the iPhone when the Android stink was going on too, right? It was only after everyone made a big deal about this that Apple said they'd take it off. It was shipped but not "supported," leaving it up to the phone companies to manage it for themselves.
  Here's the difference. There was no iPhone you could buy that didn't have CIQ on it since all iPhones run pretty much the same software stack. There were and always have been plenty of Android phones out there without CIQ since it's something the carrier has to add to the device's ROM (it's not a core part of Android). Android just gave developers better access to the device, so people could see what their phone was secretly up to. iOS never generated the same stink because the most anyone could do is speculate what might be going on inside the phone, and it took being directly questioned by congress for Apple to admit that it was on the phone. But by that time most people were losing interest.
  So what was your point?
  
  --
  Slay a dragon... over lunch!
38. Re:Feds won't like it by Tharsman · 2012-02-08 03:11 · Score: 1
  
  You realize government senators dont have a clue, they just know that these android smartphones are loaded with that Karreir AI QUE thingy that invades their privacy, right? Thats my point. "Lawmakers" are blinded now about their potential love affair or illegal lobbying actions being keylogged and stored in CIQ servers, and they think all phones have them, plus and Apple clarified to them the tiny bit of data they used for CIQ, while Android Manufacturers were all over the place leaving their paranoid and simple minds even more confused.
  And yes, iPhone had CIQ, only used to send usage data back to Apple if you agreed to the clear question "do you want to send usage data to apple?" uppon first use (or after any restore.)
  But again, thats not the point, the point is what lawmakers sear and what they get scrambled over.
39. Re:Feds won't like it by needsomemoola · 2012-02-08 05:04 · Score: 1
  
  Geez people. Why not do some research before jumping on the bashing bandwagon?
  After 5 seconds of Googling (give or take, didn't have a stopwatch):
  http://searchconsumerization.techtarget.com/Apple-seeks-to-better-iPad-iPhone-security-via-FIPS-140-2-compliance
  "Apple has submitted three cryptographic modules that are in the modules in process queue for FIPS 140-2 compliance..."
  Also, there are apps for that.
  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3829534.htm
  http://www-05.ibm.com/no/news/events/tgif/tgif_lotus_in_a_mobile_world_070510.pdf
  I used to respect this site and it's posters.
  
  --
  "That'll never compile."
40. Re:Feds won't like it by nahdude812 · 2012-02-08 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  Aha, I misunderstood you. Your "once they forget about CarrierIQ" read to me as "they" being Google/Android (as in, once Android drops CIQ). I understand what you meant now.
  You're right, decision makers often make decisions based on gut response rather than a considered evaluation.
  
  --
  Slay a dragon... over lunch!
41. Re:Feds won't like it by Fjandr · 2012-02-08 22:05 · Score: 1
  
  I wasn't arguing the point was correct or incorrect, as I don't really care whether Apple started the process last year or not.
  I was simply clarifying what I understood the post to be saying. I should have used "hadn't" rather than "haven't," though; that mistake was entirely mine.
  It also wasn't bashing, at least not my post. There are any number of reasons why they could have legitimately decided not to submit it for compliance testing until last year. What I was replying to appeared to be a sarcastic attempt to denigrate the poster above as believing Apple hadn't done it as a result of insufficient cash (Will $40 billion cover it?), when it is obvious to anyone even passingly familiar with Apple that their finances are not limiting their capacity to undertake this course of action.
Re:Remember their coveted corporate user base? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-02-07 01:17 · Score: 3, Funny

On the plus side, RIM should find it much easier to retain customer-service reps, now that the risk of picking up the phone and being on the receiving end of Dick Cheney's rather impressive gravelly snarl is gone...
No mention if Droids were considered by schwit1 · 2012-02-07 01:20 · Score: 1

I'm curious as to what were Halliburton's reasons for going Apple.
1. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:26 · Score: 0
  
  Someone misread the spec sheet - thought it said oIL
2. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by Nerdfest · 2012-02-07 01:29 · Score: 0, Flamebait
  
  Halliburton prefers dealing with companies that have an acceptable level of evil. Google pretty much told them they weren't interested in their business with that silly motto of theirs.
3. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by gl4ss · 2012-02-07 01:30 · Score: 1
  
  it says "via the iPhone", leaving other smartphone platforms open in the long run. the funny thing in their wording is that they don't consider bb's as smartphones.
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
4. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by DogDude · 2012-02-07 01:38 · Score: 0
  
  They probably went to Apple because it was the most expensive. After all, Haliburton is funded through massive no-bid government contracts so hey, it's not their money!
  
