BlackBerry Sues Ryan Seacrest's Startup Over 'Typo' iPhone Keyboard

musika said:
Good for them. Look at that design. There could've been something done to differentiate.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there are plenty of iPhone keyboards that don't look like they cut the keyboard off a Blackberry. This one is rather egregious. I'm sure they'll change the look of the keys before final production to avoid the lawsuit.
 
NY Guitarist said:
I've never been a Blackberry user so I don't 'get' what makes that particular keyboard 'iconic'.
Click to expand...

The keys sort of slope towards the center, making each side easier to feel with the corresponding thumb. Like, on the right side, the keys slope up on the left side to make it easier to press with right thumb, and vice versa on the left side.

Thats really Blackberry's claim to fame was this particular keyboard design. Kind of sad and ironic at the same time that the lawsuit we see BB pursuing aggressively is of course over a keyboard. Which really explains their being out of touch with modern smartphones.
 
I'm sure there was a complete misunderstanding. Ryan Seacrest was certain Blackberry had completely dissipated by now and there was no chance anybody would sue him for using an obsolete design.
 
This is actually something blackberry should have invented a year+ ago.

Anyway, it doesn't add battery support? and you're forced to have an extremely LONG phone? weird choice.
 
Millah said:
The keys sort of slope towards the center, making each side easier to feel with the corresponding thumb. Like, on the right side, the keys slope up on the left side to make it easier to press with right thumb, and vice versa on the left side.

Thats really Blackberry's claim to fame was this particular keyboard design. Kind of sad and ironic at the same time that the lawsuit we see BB pursuing aggressively is of course over a keyboard. Which really explains their being out of touch with modern smartphones.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info!

It's unfortunate that the only thing of value that anyone wants to copy from Blackberry is their keyboard.

Technology Market Darwinism playing out for all to see. "Evolve or Die".
 
In my opinion I think they'd have perfect justification for suing, because even the design like the chrome between the keys is the same.

But either way the product looks like crap in my opinion, and frankly doesn't look very usable to me, at least not with the 4" iPhones, maybe you could get away with the earlier generation ones though..

Still not a product that I would want to buy, I prefer the on screen keyboard on the iPhone. Physical keys are only great if the size is good..
 
bushido said:
oh dear a black on white qwerty keyboard on a BLACK iphone. what were they thinking!!!! should have gone with yellow isnt it super obvious???

either way those buttons are SO tiny, i never understood how people can even hit those
Click to expand...

I never understood either. Even weirder is the fact that the iPhone keyboard has narrower keys that offer no tactile feedback. Maybe I just have worse dexterity than most people.

For comparison:

R7Mtp49.png
 
Last edited:
Lionel Messi said:
Here is a side-by-side comparison of Apple's 11-inch MacBook Air next to Samsung's 11-inch Chromebook. And no lawsuit filed against Samsung regarding this.

Image
Click to expand...

Because you have to actually patent the design to be able to sue. As far as I am aware the only patented feature of the MBA is the wedge shape of the bottom case.
 
Lionel Messi said:
I have seen a Samsung laptop literally identical to Apple's MacBook Air. The thinness, the keyboard, trackpad and I also think the material used. Apple didn't sue Samsung because of that.

I think this is a great product but quite pricey for a plastic keyboard.
Click to expand...

But Apple did sue for products that hardly looked like iPhones and iPads. I don't believe the MacBook Air has it's complete design patented the way this keyboard design is.


----------
mrjr101 said:
oh lord, these blackberry folks need a red pill intervention, even if they win, who the hell would want a keyboard on their iphone? hellooo!
Click to expand...

Many people. For me, the Blackberry keyboards are rather good and accurate, much better than an iPhone keyboard.
 
Come on guys - lets be fair. The shape of the keys is iconic and stands for blackberry. Also- kind of a coincidence that the typo also has three silver stripes between the key rows, isn't it?

I can definitely see what about this product upsets Blackberry and I think it is fair that they are suing. It kind of looks like the "Typo" guys were thinking: "hey lets make it look EXACTLY like as if Blackberry did a keyboard accessory for the iPhone.
 
this is so 2008. Who in 2014 would want anything blackberry related on their smartphone. RIM, just give it up. YOU ARE TOO LATE to the game. there is nothing iconic about your outdated physical keyboard anymore. This is like IBM suing a startup for copying their 1970 typewriter design for being plugged into the ipad.
 
AnonMac50 said:
But Apple did sue for products that hardly looked like iPhones and iPads. I don't believe the MacBook Air has it's complete design patented the way this keyboard design is.


----------



Many people. For me, the Blackberry keyboards are rather good and accurate, much better than an iPhone keyboard.
Click to expand...
Millions of former BB users ditched their beloved keyboard for the iPhone's without ever looking back or missing anything that you can't get used to in the iphone or any other smartphone including the Z10. The only justifiable usage here would be for the incapacitated or the blind to be able to distinguish the keystrokes the old fashion way. Other than that there will always be people who are reluctant to adapt to new designs, but those are the minority and shrinking by each non blackberry phone sold. It's just the way it is and no lawsuit will fix that ever. RIM seems to not get around this fact.
 
What a load of rubbish.

I can't say I'd be rooting for the little guy here, since they could've designed something that actually works great and looks original, but they chose the plagiarizing route instead.
 
macnerd93 said:
"And yes I know Sony did do some work on Chiclet key design in 2004 and the even the Sinclair range if you want to go back that far" :), but apple popularised that type of design.
Click to expand...

You should at least link to the wikipedia article that you stole that from!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiclet_keyboard

The keys on Sinclair ZX Spectrum computers were "rubber dome keys" which were sometimes described as "dead flesh",[2] while the TRS-80 Color Computer,[3] TRS-80 MC-10,[4] and Timex Sinclair 2068[5] were all described as having "chiclet keys". The feel of the IBM PCjr's chiclet keyboard was reportedly compared to "massaging fruit cake".[6]

The term has changed meaning in recent years, and is now used to describe low-profile, low-travel scissor keyboards with simplified, flat keycaps separated by a bezel. Sony was the first modern laptop manufacturer to make use of this keyboard style with the release of the VAIO X505 in 2004.[7] Apple was likewise among the first to change the design of its keyboards to the chiclet style, with the release of the MacBook in 2006, and is credited with popularizing the style
Click to expand...
 
Will BB sue Motorola? (or vice versa)

I did a search for smart phones that come with physical keyboards. NONE of the following have the distinctive tapered keys found on the BlackBerry: Nokia, Samsung, HTC, LG, or Sony.

BUT, there is one company that does use these unique, thumb-friendly keys: MOTOROLA.

I don't know if BB's or Motorola's came first but, if BlackBerry is going to sue Typo, it seems like there might be grounds for a suit between BlackBerry and Motorola as well.

motorola_xprt_titanium-540x486.jpg
 
Fresh Pie said:
I never understood either. Even weirder is the fact that the iPhone keyboard has narrower keys that offer no tactile feedback. Maybe I just have worse dexterity than most people.

For comparison:

Image
Click to expand...

Oh wow, I bet Apple will sue them now too. In your comparison photo you can see the "D" on the typo looks an awful like a "D" on Apples keyboard. So does the "S" and the "P". So I bet Apple will sue them too cause I believe they own the alphabet don't they? Cant believe someone would copy a keyboard instead of innovating a completely new one. What were they thinking? :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Back
Top