vB Easy Archive - Im thinking bout getting a Blackberry

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Im thinking bout getting a Blackberry
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Posted by: OwensStr8Clowni

Can someone tell me how the internet is compared to the internet of a Sidekick 2? Can someone maybe posts some Screen Shots?

Posted by: dangermouse84

i used to work in T mobile TECH support
sidekick is awesome when it comes to that SPECIFIC Q...mind you if you DO need a BB only go with the ones that you CAN use to connect your COMPUTER to the internet - e.g. 7100t [ crappy ] or 7290 [ awesome ] recommended by majority on my floor.
Danger will soon realease SKIII with bluetooth + memory card -
DO your reasearch - IFF you gonna buy CASH see details for http://www.imate.com/t-DETAILS_KJAM.aspx imate's KJAM thats what i got

loving my life

Posted by: XDS2005

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.0) BlackBerry7290/4.0.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

The new 8700T from T-Mobile should be A good investment.

Regards,

Posted by: Baadshah7

Quote:

Originally Posted by OwensStr8Clowni

Can someone tell me how the internet is compared to the internet of a Sidekick 2? Can someone maybe posts some Screen Shots?

try out a BlackBerry my friend, and you will never go back to using a regular mobile phone again....it's that addictive and useful! And I'm not even a corporate user! I'm a student in University!

Posted by: dasupaman23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baadshah7

try out a BlackBerry my friend, and you will never go back to using a regular mobile phone again....it's that addictive and useful! And I'm not even a corporate user! I'm a student in University!

I agree, I tried going back to a S60 device for 3 weeks (Nokia 6682). Even though its a nice phone, nothing can compare to my blackberry. Once you go black you never go back

. Plus my 'crackberry' is an addiction and I need help

Posted by: Baadshah7

what's a crackberry??

Posted by: Slumber Pass

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry7250/4.0.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

Blackberries are so addictive they've nicknamed CRACKberries. Like the drug.

Posted by: Baadshah7

LOL.....gotcha...i think i'm a crackberry addict too then!

Posted by: Nightfall

Work provided me with my first blackberry and man is it nice. I thought it wasn't going to be useful since I am at a computer an awful lot. Now I find myself checking my mail often right from the blackberry when I am on the go. The service runs $45 a month for data though on Verizon, course, a sidekick is $30 just for data. I was considering a Sidekick too before work got me the blackberry.

Posted by: blaze7712

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

I have been using a crackberry now for about 2 weeks and I must say I am totally addicted.I find it to be better all around than a treo or sidekick.I'm using an 8700 on cingular and the phone service is way better than my treo!

Posted by: dasupaman23

Wirelessly posted (Da Supa BB: BlackBerry7100/4.0.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Welcome to the addiction blaze7712!

Posted by: marsh007

I too have a crackberry!! Only 2 days old now, and I love it!!! Much better than a Treo!!! or a Pocket PC. THe only thing I love on the Pocket PC is the hand writing reconition. Very good program for taking notes at meetings.

Anyways...I would always recomend BLACKBERRY!!!!

Posted by: rgribbons

I too am considering getting a crackberry (7290) but I am not clear on the capabilities of the web browser. Is it a WAP browser or a full web browser. Can someone describe what type of pages it is capable of displaying and what types it is not.
Also does anyone know if there is a RSS reader available for the BB than can update continuously rather than when connected to PC

Posted by: phillyslickster

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgribbons

I too am considering getting a crackberry (7290) but I am not clear on the capabilities of the web browser. Is it a WAP browser or a full web browser. Can someone describe what type of pages it is capable of displaying and what types it is not.
Also does anyone know if there is a RSS reader available for the BB than can update continuously rather than when connected to PC

Cingular has the Cingular browser (wap) and the Internet or BlackBerry Browser (html).

As for the RSS reader, you can get Pico News, which is free.

www.piconews.com

Posted by: RhOd15

I had the 7290 for a week and a half and it was great, but was quite unhappy with the web browsing. Honestly, it was painfully slow and had problems connecting to many sights or would just hang. It had one web browser for both WAP and HTML. WAP worked well enough though. Also, for the 7290, it must have the upgraded 4.0 OS on it to view HTML pages, the older 7290's had the 3.8 OS I believe. I guess when the 7290 was first rolled out it wasn't really made for browsing the web. It doesn't render web pages well or fast enough to be useful for myself.

With that said, I switched over to the 8700 and it does everything the 7290 can but is blazing fast when it comes to surfing the net. I also have the Treo 650 and its easily 4-5 times faster than that. Web pages came through quick and displayed really well! The only down side is that it doesn't display frames. The processor is so much faster than the 7290 too, not to mention the gorgeous display. Side by side with the 7290, looking at the same pictures downloaded to both phones, the pictures were displayed so much better on the 8700.

