1. steveg_nh's Avatar
    I admit it. I finally was ready to give up on BB (going on 6 or 7 years with BB now).

    I was in Best Buy and started messing around with the Droid Bionic. I was in love with the quality web browsing experience and the thought of full wireless sync for MS Exchange (we don't have a BES). I thought I could live without the physical keyboard. I took the plunge and signed up for the upgrade to the Bionic.

    Well, it all fell apart when I started trying to get the Droid set up at home, and I realized that quality issues exist everywhere, and are REALLY bad in some places vs others. The major issues that caused me grief with Android 2.3 Gingerbread:

    1. Couldn't connect to my home WiFi network, which is setup as WPA-PSK/AES. Apparently, Android has issues with AES among other things. After spending about an hr reading stuff on the web, I gave up solving that one.

    2. IMAP email - doesn't support proper folder Prefixes, such as INBOX.Sent, so sent mail is not saved in the server sent folder. In fact, I couldn't find the sent mails anywhere, even on the phone. Hundreds of posts later, reading online about this major hole in Android software, and I gave up as well.

    3. Tried using the LinkedIn widget. Wouldn't connect. Tried 10 times, and gave up.

    4. All apps seems to run in the background. A very cluttered experience when browsing files and running processes.

    5. Virtual keyboard. Pretty bad. I thought I might get used to it, but found it was taking so much more time to type than on a real keyboard.

    6. Overall clunkiness of the UI. Maybe I didn't give this enough time, and I'm sure, with time, I would have been ok with this, but items 1 and 2 just killed it for me.

    I promptly had Verizon turn my Bold 9650 back on, and back the Droid went. I feel like a traitor, but I tried. I just really want native wireless sync for Exchange, and I don't think BB will ever have it.

    Still haven't made the jump to the 9930 either. I do think it's a very cool phone, and love that keyboard, but the features aren't enough as is, for me to jump. I'm a heavy business user, so wireless sync is a huge issue.

    So I'm back, and I'll say; when I picked up the BB, and it just felt right again...rough 23 hrs.
    10-02-11 06:03 PM
  2. FuzzyB's Avatar
    Test drive gone bad, huh? No biggie...now you know. Welcome back! I will say, don't underestimate the 9930...I too am a business user and this device is fantastic in every way!!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-02-11 06:09 PM
  3. steveg_nh's Avatar
    Are you on a BES though? I just hate having to sync with Desktop Manager...
    10-02-11 06:16 PM
  4. NFLPLAYBOOK's Avatar
    Interesting story but I don't understand your typing issue. Swype is the fastest way to type on a mobile device period. It's the only thing I miss about Android but it really is amazing. Hope it comes to BB.
    10-02-11 09:04 PM
  5. steveg_nh's Avatar
    You know, I probably didn't give that part a chance, like I said (typing). I saw "Swype" in the options menu, but had no idea what it was. I was just using the virtual keyboard the whole time. But again, items 1 and 2 were the killer for me anyway. I think I could come to like it, but that IMAP issue needs to be fixed.
    10-02-11 09:46 PM
  6. jlb21's Avatar
    Are you on a BES though? I just hate having to sync with Desktop Manager...
    Honestly, desktop manager is not that big a deal.....

    My $.02
    10-03-11 08:15 AM
  7. hondateg91's Avatar
    It takes more than 23 hours to give something a chance. Android just has so many ways to customize everything and set it up the way you want to. I can understand needing the IMAP issue fixed for work and just takes time to acquire the feel for a virtual keyboard. Another thing is the 4G DL speeds are amazing and faster than my wifi.
    Chrisy likes this.
    10-03-11 11:29 AM
  8. guerllamo7's Avatar
    I also left BB from a Verizon Tour (no wifi, no BTooth) for a Droid HTC Evo 4G. Like you I found problems very quickly. The battery was an issue for me. I always felt range anxiety and the lack of e-mail push on all e-mail or a 5 minute refresh that killed my battery became frustrating.
    The video screen was nice but I did not watch movies on it or play games on it so to me it was just a big battery sucking brick. I got a Torch1 and I was happier but not quite in love with it. Nothing wrong with the form factor but the power was a bit light still. Then the Bold 9930 came out and I left for Sprint.
    The YouTube video on the Bold 9930 is enough to get it. It is awesome! The keyboard is like a grand piano and the web experience is as good as any. However, the BB still has the advantages of push everything, security, and also something else. The way it presents and delivers information is so effective that it actually helps me manage info better.
    I can finally say that I love my phone and would get no other. More secure, better e-mail, NFC, best keyboard ever, good power and battery management, looks and feels great. O.K. BlackBerry. I'm happy now.
    Chrisy and southlander like this.
    10-03-11 11:41 AM
  9. BoldtotheMax's Avatar
    Like Hondateg said, 23 hours is no way to justify in returning it so soon. Android takes time to set up. One thing rather positive or negative is setting it up. Some love it, others hate it. I hated doing that as I was so used to having a phone working how I thought I wanted it to out of the box like with most BB's. I was mad at the terrible battery life, typing was painful on the stock KB for my banana fingers. Also mail wasn't coming in no where near as fast as it was on my 9700.

