[BitPusher2600]

Hello all. Hope you brought coffee

I'm rather new to BB, as this Bold 9650 is my first. I still can't believe I'm growing so fond of this device. I got a Mac SE for xmas when I was 5 and have grown up loving Macintosh all my life. Though I'm quite loyal to Apple I have tried other mobile devices, including a Droid X and an HTC HD7. Frankly, as a chiptune and electronica musician, iOS is a dream come true due to its vast and astounding collection of studio software, synths, drum machines and etc. I hated Droid because one, I greatly prefer BSD over the Linux kernel anyday, but moreover, its memory management is sloppy at best, terribly unorganized, and the least secure platform on the market at present. WP7 had me rather hooked at first, but while its pretty in its own way, it felt lacking, in a emotional kind of way (if that makes sense.)

Why am I rattling all this off? Well, it was a strange and unusual circumstance that I ended up with a Blackberry. It wasn't totally by choice, and all I heard about is how slow, outdated, and generally lacking they were. I also am not nor am I fond of the better than thou businessman. I'm 29, and do not have a college degree nor do I go to school. I never cared for the suit wearing people who look down on people like myself because I clean and wax floors for a living, and live on low-income. My opinion of who carried Blackberries to begin with, combined with the "failed tech" attitude of others, I never wanted anything to do with Blackberry. I spent some time with this, and here I am posting on a BB forum. As I've read into this, there are plenty of good people with intelligible and factual reasoning why they love these devices, who are "regular people" like myself, as opposed to just executives and CEOs. I am a big believer that smartphones aren't phones, but mobile computers that just happen to make calls. I manage my finances, pay my bills, write, read, listen to music, maintain photo libraries, and so much more on my "smartphone", therefore, it is one of the most important pieces of tech in my life. From what I've discovered, there is not a more reliable, or secure to the core piece of mobile tech out there right now than Blackberry, and with all the stuff I just said I do, security is of supreme importance.

The web browsing could be improved, and after having higher end hardware, I'm feeling a bit of drag with this one's 600some mhz processor. I really would kill for a bigger screen too. I never thought I'd like the keyboard over virtual, but I actually have grown to prefer it after using this device. I feel I can trust this device, and as goofy as it sounds, it doesn't just feel like "I want to use it", it feels like it wants me to use it. There's like a loving and welcoming feeling this UI has, and like I said, I feel like I can believe in it to handle the majority of the stuff I need or want to do. I like that I can easily manage files on it too with my FreeBSD box almost as easily as with my Mac. Try it with an iPhone

Props to whomever made it thru all that! Glad to be here, and glad I saw thru the mass consumer market and my own prejudices to discover what a truly wonderful piece of tech we really have here. I'm loving my new Blackberry, I believe, because I've somehow quite out of the blue started calling it "Bixy". The only thing I've ever given a nickname prior to this is my daughter. People look at me funny when I'm at work and say "be right back, gonna go plug Bixy in."
--BitPusher

[pkcable]

DAMN fine post! Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to move this to General Discussion, as more people need to see this!

I think you are gonna LOVE the next generation of BBs that are coming soon, in particular the Bold Touch 9900 or 9930. Probably 9930 for you since you have a 9650 which makes you a CDMA person like myself. It's gonna have a full keyboard AND a touch screen, which is going to be a bit bigger AND it's got MUCH better specs too, including a 1.2G processor!

[SmakBerry]

Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forums. As said above, if you like the 9650, you will love the new devices set to release in the next few month.
You have come to the right place with lots of people that are able to answer any questions you may have.

[tbrenn]

Great Post Indeed!! Welcome to the Blackberry Family! As Rich said, new devices are coming for a CDMA carrier it seems as if the bold 9930 is the way to go... If you are absolutely looking for a bigger screen, but don't want to lost the phosical keyboard, depending when your contract is up, you might consider the Torch 2 (9810). i have the torch now and i love it! it is the berfect balance between screen, and a physical keyboard.. i personally don't think i could go completely touchscreen, (lets say the monza...) as i would miss the physical keyboard too much...

At any rate, and whatever your new device is/may be, welcome to the site, and the wonderful world of blackberry...

