Workplace giving me a BlackBerry : what should I know?

Strat-Mangler · #1 09-03-2010, 02:02 PM

The workplace is lending me a BlackBerry for as long as I stay a member of the company. It's strictly for work, however.

I'm an iPhone user and after playing with it for an hour, I admit that I find it a bit hard to get used to. What are some tricks or applications that might make things a bit easier for me?

MatticusMania · #2 09-03-2010, 02:03 PM

Things to know: The government can watch you through your camera lens and can listen to everything youre saying, even when your phone is of.

/tinfoil hat

Strat-Mangler · #3 09-03-2010, 02:10 PM

That comment eerily goes well with your avatar. lol!

MatticusMania · #4 09-03-2010, 02:12 PM

Give me a sec, I'll see if I can find the thread I was referencing. You'll have a hoot.

*enjoy: Dump your Cell phone

warwick.hoy · #5 09-03-2010, 02:28 PM

HTC EVO > iPhone

I'd post the link to the funny vid but it's NSFW.

Honestly though I talking out my arse,...I don't own an EVO or an iPhone,...although I leaning towards the EVO as an upgrade to my Samsung Reclaim (which is great at $50 but I want better connectivity IE 4g) and getting a high capacity iPod Classic.

Do the BBs put out a wi-fi hot spot like some of the Palms?

Hookus · #6 09-03-2010, 02:31 PM

I left BB for Palm. Every BB I had, the trackball gets messed up after a while, they can be difficult to configure as well. The new Palms are MUCH better, IMO.

warwick.hoy · #7 09-03-2010, 02:36 PM

I'd consider a Palm as well since they throw out a Wi-Fi hotspot for laptop connectivity. That's really cool in my book. Does the EVO do that?

EDIT: Let me google that for,....myself....looks like you can do it,...just need to hack it.

Pilgrim · #8 09-03-2010, 03:27 PM

The BB Curve I had was a good tool for email and phone calls - not very good for audio/video/non-business apps. I have an HTC Hero (Droid) now and like it much better.

I also suggest that you should try to consolidate to one phone if possible...no reason to carry two, one personal and one business, IF it can be avoided.

**SoComSurfing** · #9 09-03-2010, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

The BB Curve I had was a good tool for email and phone calls - not very good for audio/video/non-business apps. I have an HTC Hero (Droid) now and like it much better.

I also suggest that you should try to consolidate to one phone if possible...no reason to carry two, one personal and one business, IF it can be avoided.

I strongly disagree with this. I carry both an iPhone and a Blackberry Curve. The BB is my work phone, and though I'm generally "on call" 24-7, in those instances when I get to be away from work, there is no greater pleasure than walking out the door leaving my BB at home while talking to friends on my iPhone. That's really the only way I'm able to keep my business and personal lives separate. If you're in a normal "9-5" industry, I could see it being possible, as several of my friends are able to consolidate to one device, but it's just not a viable option for me.

To the OP - I don't have much BB advice, as I only use my BB Curve for work calls and email, and for Google Talk w/ friends while I'm away from my computer. Once you get used to the keyboard layout, you will probably feel that it is a huge advantage over the iPhone, assuming you get a BB that has a true keyboard, not one of the touchscreens w/ virtual keyboard.

I do agree with the previous comment that the trackball will screw up. Everyone I've known who's had a Blackberry since they switched to a trackball has had issues at one point or another.

Strat-Mangler · #10 09-03-2010, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Give me a sec, I'll see if I can find the thread I was referencing. You'll have a hoot.

*enjoy: Dump your Cell phone

Thanks! Promises to be pretty entertaining. lol!

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

HTC EVO > iPhone

I'd post the link to the funny vid but it's NSFW.

Oh, I saw the video a while ago and I thought it was hilarious!

As for phone suggestions, I heard nothing but fantastic feedback for the Galaxy S.

Here's an in-depth review that'll explain everything better than I could.

http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-gal...eview-2891746/

tycobb73 · #11 09-03-2010, 05:03 PM

that they should have given you something on the Droid OS.

megadan · #12 09-03-2010, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Things to know: The government can watch you through your camera lens and can listen to everything youre saying, even when your phone is of.