The Blackberry was something I always wanted to try out and now that I have one I'm really stuck on it!!! Both the 7290 and 8700 are great. I would get the 8700 though just because of the amazing internet. I've also actually used the 8700 as a phone a few times and it sounded great!

Posted by: birdiebo

Just want to make sure: You're saying the 8700 loads web pages 4-5 times faster than your Treo? Have you found any feature that's better on the Treo than on the 8700, or anything missing on the 8700 that you had on the 7290? Thanks.

Posted by: RhOd15

My opinion on Treo 650 vs BB 8700:
*Treo 650 is much slower at loading/rendering web pages. If I had to guestimate, the 8700 is about 4-5 times faster. Both are EDGE, but the 8700 is hands down much faster, actually much faster than any smartphone I've had the chance to play with.

*Treo 650 is app heavy, there are so many apps out there you can get for it. The 8700 has a very limited selection compared to the Treo.

*Treo 650 is better when it comes to being a PDA and doing stuff with multimedia, much better actually. You can do so much more with it than you can with the 8700. MP3's, movies, and good gaming are things you cannot do with the 8700. Not to mention not having a camera on the 8700.

*The 8700 is better when it comes down to email, web browsing, and instant messaging. RIM does a great job integrating those things seamlessly into the 8700. Not to say the Treo 650 can't do those same things, but it doesn't come close to doing it even half as well!

After actually owning a various number of smartphones and phone toys, I see that the Blackberry 8700 is probably the phone I'll be using most because it just does what it does really well. Right now I'll be using it just for data, but I have used it as a phone and it works really well as a phone too, with a plenty loud speaker phone. Sometimes I'll probably be carrying both phones with me at the same time (the treo because of multimedia options and PIM), but most of the time I'll probably be using my v635 or Razr along with the 8700. The good thing about the Treo 650 is that you can use it as a stand alone organizer by itself without voice. Mine is always on!

As for the 7290, it too is a good phone. The 8700 does everything equally well or better than the 7290 - especially web browsing. If browsing the web is not important, if you don't need a speaker phone, and if size doesn't matter, then the 7290 will get you by. The 7290 has a better keyboard though, I find myself having more typos with the 8700 than the 7290.

Posted by: birdiebo

Thank-you for a very helpful comparison. A few more questions: How reliable has the Cingular data network been for your, especially when travelling? Also, have you compared the Sidekick II to the BB? I have found the SK to be a terrific e-mail device, but, unfortunately, the phone and browser functions have been only fair, at best. I assume the browser performance is a Tmobile issue rather than a Danger one. The other SK pim functions are decent, and it is handy to have the info backed up on the Tmobile server.

Posted by: CarlGalgano

I hope my questions are not viewed as hijacking this thread. I too am thinking about an 8700c. I am currently a Treo owner (650). Yesterday while driving to scout camp, one of the other dads had a new 8700c. Since I was not driving I played with it a little and thought the browser was very fast. He used to have a Treo650 as well and said the battery life and plain old phone features are better than the treo.

I have been reading forums most of the day today and can not find an answer to my questions concerning data access with the 8700c and Cingular:

1. I have a MediaNet unlimited plan, can I pop by SIM into an 8700c and have internet access.
2. Do I need BES in order to do email (I currently use IMAP to my exchange server)
3. Do calendar and contacts sync to exchange as well?
4. I read that some model BB can only do WAP brower without NDS? Is the 8700c like that or can it connect directly to the interent?
5. Is there a good IM client that does not reqire BES?
6. Is there a good TN5250 applicaiton (telnet) that does not require BES?

If I have to have a BES server, to access most internet apps, that is a deal breaker for me.

Posted by: rgribbons

Quote:

Originally Posted by RhOd15

My opinion on Treo 650 vs BB 8700:
*Treo 650 is much slower at loading/rendering web pages. If I had to guestimate, the 8700 is about 4-5 times faster. Both are EDGE, but the 8700 is hands down much faster, actually much faster than any smartphone I've had the chance to play with.

*Treo 650 is app heavy, there are so many apps out there you can get for it. The 8700 has a very limited selection compared to the Treo.

*Treo 650 is better when it comes to being a PDA and doing stuff with multimedia, much better actually. You can do so much more with it than you can with the 8700. MP3's, movies, and good gaming are things you cannot do with the 8700. Not to mention not having a camera on the 8700.

