[jonathon.94]

I remember a thread like this in the past but seeing as how it's been a while, I feel some of our newer members may wish to contribute while others may want to learn from this thread. So...how does your blackberry make your life more productive? Imagine if you didnt have a blackberry, what would you have to do differently?

Sent from my BlackBerry 9330 using Tapatalk

[jonathon.94]

Wow, I guess nobody has any reply?

[windblackberry]

If i didnt have a blackberry I wouldnt have a life! My 9900 is half my life. I can imagine life with any other phone.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[jonathon.94]

But how does it help?

[dwaynewilliams#WN]

Actually, my BB helps me by not providing a distraction. With other devices ike Android or the iPhone, I find myself constantly playing with them. I don't do that with my BB because there really isn't much to play with. I seem to be more efficient when it comes to messaging too, which saves me some time. I don't have to proofread as much because the keyboard is awesome and I'm quite accurate and fast on it. The battery life is also good so I don't have to worry about charging my phone halfway through my work day.with my calendar, task lists, memopad, and ability to manage multiple email accounts, my BB keeps me on track.

[kbz1960]

I'm not productive. It's just the phone I like.

[Mystic205]

Sorry, but its a phone.. We are not saving whales here and I dont wish a group hug, or the feeling of more productivity..its does what i want it to do.. If it didnt, i would buy something else..

[BoldPreza]

The level of connectivity it provides is fantastic. People say well no one uses BBM anymore but when you think about it, BBM is only one option. The BB still supports almost all other platforms of IM.

Fantastic email support.

Great phone reception and call quality.

Much better battery than my friends phones(I last about two days).

All of this added together makes me more productive and quicker to react than I was when I didn't have a Blackberry.

[pantlesspenguin]

Smartphones have been awesome productivity tools for me regardless of the platform. For the longest time I didn't want any "bells and whistles" on my phones. Not even a camera. Then in 2007 I saw a friend pull out her Sidekick to take a note of a website I was telling her about. That ONE LITTLE THING made me go out and buy a Sidekick, myself. While I had the Sidekick, I used it to take notes in grad school, look up supplemental material for things my profs were teaching in lecture, and I wrote about 4 pages worth of a term paper while in the back seat of a car on a road trip.

When I had my Blackberry, I was visiting a spa during a nasty storm. The power went out and I used my camera light to help them find candles to light in the lobby. They also used it to write down credit card info to process payments once the system came back up. We tracked the storm using my Weather Bug radar.

My Android devices help with day to day productivity, largely thanks to home screen widgets. I have one that I can tap and it tells me how long my commute to work will be, one that displays the time, current weather conditions, and battery level, one that shows my combined email inbox, one that shows the current radar, one that shows to do lists, grocery lists, notes, etc, one that shows the 3 day weather forecast, one that displays the current radar map, one that displays news headlines, one that toggles brightness settings, gps, wifi, bluetooth, and sync, and finally an agenda view of my calendar. My Skype, Yahoo, AIM, and Facebook IMs are integrated within my notification bar so I can quickly send a message, photo, or file, and I can fire up a video chat.

It's funny to think that just 5 years ago I was content with just talking and texting on my mobile device!! Now I rely on it more than my laptop!

[dadathepanda]

what's with all the "productivity" questions? are you all executives that need to be on top of your game 24/7?
my Bold 9930 (before I sold it) was just like any other phone just slightly more boring. I'm not an exec, and I don't need to be productive especially since I pay for my phone and service and not my company. Screw productivity, i want to have fun! and my Evo Design does the job for now, until BB 10 comes out.

[BoldPreza]

LOL, oh the laptop! I remember back in first year uni dragging my old Toshiba around all over the place. Six years later, my new laptop(three years old now) is pretty much a workstation. Love it, but I ain't dragging it anywhere with me as long as I have my Torch 9860.

[pantlesspenguin]

what's with all the "productivity" questions? are you all executives that need to be on top of your game 24/7?
my Bold 9930 (before I sold it) was just like any other phone just slightly more boring. I'm not an exec, and I don't need to be productive especially since I pay for my phone and service and not my company. Screw productivity, i want to have fun! and my Evo Design does the job for now, until BB 10 comes out.

Who says productivity has to equal work?? I'm fortunate enough to have a job where I don't have to take the work home with me. My phone keeps me instantly connected to the content, information, and people that I WANT to be connected with. To me, THAT is productivity.

