[Akathisia]

Have you considered a Windows Mobile based phone? Or the new HTC phone that will run Google's OS?

I have owned a Blackberry Pearl and I thought it was way overrated.

 

[dgbiker1]

I'm currently using a Blackberry 8830 and I love it. It is MILES ahead of the Windows Mobile phone I was using up until last week, WinMo is one of the 5 worst consumer products I've ever used(I've used 3 versions of WM over ~7 years, they never change). While I think you'd be happy with both, I think each has it's strengths.

-iPhone: Given the choice right now, I would buy the iPhone. I think the software set with the iPhone is more robust than BB for my usage patterns. Personally, iPhone and Android are my two favorite platforms at the moment because of their SDKs as I would make full use of the ability to write programs for my phone (I know I could program for WM, but I'm never going there again). The browser is phenomenal for a phone, and will be even better with 3G speeds. I also like the ability to consolidate my phone and ipod into one device, less junk to carry is always good. The data plans for the iPhone are also cheaper than most smartphones, last December the iPhone ended up being cheaper than a free blackberry after 18 months due to the price difference in the plans... something to think about/ recalculate.

-Blackberry: No non-sense layout, great integration with email. One thing I like about my 8830 is that it's a world phone, not an option with the iPhone, so that might be worth considering if you travel. If you use the phone a lot while walking, or just lazy, the BB phones are very easy to use with one hand, not something that's easy on a touchscreen device. Finally, the OS has been extremely smooth and stable while I've used it- a dream compared to the reset-twice-a-day nightmares of WM.

EDIT: I apologize if I come across as a WM troll, but I'm still a bit angry and emotional from the experience I had last week. I've had many issues (mostly constant resets, losing information), but I could live with it. Last weekend was the last straw, I had to call 911 and found out that the OS crashes when it goes into emergency mode (it crashed twice in a row before they called me on a regular line). Now I've heard all the excuses about having to maintain WM unlike other phones, and I did maintain it, but I think it's absolutely inexcusable that this occurred. Would it be okay for the airbags in your car to malfunction if you didn't get your oil changed? Within 24 hours I was using a new phone.

 

[CanMad]

I believe you'll have a problem getting an iPhone this close the release of the new one, so if you can't wait for the new one your decision may be made for you......crack berry

 

[Akathisia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgbiker1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm currently using a Blackberry 8830 and I love it. It is MILES ahead of the Windows Mobile phone I was using up until last week, WinMo is one of the 5 worst consumer products I've ever used(I've used 3 versions of WM over ~7 years, they never change). While I think you'd be happy with both, I think each has it's strengths. -iPhone: Given the choice right now, I would buy the iPhone. I think the software set with the iPhone is more robust than BB for my usage patterns. Personally, iPhone and Android are my two favorite platforms at the moment because of their SDKs as I would make full use of the ability to write programs for my phone (I know I could program for WM, but I'm never going there again). The browser is phenomenal for a phone, and will be even better with 3G speeds. I also like the ability to consolidate my phone and ipod into one device, less junk to carry is always good. The data plans for the iPhone are also cheaper than most smartphones, last December the iPhone ended up being cheaper than a free blackberry after 18 months due to the price difference in the plans... something to think about/ recalculate. -Blackberry: No non-sense layout, great integration with email. One thing I like about my 8830 is that it's a world phone, not an option with the iPhone, so that might be worth considering if you travel. If you use the phone a lot while walking, or just lazy, the BB phones are very easy to use with one hand, not something that's easy on a touchscreen device. Finally, the OS has been extremely smooth and stable while I've used it- a dream compared to the reset-twice-a-day nightmares of WM.

You win.

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziplock /img/forum/go_quote.gif Blackberries are amazing little devices. You will not want to put one down once you get it in your hands! They do not call them crackberries for nothing.

Yup. I really love my Blackberry. For keeping all my emails coming to me on one device, with a pretty decent camera, 3.5mm jack to plug in my ESW9s, and just keeping my calendar, contacts, tasks, and just keeping me connected I enjoy my Blackberry. I haven't owned an Iphone, but since my main focus is email the BB is a no brainer.

 

[MetalGeek]

I actually started a thread in this forum a few weeks ago while looking into purchasing a BlackBerry. I ended up getting the BlackBerry Pearl. I love it. I can use Google Calendar on my BB, on the internet, and with Mozilla Thunderbird using a couple addons. Gmail works really great on it, and I get e-mails delivered to it almost immediately. There are so many features included that I'm still exploring and discovering cool new things.

I personally haven't used an iPhone, but a couple of my friends have them and I'm not overly impressed with them. Their internet browsing capabilities are better than the BB, but I'd say that the BB beats the iPhone in most other non-entertainment areas.

Oh, and going back to an earlier comment...what was he doing using his phone in the shower, anyway? Water (and steam) absolutely murders electronics. I doubt that most phones would be able to handle that type of environment for very long.

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayehs /img/forum/go_quote.gif Blackberries are fantastic for both corporate (supports exchange, domino and groupwise btw) and personal email (ie. hotmail, gmail, etc). I usually receive all my gmails before it even refreshes on my browser. I'm not even sure where you got the idea that it is abysmal at connecting to IMAP. Have you used BIS?

