[rexian]

Hello,

I have owned a 1st gen iPhone for several months now, but after handling a coworker's 8110 I am considering getting one for myself iPhone is not bad, but I am finding it a little too big and heavy for my primary purpose ... making calls and listening to audio books. And another biggie while working out is that I have to use the wired headphones since there is no A2DP support yet.

So, before pulling the trigger, I'd like to ask a few questions to the current 8110 owners (or anyone with the answer) and would really appreciate any comments / suggestions.

1. Does 8110's music player remember the position after a reboot ? I am asking because of a memory leak issue many have reported and I listen to large audio books. This is really an important feature for me.

2. I'll be getting it without the data service. So, can I install software (like xplayer) on it from my Vista desktop? I am mainly looking at using nav4all without data service (and paying for data).

3. How is the browsing experience in 81x0 phones? I liked iPhone browser with wi-fi. But with the smaller screen of 81x0, I am not sure. This is what pushing me for 8110 over 8120, what do you think? Browsing is not a biggie for me if I can download the apps on my desktop and install.

4. Random function in the music player, not a biggie but nice to have. Does it follow the same sequence when you randomize the songs in a given playlist? iPhone does a good job here and every time it chooses a new sequence.

Thanks and sorry about the long post.

[Phelos]

I think you need data service for the browser.
I saw a post by someone that said why get a BB wihout a data plan.

I prefer the Curve over the pearl.
Hope you find what you are looking for. Be carefull you'll get addicted to your BB.
=8')

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Bramsy]

Data naturally is used with this phone. Plan or not...

Its like getting a little car and not adding gas. It will get you there one way or another, but gas is definitely recommended!

Plus you should play with one. The keyboard is a pain at times, but its size and 'auto correcting' the words you type is the nice side of the coin!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[rexian]

Thanks friends. Is data used even if I don't use the browser or other apps that need data plan?

I have unlimited data plan with my iPhone and I have found that I hardly use the email / browser functionality of the phone as I normally have a laptop around 95% of the time. So, the data plan is almost wasted. I did play with an 8100 (my coworker has one) and loved the aesthetics; it felt more like a phone (unlike iPhone).

Any comments on the other questions?

[cousinb]

Data is not used unless you use apps that need data plan. I believe IM functions and BB messsenger do use data. If you scan the forums you will see that the vast majority of users utilize data a ton, and would say the phone is a waste without the plan. I generally don't agree; the phone is as useful as you make it. I don't have much experience with the music player yet, but you should be aware that BBs won't play DRM protected music which can be a big problem if a lot of your music/books are protected.

[rexian]

Thanks cousinb. This is what I thought. I am looking for a compact phone with good display that'd sync with Outlook for calendar & contacts, play mp3 and serve as a better 'phone' (and may be a few solitaire games for those idle times).

For browsing, emails and smartphone related features, I have an iPhone with firmware 2.0 which is probably way more powerful, but bulky.

Could you comment on the music player and if it's possible to install nav4all without data service ? Thanks.

[cousinb]

Sounds like the pearl would fit most of your needs. It's compact, generally a very good phone, display is quite nice, pretty easy to sync PIM functions (I sync with Yahoo since I find Outlook cumbersome). I also have a few games which work well.

nav4all: you can install any app that can be downloaded to your desktop via desktop manager without a data plan. You would however almost certainly want/need a data plan to use nav4all since the info sent is data not textmassage, and even intermittent data download is pretty expensive w/o a plan. Same goes for google maps, etc.

I haven't used the music player much but I do have about 1gb music on my sd card. The Pearl certainly has most functions typical of most players, but there are certainly better phone/music player combos if that's your main interest. I use the Pearl as a combo phone/PDA and will use the music player if I don't have one of my other players with me. Having a standard 3.5mm headphone jack is really nice since you don't need a proprietary headset.

[rexian]

Thanks again cousinb. I should have dug little more into nav4all. I assumed it'd download the entire map on the microSD card like my MIO GPS ... silly me. So, the GPS functionality would not be usable at all without data plan, I guess I'd stick with my iPhone for a little longer and check out Touch Diamond whenever it arrives.