The BlackBerry Thread

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Torture

BB's big draw back is the browser. iPhone and Android users browse like mad, BB users hardly use the internet.

I'd only partially agree...BB's biggest drawback IMO is the hardware which leads to a relatively incompetent device overall. Their newest, flashiest phone rolls out with a 624 MHz processor? Good Lord. If I could somehow port OS 6 onto my Desire running at just over 1.1 Ghz, or better yet a Desire Z at 1.5 Ghz, I bet it'd be alright.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Acey

You wouldn't be able to use a Desire Z on Wind because of the frequencies... you'd need a T-Mobile G2 from the US which is essentially the same thing.

Yeah sorry. I am aware of that but thought I'd use the name of the Canadian version.

Still would love to know if I'd Google Maps would find me better indoors on a Google phone.

[puckluck]

ebuddy.com can be used for fbchat with the blackberry.

If anyone has another suggestion to use fbchat on a bb, do tell.

[Sly]

I'm tempted in getting the BB Style... just cause it's sexy/flip...

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Sly

I'm tempted in getting the BB Style... just cause it's sexy/flip...

I believe it is CDMA only though if i am not mistaken?

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by Off The Crossbar

- Has anyone here switched from an iphone to a BB, and if so, what were the pros and cons you found from switching?

I switched from an iPhone to a Bold 9700 and have not looked back. The touch screen was OK, but I quickly got used to the BB and the qwerty KB. Love it. Just find it better for messaging, email, as well as simply as a phone. I remember having to turn up my iPhone and I still couldn't hear a lot of callers. On my Bold, I turn it down. It simply is a great phone and a great messaging phone.

Originally Posted by Off The Crossbar

- I was also curious about the email functionality. I have a shaw email account and on my iphone I have to set it up to check my account every 30 mins for new mail. Do BB's support push email for all mail accounts, or is it only for specific ones? (Like the @telusblackberry email accounts)

Not sure if all email accounts are supported or not, but I use a gmail account and get my mail instantly when it's delivered. Never got that with the iPhone.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

Not sure if all email accounts are supported or not, but I use a gmail account and get my mail instantly when it's delivered. Never got that with the iPhone.

i wonder if Google screws around a bit with Apple in that regard. i get my gmail instantly on my Desire Z, but that's to be expected

[silentsim]

Gmail pushes mail instantly to the iPhone using their exchange feature.

[Torture]

Anybody know if you can get a Blackberry clock/radio similar to the iPod/iPhone ones?

I bought one yesterday when two sales associates insisted they would work with a Blackberry through the Aux input but all I can do through that is play music, not set an alarm so I'll be making the trek back to the store to return it.

[burning_acid1]

Originally Posted by puckluck

ebuddy.com can be used for fbchat with the blackberry.

If anyone has another suggestion to use fbchat on a bb, do tell.

There's a new free app in bb app world for fb chat. It's in the top 5 free apps

[thesmugger]

So I dropped my Bold 9700 got a little crack on the screen. Can you replace these screens ?

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by Off The Crossbar

- How is the BB music player? Is it comparable to having an ipod or do most of you have a BB for a phone and an ipod for music?
- I was also curious about the email functionality. I have a shaw email account and on my iphone I have to set it up to check my account every 30 mins for new mail. Do BB's support push email for all mail accounts, or is it only for specific ones? (Like the @telusblackberry email accounts)

Thanks

I just got the Torch (It is my 3rd BB in three years). Love it so far. For the music player, I use it every day at the gym. Is it better than an Apple player? I have no idea but the BB one works well enough for me. Also the video player for the Torch is much improved over the other BB's I have had. I have been watching video's like crazy on it.

As for push email? All your accounts that are put on your BB will be pushed. That is what BB is known for.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I just got the Torch (It is my 3rd BB in three years). Love it so far. For the music player, I use it every day at the gym. Is it better than an Apple player? I have no idea but the BB one works well enough for me. Also the video player for the Torch is much improved over the other BB's I have had. I have been watching video's like crazy on it.

As for push email? All your accounts that are put on your BB will be pushed. That is what BB is known for.

Just a disclaimer on this:

Often work email accounts that use BIS (ie those without BES), will use OWA or some other external mail access, which does not use push. It checks email every 5-10 minutes I think. For example, our users at work with personal BB who don't want to be on BES, are getting there email checked by their phones about 1000 times a week, through OWA.

