HP iPAQ Glisten Or Blackberry Bold?

[Nickerz]

I HATE my HTC Fuze! HATE IT!

I don't like messing with the slide out keyboard and it's too cumbersome to deal with on the go. Worst of all, I can't manage to make a simple phone call when I need to without it locking up and giving me all sorts of problems. I don't know if this is an HTC thing or a WM thing but I feel it's a little of both.

So now I'm trying to figure out if I want to stay with WM by trying the HP Glisten or jumping ship to the Bold. I would love to think that WM 7.0 will be the answer to all my frustrations with WM in general but I my gut says nope...it will be the same ole buggy OS that you have to reset daily to get to work properly.

I use my mobile device for business btw and I always hear how Blackberry is so stable and yet does the WM stuff I need it to (i.e., sync with all of Outlook, view, edit Word, Excel docs, etc.) - Is this all true?

I'm thinking about going down to my local AT&T store in about 1 hour to get the Bold 9700 and try it out for 30 days. I spoke to the guy there (who at the time warned me against the Fuze - should've listened) and he said I can upgrade for free!

So which phone?

[canadian studen]

i would say go for the 9700 for sure. If you hate wm you'll probably hate the hp. The 9700 is an amazing phone imo.

[Mashie]

I have a glisten here and it is rock solid with a beautiful AMOLED display. Also on my more updated devices (post Fuze era) stability is much better, not sure the last time I had to reset my TP2 or any of my 6.5 devices for that matter.

Just my opinion.

[hf0511]

Don't go for HP. Tons of issues with the device. Ofcourse I am speaking of the predecessor 910c however I will not go for HP again.

[Nickerz]

i would say go for the 9700 for sure. If you hate wm you'll probably hate the hp. The 9700 is an amazing phone imo.

I ended up getting the Bold 9700 tonight! So far so good! I'll be playing with this for the next 30 days to see if I like Blackberry enough to keep it.

Another user of WM saying goodbye and going to another OS. Let's see what WM 7 brings to the table. If it's not impressive, I can see MANY more like me abandoning WM altogether!

PS Is there a way to lock the CAPS key to write in all caps?

PPS It's REALLY annoying to have to scroll through a License Agreement all the way to the bottom just to choose I accept. I had to change the scroll settings for this. LOL!

[CeluGeek]

I ended up getting the Bold 9700 tonight! So far so good! I'll be playing with this for the next 30 days to see if I like Blackberry enough to keep it.

Another user of WM saying goodbye and going to another OS. Let's see what WM 7 brings to the table. If it's not impressive, I can see MANY more like me abandoning WM altogether!

PS Is there a way to lock the CAPS key to write in all caps?

PPS It's REALLY annoying to have to scroll through a License Agreement all the way to the bottom just to choose I accept. I had to change the scroll settings for this. LOL!

I had a BlackBerry 8900 and loved it. If it wasn't for the stupid dependency on RIM's servers, I'd still be a BlackBerry user and would've forgotten about the disappointing Windows Mobile.

Anyway, to do CAPS LOCK on BlackBerry press ALT+RightShift. Pres the same keys to turn caps lock off. To do Num Lock, press ALT+LeftShift.

[Nickerz]

I had a BlackBerry 8900 and loved it. If it wasn't for the stupid dependency on RIM's servers, I'd still be a BlackBerry user and would've forgotten about the disappointing Windows Mobile.

Anyway, to do CAPS LOCK on BlackBerry press ALT+RightShift. Pres the same keys to turn caps lock off. To do Num Lock, press ALT+LeftShift.

Thanks for the tip...it worked!

So now I've been using my 9700 for almost a week and I do like it but I want to like it more. What's stopping me is the email, yes...email. I know...BB is usually praised for their email but after finding out that you can't organize your email into new folders and subfolders - I'm really surprised this isn't talked about more. So what is all the hype about for BB email? Because it pushes your email? When you send an email btw...it sits in your inbox!? This makes your inbox only more cluttered and if you choose to hide the sent emails, there is no sent folder to view them in. However, the messenger has a bunch of folders by default but the email inbox has just an inbox folder and spam. You can't add more folders. You can add new folders and subfolders to your browser.

Speaking of browser...this is probably the biggest con of this phone. It SUCKS! My thumb gets tired real fast scrolling through everything with the trackpad. It's very tedious and when I zoom in (even after changing the view to Column View) I have to scroll right to view the rest of the page on some sites. This is ANNOYING! Horrible browsing experience.