[youknwwho]

The only thing that my BB helps me is that it help my hand not getting hurt when I hit people :P

[Morty2264]

Before I had a BlackBerry, I'd have to use my laptop to check my email. Now, I get it sent to my phone; and if it has anything to do with a potential job, I can access the email quickly and respond timely. I also used it when I was at school to check out marks and class schedules. I just love having Internet on the go - I can look up addresses or anything like that if I'm lost or unsure of where something is. Though I'm not a huge fan of Facebook (I'd delete it today if I could), I do like having that on the go, too; so I can communicate with friends or see what's happening to my profile (instead of finding out hours later when I check my email).

[pantlesspenguin]

Oh gosh yes!! I love having GPS on my phone. If it wasn't for that I'd still be printing out mapquest maps!!

[Morty2264]

Smartphones have been awesome productivity tools for me regardless of the platform. For the longest time I didn't want any "bells and whistles" on my phones. Not even a camera. Then in 2007 I saw a friend pull out her Sidekick to take a note of a website I was telling her about. That ONE LITTLE THING made me go out and buy a Sidekick, myself. While I had the Sidekick, I used it to take notes in grad school, look up supplemental material for things my profs were teaching in lecture, and I wrote about 4 pages worth of a term paper while in the back seat of a car on a road trip.

When I had my Blackberry, I was visiting a spa during a nasty storm. The power went out and I used my camera light to help them find candles to light in the lobby. They also used it to write down credit card info to process payments once the system came back up. We tracked the storm using my Weather Bug radar.

My Android devices help with day to day productivity, largely thanks to home screen widgets. I have one that I can tap and it tells me how long my commute to work will be, one that displays the time, current weather conditions, and battery level, one that shows my combined email inbox, one that shows the current radar, one that shows to do lists, grocery lists, notes, etc, one that shows the 3 day weather forecast, one that displays the current radar map, one that displays news headlines, one that toggles brightness settings, gps, wifi, bluetooth, and sync, and finally an agenda view of my calendar. My Skype, Yahoo, AIM, and Facebook IMs are integrated within my notification bar so I can quickly send a message, photo, or file, and I can fire up a video chat.

It's funny to think that just 5 years ago I was content with just talking and texting on my mobile device!! Now I rely on it more than my laptop!

This is a clear example of how phones of any platform can be productive in people's day-to-day and working lives.

[diegonei]

Ok, here we go!

• I can reply to emails as soon as they arrive, no matter where I am - based on how important they are, of course!;
• I am abe to review files I get on the go and, thanks to Docs2Go, I can modify and even create documents from scratch if needed be;
• SugarSync allows me to have all my hard drive available. I lost count of how many times this saved my *&¨%;
• It's a phone! If something is just that important, I can call people!;
• Google Sync (over BIS, not that bloody app) allows me to keep my agenda and contacts always at hand and updated;
• BlackBerrt Travel was very useful last time I had to travel. I actually found the hotel I stayed at with the app;
• BlackBerry Podcasts help me with getting PDUs, which are needed to maintain my PMP certification. TIP: Listen to Manager Tools!;
• I have a blog (which I admit to have been neglecting) and the Wordpress app + 9780 keyboard is just a dream for a on-the-go blogger;
• Even outdated s it is, the LinkedIn app helps me respond to messages and manage my connections;
• Scheduling meetings is even fun using the built-in invitation system with the calendar;
• BlackBerry News Feeds is there to let me know when city councilmen are arrested by driving stolen cars... ¬¬;

There. That's me and my trusted 9780.

EDIT: Might as well talk about the PlayBook a bit...

• Dead Space! Samurai Revenge! Spiderman!! ... ... Ok, ignore this.
• Evernote helps me keeping my notes safe and in sync.
• Calendar and Contact management is just too much fun with the PlayBook, again al synced with Google;
• While PDF is not a strong feature, Print To Go helps me quickly move files to the PB - and make sure they can't be edited;
• On that note, if I need those files moved to the BlackBerry for whatever reason, Files and Folders is there for it;
• We also have a Wordpress app!;
• And podcasts!
• Bridge helps a lot, allowing me to have internet at any time (speeds depend on VIVO's good will);
• BlackBerry News (which uses BBID for a change) keeps me up to date on what's happening;

It's funny to think that just 5 years ago I was content with just talking and texting on my mobile device!! Now I rely on it more than my laptop!

So very true... hehe

I even used to say "If I want to take pictures, I'll bring a damn camera! I already have an pm3 player, why do I need the phone to do that?" Good old days. ^^

[Laura Knotek]

I am also in the process of seeking employment. My device is a great tool. A couple weeks ago, a recruiter contacted me by phone, asked me to view a position online, and let her know if I was interested. I was able to view the position using the browser, since the recruiter sent a link to the company's website in an email. Then emailed and called the recruiter to let her know I was interested.