[Off The Crossbar]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I have a Bold 9000, and quite honestly the music player is almost acceptable and the video player sucks pretty bad. I use my iPod nano for both those things, which is good because then my phone battery doesn't get raped but bad because I don't want to carry 2 things, especially since it means I miss the occasional call with my headphones in.

That is the best and worst feature of the iphone. I love using the ipod but yeah the battery drains pretty fast when you are listening to music all day.

[Off The Crossbar]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

I switched from an iPhone to a Bold 9700 and have not looked back. The touch screen was OK, but I quickly got used to the BB and the qwerty KB. Love it. Just find it better for messaging, email, as well as simply as a phone. I remember having to turn up my iPhone and I still couldn't hear a lot of callers. On my Bold, I turn it down. It simply is a great phone and a great messaging phone.



Not sure if all email accounts are supported or not, but I use a gmail account and get my mail instantly when it's delivered. Never got that with the iPhone.

Thanks for the input. I am getting more interested in those new bolds and am seriously thinking of getting a BB next time around. The one thing that would suck is that I would probably have to buy a new ipod

[itcrossedtheline]

Originally Posted by Off The Crossbar

Alright all you BB users... I have had an iphone 3GS for over a year now and have loved it since day one. I have had various ipods for years and my favourite thing about the phone is the combo of the phone and ipod.

But recently I have been intrigued by the new BB bold and got a first hand look at the new OS6 software. I think that the new BB operating system beats the current iphone OS. I think it's awesome that you can control the network settings by clicking the top area of the phone, as well as hiding icons you don't use. I am also suffering from a bit of BBM jealousy since almost everyone I know have BB's, and the best part about it is that you can message each other with only a wifi connection.

I will probably be able to renew my contract and get a new phone within the next year or so and had a few questions for BB users.

- Has anyone here switched from an iphone to a BB, and if so, what were the pros and cons you found from switching?
- How is the BB music player? Is it comparable to having an ipod or do most of you have a BB for a phone and an ipod for music?
- I was also curious about the email functionality. I have a shaw email account and on my iphone I have to set it up to check my account every 30 mins for new mail. Do BB's support push email for all mail accounts, or is it only for specific ones? (Like the @telusblackberry email accounts)

Thanks

I'm on the bold 9700, and email from shaw and gmail accounts are automatically pushed through. I've never had any real issues getting any of my email through.

[Slava]

Well I moved back to Blackberry from iPhone. After just a couple of days I'm wondering why I went to the iPhone in the first place! There are some things that I like better on the iPhone....things look nicer. The browser and internet is way better...no question on that at all.

Its the little things about the Blackberry that make it for me though. Its the fact that when I go to set an appointment in my calendar I just click and type it in. The process on iPhone just seems so convoluted. In general the calendar of the Blackberry is just miles ahead. Just the small fact that you can move ahead day by day easily is nicer.

The other thing that drove me crazy on my iPhone is the dialing by contact. On the Blackberry you just start putting in a name and everything comes up. On the iPhone its a matter of touching a little tiny letter and then finding that contact alphabetically. I'm using this for business, and have hundreds of contacts, so that was incredibly irritating!

The other two minor points are the LED indicator and fact that you don't need to unlock to see if you have messages/emails. This was another irritation on the iPhone. With all of their attention to aesthetics I would've expected them to add in some kind of notification icon...but to no avail.

Don't get me wrong, I used the iPhone a lot and enjoyed the apps and everything else it had to offer. I just found that the main things that I need it for are better with a Blackberry at this point. I will see how things go over the next few months, but the change gives me a whole new understanding for why the iPad is meaningful. It would be a great compliment to a Blackberry for work!

[Acey]

I smiled reading your post Slava, because every one of those things are solved by a little gem known as Android.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Acey

I smiled reading your post Slava, because every one of those things are solved by a little gem known as Android.

True. Everything except I already own a curve, am back on BES and don't want to give Rogers a dime more than necessary! I definitely considered either Android or the Windows phones....alas my cheapness came through and I decided I've spent enough money on cell phones and their service to last a lifetime.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by Acey

I smiled reading your post Slava, because every one of those things are solved by a little gem known as Android.

Yup, viruses and all...