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Reaction to RIM's latest teaser for its upcoming BlackBerry 6 smartphone OS have generally been positive, with the biggest complaint so far related to the lack of information about when and on which platforms it will be available.
Respondents to the teaser also suggested ways RIM could make BlackBerry 6 developer-friendly as a way to ensure its future popularity.
Research in Motion on Monday provided a YouTube video showing off some of the features of BlackBerry 6, including an enhanced media interface, the ability to post to multiple social networking sites simultaneously, and a new version of the BlackBerry Messenger application.
Also included is universal search which , in response to a search query, returns videos, images, blog postings, and other information in addition to the traditional text-based information.
Most viewers of the BlackBerry 6 teaser responded positively to the features in the video, and several provided suggestions to RIM for improving the OS before it is finally released.
One respondent, Joe257, suggested that RIM makes sure its new OS is fast and responsive on a 5-inch high-resolution screen with full Java, JavaScript, and Flash support, and that the company makes sure that it provides integration between apps such.
Joe257 also suggested giving the BlackBerry devices running the new OS 1 GB or more of RAM as a way of making it easier to sell more apps.
Developers' requirements also should be front-and-center, Joe257 wrote. "Stop creating more varieties of BlackBerry -- too hard to support for RIM & developers. Create three lines at the most: (a) Hard keyboard (AKA Bold), (b) hard keyboard w/ touchscreen (AKA Torch), (c) touchscreen (AKA Storm)," he wrote.
Another user, Alex van den Hoogen, praised RIM for adding universal search and for how it is integrating social networking features into BlackBerry 6. "(The social integration) looks like the KIN, and that is a good thing! - Shame Msft killed it," van den Hoogen wrote.
van den Hoogen also liked the BlackBerry 6's new on-screen keyboard. "Looks a bie (sic) iPhone'ish, but that is a good thing," he wrote.
Several respondents liked BlackBerry 6's new browser, which appears to be build using the open source WebKit browser engine.
Next: Make It Developer-Friendly