*The 8700 is better when it comes down to email, web browsing, and instant messaging. RIM does a great job integrating those things seamlessly into the 8700. Not to say the Treo 650 can't do those same things, but it doesn't come close to doing it even half as well!

After actually owning a various number of smartphones and phone toys, I see that the Blackberry 8700 is probably the phone I'll be using most because it just does what it does really well. Right now I'll be using it just for data, but I have used it as a phone and it works really well as a phone too, with a plenty loud speaker phone. Sometimes I'll probably be carrying both phones with me at the same time (the treo because of multimedia options and PIM), but most of the time I'll probably be using my v635 or Razr along with the 8700. The good thing about the Treo 650 is that you can use it as a stand alone organizer by itself without voice. Mine is always on!

As for the 7290, it too is a good phone. The 8700 does everything equally well or better than the 7290 - especially web browsing. If browsing the web is not important, if you don't need a speaker phone, and if size doesn't matter, then the 7290 will get you by. The 7290 has a better keyboard though, I find myself having more typos with the 8700 than the 7290.

Why do you say not to pick the 7290 if you intend to browse the web, is it terrible at it or just not as good as the 8700?

Posted by: blaze7712

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

I can sayone thing without a doubt about the Treo, it is buggy at best and using it as a phone is pretty bad in my humble opinion. Also, yes there are many programs for it but the more you load the more resets you seem to get. The 8700 is a very good phone that gets good reception, lighting fast web browser for both wap and html pages. I highly recommend the 8700 over the Treo having owned both.

Posted by: CarlGalgano

I think the BB looks good and deserves a look, but there are some functions that I can not give up. I use my Treo to do remote support on servers on our network and clients networks as well. I have found some apps for the BB that seem to do the same thing, but require BES, which my very small company does not have. Without BES, are the functions of the BB severly crippled, or an I just not understanding how data access works on the BB.

Posted by: drkangel80

The form factor on the 8700C a lot better than the SKII. The only thing that might turn you off from that model is the keyboard. Check it out first in a Cingy store if you can. Before moving just know one thing, there are no "fun" features really on the blackberry. No memory card slots, music player etc.The web browsing is a lot faster since you're using the EDGE network. With the right software it's like having a laptop replacement. For some that's more than worth it.

If you do get a blackberry, you're guaranteed to be the next member of Crackberries Anonymous, you will not be able to put it down. It really is like crack!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgribbons

Why do you say not to pick the 7290 if you intend to browse the web, is it terrible at it or just not as good as the 8700?

The web browsing will be PAINFULLY slow unless you use wap with absolutely no images. The 8700 has EDGE which makes web browsing on it faster.

Posted by: rgribbons

Is it any slower at browsing compared to say a PDA and phone over GPRS or is it the same due to the download speeds?

Posted by: drkangel80

It would be the same. I had a 7105T and returned it because of the speed. If you're going to do a lot of browsing you're better off with an EVDO or EDGE device. Anything else you'll be limited to WAP browsing.

Posted by: rgoodwin

I'm in the final stages of this decision too (SKII/Wizard to 8700c). Bottom line is I like what the SK does but find it too bulky; I feel the same thing about the Qtek 9100 (Wizard) I am selling, but in that case I find it to be more of a PC and less of a phone.

I believe what I ultimately want is the following (in relatively accurate order):
- reliability & integration of phone in the SK2: sounds like BB has this
- easy/reliable SMS and email: BB/SK2 tied?
- kboard: sooo hard to go back to T9!
- best in class web browsing (speed/rendering): this thread makes the BB sound like that but I haven't been able to see any real world examples (especially of rendering...screenshots anyone?)
- pocketable phone: I find the sk2/wizard just north of pocketable.
- multimedia: This stays on my shortlist of desires, but I never seem to do anything with it...anytime I travel i have my laptop, so movies and mp3's go on there. Slingbox/tv viewing is neat but again a gimmick I think. The Wizard's wifi is great but does eat up the battery life. In short, pains me to not have it, but no logical reasons why!

- camera: same as multimedia...hate not having it, but never really used it when I had it...only takes one time though! I guess if I had to I'd rate it above multimedia
- games: Let's be honest, mainly useful in the "can" ;-) if browsing or ebooks work...

Any guiding opinions on these items? The "next" match for many of these is the Moto Q, but who knows how it's going to turn out. I'm going to petition to get on my companie's BES, but it's not a dealmaker/breaker as long as I can use wireless sync. I'm scared by the post above that suggests that w/o BES the BB is crippled..it was my impression with 4.0+ you had real TCP/IP w/o the need for BES.

Thanks!!

