^On Cingular, pop mail and web browsing is $30/month.

5/18/2007 6:35:52 PM

Question:

WHAT is a Blackberry?

And yes, I am serious. Been hearing it on and off for about a year or more now, but not exactly sure what it is. I can look it up on wiki or whatever, but not interested enough, or just lazy, to do it.

So this thread is useful for me! I know it is some kind of portable device than can function as a phone, and can also be used for email. But I want some specific info.

How is it different from a 3G phone that could also be used to browse the net or check email? Does it use some new protocol, or would you, like, open up gmail on a Blackberry and check your email? n00b, yeah, I know And other info, like what else can it do, and what other devices are there that compete with it in terms of functionality?

5/18/2007 6:57:47 PM

its a pda/smartphone

it is actually the brand of phone, like LG is a brand and Samsung is a brand and motorola is a brand

5/18/2007 9:17:28 PM

yeah it comes with a mandatory data package ($40) that pays for the blackberry servers to coordinate the e-mail with the device. most other smartphones you set up on the handset to retrieve your e-mail to the device.

5/18/2007 10:56:39 PM

yeah the reason the phones i quoted earlier were not blackberrys is like ^^ said, blackberry is a brand name like honda...RIM (Research in Motion) is the parent company...the phones quoted on the previous page were either Palms or Pocket PCs...Pocket PCs use Windows CE i think whereas BlackBerry's have their own RIM software which is different...I'm not sure about Palms

I think we pay $40/month for unlimited internet access which includes unlimited emails and web access...higher than some other cell provider's internet service but certainly manageable in a business environment

Palms, PPCs and Blackberrys can all send/receive email and access web programs and have certain applications, but their style of use is different...Palms tend to use a touch screen pen on a lot of them...Blackberrys have a scroll wheel on the right side that scrolls through menus...clicking in on the wheel selects something, and clicking the button below the wheel backs out from a menu or program...very simple to use

Blackberrys are offered through most providers...Nextel, Alltel, Cingular, Verizon, etc...different models with different capabilities and plans based on provider...but again, Blackberry isnt just a slang term for PDA, its a brand...fyi "jet ski" and "wave runner" are actually brand names of Kawasaki and Yamaha, respectfully...not just slang terms for personal watercraft

5/19/2007 2:14:38 AM

he was probably saying that he has owned 4 blackberrys, and the other phones

YOU RETARD

5/19/2007 8:19:23 AM

Quote :

"yeah it comes with a mandatory data package ($40)"

It's not mandatory.

I have no data plan with my pearl.

5/19/2007 8:22:33 AM

Is ther eany way to get a version 2.0 bes server to support the new daylight savings?

5/19/2007 6:02:26 PM

Quote :
"Ive used 4 different bberry's, Q, PPC-6700, treo 650, 700p and 700w"

Quote :

"fyi...NONE OF THESE ARE BLACKBERRYS "

thats four different models of the Blackberry, on 3 differnt carriers, in addition to the rest.

smrtaass

and the $40 date plan is regulated by RIM, in coordination with the cell phone companies. Its the same accross the board.

Quote :

"It's not mandatory. I have no data plan with my pearl."

it is. you might want to make sure your carrier has the Pearl as your phone on file. thats one way that GSM and iDEN cell phone stores get around not having to add on the data plan. It would only come into play for insurance reasons. Otherwise it doesnt matter. But if they do have it on file, and they just arent making you pay, you got lucky. But its like only using 1/2 the capabilities without it.

[Edited on May 20, 2007 at 9:38 PM. Reason : m2c.]

5/20/2007 9:32:43 PM

I bought it from the cingular store, and got the data plan initially. I later decided that I really didn't need it, so I called and cancelled the data plan. The only features I really use on the phone are sync-ing contacts and calendaring. I wouldn't have even considered a blackberry if my corporate discount didn't make it 70 bucks.

5/21/2007 8:53:17 AM

i wouldn't consider my 8700 if my company didn't pay for all of it.

