RIM job ad suggests improved BlackBerry web browsing

By David M Williams
Wednesday, 04 February 2009 18:15

Market

For a device which handles e-mail effortlessly, the BlackBerry by Research In Motion still has a fairly sucky web browser particularly when compared to Apple's iPhone. Could a recent job ad posting on RIM's site be a sign of improvements coming?

Research in Motion (RIM) has advertised for a Manager of Browser Development based in Waterloo, Canada.

You can find this on the RIM careers site under job # 0805920.

The job ad says RIM are seeking a Manager of Browser Development. This person will assist the Director of the Browser and SlipStream Development Group to refine and enhance the BlackBerry Browser into a fully-featured, competitive, high performance mobile browser.

It’s not before time; I’ve previously pined for a good web browser on the BlackBerry, being a self-confessed crackberry addict. (But hey, so’s Obama.)

The BlackBerry Browser is ok; let’s not slam it unnecessarily. But it’s not great. Still, it wins in one area: I tried Opera mobile for a while but it took too long to start. Previously I even made a rough video comparing the startup time of the BlackBerry Browser and Opera and while RIM’s lacklustre browser started in a flash Opera took a full 10 seconds on a BlackBerry 8800 handheld.

A 10 second startup time is crazy. Yet, perhaps so is a web browser which tanks on my bank’s Internet banking.

I’m sure any BlackBerry fanatic will also have their own list of grievances against the BlackBerry Browser.

This job advertisement has definitely piqued my interest, then. According to the ad, as above, the task at hand is to refine and enhance the BlackBerry Browser into something that’s actually competitive – meaning it renders web sites as they ought to look!

The advertisement goes on to say this person will manage teams of up to 40 technical staff in total that provide different aspects of the BlackBerry Browser as well as establish a collaborative, business-driven team environment.

The first part tells us that up to 40 technical types will be putting their all into this new browser product. The second part suggests the role is a new one, and the team is a new one. (Cynics might say that’s obvious; clearly nobody has been tasked in the past with refining and enhancing the BlackBerry Browser!)

I look forward to exciting new things out of the next BlackBerry handheld software update. Snap to it! Someone fill that job and get working!