[akhoury]

Hello everyone. First time poster on this forum. I currently own an unlocked HTC TyTn II running Windows Mobile 6. I've always admired Blackberrys from a distance, but never took the plunge. I guess I was too used to the Windows Mobile platform and popularity. But now, the Blackberry Bold has definitely got me interested. I have a few questions before I take the leap. I'd appreciate unbiased answers (I've had experience with anti-WM and anti-BB responses). I've also read through the Blackberry articles on this website.

1. How reliable is the BB OS platform? And how advantageous/disadvantageous is it from WM?

2. Does anyone know if and when I can buy an unlocked BB Bold, and is there much of a difference from a carrier branded BB Bold (AT&T)?

3. Are there any well known issues with BB in general, regarding functionality, syncing issues, performance, etc.?

Sorry for all the rudimentary questions, but I'm really leaning towards making the switch to BB, and I'd like to know as much about it as possible beforehand. Thanks in advance to all responses.

[anon(52425)]

sorry you are having to use winblows mobile. Make the change.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[IrishJK09]

Hello everyone. First time poster on this forum. I currently own an unlocked HTC TyTn II running Windows Mobile 6. I've always admired Blackberrys from a distance, but never took the plunge. I guess I was too used to the Windows Mobile platform and popularity. But now, the Blackberry Bold has definitely got me interested. I have a few questions before I take the leap. I'd appreciate unbiased answers (I've had experience with anti-WM and anti-BB responses). I've also read through the Blackberry articles on this website.

1. How reliable is the BB OS platform? And how advantageous/disadvantageous is it from WM?

2. Does anyone know if and when I can buy an unlocked BB Bold, and is there much of a difference from a carrier branded BB Bold (AT&T)?

3. Are there any well known issues with BB in general, regarding functionality, syncing issues, performance, etc.?

Sorry for all the rudimentary questions, but I'm really leaning towards making the switch to BB, and I'd like to know as much about it as possible beforehand. Thanks in advance to all responses.

1. It is more reliable than WM, but it isn't perfect either. It has the advantage of being easier to use out of the box, and more stable overall. It has the disadvantage of being far, far less customizable than Windows Mobile. Things like SPB Pocket Shell, or WizBar Advanced Desktop just don't exist in the BlackBerry world.

2. BlackBerry's aren't the same as Windows Mobile devices in regards to branding. In other words, an At&t BlackBerry is no more locked down than a BlackBerry bought directly from RIM. The only carrier known to lock down their Berrys is Verizon, and Verizon does that with all their phones... You have a TyTN II though, so that should mean you are on GSM, and no matter which carrier's Bold you buy, you shouldn't miss much of anything by it being branded.

Now, that doesn't go for unlocking for using on any carrier. That still needs to be done, but it is easy and shouldn't prevent a problem.

I have an At&t branded Tilt, so I know exactly what you are talking about, and it isn't the same for BlackBerrys.

3. BlackBerrys have always had memory problems, but that should change with the large amount of on board memory in the Bold. They have also had problems getting bogged down by too many applications running in the background; that is a problem shared by all smartphones however, and the increased processor speed and RAM of the Bold should significantly improve it. They will also occasionally pop up fatal App Errors if something goes wrong with a system application, and while they can occasionally be recovered, it is possible for it to mean your phone is bricked. That is also not something that is BlackBerry specific though, and is far more rare on BlackBerrys than it is on other smartphones.

All in all, BlackBerrys are very reliable and strong smartphones. They suffer from an aging OS, but their strengths outweigh their weaknesses. As long as you don't mind giving up the gazillion available 3rd party apps and customization options of Windows Mobile, you should be very pleased with the switch.

[akhoury]

Fantastic. Thanks for the replies.

I really don't get into too much customization with my WM6 device, so that's something that I really won't miss. And all the 3rd party apps for WM drive me crazy. I'd rather keep it to a minimum.

I bought my unlocked TyTn II for twice the amount that AT&T sold it for retail. According to some, the unlocked version is worth it.
I don't know if I can justify doing the same with a BB since it seems that there isn't much difference as far as what is locked down by the carrier. Plus, what is the usual price difference between an unlocked and a carrier branded BB?

The more I read and research, the more I think I'll wind up with the BB Bold.