  --
  I don't respond to AC's.
5. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by Dixie_Flatline · 2012-02-07 01:38 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I suspect that it has something to do with support level. Google doesn't do end-user support, so you're stuck with a raft of manufacturers that have no proven support structure and are notoriously behind schedule when it comes to OS updates. Apple has a good history of keeping their phones up to date with the latest OS revision for at least a couple of years, which is probably pretty enticing.
  The REAL question is why they didn't consider Windows phones. Or maybe they did, but couldn't wait for the WP8 update. There's a company that has a long history of enterprise support; they seem like they'd be a natural fit.
6. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:39 · Score: 0
  
  My guess is that Android is a fractured mess with phones running multiple different os versions and out of box phones are loaded up with bloatware and vendor/manufacturer specific junk.
7. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by JonathanF · 2012-02-07 01:43 · Score: 1
  
  iOS has a better centralized management system and enterprise app delivery platform. Most of the enterprise-grade stuff you see in Android is bolted on by an OEM, and I doubt Halliburton wants to buy a few thousand RAZRs and hope that Motorola either isn't messed up by Google or headed down the tubes.
8. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:15 · Score: 1
  WP7 at this point is a nonstarter for a multinational enterprise use.
  
  No globally supported handset model. There is only one WP7 handset in the Japan market, for example, and it's a Japan specific model. With the iPhone (or the BB), carriers around the world support the exact same device, making the IT department's support much easier. This may change in the future when Nokia floods the global market with handsets. We'll see.
  Lack of handset maker track record. Even in geographies where you do have a decent choice of handsets, handset manufacturers haven't demonstrated (yet) that they are going to be any better at implementing Microsoft's OS updates than with their Android offerings. Again, this may change in a year or two, but given their past transgressions, I'm not holding my breath.
  Lack of Microsoft track record. "Long history of enterprise support"? Sure, if you're talking about desktop or server OS. In the mobile market, they just managed to throw out a business-oriented OS completely in favor of something that looks vaguely like...yup, an Xbox. Not a good message to send to corporate IT types if you want their business. True, Apple isn't sending that kind of a message either, but they have made enough converts in the consumer market that it no longer matters.
9. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by Tharsman · 2012-02-07 02:20 · Score: 1
  
  Some high level exec wanted to use his iPhone 4S for work so he was able to tell Siri to manage his meetings and ordered it to happen.
10. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:39 · Score: 0
  
  Just to piss you off.
11. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by dkf · 2012-02-07 02:45 · Score: 1
  
  Again, this may change in a year or two, but given their past transgressions, I'm not holding my breath.
  Holding your breath for a year or two is probably not a good idea, well not unless you've got some other mechanism for managing O2 and CO2 levels in your blood.
  
  --
  "Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
12. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by gtall · 2012-02-07 04:51 · Score: 1
  
  "The REAL question is why they didn't consider Windows phones.", they looked at their desktops and decided they didn't want any more of that?
13. Re:No mention if Droids were considered by HideyoshiJP · 2012-02-07 05:48 · Score: 1
  
  Sadly, it's just not ready for enterprise use. I've been using a Windows phone for almost a year, and while I love it do death and can currently use ActiveSync, as I implement a MDM solution, I'm going to lose access due to the lack of MDM controls. Hell, Android can't even deploy ActiveSync profiles and can only be encrypted since 3.0. I'm pretty impressed with iOS MDM controls, not so much with Apple ID practices/lack of real corporate owned accounts.
data usage by geoffaus · 2012-02-07 01:31 · Score: 2

Hope they dont have to pay for roaming - the Iphone uses way more data than the BB

--
As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a reference to Godwin's Law approaches 1
1. Re:data usage by DogDude · 2012-02-07 02:09 · Score: 0
  
  Hope they dont have to pay for roaming - the Iphone uses way more data than the BB
  
  Well, if they do, it won't be a problem. They'll just buy a member of Congress to attach a rider to a bill for something like money for disabled children that will pay for their roaming charges, and it'll be called something like the "Freedom America Liberty Freedom Flag Act".
  
  --
  I don't respond to AC's.
2. Re:data usage by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:25 · Score: 0
  
  True. Fortunately, capped international roaming plans are becoming more common, and Halliburton is in a better position to negotiate favorable roaming plans than most consumers.
SMS is the single most used "app" by Colin+Smith · 2012-02-07 01:33 · Score: 1

With email second.
Web third.
and apps are a fairly distant fourth.
No keyboard does indeed suck.