So if I decide I don't want to keep this phone (I have until 3/15 to take it back) what other phones should I look at? I think I would like the HP Glisten but the reviews don't exactly praise the phone.

I want to stick to this same kind of form factor as the Bold and Glisten but I kinda miss WM (dare I say this). Blackberry's OS reminds me of the days of DOS for a mobile phone, if that makes any sense. I could see RIM having trouble keeping people on this OS as others get to be sleeker and more intuitive.

The call quality on the 9700 is great as is the battery life and screen! I'm just trying to figure out why I've always heard how great BB email is and they don't allow you to organize your emails. Just sounds simple enough...add a new folder - like they allow you to do in their browser.

Maybe I will go back to WM afterall just b/c they mirror my laptop in every way. I really need this for business.

My perfect phone used to be the Palm Treo 750. I LOVED this phone but I don't like the look of their new one...Pro or something like that. So my search for my perfect phone continues.

[nextel1996]

I heard/read just the opposite on the Glisten. All the reviews I read gave it pretty high ratings. I tried one out for a few days and it was very nice. The keyboard was the best I've used ever on a WM phone and was on par with the Bold 9000's.

That being said, I just can't go backwards in screen resolution and screen size. If you can deal with both of those and also the lack of autofocus on the camera, then the Glisten is an outstanding business phone.

[Nickerz]

I heard/read just the opposite on the Glisten. All the reviews I read gave it pretty high ratings. I tried one out for a few days and it was very nice. The keyboard was the best I've used ever on a WM phone and was on par with the Bold 9000's.

That being said, I just can't go backwards in screen resolution and screen size. If you can deal with both of those and also the lack of autofocus on the camera, then the Glisten is an outstanding business phone.

True...the reviews overall seem to be good but they all knock the Glisten for the less than perfect display (quality and size) as well as the speakerphone, which I use a lot. These were things I was concerned about but not top priority so maybe I could live with the Glisten.

The Fuze did have a nice display but the screen was small.

So if the Glisten had a better display, it sounds like it could have been the perfect phone! So does HP just not care about their display? It sounds like it's obviously inferior to all the phones that are now available.

I think I'm gonna have to try out the Glisten. Only problem is, I don't think AT&T will allow me to take back the Bold and then the Glisten if I end up not liking it 100%. Will they? If they do...I'm definitely gonna try the Glisten at this point and maybe I will personally like it!

Does anyone know if there are any other WM PPC phones (same form factor as the Glisten) that will be coming soon to AT&T? Should I hold off a little longer?

[Nickerz]

Does the Glisten have Task Manager? I read they removed it.

[CeluGeek]

Does the Glisten have Task Manager? I read they removed it.

Task Manager is a built-in feature of the OS. Manufacturers can't remove it unless they provide their own, matching or exceeding the functionality from the built-in app. With that said, if you are looking for the app on the upper-right corner of the home screen, that's a task manager from HTC so it shouldn't appear on non-HTC devices.

The built-in Task Manager is not as flexible, but you can still kill apps and view processes. It is best to associate it with a hardware button (assuming the device has any), so you can launch it from anywhere.

[nextel1996]

True...the reviews overall seem to be good but they all knock the Glisten for the less than perfect display (quality and size) as well as the speakerphone, which I use a lot. These were things I was concerned about but not top priority so maybe I could live with the Glisten.

The Fuze did have a nice display but the screen was small.

So if the Glisten had a better display, it sounds like it could have been the perfect phone! So does HP just not care about their display? It sounds like it's obviously inferior to all the phones that are now available.

I think I'm gonna have to try out the Glisten. Only problem is, I don't think AT&T will allow me to take back the Bold and then the Glisten if I end up not liking it 100%. Will they? If they do...I'm definitely gonna try the Glisten at this point and maybe I will personally like it!

Does anyone know if there are any other WM PPC phones (same form factor as the Glisten) that will be coming soon to AT&T? Should I hold off a little longer?

The Fuze's display is larger than the Glisten's so if you thought the Fuze display was small, the Glisten will seem really small. I could easily deal with the small screen if it had a similar resolution to the Bold or Tour. But small and QVGA shouldn't be in the same sentence anymore.

The speakerphone wasn't anything to write home about but it also wasn't the worst I ever used. I'd say it's decent.

