[Andrew Illsley]

Hi All, long time CB snooper, first time user/poster. In mid-January, I made the switch from my Bold 9900 to the Classic. Blackberry was helpful with me switching devices, which was great, and the Classic is quite slick. That said, there are several things that the Bold 9900 did better, imo, and I don't understand if it's the way I set up my Classic or if that's just the way it is. Here's a list of things that aren't functioning for me as well as they did on the 9900.

- Password Keeper: I use PK all the time, for all passwords. Anytime I needed to update a work password or remember an existing password on the 9900, it was so quick. Now, if I need to access a password, I open the PK app and I have to wait between 30 seconds and 2 minutes for PK to sync with the cloud before I can access the password I was looking for. Annoying/inefficient.

- Sending a text: before I would open the text app, start to type the receiver's name and boom, I'm ready to text. On the Classic, I select compose, text, and then type the receiver's name and I see every single option tied to that name...home phone, email, mobile, linked in, facebook, email, email...it's ridiculous. If I currently have a text session with that person on my phone, it should default me back into that conversation (like before), and it definitely shouldn't think I'm trying to text their email address. Again, inefficient.

- Texting Part 2: Say I text someone a link to a web page or youtube clip. Later on, I want to see that clip, so I open the text and it won't let my click the link I sent them. I have to copy and then paste into the browser...a sent link should be as easy to select as a rec'd link. Again, the Bold 9900 didn't have this issue.

- Calendar: I always use the calendar for my appointments. When I rec'd appointment invites on my 9900, I had the option to "Go to date" of the invite (was a menu option right from the invite) on the calendar so I could check other appointments, or add or modify (set alarm reminders, etc). Now, I have to accept the invite, and then open the calendar, go to date, scroll through dates, etc, to find the invite I just rec'd. Pain in the ****. On top of that, I add the client's phone number in the calendar appointment, so if I'm running late, or lost, I could just click on the number and it would call them...not on the Classic. On the 9900, I would just click and call (especially helpful if I'm driving and can't look at my phone), but on the Classic I can only read the number...it won't let me select it! WTF?!

- Phone calls: This frequently happens...in-call face dials, mutes and disconnects. If my phone screen stays lit or lights-up mid-call, my face will randomly press keypad buttons, making calls extra annoying. I know the screen is supposed to go black during calls, but sometimes if I move or if the light sensor is triggered, it will light up and my face starts dialing. Again, this was never an issue on the 9900.

Ok, so I know this is a ton of complaining. I actually really enjoy a lot about the Classic. I think it's a great device overall. That said, I can't stand that things that worked well on a phone that's, what, 5 years old no longer work on the newest, latest and greatest. I am an avid Blackberry supporter, and a devout qwerty user. I just want a phone that functions with my day-to-day life. However, the three things I use most (calendar, phone calls and texting) have all taken a functional step backwards.

I know that I could be wrong about some or all of these things, so if there's some trick I'm missing or a way I can correct these issues, please, please let me know. I don't want to long for the days of my 9900...anyone else having similar issues?

[forevergreen]

I haven't even gotten as far as you because I can't get my file to restore. I've gotten maybe 25% of my contacts, it won't do the rest for some reason.

I've noticed some of what you said and that everything, in general, is clunkier and less efficient than what I'm coming from (9930).
One of the things most qwerty users probably like most is the efficiency. Most things I've tried so far are a big step backwards.

I love the short press of "s" for search from the home screen that I have now. On the classic, essentially EVERY key is search now, which I feel is a waste of 25 keys for short press. I love the long press speed dial combined with short press shortcuts. I use "c" and "l" and many others all day. May seem silly to complain about short vs long press, but carried across a whole day, that issue along with all the other similarly inefficient things will cost a lot of time over a day.

[Valker]

I totally agree. The primary reason I use BB is for phone calls, texts, emails and calendar. And the camera (for convenience). BB10 is giant step backwards from OS7 for these functions. I am using a Z30 but am glad I kept my 9900, and from what I am hearing about 10.3 which I haven't received from Verizon as yet, I may go back to my Bold.

What I can't understand is why BB10 couldn't have provided improvements without ruining what made BB great in the first place. I just tried out the Classic and sent it back - for the same reasons you mentioned.

[Andrew Illsley]

I totally agree.