Posted by: phillyslickster

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarlGalgano

I hope my questions are not viewed as hijacking this thread. I too am thinking about an 8700c. I am currently a Treo owner (650). Yesterday while driving to scout camp, one of the other dads had a new 8700c. Since I was not driving I played with it a little and thought the browser was very fast. He used to have a Treo650 as well and said the battery life and plain old phone features are better than the treo.

I have been reading forums most of the day today and can not find an answer to my questions concerning data access with the 8700c and Cingular:

1. I have a MediaNet unlimited plan, can I pop by SIM into an 8700c and have internet access.

No, the media net unlimited plan will not work on the BB anymore, you need to get the BB data plan. The BB unlimited data plan along with a voice plan is $44.99 and without a voice plan, it is $49.99. The other BB plan gives you 5MB or so of data per month for $34.99 with a voice plan and $39.99 without a voice plan.

2. Do I need BES in order to do email (I currently use IMAP to my exchange server)

No, you don't need BES to get your IMAP email.

3. Do calendar and contacts sync to exchange as well?

I've synced my exchange via Outlook to get my calendar and contacts.

4. I read that some model BB can only do WAP brower without NDS? Is the 8700c like that or can it connect directly to the interent?

You can connect directly to the Internet. I have even done so using the 7100g as well.

5. Is there a good IM client that does not reqire BES?

I, personally, use Verichat but there's others out there that you can use--Web Messenger, Ramble IM (free), IM+, etc. Some require a one time and others require a yearly fee. They offer a trial period, so that you can test it to see if it is the application for you. These don't require that you have BES.

6. Is there a good TN5250 applicaiton (telnet) that does not require BES?

This I don't know because I don't use this.

If I have to have a BES server, to access most internet apps, that is a deal breaker for me.

No, you don't need the BES server to use the applications. I'm not using a BES server and I'm using IM applications and other applications that require the use of the Internet without BES.

If you're on a BES server at work, it allows your job to monitor what you do on your BB. I'm glad that I don't have to go through BES at work. They monitor enough from using the desktop/laptop PCs at work.

I've also used the Treo 650 and found that it was very unstable and it resets a lot. I've tried using it with and without applications on it and still had reset issues and screen freezes.

Yet, if you want to have a camera, be able to watch movies, etc. on the 8700c, then you're better off sticking with your Treo 650. The BB is strictly for business and doesn't have the camera on it or the ability to watch movies.

Yes, there are a lot more applications for the Treo 650 than for any BB out there, but I noticed that I wasn't even really using a lot of those applications. I'm using the same type of applications on my BB that I used on my Treo 650 with the exception that I a call filter on my Treo that I wish I could use on my BB for those unwanted calls. I'm very pleased with going back to the BB. I had used the BB for several years before using the Treo. I'm so happy to be able to use my BB without having the reset issues and screen freezes of the Treo 650.

Feel free to ask more questions if you have them or IM me.

Posted by: RhOd15

Sorry in advance for the long post!!!

[4 Birdiebo] The Sidekick 2 pales in comparison to the 8700 in terms of function. The BB is a much better email device and web browser than the SK2. The only thing that I've seen that the SK2 can do better (and not by much) is Instant Messaging. You need to purchase a program like Verichat or IM+ to IM like the SK2. It always stays connected. The other thing is that the SK2 has a camera, but IMHO it's not very good. Regarding Cingular data, it has been very reliable for me, much better than T-Mo's which gets choppy at best. I'm from the bay area in CA and it works great... I was in NY a week back and it worked great out there too! My cousin's and friend's SK2's worked well also though. SK2's are cool devices, but I personally don't like the way people look using the device nor do I care for the keypad.

[4 CarlGalgano]
1. I have a MediaNet unlimited plan, can I pop by SIM into an 8700c and have internet access.
A. No, this will not work... you need to have a Blackberry data plan.

2. Do I need BES in order to do email (I currently use IMAP to my exchange server)
A. No, I use BIS to do email with my personal email, really easy to set up. If you need to go through an exchange server, then this will not be the best option for you. You can easily get BES service from a third party host (such as MyBlueBerry or MailStreet) which can cost any where from I believe $10-$20 a month.

3. Do calendar and contacts sync to exchange as well?
A. They would through a BES, I sync mine directly to my MS Outlook on my notebook.

4. I read that some model BB can only do WAP brower without NDS? Is the 8700c like that or can it connect directly to the interent?
A. I think you mean MDS... but no you do not need MDS to connect the 8700 to the internet. If you do plan on using an IM client like Verichat, you will need to put in Cingulars APN settings.

5. Is there a good IM client that does not reqire BES?
A. Verichat has been perfect so far. I've tried IM+ and did not particularly care for it. Both can be used without BES.

