BlackBerry, the real Canadian atoms and bits BlackBerry, died years ago. This week, the Chinese bits and American atoms that briefly reanimated it finally gave up the ghost as well.

As a Canadian, I was heartbroken then and still am now. Instead of a wake, instead of pouring one out, though, I want to take this opportunity to look back at what happened to the once industry leader, the titan, and more importantly — why.

Apple found unprecedented mainstream success with the iPod. 1000 songs in our pockets was just the beginning. But Steve Jobs never made the mistake of confusing Apple’s products for its business. And he knew the iPod was just a product.

The iPod was the smash hit of its time, to be sure, but time is relentless. Something was coming for it. Something that was more than just a product. A convergence. The phone combined with the mobile internet and, yes, with the MP3 player. An existential threat.

So, Jobs turned Apple towards the iPhone. And, at that moment, that very moment, BlackBerry was ended. We just didn’t know it yet.

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