My earliest recollection of learning about Blackberry was when I was still in college in US a few years back. Back then, Blackberry was THE mobile phone that many Americans use. As someone from Asia who's used to seeing cool, sleek, small mobile phones from Nokia, I just had to laugh at those big, bulky Blackberry with full keyboards. It doesn't help that I used to scoff at many things that only Americans do and the popularity of Blackberry over there is one of those things that symbolized what's wrong with America for me. Of course, back then, I didn't know that Blackberry had robust email service that is popular with professionals and enterprise market which counted for their success. I also didn't foresee that karma will catch up to me when I returned to Indonesia in 2009.
My first Blackberry phone, the bold.
In late 2008s/early 2009s, just as Blackberry was starting to fade in US due to iPhone's rise, it became massively popular in Indonesia against all odds and logic. This sudden success is due to an unexpected cause: Blackberry Messenger (BBM). Before Blackberry took off, Indonesians used their mobile mainly to text/SMS on cheap SMS plan. With BBM that comes with all Blackberry, the chatting is faster and always online and the killer deal is that BBM use does not count against the data plan (compared to using MSN/Yahoo IM Messenger mobile client) - so using BBM to chat is "free", even more "free" than SMS. Pretty soon, everyone starting from the rich and famous started buying and using Blackberry devices (the popular one was BB Bold 9000) and it trickles down to middle class or everyone who can afford it. Then, everyone with Blackberry stops asking for phone number and ask for PIN instead. It was easy to feel left out and people just had to get these costly BB device and the data plan which isn't exactly cheap either. It was not uncommon to see everyone sitting in the same big dinner table having or using a Blackberry. In no time, Blackberry has become Indonesia's national phone. Remember that this is a phone that was designed for its email and security strengths for professionals, but it took off in general market in Indonesia due to its chatting program. It's just one of those things that can only happen in Indonesia.
My second and last BB phone curve 3G, after the first one was stolen.
Amidst the rise of Blackberry culture in Indonesia, this is also the story of me coming back home (I was laid off at the end of 2008 and had to leave US due to visa issues) and starting a long distance relationship with my then-girlfriend. When Blackberry became too popular, I had to swallow my pride and get a Blackberry too. Thankfully, to smooth things over, my then-girlfriend also got one (can't remember who got first). I got myself the ubiquitous Blackberry Bold 9000, which look I like and thought that it showed a stylish maturity for the device makers after years of making ugly devices. But I hated the lag, the shoddy trackball, the frequent Java errors, the battery hog that made me wish to go back to my Nokia instead. But all that are forgotten when I used it to communicate with my girlfriend. While we used all sorts of tools available to maintain our relationship, including IM, phone and skype, BBM were used the most by us. I believe that 70% of our interactions happened in BBM. Chatting session would usually occur around lunch my time and before bed her time. We chatted so much that I remember feeling anxious if I don't receive any BBM message for a long time - I guess that's how it feels to be own a crackberry. The relationship that lasted over 2 years was aided as much as possible by Blackberry and its messenger to its bitter end is a testament on how wonderful technology has become. If we end up getting married, I would personally thank Blackberry in my speech and raise it up to the crowd for making the wedding happen, seriously. Too bad the relationship ended and was never meant to be. All the jokes, gossip and serious conversations over 2 years with her that happen through the window of 2 Blackberry devices I owned may have been forgotten, but I'll never forget the fact that they occurred in my life and for that I'd like to thank Blackberry for having been an important part of my life.