[IrishJK09]

Unlocked in the HTC/Windows Mobile world means that it has more features and a better UI. Unlocked in the BlackBerry world only means that it can be used on any GSM carrier. I think I tried to get too in depth in my original explanation, so I will cut it short for the sake of simplicity.

It is not the same, so just buy your Bold from your carrier.

[shadygrady]

welcome to cb!

[akhoury]

Unlocked in the HTC/Windows Mobile world means that it has more features and a better UI. Unlocked in the BlackBerry world only means that it can be used on any GSM carrier. I think I tried to get too in depth in my original explanation, so I will cut it short for the sake of simplicity.

It is not the same, so just buy your Bold from your carrier.

No not at all. I appreciate your in depth response. I just wanted to know how much of a difference the carrier branded phones have from the unlocked ones and if it's worth it.

I wasn't sure if AT&T "cripples" their BB phones (I know all about phone crippling as I was with Verizon for about 7 years before switching to AT&T).

[IrishJK09]

No not at all. I appreciate your in depth response. I just wanted to know how much of a difference the carrier branded phones have from the unlocked ones and if it's worth it.

I wasn't sure if AT&T "cripples" their BB phones (I know all about phone crippling as I was with Verizon for about 7 years before switching to AT&T).

Nope, no At&t crippling as far as BlackBerry is concerned. Windows Mobile phones on the other hand...

[Optimus_Prime]

Also,
The BB service will from time to time be down/ unavailable, This is most likely because of Server maintenance in either your carrier server or RIM server. Since all the BB data connection is routed from carrier to RIM server all over the world depending where you are located ( in our case : North America).

Before this happened, usually RIM will post a notification to let us know when they are taking it down.

[akhoury]

thanks for the replies.

please excuse the stupid question, but is the BB OS similar to the Palm OS??

and as far as connecting to the internet, would i use my carrier's service (i.e., AT&T's MediaNet) or does BB have a dedicated service?

thanks again.

[IrishJK09]

thanks for the replies.

please excuse the stupid question, but is the BB OS similar to the Palm OS??

and as far as connecting to the internet, would i use my carrier's service (i.e., AT&T's MediaNet) or does BB have a dedicated service?

thanks again.

You need to get a BlackBerry specific data plan. It is $30 for unlimited internet/email, or $50 for unlimited internet/email and unlimited text messaging. It is a different type of plan if you are connected to a corporate BES, which I am thinking you are not, so don't even worry about that.

At&t BlackBerrys have two different browser. One of them is called the BlackBerry Browser and it connects to the internet through a proprietary internet service called BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service), and another called the MEdia Net Browser which connects to the internet using At&t's MEdia Net service. No, you can't choose to use a cheaper MEdia Net plan and just use the MEdia Net Browser. The reason for this is that the BIS is not only used for internet connection, but it is also the way you receive your email, and it supplies your device with a dedicated email address of its own.

Long story short, you are going to be looking to get the BlackBerry personal data plan added on to your account. It will be a minimum of $30, and text messaging is added after the fact.

As for the OS, it is in fact very similar to Palm in it being icon and simple menu driven, but it is far more stable.

[Duvi]

RIM doesn't sell unlocked berries, so you would have to purchase from ebay/craigslist or some other phone site.

Also you can use Medianet plan on BB, but you will not get the BB services like push email and BB messenger. My g/f used Medianet on hers. She downloaded the gmail app and used that.

[Optimus_Prime]

RIM doesn't sell unlocked berries, so you would have to purchase from ebay/craigslist or some other phone site.

Also you can use Medianet plan on BB, but you will not get the BB services like push email and BB messenger. My g/f used Medianet on hers. She downloaded the gmail app and used that.

hmm,
so if I am not using BB plan( BIS) to get my emails, I just need to use Yahoo Go ( for yahoo email ) and Gmail App (for Gmail) and I still get my email by polling (instead of push)?

interesting... does the BBM still work though?

[Duvi]

No BBM...

I'm not sure about Yahoo Go, never tried it.

[akhoury]

You need to get a BlackBerry specific data plan. It is $30 for unlimited internet/email, or $50 for unlimited internet/email and unlimited text messaging. It is a different type of plan if you are connected to a corporate BES, which I am thinking you are not, so don't even worry about that.