It's so good to know that I'm not crazy! I wish I could take the browser speed, BB Hub and camera and insert them into my 9900. Unfortunately, you're damned either way. Each has great pro's and major con's. Hopefully these issues will get worked out. Until then, I'll just be an inefficient business qwerty user.

[Valker]

I agree with that. Take the Bold, make it faster, improve the camera, and add the hub. And, OK, make the screen and keyboard larger. Then STOP !!

BTW, I have been using the Z30 and am finding it very easy to type with - the correct misspelled words pop up and you touch them and they are inserted. My accuracy doing this is actually better than it was with the Classic.

[paperplanes7]

I agree with that. Take the Bold, make it faster, improve the camera, and add the hub. And, OK, make the screen and keyboard larger. Then STOP !!
.

[joumon]

Disable the Cloud sync for PK. Then, it's fast.

[forevergreen]

Lee, you really like the hub? Between yesterday and today I have about 10 hrs into getting this phone to work for me. I'm getting closer to getting it fine tuned, but not sure I'll be able to make the leap in the end. The hub doesn't excite me too much. I also found it weird that the ONLY place I can go to my gmail is the hub. There's not a separate icon anywhere, as there is with the text messaging.

[O_T16]

I completely agree with your complaints and you are not alone. But, BlackBerry listens to its users. It may take some time for BlackBerry to release an update but I believe these issues will be fixed. Let's just hope it's not a real long wait time...

Posted via CB10

[anon(8063781)]

Lee, you really like the hub? Between yesterday and today I have about 10 hrs into getting this phone to work for me. I'm getting closer to getting it fine tuned, but not sure I'll be able to make the leap in the end. The hub doesn't excite me too much. I also found it weird that the ONLY place I can go to my gmail is the hub. There's not a separate icon anywhere, as there is with the text messaging.

Shortcut Creator. It's in BlackBerry World. You can use it to make a shortcut to your gmail. I originally posted the following in another thread, but I thought it would be useful to you:

"I wasn't happy with the hub either. I didn't want the information from all of my accounts jumbled together. So this is what I did:

1. Move the hub icon into a folder (just so you don't have it out in view anymore -- you're about to kill it for all practical purposes).
2. Go into the hub > settings > hub management -- and change each account to "Show in Separate Account Only"
3. Go to BlackBerry World and purchase "Shortcut Creator" -- it's $2.99 -- but it does what you need it to do.
4. Create "Account" shortcuts to each of your email accounts.

Now you'll have separate account icons for each email account, which you can place on your home screen. I have the text message icon on my home screen too. Just tap the icons to go to the respective accounts, as usual.

Then make a mental shift: think of the sideways swipe not as "this takes me to the hub" but "this takes me back to the last account I had open." Once you've side-swiped, of course, you can also change between accounts using the icon in the bottom left of the 'taskbar'."

Hope this is helpful.

[Valker]

Well the hub on the Z30 is a lot easier to read than on the Classic, and if you tap on the hub symbol on the lower left a menu appears where you can look at just gmail, text, notifications or recent calls. Also on the Hub each item is color coded along the edge - in my case my gmails are green, my work email is orange, etc. I prop my Z30 on a little stand at the side of my desk, and whenever something comes in it displays right away on the Hub, plus I set separate notification tones up. But the maximum time you can keep the screen awake is 5 mins - I wish you could have a "forever" setting since i keep the phone plugged in while in the office. But I do have the display set so I can wake it up with an upswipe.

[VeryBumpy]

OP, you are far from alone. The Classis is clumsy and less efficient than older BBOS devices but it's the only modern pkb choice we have.

I too noticed many things lacking or slowing me down.

[Andrew Illsley]

I too noticed many things lacking or slowing me down.

Thanks for posting that link. Yours is a much more thorough and helpful post. I'm glad I got to rant and get the issues off my chest though.

[frisettes]

Regarding sending a text, you really can just go straight to that conversation and append your text message to that conversation without needing to choose the contact. I would agree though that it should be streamlined a bit, like if you chose "compose" from within the text messages app (or within the text messages folder within the Hub) then it should filter out everything other than phone numbers.

In general I would agree that there is room for optimisation (still haven't figured out how to paste a phone number into the dialer) but most of these are minor gripes. I'm never going back to BBOS7.

Posted via CB10

[omal13]

....And thats why I use 2 phones...Q10 & 9900.
And should I get Classic, it'll replace Q10.