September 23, 2007

Blackberry Patent Woes: A Boon for Pocket PC Gamers?

Tip! Check yourself into H P's new state of the art 'Blackberry Smartphones Recovery' center in the Silicon Alley. After 1 week and a new handheld you should be cured of Blackberry Addiction.

Things are looking a bit gloomy for the Blackberry, PDA cousin to the Pocket PC.

The latest appeal over a patent dispute has been turned down, making an injunction against selling the Blackberry in the US all the more possible.

I've always thought that if you did your research and opted to purchase one of these devices, you weren't interested in much besides its contact management features.

It really doesn't pack the required processing oomph for games.

To play devil's advocate, the Pocket PC is really not the ideal vehicle for e-mail on the run if you happen to reside in the Greater Toronto Area.

Tip! Slowly pry you hands off your Blackberry and proclaim that you have no addiction and hope that the bad people in the lawsuits will go away.

I've mentioned this in passing in my October 4 blog entry, but data GPRS plans in Toronto happen to be extremely cost-prohibitive.

Coupled with increasing gas prices, you really don't to siphon your budget by doing Pocket Outlook sends and receives on the run unless you have a few hot spots handy.

Fortunately, Starbucks is mimicking our Second Cup franchise by offering free Wi-Fi access after trundling behind the technology curve for Starbucks locations in the States.

It's not often that Canada is behind the US technology curve, especially as the greater majority of Canadians are internet savvy.

Tip! Just look at your Blackberry as a $300 smartphones/calculator with some extra functions - and go get another hand held PC.

That probably accounts for the greater prevalence of software piracy.

Nevertheless, as dim as things may look for the Canadian Research in Motion Blackberry company, this bodes well for the Pocket PC world.

If we can't have our Blackberrys, we will have our Palms and Pocket PCs. A burgeoning market demand for these units is on the horizon if final judgement is found against RIM.

Which means more excellent PDA games, of course, as Pocket PC and Palm game developers cope to keep with anticipated increased demand.

Of course, most of us will be chomping at the bit until this occurs.

Anyway, you'll have to excuse me. A new bowling game release awaits patiently on my iPAQ 4150.

Tip! Sell your Blackberry on ebay as a Treo with a model number that does not exist. I only got burned this way once, so don't think it can't be done.

Hopefully, the elusive 300 game is within reach today.

Damian Julien is a Pocket PC gaming authority and long time general gaming hobbyist and reviewer.

He is an IT specialist by trade and has posted numerous articles on Pocket PC emulators, gaming and trends in the industry.

http://www.pdagameguide.com/

Filed under blackberry by John