Blackberry's

[IanUAE]

So after manageing to avoid getting one for years, it appears as though the boss (work not SWMBO) has declared that are getting them. So which on to go for? The boss says Bold 9700, is he right or wrong?

And before somebody says HTC / Nokia / iphone, it will be a Blackberry.

[shirt]

i was given a bold 9780 by work.

for personal use it would be a long way behind a htc or iphone. internet is rubbish, same for the maps function [positively prehistoric!]. camera is surprisingly good but it has a ton of functions [mainly social networking] which i'll never use.

set up correctly for business use and it's actually not a bad bit of kit. you can blackberry message people for free, it picks up all emails including attachments, and you can access your company global contacts database from the phonebook. this in itself was a godsend for me last week in africa.

unlocks itself when you pull it out of the slipcase which i find handy, and it synchs well with outlook diaries. full keyboard is good when you get used to using shift and alt keys, and it is smaller than a box of fags. as a pure point of contact via sms/email/voice it is remarkably good. less so for personal use but then that's not really the point.

no previous experience with BB's, or with the other models, so take this as you will. i did note that iphones are available in our firm depending on pay grade!

Edited by shirt on Friday 20th May 01:59

[dictys]

I have had BB since the first model, the key is to go for a model that you can press the keys easily, not the touch screen model. I have a basic curve model which for office email, phone etc is great. I don't use the other functions such as the camera, music player etc. The keys are the key, don't get one which is touch sensitive or with too smaller keys plus get one with the full qwerty keyboard not the reduced keyboard.

[6th Gear]

Hold off if you can for now. The new Blackberry Bold 9900 and 9300 were recently announced and should be in shops soon.

http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberrybol...

[6th Gear]

For business (emails), nothing touches the blackberry in my opinion. The blackberry messenger service is handy too, free messaging to other blackberry users.

Be warned though, it's addictive.

[dxbtiger]

Make sure you get one with a trackpad and not a roller ball, first thing to break usually.

I have the budgetberry, curve 8520 and it is perfect for what I need. Messenger saves me a fortune as the missus is a texter.

Download whatsapp, allows you to message iphones for free, all my mates in the uk are apple users so again saves me a fortune.

[IanUAE]

Thank you one and all. I will pop into an Axiom shop (well the company is buying the phone) and have a good look around. The OH as a Blackberry so the BB Messenger bit will be used......

[Hitch78]

I had one in the UK from 2006 to 2009 and avoided getting another when I got out here as it is difficult not to fall into the habit of answering e-mails at all times of the day and over the weekend. I've managed to avoid this problem by just turning it off...

Mine is a Curve, it does the job. Some of our team have upgraded with their own funds to a Torch but as I'm technically a ludite when it comes to technology I will wait until the company feels that a touch screen is a neccessary thing in my life!

My wife has an iphone 4 which is much much better at everything other than answering e-mails and having a long battery life. I guess that is why the Blackberry rules the business market.

[IanUAE]

Right got A Bold 9780, so there goes the rest of the afternoon setting it up.

[shirt]

Hitch78 said:

it is difficult not to fall into the habit of answering e-mails at all times of the day

you're not wrong

[Hitch78]

shirt said:

Hitch78 said:

it is difficult not to fall into the habit of answering e-mails at all times of the day

you're not wrong

...or when entirely pissed. Dangerous!