Blackberry users, What is your Data Volume?

[anhloc]

Originally posted by Parable
If you were roaming you'd pay roaming GPRS anyways...

As for the overages, chargse $7 per additional MB for excessive usage over 25 MB of data per month. So if someone is getting $300 in overage.... 42 additional MB (67MB Total)....that's a lot of email.

I'm glad I still have the new activation 3 months unlimited data promotion. Or else that overage would have bled me dry.

[Mark Rejhon]

To Parable
>>"So if someone is getting $300 in overage.... 42 additional MB (67MB Total)....that's a lot of email."

It's primarily the new BlackBerryOS 3.8/4.0 HTML browser (now installed and enabled by default), not email... Nobody is exceeding 25MB on just email. Unless viewing lots of attachments, such as image attachments which are now supported by OS 4.0 (JPG, TIF, PNG, BMP, GIF), although they are pre-compressed. It's the new BlackBerry full-HTML browser (with full images, tables, JavaScript) that has the voracious appetite. People are exceeding the 25MB limit just by merely pointing the BlackBerry HTML browser at data-hog web addresses just about 20 minutes per day (i.e. keeping entertained during train to work, etc). Yes, there's also third party applications like VeriChat, but many people exceeding the cap even do so merely just by web browsing.


smay
>>"Cost of a 2.73MB PDF file is $137"

True, only if it was fully downloaded in its entirety. PDF attachments are typically stripped of images during intentional download to BlackBerry (Attachments are not downloaded by default), so it becomes a 200 KB PDF. Still, this is a good point that it gets extremely expensive. What I am not concerned about is roaming, but the 25MB cap for domestic "Unlimited".



Man. I expected this ongoing gradual surge of users. It's only going to get worse as 2005 drags on...

[MobileRC]

I heard some inkling that the structure is being reconsidered, they are very aware that unconventional uses are now becoming conventional as well as the increased data usage inherent in the 4.0 software. I say hang on because it will only get better.

[Mark Rejhon]

March 13th, 2005 Announcement:
RIM to bring Instant Messaging to BlackBerry

RIM is just going to encourage more and more data usage on a BlackBerry. (Although time will tell whether this is an SMS method, push method, or a direct-data-connect method...)

[MobileRC]

Your link didnt work.

try this one

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine...nt%20Messaging

[VladS]

Why not just get Blackberry World unlimited from Cingular? It's only US$70 a month.

[Mark Rejhon]

I considered that, but then I learned the fine print that they may ding you for the costs if you spend most of your time roaming (i.e. 12 months out of 12 months). That'd be what happens to me. In addition to that, I believe they require a USA credit card or other form of USA payment, before they let you have it.

[Mark Rejhon]

Something different just happened on my last call to Rogers...

Without me asking, they suggested they were looking at bigger BlackBerry plans and asked me for permission to use my account as an example during their evaluations of sustained over-25-meg usage. (No doubt, I said yes)

If you are one of the over-25-meg users in this thread and you need to call Rogers for any reason, make sure to ask Rogers to ask about a bigger BlackBerry data plan, and to be informed when one becomes available. The CSR might take your information like they did for me. This will help them gauge demand.

[Mark Rejhon]

My new employer has just offered to cover my BlackBerry expenses, but now they're debating whether to go Bell Mobility or Rogers, they are definitely aware of my usage... (Incidentially, BlackBerry contracts for a dozen employees is also almost up for renewal too!)

Will keep you all tuned...

[Parable]

In reference to the topic...last month my BB account used (Drum roll please) an OUSTANDING 179MB of data (only email, I don't do any web surfing from it)....keep in mind though, I get push emails of spreadsheets that are anywhere from 1-10MB on a daily basis...ugh. I'm also constantly deleting items because of it...I really need a better solution to stay connected.

[SodiumSulfate]

^ Can BB's view/edit spreadsheets and documents?

[Mark Rejhon]

Originally posted by SodiumSulfate
^ Can BB's view/edit spreadsheets and documents?

Yes.

Viewing: Builtin to all BlackBerries now. You can finally now view GIF, TIF, PNG, BMP, XLS, DOC, PDF, TXT files using the builtin attachment viewer of BlackBerryOS4-equipped BlackBerries -- even without BES! This is an off-the-shelf feature data-gobbling feature now. More Info About 2005-era BlackBerries

Editing: Editing require extra software -- you need third party software such as MiniExcel ($29.95), or Dynoplex eCell, Dynoplex eWord, etc.

[Mark Rejhon]

Originally posted by Parable
In reference to the topic...last month my BB account used (Drum roll please) an OUSTANDING 179MB of data

179 megabytes? D*mn. That's over $1000 of data overages on Rogers. OUCH!

I can't imagine email gobbling up that much, but if you view tons of attachments, I guess this could happen.... There got to be a few more factors -- I would think that if you are on a BES4, this would contribute because it has wireless synchronization of your entire Outlook PIM.

[Parable]

Originally posted by Mark Rejhon
179 megabytes? D*mn. That's over $1000 of data overages on Rogers. OUCH!

I can't imagine email gobbling up that much, but if you view tons of attachments, I guess this could happen.... There got to be a few more factors -- I would think that if you are on a BES4, this would contribute because it has wireless synchronization of your entire Outlook PIM.

$1000 I don't pay, as I'm doing Rogers work

Yeah, they run BES, so I'm completely synched into outlook.

[Parable]

My new bill comes out Friday, I've been doing more emailing than normal, I won't be surprised if I break 200MB for March.