6. Is there a good TN5250 applicaiton (telnet) that does not require BES?
I'm not aware of any TN5250 type applications, I haven't had the need for telnet capability.

[4 rgribbons] I don't think the 7290 was made with web browsing in mind. When it originally came out, it didn't even have an html web browser. An upgraded firmware allowed that. Most importantly, it does not have EDGE at all as drkangel80 stated. =)

[4 blaze7712] I currently own both (Treo 650 and 8700) and agree that I would highly recommend the 8700... but I wouldn't say that Treo is that bad. I'm actually pleased with the Treo as a phone. I've gotten nothing but great reception with mine. Resets occur but for me not that often, at least not often enough for me to get annoyed... and mine is jampacked with apps. While the browser is not quite as fast it is still very usable and it supports frames and is easier to navigate through the web because of the touch screen capability. One thing I did notice with 8700 is not being able to get to some links or maneuvering very carefully to get to a link. Please take note of that when thinking about the 8700. I still keep my Treo just because of the apps I have on it that I can't give up (mostly PIM). I have two lines - sometimes I carry both my Treo and BB at the same time LOL!

[4 rgoodwin] It would be awesome if there was a phone that can do all those things... I'm not sure if the Moto Q will live up to the hype. In regards to your concerns... the 8700 has been nothing but reliable for me, period. Combining SMS and EMail into one bucket, I would have to give the edge to the 8700 over the SK2... nothing beats BB push. Best in class web browsing - hmmmmm, the 8700 has been the best for me thus far... far exceeding any web browsing experience with any other phone I've owned or tried. For a real world example you should go to a store with a live model or play with one that someone you know has. The 8700 is very pocketable, even with the holster. As for Multimedia, Camera, and Games... I wish it had all these things too, but I also noticed that when I had these items before they weren't used much. Personally, I do not use a BES... yet my phone is fully functional and works really well on the internet, emailing, and IMing.

Posted by: rgribbons

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately there is no EDGE support in Ireland just GPRS or 3G. I am still trying to decide whether to get 1 or not. You can pick 1 up fairly cheaply in ebay but I have to commit to a 12 mth contract at 25 euro a month for unlimited email & web. The type of web I would be interested in would be sites like this or RSS feeds, nothing with heavy images/video.

Posted by: rgoodwin

Well I know there are several great RSS readers for BB...If I recall, piconews, and a few more here:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...72&goto=newpost

(Now if only someone will buy my darned Qtek 9100 I could get on the BB and help out some more

....side note, isn't it sad when a phone like the 8700 is already something I consider a "tide me over" phone!

)

Posted by: rgoodwin

@ Rhod15 and others,

Excellent informative replies! Thanks so much!

Posted by: birdiebo

Add my thanks, as well, for the thoughtful, helpful posts! Just a few other questions. Several folks say they are using unlocked 8700's on Tmobile. Other than the obvious savings in the data plan, is there any reason to do this, especially in light of Cingular's Edge capabilities. Also, the Treo comparisons all deal with the 650. Has anyone been able to do a head-to-head 8700 vs. 700 comparison? If so, is the 700 more stable than the 650? Again, thanks to all.

Posted by: CarlGalgano

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgoodwin

@ Rhod15 and others,

Excellent informative replies! Thanks so much!

I concur, thanks for all the answers. I decided that I needed to go ahead and play with one to see if the BB would work for me. My needs are strickly business and I never use the camera, MP3 player and video capabilities of my Treo.

So far I have been able to do everthing I have wanted. I found a Telnet app that supports connects to my AS400, Ramble is a decent IM cleint and internet browsing is decent. I am looking for a hosted BES that will work with my Exchange server to do wireless syncs. (see another thread that i have started here)

I found out that my media net SIM indeed does not allow data on the BB except for SMS. I decided to add an additional line with BB functions onto my account to play/test, and will move it to my "real" phone number eventually.

I am most impressed with the phone of the BB, much better than my Treo, I have 3 problem spots and all 3 have worked great. Nice to have a phone I can use and not worry about cutting out/dropping calls.

Anyone know if there is a way to have either an SMS or VM notification "repeat" until acknowledged? I see you can repeat the LED, but if I get called or paged (SMS) during the middle of the night, I need to have the thing wake me up. Any third party apps? Anyone who has had a Treo will know the "Treo Butler" app did a great job of this.

I never thought I would own a BB, but I see they have really become nice devices. I still think my Treo is a nice device too, but the BB may better suit my business needs. In this world of technology, I have learned to never say never.

Thanks again to all that have taken the time to help this BB newbie!