/tinfoil hat

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Give me a sec, I'll see if I can find the thread I was referencing. You'll have a hoot.

*enjoy: Dump your Cell phone

Actually, that's true:

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1029_3-6140191.html

MatticusMania · #13 09-03-2010, 05:17 PM

True or not, I highly doubt the government gives a damn to see whats in your pocket or to hear your late night booty calls.

'Damn girl, the last time we had sex it was the bomb' *cue govt agent listening to the rest fo your conversation*

blendermassacre · #14 09-03-2010, 05:42 PM

I would just remember that your bosses can probably check your texts and/or emails from your blackberry above all.

6jase5 · #15 09-03-2010, 05:57 PM

All those recommending other phones that aren't Blackberry's, some companies require Blackberry Enterprise server (like mine) and a non BB won't work.

I have a Verizon Storm that my work pays $200+ per month for (unlimited global calls and BB enterprise server), and quite honestly I'm on my 4th in 2 years and I hate it, but having work email and being connected to the work network makes traveling and quickly responding that much easier.

Pilgrim · #16 09-03-2010, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoComSurfing

I strongly disagree with this. I carry both an iPhone and a Blackberry Curve. The BB is my work phone, and though I'm generally "on call" 24-7, in those instances when I get to be away from work, there is no greater pleasure than walking out the door leaving my BB at home while talking to friends on my iPhone. That's really the only way I'm able to keep my business and personal lives separate. If you're in a normal "9-5" industry, I could see it being possible, as several of my friends are able to consolidate to one device, but it's just not a viable option for me.

I'm on call a lot, but I have no problem with after-hours calls. if I don't want to answer, I don't.

I REFUSE to carry two phones, and don't really see why it's needed. You can see who's calling.

hover · #17 09-03-2010, 06:17 PM

If you must carry a BB, rest assured anything short of keeping the thing in a lame belt holster will almost guarantee the thing will break in sight of a year, usually much less. As has been said, the trackballs always fail. We go through them constantly at work. We sign them out when on the road (2 for my office) The Pearls are the worst, the curve not far behind. The bosses have world-phones, and oddly, those seem to last...but they are huge and dorky. The storm and storm two are just utter iPhone envy garbage. So failure prone you should just unwrap them from the box and drop them straight into the toilet to spare yourself the trouble.

In short, make sure you're not liable if the thing goes tits-up on your watch.

Hookus · #18 09-03-2010, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6jase5

All those recommending other phones that aren't Blackberry's, some companies require Blackberry Enterprise server (like mine) and a non BB won't work.

Forwarding does, and the Palms have superb ease with web based email. Nice thing about the Palm is that you get the touch screen function of the iPhone with a qwerty keypad. That phone is A+ in my book. The Wi-Fi on mine is kickass, and they are SO easy to use, unlike BB's.

Regardless, since you are getting a BB, and that's that, read the manual thoroughly. I found BB's top be the biggest pain in the ass of any smartphone. It's like they were made for IT guys, not consumers. I knew how to use mine pretty well, but didn't use a lot of features, simply because it is a pain compared to other phones.

Hookus · #19 09-03-2010, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hover

If you must carry a BB, rest assured anything short of keeping the thing in a lame belt holster will almost guarantee the thing will break in sight of a year, usually much less. As has been said, the trackballs always fail. We go through them constantly at work. We sign them out when on the road (2 for my office) The Pearls are the worst, the curve not far behind. The bosses have world-phones, and oddly, those seem to last...but they are huge and dorky. The storm and storm two are just utter iPhone envy garbage. So failure prone you should just unwrap them from the box and drop them straight into the toilet to spare yourself the trouble.

In short, make sure you're not liable if the thing goes tits-up on your watch.

Having owned both a pearl and a curve, I can vouch for this. Both are enormously fragile hunks of crap. Trackballs crap out, the camera's break, programs quit functioning properly, they get full of crud, get banged up very easily, the list goes on. You must be careful with it friend. Neither of my BB's made it a year.

**Eric Perry** · #20 09-05-2010, 11:05 AM

I've owned a BB Curve for years with Sprint. Recently switched to AT&T and an iPhone. The iPhone is WORLDS better than the BB in almost every possible way, IMO.