[Natewantsapassport]

I will be getting the Passport, but also need a new laptop. My 17" HP though high end when I bought it maybe 7 years ago needs to be replaced. I've been considering trying an Apple, maybe the Air or MacBook Pro. I've only used HP for decades. I've wondered about the Surface Pro 3, since I've never really needed a tablet but thought that option might be nice, assuming of course that there is no trade off in capability versus a more traditional laptop. I thought a solid state drive might be great, instead of the more sensitive disc drives that are so common, but even after so many years I don't see that many solid state drives out there. My internet activities are more work related, but with a lot of web browsing, stocks stuff, and I must confess, the occasional downloaded move or tv show. I do tend to prefer the larger screens, and love the 17" one on my current laptop, though I don't see as many that large as available as I had hoped. Battery power is nearly as important to me on my laptop as it is on my smart phone, though I'll only use the laptop battery on occasion.

In any case, I don't know if the Passport will work better with one type of laptop or another, brand, model, whatever, or if any difference that might exist is negligible or not, so I thought to put the question out to the board here. If there is an advantage, I would rather plan ahead and make a better decision upfront. Thanks so much.

[AnimalPak200]

What do you need to consider it : "working"?

Both would work as far as Link and Blend. However if you ever needed to do things like load autoloaders of leaked OS, then windows would make things easier.

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[Gilda675]

The passport is a phone. It is not meant to replace a laptop or pc. So my answer would have to be no.

Posted from my Blackberry Z3

[AnimalPak200]

The passport is a phone. It is not meant to replace a laptop or pc. So my answer would have to be no.

Posted from my Blackberry Z3

LOL... op is asking which new computer to buy ALONGSIDE their new Passport.

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[anon(870071)]

I like you is an HP user .ive gone thru a few different laptop models over the past 15 years. I just got a 17 inch envy from best buy and is the higher end model around 1400$. This new laptop is hyper fast as its an i7 cpu and runs windows 8.1.

BlackBerry link always plays the nicest with windows. Apple no longer makes large laptops that are 17".

And contacts and calendar will sync but you will need to install companion link and deju view/hub to get notes and tasks to sync.

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[Natewantsapassport]

Thanks for the input. In answer to your question, primarily it would be syncing, at least via a USB cable, but maybe wirelessly as well. I currently am constantly syncing all Outlook organizer data back and forth b/t my HP laptop and my old BB Bold, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Notes, plus emails, and occasionally uploading or downloading audio recordings and pics. The new Blend feature intrigues for user friendliness but I don't think that is an outright sync since nothing changes on either device. I haven't been using data on my phone for a while but that needs to resume once I get the Passport, so I'll want to be able to access emails on the Passport and on the laptop, and not have them deleted automatically on either unless I choose it. There may be other things about a laptop or the Passport that I could do where the type of laptop could be relevant, I just don't know, so if there is other functionality useful between both please feel free to share. Thanks again.

[AnimalPak200]

As for Blend, it's simply a Window into the Passport. Nothing gets stored on the computer and whatever you do is basically manipulating the Passport. You can manually save files from the device onto the computer and vice versa, of course.

Link has more synching functionality that you describe, however I'm not entirely familiar with it. The most common way to do it is to simply use IMAP on both your computer and the Passport. In that case, both devices are just portals into the account email, calendar, etc and the direction of synching is up to you (i.e. Whether the deletions sync up or not).

What email service do you use currently? Or are you using an actual Exchange server?

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[Natewantsapassport]

More good stuff. Thank you. In answer to your questions, I use google mail for my primary personal/work emails, and yahoo email for secondary stuff so as to at least attempt to minimize junk mail into my primary account. I do not use an exchange server thru a job, and have been self employed, so don't even know if there is an exchange server I could use. It has been a little frustrating, since there is functionality on Outlook that I haven't been able to take advantage of without an exchange server, forcing me to just use the most basic aspects of Outlook Calendar for instance. I also do not use the Cloud for anything, and frankly, the idea of having everything there, and the internet going down, concerns me a little (At least when my stuff is software based I can continue using it without internet access, at least much of it). I mentioned Google mail, but I prefer the Outlook Calendar since Google's calendar does not appear to have anywhere near as much functionality or personalization options. I may be taking a sales job with a company at some point, and move my own business to part-time on the side, but that isn't decided yet, but if I do, it would be nice to be able maximize whatever that employer brings to the table that I could do on the Passport, or Passport laptop team combo.