[sedalia066]

Welcome to BB and to CB, the best of both their respective worlds. I, too, am a Mac user in computer land, but the phones do not do the job for me. In my life BB is the most functional set of devices ever to come along. Like others have suggested there is a lot on the horizon. Enjoy.

[BergerKing]

Doggone! This post echoes so many of my own sentiments and thoughts that I got a lil' shiver.

Excellent post, and welcome to the CrackBerry forums!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[rollingrock1988]

I hate people who are haters. Blackberrys are cool. I like other phones too. But I choose BB. Stop hating.

[pkcable]

I hate people who are haters. Blackberrys are cool. I like other phones too. But I choose BB. Stop hating.

DUDE! Where did you see hating in there? Don't know how to recognize sarcasm, and humor?

[rollingrock1988]

DUDE! Where did you see hating in there? Don't know how to recognize sarcasm, and humor?

This wasn't aimed at anyone in this post. It was to the rest of the world- the analysts, the iphone and android people who just want to put people down for their phones.

that's all I was saying.

[BitPusher2600]

Wow, and here I was thinking the other night at work that I might've made myself look goofy with typing up the world's longest greeting Thank you all for the warm welcome.

I would like to address RollingRock1988's statement above. It may not have been aimed at a specific person but he did nail part of my own problem on the head. For reasons stated in my OP, I had my own reasons for a lot of negativity toward BB simply because I had a strong set of bias's against it, and I do hate "business guys" with a superiority complex due to their achievements, be that a whole 'nother subject, but I having tried everything else, have been a big proponent of NOT bashing people personally based on what makes them happy at the end of the day. Smartphones have almost become a violent religion as people will fight to death to defend their brand, attack other's very character over given heresy, or simply close their mind to trying something else.

So to RollingRock, here here! It is my experience that nobody who only follows tech news should have room to say a damn word about a device or platform until they can form it all from hands on experience that goes beyond 30-60 seconds.

Hey, thanks again for the welcome all!
Wanna know something funny? I have a small black Apple logo tattooed one wrist and a happy mac icon, for those that remember it on the other, should that info give you an idea of Macintosh affinity. Anyway, you should see people's faces when they happen to see that, followed by me click-clacking away on a Blackberry. Pricecless.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BitPusher2600]

Oh yeah, wonder if I should mention its name is Bixy

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[sleepngbear]

I feel I can trust this device, and as goofy as it sounds, it doesn't just feel like "I want to use it", it feels like it wants me to use it. There's like a loving and welcoming feeling this UI has, and like I said, I feel like I can believe in it to handle the majority of the stuff I need or want to do.

That's exactly how I felt when I got the Torch -- and that was coming from a Bold. It begged me to use it; that's somewhat subsided since getting the PlayBook, but it still calls to me. What you've articulated here is the big intangible that's so hard to describe to people who can't get past the spec sheets when you're trying to explain why you prefer BB over whatever. I mean, how do you quantify "I just love how it works"?!

Anyway, thanks for sharing, and welcome to the BB family. Hope you'll be staying for awhile!

[BergerKing]

Wait, Apple tattoos and they haven't put you in a tight fitting long-sleeved coat yet?

Someone call 1-800- i-ND HELP.

Seriously, that would make a hilarious video in line at the Apple store.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[pkcable]

This wasn't aimed at anyone in this post. It was to the rest of the world- the analysts, the iphone and android people who just want to put people down for their phones.

that's all I was saying.

Sorry brother! Was giving you a mod smack down and it wasn't really needed! I agree with you 100%!

[rollingrock1988]

Sorry brother! Was giving you a mod smack down and it wasn't really needed! I agree with you 100%!

it's all good bro. I could have been a little more descriptive I guess.

But like I said, I like technology. I prefer BB but that doesn't mean I'll never try out an iphone, android, palm etc.

They all do really cool things- albeit mostly the same things, just differently.

[pineypl]

Welcome, BitPusher, this is a great place with tons of great people and solid help/advice. And a lot of sharp-witted funny people too.