--
Deleted
1. Re:SMS is the single most used "app" by Archangel+Michael · 2012-02-07 05:08 · Score: 2
  
  TXTing is so 00's It was useful when people only had regular cellphones. Now that most of the people I need to message are on smart phones of one kind or another, I prefer email, which I get on any computer I use (home, work) as well as my phone. I don't want to be tethered to my phone at all times.
  I don't even pay for a txt plan any longer.
  
  --
  Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
Windows would've been a more natural fit by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:33 · Score: 1

That would've been joined together the UAE company with the UAE operating system.
No surprise by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:33 · Score: 0

Evil attracts evil. No surprise there.
Hey by no-body · 2012-02-07 01:33 · Score: 1

Lotsa cheap used devices becoming available!
(punched on one of those dinosour "real" thumb keyboards with a click one can feel)
Another Nail in the BB Coffin by na1led · 2012-02-07 01:42 · Score: 2, Interesting

By the end of this year, RIM will have lost so many customers it won't have any legs to stand on. I'm not sure if this is a good thing, but I guess it's progress.

--
-- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
1. Re:Another Nail in the BB Coffin by tom229 · 2012-02-07 01:52 · Score: 2
  
  It's definitely not progress. I, for one, am beyond tired of my only choices being coke or pepsi.
  
  --
  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
2. Re:Another Nail in the BB Coffin by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:41 · Score: 0
  
  Except BlackBerrys have been garbage for a good 3-4 years. There are alternative hopes, WinMo may bring more competition to the market.
3. Re:Another Nail in the BB Coffin by HideyoshiJP · 2012-02-07 04:17 · Score: 2
  
  They've been trying very hard to keep up, and I've definitely seen some positive things, especially with regard to the GUI, but they can never move forward if they continue to cling to the past. Give ActiveSync to non BES users and realize that keyboards are widely becoming a niche product. Market devices as such.
4. Re:Another Nail in the BB Coffin by SexyHamster · 2012-02-07 06:29 · Score: 1
  
  ActiveSync sure would be nice.
  Spending 2-3 hours installing BESx for small companies that want the calendar integration is somewhat painful. If you're especially lucky someone will perform the install incorrectly and you'll get to spend 2-3 hours fixing a broken BESx. Good luck if you have some reason to try a clean install -- First run the BES uninstaller... then manually remove the registry keys and files from their installed locations because the uninstaller doesn't actually do that. Actually, I've found the uninstaller often won't run until you've manually removed everything yourself.
5. Re:Another Nail in the BB Coffin by tom229 · 2012-02-08 13:06 · Score: 1
  
  Sadly what I've seen of their "keeping up" is a clear agenda to copy apple in every way.
  
  QNX alone is very apple-y, and they wont be allowing side loading in an attempt to control everything through their extortionist "app world".
  
  When BB10 releases I'm afraid android will be the only acceptable choice.
  
  --
  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Disambiguation by srussia · 2012-02-07 01:43 · Score: 1

Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
Did you mean "primary device for work" or "primary device at work"?

--
Set your phasers on "funky"!
1. Re:Disambiguation by jeffmeden · 2012-02-07 02:19 · Score: 1
  
  Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
  Did you mean "primary device for work" or
  "primary device at work"?
  What? Playing Tiny Tower is *like* work... Is that close enough?
Perfect example of not keeping up... by stewbacca · 2012-02-07 01:49 · Score: 2, Insightful

The latest Blackberry ads proudly claim "we want a tool, not a toy". Um yeah, no.
If your tool actually did anything that the Android and iOS toys don't do, you might have a point. But since the toys do everything your tool does, but even better, your company is on the brink of extinction.
1. Re:Perfect example of not keeping up... by Lucky_Norseman · 2012-02-07 06:38 · Score: 1
  
  And yet they are still growing.
2. Re:Perfect example of not keeping up... by stewbacca · 2012-02-07 07:04 · Score: 1
  
  And yet they are still growing.
  The danger of the internet is anybody can say whatever they want, regardless of the facts.
  http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=RIM+declining&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
3. Re:Perfect example of not keeping up... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 09:29 · Score: 0
  