[anon(870071)]

Btw the passport and the new blend app will give you cloud like access to cutomer contact information and so again back to your original question whether to use pc or mac.

Better to use windows as the functionality of what you need is much more powerful combined with BLEND and a windows pc.

I have found that the passport is serving my needs wonderfully. I to need access to my cutomer contacts,profiles and files, and appointment calendar.

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[Gilda675]

Oops read the title wrong. My bad.

Posted from my Blackberry Z3

[AnimalPak200]

Well, if you use Gmail, then the Passport should be able to handle it (mail, calendar and contacts) without an issue. Just enter your Gmail address, it takes you to the Google authentication page, and then let's you select whether you want to access mail, calendar and/or contacts (you need to select at least one, of course). After that, it does all the account set up mostly by itself,.. and everyone starts working.

When you delete an email on your Passport it will give you the option to either delete just on the handset, or on both handset and server. If you begin a draft on the Passport, it will auto save it to Gmail as a draft. Basically it acts as a window into gmail.

Some people report duplicate contact, but that's mostly related to having multiple contact synching accounts.

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[Natewantsapassport]

Thanks for the added input. There is probably a lot of functionality on the Passport that I'll enjoy exploring, and maybe find very useful that I'm not now taking advantage of or aware of, but what stands out most to me about the Passport, and the main reasons I am excited about it, aside from it being BB of course and the added security and practicality and such that comes with that, is the great battery life (wish it was removable), that is huge for me, the sound quality and potential strength, less for music and more for speaking, on the phone, with the speaker phone, which is big for me, conference calling, and with ear buds, or if I ever try it, Bluetooth, the larger screen of course, and a few other secondary things. Currently I probably use the VoiceNotes recorder in my old BB Bold more than any other feature, including talking to people over the phone, short and long recordings both, in and out of meetings for quick notes to be transcribed later, quick reminder recordings for ready access throughout the day, and larger recordings to help with study or prep later, while driving for instance, and I am hoping that will be at least as good if not better on the Passport. I've never used BB Messenger, so at some point want to explore that, but I am concerned that it has been my understanding that BBM only works with others using BBM on the other side, so am not sure how excited I am about that. There's probably things I'm forgetting. I saw the Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus at Best Buy the other day, and they were huge compared to my old BB Bold, and even compared to the new 4.7 iPhone6. I may be mistaken, but it occurs to me that though the Passport is wider that all of those, the Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus appear to be much taller than the Passport, and as a result, in some ways, the Passport may actually seem smaller in the hand. Don't know if that's right, but the thought strikes me as ironic, and nice if its true.

[Beakman]

If you decide on a PC, consider a Fujitsu. They are in my experience the best performing and most stable Windows machines I have ever owned, much better than Dell, Toshiba, and HP (all I have used/owned many times over).
PS: had some Acer netbooks but they don't count.

[Natewantsapassport]

Thanks for the suggestion about Fujitsu. I know nothing about that laptop brand, but I will look into it. Someone suggested I seriously consider one of the Samsung laptops? Do you, or does anyone, have any input about those? Also, what about the MS Surface Pro 3? Thanks.

[homl]

If don't need a super huge screen size. The MS Surface Pro 3 is just awesome. Full function PC in a super light package + long battery life. Doubles as a tablet with pressure sensitive stylus. This is the future of PCs. Amazing device in its own right, like the Passport. Road warriors will rule with these two devices!

[Natewantsapassport]

You make a compelling case about the Surface Pro 3. I thought I heard somewhere that the S P 3 has some trade offs, loses some functionality, compared to a regular laptop, but I don't recall what those trade offs are. Do you know what if any exist? The smaller screen is a negative for me, but not the be all and end all. I'll weight everything. Thanks.

[AnimalPak200]

http://forums.crackberry.com/showthread.php?t=964805

Just in case you're thinking about doing this sooner rather than later... a good deal to be had right now.

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[homl]

You make a compelling case about the Surface Pro 3. I thought I heard somewhere that the S P 3 has some trade offs, loses some functionality, compared to a regular laptop, but I don't recall what those trade offs are. Do you know what if any exist? The smaller screen is a negative for me, but not the be all and end all. I'll weight everything. Thanks.

The only trade of I can see is just the screen size and price. The high spec versions get a bit pricy. It won't be run any hardcore graphic intensive games or programs, due to the lack of discrete GPU, but then, you would not be expecting any PC in this class to do so.
Taking notes with the pen is really slick. The screen is top notch and very high res at 2160x1440.
Check the reviews on the web and at a store to see if it will meet your needs.

