Poll: Can new BlackBerry Q10 win back converts and retain loyalists?

Actually being able to see and hold one would help. I've been hearing about this for so long it's starting to feel like vaporware. The Z10 is not going to cut it, leading with it was a big mistake. Most slide keyboards don't work because you can't one hand them. Why is it so hard to get that a substantial number of people really like the form factor and there is no current analog on the market. The Palm Pre didn't fail because of it's form factor, but because no one, including developers, wanted to commit to a platform that was likely to disappear.

I moved from a Nokia E71 to an HTC Desire and then to a BB Bold. The only reason I switched to BB was because it had a touch screen but retained a conventional keypad. I hated the touch-screen typing on the HTC and wanted to have the best of both worlds. I'm not a touch typist, but I find a conventional keypad allows me to type much faster and more accurately. I'm now faced with the dilema of whether to switch back to an Android with a better sized screen and a wider range of apps, but have to suffer the touch screen typing, or stay with BB and hope it starts to catch up with all the apps available elsewhere.

I find the exact opposite as Nighthawk...typing on the physical keyboard of my Bold 9900 is satisfying and precise. Using any touchscreen, Android, iOs, or the BB Storm...has been a failure. I recently had first exposure to a Z10 that a user got to replace his broken Storm II... and it wasn't much better. I find the predictive typing to be off just enough so that I don't trust it. I still haven't used the Q10, but I was hopeful the Z10 would reinforce my belief that Blackberry had what it took to stand in today's market. But it lacked something. When I use the iOS or Android phones, it's intuitive, and feels 'natural' to me. Not so with the Z10, and I can't see the Q10 improving on that much... Maybe I just haven't used the new ones enough...

HP's tossing of the Palm / Touch Pad into the heap of would of's, could of's and should of's will lead to more comments like the slider keyboard. It that user had used the Palm Pre's they would have found the answer they were looking for in a tactile keyboard. I find the touch screen typing to be a PITA. I've used an I Phone, dug deeply into the Android reviews, even holding a few in my hands, followed the release of BB 10's interations, and I still come away going back to using my Palm Pre 3. It's still, even with it limited apps choices, is the most useful and best phone for my needs. Eventually I will have to give it up; HP support will go away someday, the life cycle will collapse and the hardware will die. Until that time comes I'll continue to use, along with the many who fought on through the losing battle brought on by HP, the finest phone that was developed that never got a chance to succeed.

Why can't they go to a slide out keyboard so they can maximize screen size?? They can have the best of both worlds with a slide out keyboard. It just seems so obvious to me.

Blackberry has insisted on sticking with that God-awful keyboard! It sucked back then and it sucks now! Why can't they make a touch-screen type of phone?....is there something wrong with them that they think it's easy to respond to an e-mail or a text with these tiny buttons?...and do you think they know that sending a text or email with all kinds of "button-hit-errors" doesn't make you look professional at all!? I mean at what point do they FINALLY ditch that keyboard-attached-to-the-phone format? for GOOD! I worked for a company for almost 6 years, they tried the Blackberry for about a month, but with all the skewered email responses....and a few "lost keys"....it was just too much, they switched to Verizon and the phones were touch-screen, ad lot easier to manage and there were NEVER any lost keys! I'm not coming down hard on them because of being some kind of fanboy, but I honestly just think it's time for them to leave behind the Querty keyborad thing! Seriously!

BlackBerry woes made me switch to gs3 last summer. Did not expect blackberry to make a come back. Like android as a tablet. I have nexus 7. But as a business phone the Galaxy does not cut it. Will definitely return to q10 and will keep nexus 7 tethered to q10 hot spot for video apps.

I've stuck with my Storm 2 (9550) since pre-order. I'm a bit weary of uncertainty, ridicule, and limited apps. I might be persuaded to try Z10, but Q10 definitely won't do it.

"BB's stocks continue to drop post the Q10 release . . ." Funny, that's not what my ticker shows. Sure, there were some days where it fell -- but other days where it rebounded as well. I'm showing the stock at about the same level it was in March. Certainly not seeing a "downward" trend as your message implies. (ps: I'm following NASDAQ)

I was once a Blackberry user (NOT a lover). I also had to maintain the Blackberry server for our 400 users - not a pleasant experience. Seeing that Blackberry server being carted out of our computer room was the highlight of the year. The total expense was and is enough to keep me far, far away. That plus the service outages in recent years insure my non-participation.

I find it interesting that the poll shows overwhelming support that people will flock back to BlackBerry because of the release of the Q10; yet BlackBerry's stocks continue to drop post the Q10 release indicating that people are not running back to the BlackBerry community.

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I agree. Having a slide out keyboard was the solution with BB Torch.

prefer they little keyboard...can't stand touch typing. As a trained typist, it's harder to type on a touch screen than with a little keyboard. I've never lost a key and I don't make that many typing errors. Keep in mind, BlackBerry has had touch for a while now; my Torch is a touch and it's a few years old. And the new BB Z10 is all touch..sooo...but myself, I'm waiting for my next upgrade with our service provider to get the new Q10 :)

@PurpleSkys: I can understand your point of view, but remember you said you're a "trained typist". And while a lot of business executives and IT personnel work on computers for most of their workday, it's adjusting from a standard format keyboard, to those tiny buttons that ruins it for most of them, as for the touch typing even that isn't 100% fool-proof either, (but I've seen people increase the size of their "work area" on their touch screens & tablets...by going to the settings for people who need "Assistive Technology" because of bay eyesight,...) and their typing isn't anywhere near as stress-inducing as when they used the BB's. (Ad mind you these are complaints I've received from corporate workers whom I work with / for....I'm not just whistling Dixie! But I guess that's what makes technology so great, there's something for everyone! not to go Off Topic, but my company just recently made the executive decision to phase out Windows and head for Linux! I'm excited and a little nervous as well....I've been using it at home now for about 4 years...so I'm pretty much experienced enough to handle my own issues...but to handle the issues for an ENTIRE company? Not to mention the TRAINING that's going to be absolutely necessary.....but I this should be interesting!...Wish me luck!

I admit, I've only "touched" Linux once...it didn't seem too bad but my husband is a MOUS so our home is pretty much MS. Maybe one of these days i'll give it a go on a test machine; there is never any harm in learning something new. And I do know a lot of folks that just plain don't like the little keyboards on a BB and I do understand the reasons why, but I like it :) . Everyone has a preference...we have two daughters with BBs and one with a little Samsung; my husband, on the other hand, has a new Win8 phone (which I detest lol) for his work. Another reason I'm a BB fan is the fact that the darned thing takes the abuse I give it. I've dropped it more times than I can to count and one of our girls dropped hers in a toilet just last week but they just keep on working...whew :) Once again, good luck with your Linux conversion, it does sound quite exciting.

And the first device released a couple months ago now (in Canada) was the Z10, which does not have a hardware keyboard. Good luck with your Linux conversion, but please do your research a little more thoroughly before making decisions that could affect your whole user base.