    Why I stayed with Android?

    Much better web experience.
    4G is very fast, even if it isn't true.
    Multitasking is as good if not better than on my BB's.
    Battery life is much better since going to GB. I get 15-18 hours on it and i am a heavy user. I was charging my 9700 everynight anyway.
    There is an app for everything, business/consumer, whatever. I found an awesome virtual KB that fits me like a glove and type almost as fast on the virtual KB compared to my physical KB.

    So it takes time to set up your Android to your liking and IMO will take more than a day to get there. I would have given it more a chance myself.

    Things I hope they fix soon, is HTC security, which is a big let down.

    Also mail isn't as fast no matter what I do to get it to me, but is close. I am just a consumer, so not a huge deal to me.

    So i do kinda understand more if you are more business, but if that was the case you would have jumped at the 9930 which is the best BB to date.

    All IMO though.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-03-11 05:47 PM
  10. blackberry-unlocking710's Avatar
    Getting used to a virtual keyboard will improve the speed, but there is nothing like something you can touch, when you are used to it nothing will be faster because your brain works faster when you don't have the use your eyes to type.

    i'm glad to hear that you came back to the best.
    10-03-11 06:20 PM
  11. blackberry-unlocking710's Avatar
    Getting used to a virtual keyboard will improve the speed, but there is nothing like something you can touch, when you are used to it nothing will be faster because your brain works faster when you don't have the use your eyes to type.

    i'm glad to hear that you came back to the best.
    10-03-11 06:28 PM
  12. steveg_nh's Avatar
    I don't disagree that 23 hrs isn't much time. But you're missing the key points. Items 1 and 2 were unforgivable to me. At least for a brand new phone costing me $230. I said in my post that I think with time I would have gotten used to the other things, but why the IMAP issue? Seems like such basic stuff.
    10-03-11 06:45 PM
  13. o4liberty's Avatar
    All new devices have issues and the Bionic already has them listed on the Android Forums. But 23 hrs isn't enough time to try out a device! I am not a big believer in 4g devices either I don't see the need for that speed in a phone. By far Adroid is a superior device with some drawbacks. I left android for BB but I gained what I needed and lost what I didn't need.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    sf49ers likes this.
    10-03-11 07:37 PM
  14. TheScionicMan's Avatar
    I don't think 23 hours counts as a defection. It is more like being AWOL...

    (Absent, wireless over LTE)

    Every platform has its pros and cons. You just need to pick the one that works for your needs.
    10-03-11 07:55 PM
  15. jonathon.94's Avatar
    I am not a big believer in 4g devices either I don't see the need for that speed in a phone.

    'illegal' tethering
    10-03-11 09:00 PM
  16. dalton4L's Avatar
    You defected to the wrong device, that's the problem.
    10-03-11 10:26 PM
  17. darkangel07760's Avatar
    You know, I probably didn't give that part a chance, like I said (typing). I saw "Swype" in the options menu, but had no idea what it was. I was just using the virtual keyboard the whole time. But again, items 1 and 2 were the killer for me anyway. I think I could come to like it, but that IMAP issue needs to be fixed.
    Honestly, my philsophy is, if you can't figure it out relatively soon, then it is a pain and don;t use it!
    Intuitive is the way to go.
    10-03-11 11:34 PM
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