iPhone to 8900: Please Help Me Decide !

[legaleye2005]

Hi! I've been on the iPhone for a while and I am thinking of going to the 8900. I have a few things I'm not sure about that I hope someone can answer:

1. Why is BBMessenger so popular? I think the app on my iPhone for aim (or even the blackberry aim app) does not only the same thing, but allows u to do more (AND EVEN TALK TO NON-BB people!)... So I don't understand this..

2. I use a lot of apps on my iPhone that I don't think are on BBerries, so please correct me:
-Shazam
-USAToday
-Now Playing (looks up movie times)
-TV Forecast
-Around Me
(I used to use that 411 program when I had a BB, but it barely worked and wasn't even near as good as my iPhone app)

3. The iPhone has G-Map, a one-time fee based gps direction program. Does BB have this? (I know about Telenav- Just wondering if there is something that looks as good as G-Map on the iPhone. The new version for iPhone 3.0 looks like it is from a Garmin GPS unit; that's how good it looks). So does BB have that, or is Telenav pretty much the only option (month to month payments)?


4. Anything else...? I use GMail and I think how GMail is handled by BB's email program is pretty bad (no 2 way syncing), so I'm hoping the GMail app allows this, am I right?

[redsoxrocker]

1) bbm is popular because if both parties have data its free messaging regardless of carrier, it's fast, and you can send pics and audio files on it
2) apps
-there's shazam for bb but i think it's a premium app after a certain date. i don't use it though
-is it just an app w/ usatoday feed on it? i'm sure it'll run on viigo
-there's no nowplaying but there is poynt which looks up movie times
-i don't know what tv forecast is
-you can use googlemaps or where to find things around you. depends on your carrier. verizon blocks the gps on pearl and curve phones.

3. i don't know about gmap, but i don't know of any apps on bb that does this. but then again i haven't looked.

4. there's a gmail app. it isn't as quick as having gmail pushed to your bb, but it is a two way sync.

[legaleye2005]

I thought GMail doesn't get pushed to the BB. Even if it does, if I delete an email on the BBerry, I have to delete it also on the computer which would REALLY annoy me.

With the GMail app, I think it does the 2 way syncing and everything, it just doesn't do push. But you can set it to "pull" every minute or so, right?

[redsoxrocker]

since rim updated bis recently, if you view an email on your bb, it appears viewed on the comp. when you delete, you have the option to delete the email on your handheld or on your comp mailbox as well. however, viewing and deleting on your mailbox doesn't delete it or appear viewed on your handheld

the gmail app isn't pushed, there's about a 2 minute delay, but the same is true with the iphone gmail app.

[giantfan30]

you thought wrong
Gmail is pushed to your BB making the Gmail app useless
Gmail push does everything you want and you can delete on handheld and off your email server too from your BB
BIS was updated a few weeks ago to "fix" the issues you mentioned

edit: what the Sox fan said

[Terrigno]

Basically. Get a Curve. Drop the IPhone. BlackBerrys are more addicting. And extremely wonderful to use.

[li2327]

You can never go wrong with a blackberry. Iphone doesn't give you background notifications for instant messengers. The push email on the blackberry is the best around.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[m11stephen]

I don't know if you have the original iPhone or the iPhone 3G but you may notice a big slow down in internet speeds if you came from the 3G version.

[noaim]

Originally Posted by legaleye2005

Hi! I've been on the iPhone for a while and I am thinking of going to the 8900. I have a few things I'm not sure about that I hope someone can answer:

1. Why is BBMessenger so popular? I think the app on my iPhone for aim (or even the blackberry aim app) does not only the same thing, but allows u to do more (AND EVEN TALK TO NON-BB people!)... So I don't understand this..

2. I use a lot of apps on my iPhone that I don't think are on BBerries, so please correct me:
-Shazam
-USAToday
-Now Playing (looks up movie times)
-TV Forecast
-Around Me
(I used to use that 411 program when I had a BB, but it barely worked and wasn't even near as good as my iPhone app)

3. The iPhone has G-Map, a one-time fee based gps direction program. Does BB have this? (I know about Telenav- Just wondering if there is something that looks as good as G-Map on the iPhone. The new version for iPhone 3.0 looks like it is from a Garmin GPS unit; that's how good it looks). So does BB have that, or is Telenav pretty much the only option (month to month payments)?


