A Bold Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Bold 9930 - in 2014 - for 30 Days
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With my 9900 I use 'WiFi Manager' by PingDev Ltd. It is in the BlackBerry App store, but there are probably some other alternativesanon(6038817) likes this.04-14-14 05:55 AMLike 1 - Thought I might throw a few additional thoughts into this thread as to why I'm still with my 9900 ...
Toolbelt buttons:
Track pad, menu and back keys, always there, to permit fast application switching and rapid access to menus. I'm not convinced that all those gestures will be faster than a long press on the Bold's menu key.
Track pad and shift key is fast and accurate when highlighting text for cut & paste etc.
Fast dialling:
Short cut telephone dialling from the keypad, assign your favourite contacts to specific keys and long press to fast dial, a great time saver. I don't think this feature is available with BB10.
BIS:
'instant' push Email, Twitter etc. This only costs me �5 pcm (with 3UK), and I have no real worries about roaming data use.
Cradle charging:
The Bold 9900 desktop charger: easy, 'contactless' trickle charging with 'always on' desktop clock. Easy to charge the phone while working at my desk, and to 'grab & go' without messing about with USB cables.
Additional side button:
Dedicated camera button on side, allows fast access to camera and alternative shutter function.
Bridge:
With BlackBerry Bridge and the Bold 9900, my PlayBook remains a useful and practical device. It's my understanding that BB10 devices don't play the same with the PlayBook - but I'm happy to learn otherwise.
Design:
I still love that stainless steel band and tapered rubber back, very easy to hold and superb build quality.
Of course there are things I don't like ...
As Newfangled has reported in post #113 < A Bold Experiment: Day 4 - Calendars > the 9900 doesn't handle multiple calendars well. I have a calendar work round, but it's clunky, and has on occasions let me down; see this thread: Sync Contacts and Calendar with Onemediahub
I also get frequent problems with memory purging and loss of data (see Application memory shortage but I have partly got around this by using 'Advance OS and LED' (by Sultan Al Sooz) to regularly flush memory (every 6 hrs) and restart the device (each night).
These problems might eventually drive me to a BB10 device, but not yet.Last edited by mushroom_daddy; 04-15-14 at 10:03 AM. Reason: fixed broken link
04-14-14 06:30 AMLike 4 - I am using Bold9900 with OS 7.1, i have problem with facebook messenger, it is giving connection error and i am not able to use it, while facebook application is running good but the messenger having same error.. its version is 1.1.254 and i cannot get it updated nor downgraded... any solution?04-14-14 06:59 AMLike 0
- You might do better starting a fresh thread for this problem, as your question is likely to get lost in these discussions. That said, I have v1.1.294 so it appears that you don't have the latest. If you haven't already done so try deleting it directly (long press on the app icon, or goto Options>Device>Application Management and delete from there); then go back to BlackBerry World to reinstall the latest version.04-14-14 11:08 AMLike 0
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It's easy enough to get rid of carrier branding on the outside of the phone. It's a $4 removable stick-on piece. The software side is more complicated. I'm running the O2 UK operating system image on an unlocked Bell phone. Here's the strange thing, though. I'm with an MVNO on Rogers' network (Speakout Wireless), and somehow, the Rogers store app gets pushed to the phone. It's undeletable (is that even a word?), but you can invisiblize (that's definitely not a word, but I'm on a role here) the icon.
On the positive side, I think Rogers' service books are also getting pushed to the phone, which results in greater functionality, especially since I'm not using BIS.
I guess once Newfangled makes his next post we'll be back on course....Tatwi likes this.04-14-14 05:23 PMLike 1 -
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- A Bold Experiment: Day 7 - Week 1 Recap
It has been a week since I started this Bold Experiment and wow, has the time flown by! Here's a recap and some additional random observations from the past week.
So far I've posted about:
- Setting up the phone
- Getting to the info I want to see
- Connectivity, mainly 3G and WiFi bandwith and signal strength
- Calendar functionality
- The physical size and feel of the phone
- The phone call experience and call quality
Here are a few good things that stood out to me from this week:
The overall look and feel of the phone is simply fantastic. It just exudes business, class, and quality, to me. The "average person" will look at it and immediately deem it old, outdated, and irrelevant without taking the time to really admire its construction. I think it's a classy, well-designed, even elegant-looking piece of technology. Besides, if I were an "average person" would I even be doing this experiment?
The efficiency of the interface is astounding. As my muscle memory develops and I train myself to use shortcuts, menu options, and other time-saving features, I find that I can navigate around the OS with ease and perform just about any desired task quickly and efficiently. The combination of the physical keyboard, toolbelt with trackpad, and touch screen provides an unequaled user interface - in many cases providing several different ways to accomplish the same tasks and accommodating each individual user's different styles and preferences for how they want to interact with the device. For example, I find it easier to scroll through Facebook and Twitter posts using the touch screen than using the trackpad. And I think it's fantastic that I have the option to use either when desired.