Glad to see another FreeBSD fan here and moreso that you know MacOS is BSD based. I know plenty of Maccies who have no idea the OS got solid when the system went BSD. I ran AutoCAD on Mac years ago when AutoDesk still supported Mac and it was horrible. It looks good now though.

Glad to hear the BlackBerry has gotten under your Apple skin. It is a great device and pretty darn dependable. I am rocking my ancient Bold 9000 and dying out here waiting for the 9900 to go live at AT&T stores. As they say; "I needs me an upgrade!" ;-)

The 9930 will be your next device and it will rock your world.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BitPusher2600]

Aye! I don't often talk to too many who know what FreeBSD is in the first place. Actually, a majority of my real Unix background was from around 7 years or so Slackware. I only discovered FreeBSD a couple summers ago. Blew me away when my finest custom kernel was smoked in sheer boot time by a stock install FreeBSD. I used a minimalist X set up too, Windowmaker and a ridiculously tricked out TWM, believe that or not. In any event, when I learnt how to use the port system, going back to building Slackware packages was out the window.

Anyway, I have been going back and forth between the upcoming Bold Touch and the full blown touch. I've always been stoked with the touchscreen experience, but I'm falling for this keyboard, so it may very well be the Bold touch. I'm definitely excited about the hardware. I don't know a damn thing about what's going to come in BB OS7, but even this version with that hardware would amount to beauty for me. Can't wait

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[pineypl]

Aye! I don't often talk to too many who know what FreeBSD is in the first place. Actually, a majority of my real Unix background was from around 7 years or so Slackware. I only discovered FreeBSD a couple summers ago. Blew me away when my finest custom kernel was smoked in sheer boot time by a stock install FreeBSD. I used a minimalist X set up too, Windowmaker and a ridiculously tricked out TWM, believe that or not. In any event, when I learnt how to use the port system, going back to building Slackware packages was out the window.

Funny thing, I ran Slackware when it first came out and was available through Walnut Creek. Then shortly after I got on FBSD and been there since. I just installed a Slackware server the other day for a friend wanting LAMP. I went back to my roots :-) and installed Slackware 13.37. It seems darn good and compares positively to FBSD.

Anyway, I have been going back and forth between the upcoming Bold Touch and the full blown touch. I've always been stoked with the touchscreen experience, but I'm falling for this keyboard, so it may very well be the Bold touch. I'm definitely excited about the hardware. I don't know a damn thing about what's going to come in BB OS7, but even this version with that hardware would amount to beauty for me. Can't wait :

I know what you mean, I have played with some Androids and Iphones and the all glass is nice, but I found the keyboard on BB to be so much faster and intuitive for me. I also turn off dialing from home screen so that I can use the default BB keyboard shortcuts like B for browser, U for calculator, N for BBM, etc. That is but one small thing that makes the BB so efficient and enjoyable for me. I keep looking at WP7 and Android but always find limits to usability or efficiency that I have from BB. I think the 9900 is a really sweet mix.

My wife got the Torch 9800, which I lusted after as it was leaked and rumored, and since she got it I have used it and am not that fond of it. It seems too heavy for my taste. OS 6 UI seems odd to me and I don't like the change of the "Options" tool, it feels like things were reorganized and I find it difficult to locate things, but that is just me.

I do think the combination of touch and real qwerty keyboard is genius. I know the fanboys of Android and Iphone will laugh at it, but I think it is a smart solution for a certain group of people, of which I am one.

Do let us know what you upgrade to when they become available. I am pretty sure I'll not be rash and I'll impatiently wait for the 9900.

[fayskelley]

Hello all. Hope you brought coffee

I'm rather new to BB, as this Bold 9650 is my first. I still can't believe I'm growing so fond of this device. I got a Mac SE for xmas when I was 5 and have grown up loving Macintosh all my life. Though I'm quite loyal to Apple I have tried other mobile devices, including a Droid X and an HTC HD7. Frankly, as a chiptune and electronica musician, iOS is a dream come true due to its vast and astounding collection of studio software, synths, drum machines and etc. I hated Droid because one, I greatly prefer BSD over the Linux kernel anyday, but moreover, its memory management is sloppy at best, terribly unorganized, and the least secure platform on the market at present. WP7 had me rather hooked at first, but while its pretty in its own way, it felt lacking, in a emotional kind of way (if that makes sense.)