5/21/2007 11:44:45 AM

My company pays for 1/3 of everything cell phone, which means I pay $60 for the bill and $100 for the phone.

Not bad for all the cool stuff it comes with. I don't ever get bogged w/emails anymore.

5/21/2007 1:42:00 PM

if i download stuff like ringtones, how do i get to the spot where i can delete them?

5/23/2007 11:23:18 PM

what kind of blackberry?

did you try Options>Advanced Options>Applications ?

5/23/2007 11:51:17 PM

well

its not an application i want to delete, its actual files that ive downloaded, like .mp3 files

i noticed that when i save them they go to something like /home/user/ringtones/

but i dunno how to get to that to view the audio files to delete them


its an 8703e

[Edited on May 24, 2007 at 12:19 AM. Reason : ]

5/24/2007 12:19:14 AM

Is there any way to move around the list of applications on the home screen? Like, I want mail and keyboard lock as my first two options to click... and I know I can assign the side keys, but they are already assigned to what I want.

5/24/2007 10:43:07 AM

put the cursor on whatever app you want to move> press the alt/shift key (depends on what device you have) and push the trackwheel in at same time. on the side screen that pops up select move app.

^^ damn, i had some ringtones on my old 8700, but dont have any on my 8703 and has been a while. I think i may have just wiped it clean and thats what deleted them. cant quite remember now.

[Edited on May 24, 2007 at 10:51 AM. Reason : .]

5/24/2007 10:50:18 AM

i think you might have to use the Application Loader to remove ringtones...if you have a new version of the handheld software that should definitely work...on the handheld if you go into your Profile where you select what ringtones are assigned to what, I don't think theres a function to delete a file there

^^yeah do what ImYoPusha said to move icons

also using that same Alt/Shift/Halfmoon Key plus the trackwheel gives you the option to hide icons if there are features you either dont use or only rarely use...for example my alarm goes off every morning except for weekends, but I have the Alarm icon hidden since I don't need to modify the settings often...just tidies up your workspace basically

5/24/2007 10:55:58 AM

Perfect. My blackberry is now perfect.

Except no naked pictures of a friend on this one. I'll have to email to myself.

Oh, and if I hit the emergency call button on unlock, does it automatically dial 911 or something?

[Edited on May 24, 2007 at 11:18 AM. Reason : .]

5/24/2007 11:17:35 AM

you should get a "Are you sure you want to make an emergency call?" message

thats basically just if you have your phone locked for whatever reason and some stranger gets ahold of the phone...if theres an emergency they can call 911 but they cant just unlock your phone and look through all your shit

i dont use the keyboard lock at all as the holster kind of eliminates the need for that

5/24/2007 11:54:40 AM

what's the best phone for scheduling/organizer type shit that syncs w/something on your pc? i don't use outlook, but if there was another good program that synced with the phone i'd probably use it.

i'm trying to find the best phone for doing stuff like keeping up with classes/assignments/appointments and whatever, but i want the call quality to be good too b/c my current phone keeps dropping calls.

i'm looking at a blackberry pearl but i don't know if that's necessarily the best thing for me to get. i can get a refurbished one from cingular for $59 as opposed to $199 new. they apparently don't offer a warranty either way so i figure it doesn't really matter. also, i don't have to buy the blackberry data package if i get the refurbished phone, but i may want to get that anyway, i'm not really sure what all is included with that.

thoughts?

5/24/2007 12:40:32 PM

Can I setup the email application to pull my email from my own domain on a hosted server via IMAP (not an exchange account) so I would not have to redirect my email to a blackberry but then still have to download and delete on my PC?

I know Palm is supposed to do this from what I read but was told Blackberry could not.

5/29/2007 2:21:06 PM

June 15 supposedly

[Edited on June 6, 2007 at 4:30 PM. Reason : .]

6/6/2007 4:24:28 PM

what are the chances of it being available by Nextel with iDen PTT and the nice color display and full sized keyboard? Probably about 0%

6/6/2007 4:42:59 PM

0% is exactly right.

iDEN will not have anymore phones produced, nor will they release a hybrid bberry.

friggin sucks.