I had not heard anything, so I contacted the recruiter again today, and she is following up for me.

I did not have to wait until I was home to communicate with the recruiter.

I also have my resume in SkyDrive, so I am able to share it with anyone who requests it.

[shemaree09]

It keeps me organized and connected.

The calendar keeps me on schedule with meetings at work, bills that are due, social events, tasks, errands etc.

I have 7 email accounts (work & personal) that are neatly organized on my Berry

Twitter, facebook, email, and SMS keeps me connected to my friends, family, and coworkers.

[eds817]

Last night while driving home a customer calls and informs me that he needs 33 additional relays. I told him we only had 4 at the shop but that I could get the manufacturer to overnight them. He said go ahead. On my PlayBook I opened the browser and went to the manufacturers mobile site and entered an order for the item my customer needed and marked to ship UPS RED. Two minutes after completing the order I received an email confirmation that I forwarded to my customer and let him know I would have them by 10am. This morning he was at my counter at 9:45 and when the UPS truck showed up he was very happy.

Just a few years ago I could not have done this without calling an emergency order number and begging them to take a verbal order.

[kassdog]

what's with all the "productivity" questions? are you all executives that need to be on top of your game 24/7?
my Bold 9930 (before I sold it) was just like any other phone just slightly more boring. I'm not an exec, and I don't need to be productive especially since I pay for my phone and service and not my company. Screw productivity, i want to have fun! and my Evo Design does the job for now, until BB 10 comes out.

Its not about being an executive. Its about making your life easier. Just because we don't run companies doesn't mean we don't want our lives to be made simpler with our phones. I thought the commercial said it best. Some people need tools not toys.

[newcollector]

My phone helps me because an app I use to figure premiums is available for BlackBerry...I don't have to carry a phone and a separate premium calculator. I like the quality of my camera which takes great pictures. The ability to gps stamp those pictures helps me to keep tabs months and years down the road where I took the picture. BBM is great for delivering messages in real time (even if the other person doesn't have a BlackBerry I can run them through BBM).

I keep tabs on my favorite team, the Stl. Cardinals, through At Bat 2012 (it works like a charm). Or if I want to check the stats of any Player in Major or Minor leagues, I can check it out through m.bbref.com on my phone. The Browser on my 9810 is fast, so when something comes up in a conversation and we can't remember who else starred in "Shane" or some other movie, I can browse and get the quick answer.

I like that my phone seems to get and hold a signal better than my non-BlackBerry phones did. Nothing worse than losiing a signal by moving a 12", especially when the call is from your boss...or wife...or...

My phone keeps me connected, keeps me entertained, keeps me informed.

[jonathon.94]

In reply to the previous poster about us being executives, I am not an executive, in fact I'm not even of an age to own a company yet (18 more days) but I do go to school and that in itself, is a moderate amount of work. I use email to communicate with teachers and friends. I use Opera Mobile to keep an eye on my grades so that I can graduate and not get a big shock in may. I use Evernote to store notes and papers that my teachers give to me. I use the alarm app to ensure I get up before the rest of my family to do what I need to do and I use the calendar app to remind me of my homework for the night. All this has helped me in school to keep me at a passing level. I think without my blackberry to help keep me organized, my laziness would get the best of me and I would probably be failing.


I set up this thread to give me ideas on how I can use it to help me out even more and to give others so tips. Also, as someone else said, productivity can mean much more then just running a company. We all have daily tasks to do and if a tool can help us get more done in a day then I would say that it's great. I have actually seen that I'm actually doing more work rather then play since I got my blackberry. When I had my Android, I was easily distracted by browsing the web, playing games, and watching youtube. While blackberry can perform these functions, they don't perform quite as well. This has oddly helped me out and I enjoy it because it forces me to put the phone back into the holster (how I missed the magnetic holster when I had my android) and work on what I need to do.

[13echo4]

Jonathon, brother it sounds like you have a head on your shoulders. Don't lose that.
To answer your question, my blackkberry puts the things I use regularly at my thumbs. No more carring a laptop around.
No it doesn't have all the apps known to man or supersonic hardware. It just has the things I use with an easy to use UI that I can understand and work.

[SnoozerBold]

For work I mainly use the calendar and tasks to keep track of project due dates. But i really got a BB yrs a go be caused I liked it and I've stuck with it ever since.