4. Anything else...? I use GMail and I think how GMail is handled by BB's email program is pretty bad (no 2 way syncing), so I'm hoping the GMail app allows this, am I right?

I went from iPhone as my smartphone to a storm...


-bbmessenger - aim, yahoo, gtalk, msn are all extremely awesome on a blackberry more so then any other device I have seen the apps on. The main difference is that those apps while they are great can drop connectivity depending on where you are (they all use data on a BB) . BB messenger is extremely fast and reliable and no matter which carrier like a previous poster said it works flawless and pretty much without charge. You can send pictures and files on all the instant messenger applications. BB messenger is just extremely fast.



- a shazam type app doesn't exist on bb yet I did have it on the iphone and it was cool but I didn't use it that much for me to really miss it.

-usatoday can be replaced pretty easily. If you get a blackberry just do yourself a favor and download the application "viigo". Its a complete RSS reader and has many bonus options that it does. It will connect and stream any website to you that contains a RSS feed which is almost any major site and even most crap websites. Getting content from websites on yourblackberry is not a issue so definetly don't let that hold you back.


- movie times is not a issue as well there is multiple applications that do it and you could even include it in your viigo feeds


-I am unfamiliar with what tv forecast is...

- There is multiple 411 apps some which can use gps and some that cant but you wont have a problem replacing this function.





now let me give you some reasons outside of your box of questions

everything like facebook, myspace, email, texting (obviously) is pretty much PUSH. Meaning that its like a SMS message it just hits your device there is no fetching by your device. If you get a facebook message it shows a icon on the top gives you a alert and also puts a icon ontop of the program icon same for instant messengers and such.


Blackberry's are multi tasking devices meaning you dont have to hop inbetween things as you can do tons of things at once. If your surfing the internet your aim message will still alert etc etc.


Also some of the applications dont even need to be physically running to give you and alert facebook is a example of this.


The beginning learning curve of a blackberry usually throws people off its a little more complex then the iPhone at first glance but once you get used to it this site's name describes it best its crack you wont want any other device and if you do want a new device it will be another blackberry haha.


I mean I obviously can't make your mind up for you but this was my experience with changing from the iPhone. The only application that I am yet to replace in some way or another was "iblogger" for bloggin which if any developers are listening (this is your jackpot) do a search on google and see how many people want this


I really hope this helps you out in the end it is your choice.

[robinShazam]

@ legaleye2005: Shazam works well on an 8900. I have it on mine.

If you are used to 3G on an iPhone you may find that lack of it on an 8900 a real downer. I am mostly in wi-fi zones but if i'm out in the wild i curse 2G.

[noaim]

Originally Posted by robinShazam

@ legaleye2005: Shazam works well on an 8900. I have it on mine.

If you are used to 3G on an iPhone you may find that lack of it on an 8900 a real downer. I am mostly in wi-fi zones but if i'm out in the wild i curse 2G.

I didn't realize that shazam was out for blackberry ill download it thanks..

Rofl it is not compatible with storm..... it doesn't even show up in app world...

Storm seems to always get left out =(

[derekhk]

I personally switched from the iphone to the 8900. BBmessenger is awesome but the best thing about blackberries is the ability to multi-task. I find myself switching from BBMessenger to browser all the time making it so much easier to do more than one thing at a time. Just do it, you won't regret it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[SoxfaninFL]

Originally Posted by m11stephen

I don't know if you have the original iPhone or the iPhone 3G but you may notice a big slow down in internet speeds if you came from the 3G version.

That's the biggest thing that I hate not having 3G(Tmoblie). I know ATT is planing on releasing the 8900 with no 3G also. You will want to get the Bold, Storm or the 8350 if you want 3G.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Duvi]

Originally Posted by SoxfaninFL

That's the biggest thing that I hate not having 3G(Tmoblie). I know ATT is planing on releasing the 8900 with no 3G also. You will want to get the Bold, Storm or the 8350 if you want 3G.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

8350 is on iDen; no 3g.

[cdf3]

The thing I like most about the BlackBerry is that you can use it as a portable hardrive. You can use your usb cable and plug it into any computer. It will recognize it has an external drive. You can then drag and drop files back and forth between your PC and BlackBerry if you have a Media Card installed. You can also use this method to transfer files from your home PC to work PC. It's like having a portable jump drive, while having the ability to Email those files if needed.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com