6/6/2007 4:50:09 PM

i guess they would if they had the interest, but people would rather be able to take low resolution pictures with their phone than PTT for unlimited minutes for free

6/6/2007 5:01:19 PM

Quote :

"Can I setup the email application to pull my email from my own domain on a hosted server via IMAP (not an exchange account) so I would not have to redirect my email to a blackberry but then still have to download and delete on my PC? I know Palm is supposed to do this from what I read but was told Blackberry could not."

not with POP3/IMAP. Only with Exchange

6/7/2007 9:51:18 AM

Quote :

"nor will they release a hybrid bberry."

6/7/2007 1:15:51 PM

Quote :

"not with POP3/IMAP. Only with Exchange"

should be

Quote :

"not with POP3/IMAP. Only with Exchange and a BES"

6/7/2007 1:58:14 PM

how can i email from a blackberry, and not receive another email telling me what i just emailed out

6/18/2007 5:51:19 PM

how can i convince my boss to get me a blackberry?

6/18/2007 6:20:05 PM

If he doesn't want to get you one, I'd try asking him to let you expense whatever portion of your cellphone bill you use for business.

That's what I did to cut my cell-phone bill in hailf

6/18/2007 10:58:25 PM

Quote :

"how can i email from a blackberry, and not receive another email telling me what i just emailed out"

probably set up on web client. web client doesnt show sent items through your Outlook, so one way to keep up with them is to create a blind cc rule that goes back to you.

create another rule that doesnt let those bcc'd emails come down to your berry, but only your Outlook.

or, create another shell account email address, and send the bcc'd emails to that, but dont integrate that address with the berry. keep it web based only if you need to see your sent items from the bberry

[Edited on June 19, 2007 at 9:39 AM. Reason : .]

6/19/2007 9:37:42 AM

nm

found it on the interweb

[Edited on July 5, 2007 at 9:35 AM. Reason : e]

7/5/2007 9:21:41 AM

any free delayed stock quote apps compatible with the pearl out there?

7/5/2007 10:38:44 AM

I have one of these on the way.

7/5/2007 12:41:56 PM

Got the Sprint 8830


verrry niiiiice




[Edited on July 12, 2007 at 7:46 PM. Reason : .]

7/12/2007 7:46:45 PM

I WANNA NEW IDEN BLACKBERRY

7/13/2007 12:57:18 AM

I've had a Motorola e815 regular cell phone for awhile, loved it b/c of the hackability but it's getting a little old So... should I go with the Moto Q, the Blackberry 8703e, or the Blackberry 8830? Or wait for something else?

I've never had a smartphone before and don't really know anything about the Blackberry phenomenon

I'm currently w/ Verizon Wireless, but I'm open to dropping them and switching to AT&T or Alltel if they've got better phone options 

8/9/2007 9:38:30 AM

^you can get a pretty decent selection of smartsphones on all 3 of those service providers

a lot of the differences in blackberries and other smartphones are personal preference...scroll wheel versus stylus pen, etc...i'd recommend messing around with one for a few minutes to get an idea of how it works...lots of phones are pretty and have bright displays but you've gotta see if its something you'll be comfortable using for years

8/9/2007 10:12:43 AM

bberry is the easiest to use by far, imo. ive tried every single pda out right now, and have used a berry for the past 3 years. you also cant beat their email delivery. by far the best whether its webclient or BES.

downside though, you have an additional $40 a month with the bberry. any non bberry pda will probably only be $15-$20 a month for data.

8/9/2007 10:21:38 AM

So has anyone tried both the scroll wheel and bead style blackberries. I am thinking about getting my GF a blackberry but dont know what to go for.

8/9/2007 2:35:48 PM

Quote :

"Those devices you were referring to are ancient/obsolete."

i guess what mr. phone salesman doesn't understand is that the current models are not what people generally buy. most people i know what a pda, unless they have a corporate job, have a model from one or two gens ago. nothing wrong with that, and they work just as good as good, in general, as any newer smartphone.

