[WoodyCAFC]

This confused and overwhelmed newbie is floundering down dark corridors. Can someone please throw me a torch?

Hello, I�m a new BlackBerry owner based in the UK and am planning on setting up my BlackBerry 9360 on Saturday.

I�ve been trying to read on various things about BlackBerries ahead of this, and am feeling very overwhelmed and a bit stressed by it all.

I have lots of questions, so I�ll list them all and if anyone can answer any of my questions � or offer any recommendations, then it�ll be really appreciated.

Apologies if I�ve posted this in the wrong place � I�m also starting to navigate my way round crackberry.com for the first time.

Firstly, I�m getting a BlackBerry 9360 with T-Mobile, and am getting 250mb data usage with unlimited browsing.

The main thing that�s stressing me is the data usage part. I�m not planning on doing any streaming or watching videos, but I�ve read things on the web that apps like Facebook can use up a lot of data.

I guess the good thing is that T-Mobile claim they won�t charge me for going over my data limit � apparently, they�ll just restrict my internet usage if I do. But I�d like to stay within my limits if I can.

So, here�s a list of websites I�d ideally like to use (and things I�d like to do) on my Blackberry. It�d be great if anyone could tell me if any of these are likely to cause me data-related problems:

Checking email
Facebook app
Twitter app
Wikipedia
Last.fm (checking my profiles and my friends� profiles, looking up band pages, but not streaming)
Goodreads.com
Crackberry.com
Looking up football scores (does the BBC site use a lot of data?)
Play a Scrabble game/app?

Do pages that usually take a while to load (like last.fm and BBC) use a lot of data?

Are there settings in the Facebook app you can change so it doesn�t notify you whenever some posts an update (I�d rather just pop in now and then to see who�s doing what)?

Can anyone tell me about any data-hungry websites to avoid?

How do you know if a website has a YouTube video on it before you load it?

I�m not planning on spending loads of time on the internet. Typically, I guess, I�ll probably check my emails and facebook 2 or 3 times a day (on the train to and from work, and maybe at lunchtime).

Also, on data: Is there a way that I can keep an eye on how much data I�m using?

And are there any tips on avoiding extra charges, i.e. Would I be charged for posting a picture on Facebook? Like how I would be for sending a text message with a picture in it.

Unlimited browsing � has anyone had any experience of this? What�s the difference between unlimited browsing and data usage? Whenever I looked at the BBC websites on my old, non-smart mobile phone, they always took a long time to load. Does this mean that�s a lot of data on the sites?

Can anyone recommend a good site for checking football scores? I�ve always found a good way to find a particular team�s score is to search on Twitter. But does anyone know of any websites that don�t have a lot of graphics on them and just give the scores in basic text?

I�ve got an email question:

I have something like 7000 emails in my inbox (4000 unread emails). I�m in the process of clearing it up, but when I connect to my email for the first time on my BlackBerry, will all these emails load and then contribute to my data usage? If so, presumably I�m better off clearing my inbox first? Or does it not make any difference in terms of data usage?

I�ve also read that a good way of saving your battery is to set the phone to turn off at night. This sounds like a good idea to me, as some friends are in the habit of texting me quite late. Would doing this also save on data usage?

Think that�s it for now.

Thanks, everyone!

[Branta]

In general you don't need to worry too much about data usage unless you get into streaming and online media. For the usage you describe it will be very unlikely to reach 250Megs in a month.

Don't worry about your email, the phone will only pick up new messages arriving after you do the mailbox setup. Existing messages will never even come into the picture.

[WoodyCAFC]

In general you don't need to worry too much about data usage unless you get into streaming and online media. For the usage you describe it will be very unlikely to reach 250Megs in a month.

Don't worry about your email, the phone will only pick up new messages arriving after you do the mailbox setup. Existing messages will never even come into the picture.

Thanks, Branta. That sounds reassuring.

What's online media? Is is stuff like youtube, watching films, etc. (which will be okay as I'm not planning on doing that).

[Branta]

Media... as you thought, movies and music. The occasional Youtube won't do any harm, the data killers are streaming audio, full length videos ripped from DVD, and those erm... "adult" films which seem to attract more attention from juveniles!

Your planned use seems entirely reasonable and unlikely to cause problems for data volume. However, be cautious about online apps facebook, twitter, and any other apps which routinely check online for new traffic. It may not eat your data allowance but it can still eat your battery if you let it check too often. That's the difference between true BlackBerry apps which wait for the server to push new data to the mobile device, and online polling apps which periodically contact the server to look for new content. Think of it like the difference between waiting for a package to be delivered, or phoning the courier company every few minutes to ask if there is anything for you.

Slow loading web pages are a complete lottery. Some are very heavy on graphics and could run as much as megabytes on a single page. Others are smaller but take just as long because of poor page design and coding, and the individual elements have to be fetched in multiple calls. Best advice for sites like CrackBerry is to look for the mobile versions, very often the site will detect your browser and load a mobile friendly version anyway. That really helps on the wider pages, because some designers still can't grasp the idea that not everyone has a 27" display.