  "your company is on the brink of extinction"
  And that's why RIM increased subscribers by 30% last year and made $2,000,000 in cash.
  Android and iOS may do everything BlackBerry does, but they don't do it as securely, nor do they do it as inexpensively.
  Of course, if you don't need to communicate so much and screw as much money out of the American public as Haliburton I can see why you might switch.
  My guess is Apple and Google would rather almost anyone else had switched. Assuming they actually have.
Re:Remember their coveted corporate user base? by swalve · 2012-02-07 01:59 · Score: 1

I did. Four years ago.
Let me get this straight by kpainter · 2012-02-07 02:16 · Score: 2

These are the same people who dumped the United States as HQ for Dubai...
If I worked at Halliburton, I'd be Droid now by cryfreedomlove · 2012-02-07 02:21 · Score: 0

I pick my phone. I don't let my employer pick it for me but I do make them pay for it. I prefer employers that encourage this degree of adult decision making from their employees. I'm not sure if Halliburton would have me.
1. Re:If I worked at Halliburton, I'd be Droid now by EvilBudMan · 2012-02-07 02:42 · Score: 1
  
  Good for you, but it doesn't work that way anywhere I've seen. You get what you get.
2. Re:If I worked at Halliburton, I'd be Droid now by DrgnDancer · 2012-02-07 03:40 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  That's easy to say, but when you're in any kind of regulated industry you often can't. Usually industries like energy, health care, finance, and government contracting have a limited number of devices that they're allowed to use. They could provide you a list and let you purchase one from the list, but they usually prefer just to purchase and issue phones they they know are allowed. Some also reduce the choices further to simply support. It's not always about you...
  
  --
  I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
3. Re:If I worked at Halliburton, I'd be Droid now by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 04:14 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Whoah, I bet you have the wallet that says "Bad Mother Fucker" on it, too.
4. Re:If I worked at Halliburton, I'd be Droid now by gtall · 2012-02-07 04:53 · Score: 1
  
  No, I'm fairly sure it is about him. Companies simply don't like him.
Dumping blackberries? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:23 · Score: 0

So, they got tired of eating blackberries, crapped them out, and now they're moving on to eating apples?
oh well by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 03:04 · Score: 0

Just another move by a CEO who's in love with his Iphone and decided that his company needed it. Probably never checked if Android could have been better with software support or anything.
As for Apple, hopefully since Steve Jobs's demise, they will start thinking BUSINESS and not just mister no one at home. That is one of their fault.
DoD going with Android by mu51c10rd · 2012-02-07 03:14 · Score: 1

I am sure that won't be an issue shortly. The Department of Defense is already moving toward a switch to Android with "secure" smartphones. RIM is losing its corporate base...and more importantly, now they are losing their lucrative government base.
Check yo facts, foo. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 03:31 · Score: 5, Informative

Mac OS X is FIPS 140-2 certified: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/1401val2011.htm#1514
iOS is working on FIPS certification (Review Pending stage for iPad, iPhone on IUT) right now: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/140InProcess.pdf
1. Re:Check yo facts, foo. by gruntled · 2012-02-07 11:41 · Score: 1
  
  Um, yes, as I said and as you repeated, there is no FIPS 140-2 certified encryption module for iOS. You've linked to a process document tracking 140-1 and 140-2, and we're not talking about 140-1.
Deepwater oil spill by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 04:46 · Score: 0

Well, there's also Halliburton's role in the big Macondo blowout that killed 11 workers and is among the biggest spills in history. Which could range from innocent scapegoat to thrice-damned-guilty, depending on whose version of the story you're listening to.
My instantaneous reaction by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 05:15 · Score: 0

BASTARDS!
Honesty by twnth · 2012-02-07 07:59 · Score: 2

Why can't all the BB haters just be honest.
Its not about touch screen keyboards vs physical keys.
Its not about security and central administration vs cool TV commercials
Its about Angry Birds.
And it doesn't play on BB.
1. Re:Honesty by NoseyNick · 2012-02-10 16:46 · Score: 1
  
  Except it does.
  
  --
  Nick Waterman, Sr Tech Director, #include <stddisclaimer>
WTF by garote · 2012-02-07 12:03 · Score: 1

I have to admit, I'm getting a bit confused by the "accepted" Slashdot stance that Android is preferred over iOS.
The usual endorsement of open-source is based on privacy protection, but Google's entire corporate structure, from foundation to rooftops, is about collecting and mining the crap out of everyone's data, personal or otherwise. That is their angle for producing Android in the first place.
Doesn't this obvious contradiction worry anyone here?