[Beakman]

I can't tell you anything about Samsung but would speculate they're in the same class as HP, Dell, etc.
I have a SP2 which I am currently traveling with. If you are interested in that, my 2 cents of advice are

• Get the larger SP3. The 16:9 screens on so many tablets are really frustrating for any real computer work.
• Get a surface Pro only if you need a full PC to be used almost exclusively as a tablet in hand.

I use my SP2 as a traveling PC mostly to service my phones and tablets and to do a little work off the company PC and some web surfing when a tablet falls short. For any tablet form PC to be of any use above and beyond a conventional ipad/android/PB tablet it needs to have a hard drive of at least 128G, otherwise you won't have enough space for backups and decent programs. I recommend at least 256G (BTW, I don't do "cloud"). The SP2/SP3 are heavy and awkward for their appearance, using mine as a kindle reader is a chore. Adding a keyboard, I recommend the TypePad but be prepared for a plethora of typos, simply from the shape and form of the keys, plus it can be buggy at times. The touchpad on the keyboard is also fraught with issues, so a mini mouse is in order if you want to make for speed. By the time you make up for all this, and get a decent case for protection, a laptop starts making more sense.
On a previous related note on Fujitsu, don't cheap-out, they have their price ranges like any other mfgr.

EDIT: Oh, hey, I forgot. SP2 has only one USB port so Yay! an external hub is in order!

[Natewantsapassport]

Great input. Thank you for the effort. I can begin to see why you finished with saying "a laptop starts making more sense". I plan to get the Passport first, sometime this fall, possibly in October. I'll likely wait until the early part of this coming year to upgrade the laptop, a day 2 sort of thing. Ideally, I want to get a very high end laptop, and the Passport of course, a very high end smart phone by all I can see. then I'll have a great workstation, for use at home, at the office if that turns out to be different than my current home office, while out and about with the Passport in hand, and on the road of course. I wonder if Blackberry will come out with a simple desktop stand plus charging station combo device for the Passport. The small little stand/charging pod I use at my desk for my old BB Bold is very handy, with its dual purpose. Not sure about the leather case, for the idea of always having to push the left flap out of the way to more comfortably use the Passport doesn't seem all that appealing. The hard case seems decent. Don't know how a belt clip would work, swivel or otherwise, given how large the Passport is, but the little swivel belt clip I have for my BB Bold is certainly handy. With the battery life of the Passport, I'm not sure getting a car charger would really be necessary, but I suppose keeping one in the glove compartment wouldn't hurt.

Does anyone know of a high end laptop, ideally 17", but 15" okay I suppose, that uses a solid state rather than a disc drive, and if so, is it any good by comparison? Those solid state drives are supposed to be much more durable, even if dropped while in use, and are supposed to start up and be fully functional immediately, within a second or two literally. I always thought that made sense, if they did have negative trade-offs. Any input anyone?

[Natewantsapassport]

Typo correction: .. if they didn't have negative trade-offs...

[AnimalPak200]

http://forums.crackberry.com/showthread.php?t=964835

It's not made by BlackBerry but it's definitely a nice little desktop charging cradle.

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[Natewantsapassport]

Thanks. I just saw what I think was your post about the KIDIGI elsewhere on the Passport message board. I added a reply there with a comment about it. If you care to reply about my comments, I'll keep an eye out there. Either way, all your input has been appreciated... from the others too. Good board here.

[Beakman]

More thoughts on the PC:
Buy direct from the mfgr or a non consumer/retail reseller. You may pay more but avoid the bloatware foisted by mass market retailers. Worth every cent IMO and this is what contributes to stability and reliability.
The hard case currently offered for the PP leaves the edges of the screen exposed, bad for a wrong-way drop. Hopefully time will bring better offerings.
SSDs are the way to go, again the better laptop mfgrs use better OEM SSDs, the cheap ones (as in cheap laptops) will have a higher fail ratio. Top rated SSDs go for about a buck per Gig but it's hard to say cost on OEM components. If going for an external SSD as a portable storage or backup, don't get suckered into special "armored" or "ruggedized" external drives. Solid state is solid state unless you plan on swimming with it or leaving it on the sidewalk for the afternoon. save yourself some bucks and get a normal one.

[Natewantsapassport]

Good input. Do you by any chance have a specific high end laptop or two or three with a SSD to suggest?