I don't trust my email to webmails run by portals like Google, Yahoo or Microsoft (or Apple's .Mac for that matter). Those companies are in the advertising and privacy invasion business. I run my own UNIX based SMTP/IMAP server on my own machine, secured with SSL/TLS (it refuses unsecured connections from outside the firewall as a matter of policy). Going through a proxy like BIS completely defeats the purpose of encryption since RIM would be able to read all my emails. There is a reason why security-conscious organizations like the French government have banned use of BlackBerries by their employees.

I ran the same software at my company. We had one employee who had a Blackberry, and try as we could, we never got it to work with our email system. I had a very sharp tech try for an entire week before he gave up in disgust. We never had those problems with any other mobile email client, whether Nokia Series 40, Treo, Windows Mobile, Nokia Series 60 or more recently iPhone. Thus my conclusion that BlackBerry IMAP support is pure garbage.

There is no justification for not including full IMAP support and SSL on the device itself, other than preserving the BES licensing revenue stream. Everyone else (Symbian, Windows Mobile, even the lowly Nokia Series 40 phones that aren't proper smartphones) manages to do it. As for BES, besides the licensing fees, my network is a strict Windows-free zone.

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetalGeek /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh, and going back to an earlier comment...what was he doing using his phone in the shower, anyway? Water (and steam) absolutely murders electronics. I doubt that most phones would be able to handle that type of environment for very long.

I try not to meddle in my bosses' personal life. Healthier for me that way. I was led to understand he left it on the stand, he didn't take it into the shower itself. Any device should be able to handle that level of ambient humidity, otherwise they wouldn't be able to work in Houston.

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetalGeek /img/forum/go_quote.gif I personally haven't used an iPhone, but a couple of my friends have them and I'm not overly impressed with them. Their internet browsing capabilities are better than the BB, but I'd say that the BB beats the iPhone in most other non-entertainment areas.

To steal someone else's analogy, comparing the iPhone's browser to the BB's is like comparing the stock iBuds to a HD650 (I wouldn't touch a Grado with a ten-foot pole). Heck, even Treos, Windows Mobile and Symbian devices leave the BB's browser in the dust, and they can't hold a candle to the iPhone's Safari either. And guess what? I spend far more time in my browser (catching up with my RSS feeds, mostly) than in my email client. So do most people.

 

[Old School]

I use bb curve and ipod touch, even though iphone is nice and flashy, but for typing and business activities bb is the way

 

[MetalGeek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majid /img/forum/go_quote.gif I try not to meddle in my bosses' personal life. Healthier for me that way.

Haha, I agree 100%! Not like you really want to know what anybody else does in the shower anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by majid /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was led to understand he left it on the stand, he didn't take it into the shower itself. Any device should be able to handle that level of ambient humidity, otherwise they wouldn't be able to work in Houston.

Interesting. It surprises me that humidity that low would have ruined a BlackBerry...or any phone for that matter. I was under the impression that he had brought the phone into the shower with him. My mistake.

I have a friend who told me a (long) story once about how he had to use his cell phone in the shower once, and as it turns out it suffered some water damage from the steam in the shower.

Also, I agree that if you want a multimedia phone that can handle a good amount web browsing and audio/video, the iPhone is your ticket. The BB browser is quite crippled, but still very usable. Generally, I just use it for sports scores and other fairly simple things. I'm more interested in the messaging and organization capabilities.

 

[marvin]

Off the wall, but this is likely your only chance to get that Glock you were talking about until you turn 21...

The gift part keeps everything aboveboard and pricing ain't too different than a decent smart phone. Then again, the whole Asian parents bit would likely put a stopper on that plan and ammunition would have to come through your parents or someone over 21.

Otherwise, unless you're in a managed business environment that forces you to get a BB for corporate e-mail access, I'd definitely take the iPhone. The browser implementation alone is worth the cost of admission. The touch keyboard ain't great, but I can still get WPMs in the mid-20s which is perfectly acceptable.

 

[TSi]

All I got to say is... take whatevers available... a graduation "gift" from your parents for just going INTO college? man ur spoilt.

guess what my gift was? me paying for all the tuition, all the expenses, all the rent. yup, great gift.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TSi /img/forum/go_quote.gif All I got to say is... take whatevers available... a graduation "gift" from your parents for just going INTO college? man ur spoilt. guess what my gift was? me paying for all the tuition, all the expenses, all the rent. yup, great gift.

Dang dude, sorry that had to happen to you. And I'm sorry if I have somehow given off the impression that I was "spoilt." It's just something that my parents want to do for me, and they are the type to hold my hand and guide me through things, even if I did want to let go.

 

[Zanth]

I am a beta tester for RIM. Get an iPhone. Once the 3G hits the streets I'm getting one! Sure pushmail and corporate email lovelies is all well and good but nothing competes with the iPhone at this point and this is coming from a guy who doens't own an iPhone but plays with all the goodies from RIM. RIM = solid hardware poopy software. Apple = AWESOME hardware, decent software (though interface is insanely good). With the SDK the iPhone should smoke.