I wouldn't say this phone is inferior to all others because it all depends on what you want out of it. If you want a quick, stripped down, compact powerful business phone with an awesome keyboard in the rare Qwerty Bar form factor, you can't go wrong IMO. If you want a phone mainly for web surfing, listening to music, watching videos and taking photos, then I'd move along from the Glisten. I tend to fall somewhere in between and so the Glisten didn't quite cut it.

There are not really any qwerty phones on the near horizon that will be better than the Glisten and work on ATT. The HTC Trophy will be my (and sounds like your) ideal phone but who knows when it's coming out and if it will have 850 3G.

[Nickerz]

Task Manager is a built-in feature of the OS. Manufacturers can't remove it unless they provide their own, matching or exceeding the functionality from the built-in app. With that said, if you are looking for the app on the upper-right corner of the home screen, that's a task manager from HTC so it shouldn't appear on non-HTC devices.

The built-in Task Manager is not as flexible, but you can still kill apps and view processes. It is best to associate it with a hardware button (assuming the device has any), so you can launch it from anywhere.

Well that's nice to know! Thanks for confirming!

The Fuze's display is larger than the Glisten's so if you thought the Fuze display was small, the Glisten will seem really small. I could easily deal with the small screen if it had a similar resolution to the Bold or Tour. But small and QVGA shouldn't be in the same sentence anymore.

The speakerphone wasn't anything to write home about but it also wasn't the worst I ever used. I'd say it's decent.

I wouldn't say this phone is inferior to all others because it all depends on what you want out of it. If you want a quick, stripped down, compact powerful business phone with an awesome keyboard in the rare Qwerty Bar form factor, you can't go wrong IMO. If you want a phone mainly for web surfing, listening to music, watching videos and taking photos, then I'd move along from the Glisten. I tend to fall somewhere in between and so the Glisten didn't quite cut it.

There are not really any qwerty phones on the near horizon that will be better than the Glisten and work on ATT. The HTC Trophy will be my (and sounds like your) ideal phone but who knows when it's coming out and if it will have 850 3G.

Holy cow nextel1996! You are RIGHT on the money with that HTC Trophy!!!

That phone looks really, really good and sounds like it could be my PERFECT phone! They should name that phone "Sexy Chick" (Akon song - lol) well...it looks as good as it can for this form factor type.

Now............if HTC can release this phone!

[Nickerz]

It's kinda funny b/c my wife has been hearing me rant about my dissatisfaction with phones available today and when I saw this one I got all excited. She happened to be in the room and saw the pic and then I said..."ahhh man, only if it had a d-pad." Then she started yelling at me again saying it's always something! It is always something...but I could live with the track ball thingy!

I really feel technology is handed to us in the tinyest amounts as if to say..."you may have this now but don't expect anything more!" I feel we are so FAR behind, being 2010, and having to settle for still a lot of junk out there!

Maybe the companies get together and discuss what can be released and when so as not to favor one over the other and ensure steady profits.

How about a company comes along for once and actually EXCEEDS our expectations - and do it consistently! Not just meet them or more often - fails to meet them. Even if they did...perhaps the infrastructure isn't in place to support it.

That's my rant today!

[Nickerz]

It's almost been 1 month since I started using my BlackBerry and I have to say I think I'm hooked.

There were some issues I had at first that I found ways around and I can honestly say the only beef I have at this point is the period key on the keyboard. It really needs to be it's own key without having to press the alt key. The $ key even has it's own default key but not the period key.

That aside, which is TOTALLY not a big deal...I am really lovng my BB! I still have a few more days to bring it back and at this point I don't feel a need to.

So long Windows Mobile...for now anyway.

I feel the call quality can't be beat on my Bold 9700 and it can flat out just make a call! The OS is VERY, VERY stable and I NEVER, NEVER have to reset it b/c it froze or some other dumb reason. There seems to be a lot of support for BB also!

Man my HTC Fuze was JUNK! I can't say how much I HATED that phone! Anyone want to buy it from me?

Just thought I'd update this for anyone considering BB. I stood on the fence for a long time now and so far I really like BB!

Side Note:
Having said all this...I believe Google will be the absolute DOMINANT mobile device really soon! Google is doing some really cool stuff right now (i.e., Google Voice, Google Navigation, etc.) and they will rule the world some day.