Physical buttons are awesome (when done right)! I love having dedicated call, menu, and back buttons. Whatever screen I'm in, or even if I'm not looking at the screen, I know that pressing the desired button will cause the phone to do what that button has been programmed to do.
I'm getting faster and faster typing out things on the physical keyboard. The clickety-clack of the keys is reassuring and I find that I'm starting to type with less hesitation and more confidence. By the end of this experiment, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm typing faster than I was on my Z30.
Having an extra button on the side in addition to the volume and pause buttons is quite handy. For now it's programmed to activate and use the camera, but I know it can be programmed to do whatever you want. It's nice to have options.
Here are a few not-so-good things that stood out to me this week:
Cloud-based calendar sync functionality is limited to only the primary calendar on the account. I'm sure this isn't an issue for most people, but for folks like me that do depend on the ability to view and manage multiple calendars under the same account, this is a disappointment. I've managed to change my own workflow to get around this limitation, so it's manageable. This is where having a PlayBook has come in handy, as it does have the ability to sync multiple calendars from a single account.
I do miss some apps. They are not absolutely essential to my smartphone experience, but they sure are nice to have. Apps like Netflix, Feedly, Spotify, Teamviewer, Roku, and others really do add to the appeal of more modern platforms for me. The apps I do have for BB OS 7 all seem to be of good quality and function well, but developers have moved on to more modern platforms.
The screen is a bit too small for me. The colors are vibrant, the resolution is good, the lines are crisp. There's no doubt that, for its time and even for this time, the quality of the screen is great. But when I'm viewing photos, watching videos, or surfing the web, it just seems a bit too small. I'm not sure how much bigger it would need to be for me to feel comfortable with it. I know that the larger the screen, the bigger the phone, and I would sacrifice some comfort for the extra pixels, so I'm kind of torn. I've never tried a Q10, but perhaps that would be just enough for me.
Other Thoughts
I plan to post more about this phone in the coming days and weeks, so if you're wondering about the browser, external speakers, camera, or anything else I haven't touched on, fear not! I promise by the time this experiment is up I will have gone over this phone thoroughly inside and out.
But after one week I can tell you this much: the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 series is a unique smartphone. I don't think there's really a phone out there that can compare with it. Not even the BlackBerry Q10. The Q10 is a great phone, but the Bold can do many things in ways that no other smartphone can. It's becoming more and more apparent to me why so many are so fiercely loyal to their beloved 9900s.
How about you, CrackBerry Nation? What would you like to see me cover in the next 3 weeks of this Bold Experiment? Suggestions are welcome!04-14-14 08:08 PMLike 8 - Update on the battery situation:
With WiFi turned off at work, I have made it through an entire day without charging the phone. It is after 9pm and the battery indicator is at 1/2. This is a huge improvement from days when I had WiFi enabled.
It looks like poor WiFi reception makes a big dent in the battery life of this phone.
Sent from my BlackBerry Bold 9930 via Tapatalkstlabrat likes this.04-14-14 10:17 PMLike 1 - If the touchscreen becomes a problem during phone calls, I would suggest TalkLock - BlackBerry World.
I would also enable BBDA in options to follow the battery drain and other information. There are also other shorthands/codes that trigger various things on the device. LT LD in text fields are another good ones. BUYR in status.
How to enable and use Device Analyzer on BlackBerry 7 smartphones | CrackBerry.com
Exceeded Data/Voice Message on Options > Status Screen (Type B U Y R). Qu'est-ce que c'est?! | CrackBerry.com
And if you are truly interesting in opening the hood on legacy devices there are the hidden codes that enable different parts of the device meant to be hidden.
BlackBerry 101: the Help Me! screen explained | CrackBerry.com
I am not sure how much of this you already know but I am still going to post it here.anon(6038817) and Rootbrian like this.04-14-14 10:52 PMLike 2 - I frequently jump between my 9900 and Q10. That's how much I love both devices, I cannot get enough of one or the other.
Posted via CrackBerry 10 (CB10) application using my BlackBerry Q10.Bonnie Bonzai likes this.04-15-14 07:54 AMLike 1 - A Bold Experiment: Day 8 - Apps, Part 1
Let me begin this post by saying up front that there is no way app variety and selection on legacy BlackBerry devices can compete with the likes of iOS, Android, or BB10. I readily acknowledge this is a weakness of legacy BB devices. That contest has already been decided.
That said, there are several BB OS 7 apps that I find to be of good quality and very useful. I will share my thoughts about just a few of them in this post, and continue sharing thoughts about other apps in future posts.
Capture It
CaptureIt OTA
To take the screenshot featured at the top of this post, I used a free screen capture app called CaptureIt. It integrates seamlessly with menu so you can grab a screenshot whenever you need to. Just select the "Capture It" option from the menu, and the phone will vibrate when the screenshot has been successfully taken. It is saved with your photos and you can access and see it in your photo gallery. It has worked great for me so far and has allowed me to take great quality screenshots to include with these posts.