[2c]

This confused and overwhelmed newbie is floundering down dark corridors. Can someone please throw me a torch?
its ok to ask any question
Hello, I�m a new BlackBerry owner based in the UK and am planning on setting up my BlackBerry 9360 on Saturday.
9360 is an awesome hand set
I�ve been trying to read on various things about BlackBerries ahead of this, and am feeling very overwhelmed and a bit stressed by it all.
welcome to the party of black berry
I have lots of questions, so I�ll list them all and if anyone can answer any of my questions � or offer any recommendations, then it�ll be really appreciated.
every one here will try to answer your questions
Apologies if I�ve posted this in the wrong place � I�m also starting to navigate my way round crackberry.com for the first time.
its an awesome platform for bb solutions just a bit more on commercial side
Firstly, I�m getting a BlackBerry 9360 with T-Mobile, and am getting 250mb data usage with unlimited browsing.

The main thing that�s stressing me is the data usage part. I�m not planning on doing any streaming or watching videos, but I�ve read things on the web that apps like Facebook can use up a lot of data.
if you are not planning to do any funky stuff then 250mb is more then enough for you
I guess the good thing is that T-Mobile claim they won�t charge me for going over my data limit � apparently, they�ll just restrict my internet usage if I do. But I�d like to stay within my limits if I can.
just in case if you can get a copy of that claim you should keep it, as i take every screen shot of services i have with my operator and in feb 2012 i got my 57 bucks back due to wrong billing's
So, here�s a list of websites I�d ideally like to use (and things I�d like to do) on my Blackberry. It�d be great if anyone could tell me if any of these are likely to cause me data-related problems:

Checking email
Facebook app
Twitter app
Wikipedia
Last.fm (checking my profiles and my friends� profiles, looking up band pages, but not streaming)
Goodreads.com
Crackberry.com
Looking up football scores (does the BBC site use a lot of data?)
Play a Scrabble game/app?

Do pages that usually take a while to load (like last.fm and BBC) use a lot of data?
on streaming they use allot of data but just browsing you will be fine. give it a month or 2 then you will be able to gauge your usage
Are there settings in the Facebook app you can change so it doesn�t notify you whenever some posts an update (I�d rather just pop in now and then to see who�s doing what)?
the best thing is to use face book on browser instead of installing an app
Can anyone tell me about any data-hungry websites to avoid?
in particular none
How do you know if a website has a YouTube video on it before you load it?
it wil be obvious has 9360is html5 enabled so you will see them in the website, dont worry about it as they wont play by themselves, you have to click on play button to play them so if you dont play them it wont eat up your data
I�m not planning on spending loads of time on the internet. Typically, I guess, I�ll probably check my emails and facebook 2 or 3 times a day (on the train to and from work, and maybe at lunchtime).

Also, on data: Is there a way that I can keep an eye on how much data I�m using?
yes 3rd party apps do offer data tracking and tmobile also shows teh data usage on your account section
And are there any tips on avoiding extra charges, i.e. Would I be charged for posting a picture on Facebook? Like how I would be for sending a text message with a picture in it.
if your carrier is playing dirty tricks then you wont be able to do any ting otherwise dont worry in a month or 2 you will figure out how to handle it
Unlimited browsing � has anyone had any experience of this? What�s the difference between unlimited browsing and data usage? Whenever I looked at the BBC websites on my old, non-smart mobile phone, they always took a long time to load. Does this mean that�s a lot of data on the sites?
it was because processor and technoloy used in old mobile phones was slow
Can anyone recommend a good site for checking football scores? I�ve always found a good way to find a particular team�s score is to search on Twitter. But does anyone know of any websites that don�t have a lot of graphics on them and just give the scores in basic text?
do your own home work
I�ve got an email question:

I have something like 7000 emails in my inbox (4000 unread emails). I�m in the process of clearing it up, but when I connect to my email for the first time on my BlackBerry, will all these emails load and then contribute to my data usage? If so, presumably I�m better off clearing my inbox first? Or does it not make any difference in terms of data usage?

I�ve also read that a good way of saving your battery is to set the phone to turn off at night. This sounds like a good idea to me, as some friends are in the habit of texting me quite late. Would doing this also save on data usage?
texting doesnot counts towards data but turning off a phone saves you allot of things e.g. your own sleep time, silence, tension, trouble, saves you money in some cases
Think that�s it for now.

Thanks, everyone!
you are quite welcome

[WoodyCAFC]

Thanks, 2c!

[WoodyCAFC]

Media... as you thought, movies and music. The occasional Youtube won't do any harm, the data killers are streaming audio, full length videos ripped from DVD, and those erm... "adult" films which seem to attract more attention from juveniles!

Your planned use seems entirely reasonable and unlikely to cause problems for data volume. However, be cautious about online apps facebook, twitter, and any other apps which routinely check online for new traffic. It may not eat your data allowance but it can still eat your battery if you let it check too often. That's the difference between true BlackBerry apps which wait for the server to push new data to the mobile device, and online polling apps which periodically contact the server to look for new content. Think of it like the difference between waiting for a package to be delivered, or phoning the courier company every few minutes to ask if there is anything for you.

Slow loading web pages are a complete lottery. Some are very heavy on graphics and could run as much as megabytes on a single page. Others are smaller but take just as long because of poor page design and coding, and the individual elements have to be fetched in multiple calls. Best advice for sites like CrackBerry is to look for the mobile versions, very often the site will detect your browser and load a mobile friendly version anyway. That really helps on the wider pages, because some designers still can't grasp the idea that not everyone has a 27" display.

Thanks again, Branta!

[2c]

Thanks, 2c!

welcome shoot more questions as they come in your mind, will be glad to help out.