At&t BlackBerrys have two different browser. One of them is called the BlackBerry Browser and it connects to the internet through a proprietary internet service called BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service), and another called the MEdia Net Browser which connects to the internet using At&t's MEdia Net service. No, you can't choose to use a cheaper MEdia Net plan and just use the MEdia Net Browser. The reason for this is that the BIS is not only used for internet connection, but it is also the way you receive your email, and it supplies your device with a dedicated email address of its own.

Long story short, you are going to be looking to get the BlackBerry personal data plan added on to your account. It will be a minimum of $30, and text messaging is added after the fact.

As for the OS, it is in fact very similar to Palm in it being icon and simple menu driven, but it is far more stable.

So then can I cancel my AT&T MediaNet plan, since I won't be using a WM device, and then just add the BB plan when I pick up the Bold?

[Bla1ze]

Yes, you can cancel your medianet plan if you have a BB data plan, you can't have both on the account anyways, medianet will be included in the plan (minus purchase cost of ringtones etc..etc)

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[akhoury]

thanks again.

another question: does anyone know if there is any model BB, locked or unlocked, past, present or future, with a front facing camera? the reason i ask is because of at&t's plan for video calling/conferencing. it would seem to be a pain to only use a rear facing camera for that.

[Duvi]

thanks again.

another question: does anyone know if there is any model BB, locked or unlocked, past, present or future, with a front facing camera? the reason i ask is because of at&t's plan for video calling/conferencing. it would seem to be a pain to only use a rear facing camera for that.

You do not need to worry about this because whether there is one (which there isn't) or not, you wouldn't benefit from at&t's video calling. It's not only hardware, but software. Also, you would need to be on the 3g network, which the first BB (Bold) to have 3g will be released in the coming months.

[akhoury]

You do not need to worry about this because whether there is one (which there isn't) or not, you wouldn't benefit from at&t's video calling. It's not only hardware, but software. Also, you would need to be on the 3g network, which the first BB (Bold) to have 3g will be released in the coming months.

i'm sorry, but you're saying the BB Bold will have 3G? I am in a 3G area (NYC metro area), and with my unlocked TyTn II, sometimes when it catches 3G, I can use the front facing camera for a video call. Problem is, I have no one who has a similar phone to call.

[IrishJK09]

i'm sorry, but you're saying the BB Bold will have 3G? I am in a 3G area (NYC metro area), and with my unlocked TyTn II, sometimes when it catches 3G, I can use the front facing camera for a video call. Problem is, I have no one who has a similar phone to call.

The Bold will be 3G, yes. It will not have any sort of front facing camera however, and your occasional video call is because of having an unlocked TyTNII, as the software is left out of At&t branded devices. HOWEVER, it wouldn't matter if the software WAS there, as the Bold doesn't and won't have a front facing camera at this time.

[Raptor007]

One drawback of video conferencing phones is someone else needs to have one on the other end. I know there is a rumor the iPhone will have that feature, but I must expect AT&T to charge extra for that feature due to the data demand of Video Conferencing. Plus sometimes its just not something you want to see.

[akhoury]

One drawback of video conferencing phones is someone else needs to have one on the other end. I know there is a rumor the iPhone will have that feature, but I must expect AT&T to charge extra for that feature due to the data demand of Video Conferencing. Plus sometimes its just not something you want to see.

you're right. the reason why i posted my question about that earlier is because i read an article on another website (can't post the link until i have more than 10 posts) about the new iphone possibly having a front facing camera for video conferencing. but i guess then only people with iphones would be able to use the feature.

[Buc55]

Right, because the iPhone would be the only phone that has it........

[Raptor007]

Their are other phones that have it but the carriers will likely have a fee associated with it, think of the bandwidth needed to push video and a lot of video. Not to mention there are enough idiots in the world using camera phones to cyberbully and take inappropriate pictures, the last thing we really need is more idiots running a much using video to spy on people. Yes I know they could do it with the video camera portion of their current phones but the iphone would really put so many on the market so fast that it could potentially become an issue. Of course then lawyers would get nice fat settlements, etc etc.

[akhoury]

another question, regarding OS updates for BB. how often are they available and how easy is it to upgrade software/ROM versions?

i'm asking because i'm currently debating whether or not to upgrade my wm6 to wm6.1 on my tytnII; i'm not looking forward to all the fine tuning i'm going to have to do after the update.

is the process easier on BB when updates are available?