Dropbox
Dropbox - BlackBerry World
Once I snap a screenshot, I need an easy way to transfer it from my 9930 to my computer to be able to access when I'm creating blog posts. The Dropbox app allows me to do just that without needing to mess with cables. I don't even need to be anywhere near my computer, I just need a connection to the internet. There is a dedicated "upload photo" option in the app menu, which allows me to choose a photo from the gallery and instantly upload it to Dropbox. The app only allows you to upload photos, but you can download files to your phone. For my purposes, the app works wonderfully.
Evernote
Evernote - BlackBerry World
This has been a helpful app when I need to jot down ideas for future blog posts! Evernote is one of those few apps you can get on just about every platform, so I know when I save a note, I can quickly access it from any other computer or device I may be using. You can even attach photos, documents, or create voice notes. It's super easy to use, and super useful.mushroom_daddy likes this.04-15-14 07:41 PMLike 1 - My 9900 report today was when I was taking a picture my phone failed to take the picture but rebooted instead. After the reboot the battery level went into a free fall which then required a battery pull. Seems fine now.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using CB Forums mobile app04-15-14 07:45 PMLike 0 - Boy I wish I would have tsken the time to go through CB 3 years ago. All my problems I have lived with could hsve been fixed. I was just to busy working 10-12 hours per day.
I bought a 9900 today on Ebay and will use this forum to perpare it for service.
I am planing to use my upgrade on the Q20.
You people are great!
.....and yes there is nothing more styling than a 9900 with the SS band.
So why is the 9981 so expensive?
Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!anon(6038817) likes this.04-16-14 02:06 AMLike 1 - I forgot to mention, when using the legacy BBOS (3.x to 7.1), you'll need to clean it out every once in a while. For most, I will include a list of things you can safely skip and keep, optional items too, when making a custom backup (where you select individual items to backup instead of the whole shabang!) with the desktop software (won't work with blackberry link though, at least I don't think it will)
Addressbook - All
Address book Options
Alarms
Attachment Options
Autotext Data Version
BBGroups (aka BBM Groups)
BIS acccount data (saves from re-adding e-mail addresses)
BlackBerry Bridge (only for Playbook tablet)
BlackBerry Messenger
Bluetooth options (skip for clean state)
Browser Bookmarks
Browser Folders (safe to skip if you don't understand what they are)
Browser Options (skip for clean state)
Browser Push options
Calendar - all (skip unless you use all the time)
Calendar Options (skip for clean state)
Camera Options
Clock Options
Device analyzer options
Diagnostic App options
Enhanced GMail plugin (skip if you don't use gmail, or don't need it at all)
Full-Predictive Options (basically direct or predictive keyboard settings)
HTML email options
Icon arrangement (for home screen, app folders)
Input method switcher options
Input system properties
Key store options
Keystoremanager
Mailbox icon management
Map global options
Map locations
Map settings
Maps
Memopad options
Memos (memopad)
Message list options
Messages (only if you have an @carrier.blackberry.com e-mail address you depend on)
Messenger options (google, wlm, yahoo, etc. Used for IM apps)
MMS options
Mobile Network Options
Mobile Hotspot Options (OS 7.1 blackberry's only, leave unchecked if you configure it after OS update yourself, as I do)
NFC options (for NFC devices only)
Options (obviously what this is for, leave unchecked for factory defaults)
Phone Options
Phone Call logs (skip if not a necessity)
Predictive Multitap options
Profiles options
Recent contacts (e-mail autocomplete, safe to skip this)
Search options (universal search)
Service book (skip since your carrier resends them each time an update is done, only keep if absolutely needed)
Shortcut settings
SMS messages (only if you absolutely need these)
Sounds (sound profiles)
Spell check options
Spellcheckable options
Suretype options
Tasks, Tasks Options (skip unless you use that app)
TCP/IP (APN)
TLS options
Theme Settings
VideoRecorder options (Video Camera app)
WLAN profiles (Wifi)
Voice Activated Dialing options (only if you use this)
Posted via CrackBerry 10 (CB10) application using my BlackBerry Q10.Soul_Est likes this.04-16-14 08:21 PMLike 1 -
Q5SQR100-2/10.2.1.2141
Phone History: SonyEricsson T100 > Nokia 3120 > Nokia 3250 > Nokia 6220c > Blackberry Bold 9700> Blackberry Curve 9360 > Blackberry Bold 9900 > Blackberry Z10 > Blackberry Q5> Tablets: Blackberry Playbook 64GB04-16-14 09:04 PMLike 0 - Dropbox on BB10 is much better than this. Your Dropbox folders behave just like any other folder on your phone. The experience is way more seamless than on legacy BlackBerry.
Your Dropbox folder behaves just like any other folder on your phone. This is very cool.
Posted via CB10Soul_Est likes this.04-17-14 01:36 AMLike 1 -
Posted via CB1004-17-14 01:37 AMLike 2 - There is a program called Google sync to sync calendars. I am not sure it works for os7 though.
Posted via CB1004-17-14 04:39 PMLike 0 -
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A Bold Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Bold 9930 - in 2014 - for 30 Days
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