Why am I rattling all this off? Well, it was a strange and unusual circumstance that I ended up with a Blackberry. It wasn't totally by choice, and all I heard about is how slow, outdated, and generally lacking they were. I also am not nor am I fond of the better than thou businessman. I'm 29, and do not have a college degree nor do I go to school. I never cared for the suit wearing people who look down on people like myself because I clean and wax floors for a living, and live on low-income. My opinion of who carried Blackberries to begin with, combined with the "failed tech" attitude of others, I never wanted anything to do with Blackberry. I spent some time with this, and here I am posting on a BB forum. As I've read into this, there are plenty of good people with intelligible and factual reasoning why they love these devices, who are "regular people" like myself, as opposed to just executives and CEOs. I am a big believer that smartphones aren't phones, but mobile computers that just happen to make calls. I manage my finances, pay my bills, write, read, listen to music, maintain photo libraries, and so much more on my "smartphone", therefore, it is one of the most important pieces of tech in my life. From what I've discovered, there is not a more reliable, or secure to the core piece of mobile tech out there right now than Blackberry, and with all the stuff I just said I do, security is of supreme importance.

The web browsing could be improved, and after having higher end hardware, I'm feeling a bit of drag with this one's 600some mhz processor. I really would kill for a bigger screen too. I never thought I'd like the keyboard over virtual, but I actually have grown to prefer it after using this device. I feel I can trust this device, and as goofy as it sounds, it doesn't just feel like "I want to use it", it feels like it wants me to use it. There's like a loving and welcoming feeling this UI has, and like I said, I feel like I can believe in it to handle the majority of the stuff I need or want to do. I like that I can easily manage files on it too with my FreeBSD box almost as easily as with my Mac. Try it with an iPhone

Props to whomever made it thru all that! Glad to be here, and glad I saw thru the mass consumer market and my own prejudices to discover what a truly wonderful piece of tech we really have here. I'm loving my new Blackberry, I believe, because I've somehow quite out of the blue started calling it "Bixy". The only thing I've ever given a nickname prior to this is my daughter. People look at me funny when I'm at work and say "be right back, gonna go plug Bixy in."
--BitPusher

Ya know, I have had Macintosh computers for decades. I can completely relate to your post. I got a BB by accident as well. I read all of many reviews comparing the BB 9930 and the new iPhone.

I don't know what the people on PodCasts are thinking of when they dis RIM?
BB 9930 camera 5 MegaPixel, iPhone 2 ! BB have video, iP has none.

I have no contract at Sprint now. Can go anywhere and get any phone I want. But I too must have a phone that is absolutely reliable and easy to use -- I'm a realtor and I have had many crash and burn. Gave my hubby smashing Samsung Epic 4 G for his birthday, I can't enjoy using it.

What really flipped the scales ... I watched Million Dollar Listing and all of the Realtors who MUST have a phone that is reliable have BlackBerries!

No contest. Waiting for BlackBerry Bold 9930 !!!

[ADGrant]

Welcome, BitPusher, this is a great place with tons of great people and solid help/advice. And a lot of sharp-witted funny people too.

Glad to see another FreeBSD fan here and moreso that you know MacOS is BSD based. I know plenty of Maccies who have no idea the OS got solid when the system went BSD. I ran AutoCAD on Mac years ago when AutoDesk still supported Mac and it was horrible. It looks good now though.

FYI The MacOs is not FreeBSD. It is based on the MACH micro kernel with BSD APIs and the Mac GUI on top.

[mobibiz]

A very nice post, I always believe that there are smart people who do not wear suits, and I personally even after being the manager of a corporate house do not wear a suit, generally to work. Blackberries are devices that make life simpler, in a secure fashion, and this is not just limited to corporates and CEO's alone any person who wants his smartphone to be an extension of himself will sure like the features a Blackberry presents, although at times there are issues in the Blackberry but then we are always here to help.