8/9/2007 3:12:47 PM

^^
I tried both this afternoon (the 8830 w/ trackball, the 8703e w/ scroll wheel) and I liked the trackball much better -- for some reason using the scroll wheel, whenever I went to push it in to select I also tended to scroll ever-so-slightly too... so I repeatedly kept selecting the wrong @#$%ing icon

---

The full QWERTY keyboard on these things feels so weird to me... after mastering text messaging w/ a numeric keypad for years that's going to take a lot of adjustment...  

8/9/2007 3:33:46 PM

TreeTwista: after playing around with things today, I've ruled out the other smartphones from Verizon Wireless except the 8830. Now my question is, if you were in my shoes, would you go for the 8830 or the Curve?

I love Verizon's network and have used their service for 5+ years w/ no problems, so the 8830s tethered modem function and its built-in GPS (assuming it's de-crippled through a hack at some point), but I'm also intrigued by the Curve's normal keypad and the fact it's got a camera...

They'll both turn out to be the same price for me, ~$200 -- either $400 - $100 credit - $100 rebate buying the 8830 and staying w/ VZW, or ~$100 - $75 rebate + $175 termination fee canceling my VZW contract and moving to AT&T.

Plans will also be the same, with VZW's cost being about $20 less per month.

Is the keypad and camera worth giving up the transmission speed? 

8/9/2007 4:12:43 PM

Well they both have QWERTY keypads and trackballs...I personally prefer the scroll wheel but if you like the trackball better then the 8830 and Curve are two good choices for you...I don't have a camera on my 7100i but it would be cool to have sometimes even though phone cameras obviously arent designed to take massive hi-res photos

if you really want a camera i'd go with the curve, but i've used an 8830 and its a solid phone as well

Honestly aside from the camera I think one of the biggest things for you to consider is how Verizon and AT&T compare as far as quality reliable service in the areas you frequent most often (home, work, etc)

as a side note even though you prefer the trackball, i can tell you from using a bunch of different blackberries with scroll wheels that once you get used to them you can easily scroll through menus, contacts, messages, etc just on feel...ie when you're driving and glancing between your phone and the road...the trackball isnt as precise with some of the movements imo

8/9/2007 4:26:45 PM

I think part of my issue between trackball and scroll wheel is the learning curve -- the scroll probably isn't hard to use, I just had a hard time with it earlier and I'm nervous at the thought of dropping $texas on it w/o knowing if I'd ever really "get it"

Verizon's network is hands-down the winner, especially for traveling. I like making calls and doing other things when I'm driving across the state and some of my friends lose calls all the time w/ AT&T; I've only lost 1, in this weird patch of dead space on I-40 between RDU and Durham. And the modem function is just cool.

The two functions on the Curve that the 8830 is lacking (the camera and voice memos) are ones I rarely ever use -- I think I've used the camera on my e815 3x in the whole time I've had it. But... one of those times happened to be during campaign season so it was useful

idk your background as far as these things go, but do you know anything about getting the GPS capability uncrippled on VZW's network? Doesn't look like anyone's come up with a hack yet, but if it could eventually be possible that'd be the deal-maker for me, camera or not 

8/9/2007 5:12:03 PM

not sure...i'm on Nextel and use the Telenav GPS program sometimes, its pretty neat

ALL phones (manufactured after a certain year) have a GPS/911 feature in which GPS is enabled if you drive into a ditch for example and call 9-1-1...they can find your position

Also I think the 8830 does have the voice feature...I know the one I used through Sprint had voice dialing...I would guess it had voice memos but I'm not positive

8/9/2007 5:18:59 PM

So after vacillating like a typical politician for a week, I stuck w/ VZW and got the 8830.

Now my question is... what all do I need to know about the whole Blackberry ecosystem? Any important tips / tricks / hacks / apps / etc I should know?

8/16/2007 10:52:11 PM

sooo

how the fuck do i beat level 19 at brick breaker?

8/17/2007 7:34:19 AM