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Evolution of the BlackBerry: From Brick to Bold!

By Kevin Michaluk on 8 Sep 2008 08:50 am
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BlackBerry Evolution

If you want to take a stroll through BlackBerry Memory Lane, or are new to the Wonderful World of BlackBerry and want to learn about RIM's humble roots, you need to visit CRN.com and check out the feature story they posted, From Brick to Bold: The Evolution of The BlackBerry.

Things start out with the RIM Inter@ctive Pager 950, released on August 26th, 1998 and progress from there. It makes for a fun read!

[ via BerryReview ]

Topics: News & Rumors

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22 comments

Anonymous

No mention of the groundbreaking 8800? The first BB with built in GPS?

Kevin Michaluk

Definitely strange that they left off the 8800 series altogether.

dandrumma

As a new blackberry user that was awesome to read to get up to speed on the history of this amazing product. Thank you :)

Crucial_Xtreme

OH wow, no you didn't Kev...LOL..

Xopher

I also noticerd the lack of the 8800 series in the evolution.

mrcrush1914

I remember the 950 well. It was a my first BB back when I used to sell cars about 6 years ago. I was the envy of my circle.

Anonymous

That was interesting. I worked in a Rogers store from 2000 to 2003. I remember how exciting it was when the 950 and 957 came out. It seemed like such a revolution in wireless at the time. My store was actually the first to get them in stock in Ottawa and I sold the first one!

I remember surfing the web in the text only browser. Reminded me of using the Internet on a desktop circa 1993.

Anonymous

This is a great article, I'm just surprised about the lack of mention for the 8800 series...what gives?

cy

I still got one of those 950 at home that still works. I use it when I am out of country ;)

tnewton3

I like looking back at all the old school blackberries. I never personally used them but I remember seeing them around.

danielg27

Remember one other thing: The 950 was built like a brick house & today they are built like total garbage! I wish that RIM would offer a model that had a case built along the lines of my old 7250 with the latest software offerings.

kazmi

Forgive me but isn't having a dual CDMA/GSM device something to brag about?? I would have thought they would have mentioned that as well....:(

Ainen

They left out the device that started it all, the RIM 900 pager. The 950 with Desktop Software was their third product (after the 900, and 850/950 twins (just different radio networks)).

skylartoups

My dad got me a 950 when I was going into the 5th grade I was the only kid that had a pager... he was always on the road and thought it would be a good way to keep in touch with him. That was 1999 and I got my second RIM device this year in the form of a BlackBerry Curve and I love it just as much as I loved my "brick" I don't know how I went almost 8 years without a BBerry.

ConstantineXVI

Same here, but completely different. My uncle had gotten me some sort of clamshell Motorola BB clone (the Talkabout, maybe?) in the 7th grade, since the folks didn't want me to get a cell phone at the time. I wasn't even aware it had any sort of service until I accidentally mailed a friend of mine. The service mysteriously cut out in my sophomore year of HS (my uncle was known to have some shady dealings), but by then I was hooked (and I had the worst cell phone ever made, some piece of crap Siemens from T-Mo). Nowadays, my Pearl is glued to my hands constantly.

Seeing the 950, I wish RIM would resurrect it with modern hardware. Keep the design, swap out Mobitex for EDGE, maybe even go for an e-paper screen. Voice is optional, as long as the price reflects that.

bmcclure937

They leave a lot out, but still a good watered down history :)

I have one of these early generation blackberries sitting in a drawer. Are they worth anything? I'll sell it to the highest bidder :)

SeaCow

The first BB came out on my 9th birthday! :-P

barjohn

I miss this device. IT was small, the battery lasted forever, it had the best thumb key board of any device and it even worked at 35,000 feet.

I think a modern day version with a slightly larger screen in color and thinner would be a real winner.

Anonymous

hey guys,

does no one remember the first RIM device? little clamshell, came out in, oh, what, '96?

http://tinyurl.com/4akl54

i had one of these puppies. it rocked, though it was a bit big. and back in those days, not that many people used email very extensively. oh how things have changed!

dhg11642

All - I had one of these devices. I loved it. It was great for IM'ing in the early days. BellSouth was the carrier at the time. DHG

Cyberwatt

I've always been a history buff, including technological history (anyone remember the old computer museum in Boston?). If only Mauckley and Eckert could have seen the toys we have today...

I enjoyed the article, though I think it should probably be updated: it was obviously published before the Storm and the Tour came out. Otherwise it was very enjoyable. I'll be sure to bookmark this one.