1. jcool13's Avatar
    OK, so I've been a BB guy now for 4+ years (a rookie compared to many here) and I have NEVER used BBM. I'm a Verizon guy, so with phone/data/sms as a package I've only ever know that. What is the big deal with BBM, if I install can I use it as a standard SMS/MMS tool for my PB? I don't think that is the case, but I just don't get it. I've got hundreds of contacts in my phone, and not any one of them (many are BB users) ever asked me to message them using BBM, only a normal SMS message. Anyone?
    05-02-11 01:05 PM
  2. DX9's Avatar
    Cause its cool

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-02-11 01:07 PM
  3. agault's Avatar
    There's no extra charge to use it. It's secure. You can have a more fluid conversation. You can tell when the other person had read your message.
    05-02-11 01:08 PM
  4. Gregory Ryan's Avatar
    OK, so I've been a BB guy now for 4+ years (a rookie compared to many here) and I have NEVER used BBM. I'm a Verizon guy, so with phone/data/sms as a package I've only ever know that. What is the big deal with BBM, if I install can I use it as a standard SMS/MMS tool for my PB? I don't think that is the case, but I just don't get it. I've got hundreds of contacts in my phone, and not any one of them (many are BB users) ever asked me to message them using BBM, only a normal SMS message. Anyone?
    Ive read that it will work for SMS but need to get it from beta zone to try my self.
    05-02-11 01:08 PM
  5. canadaduck22's Avatar
    OK, so I've been a BB guy now for 4+ years (a rookie compared to many here) and I have NEVER used BBM. I'm a Verizon guy, so with phone/data/sms as a package I've only ever know that. What is the big deal with BBM, if I install can I use it as a standard SMS/MMS tool for my PB? I don't think that is the case, but I just don't get it. I've got hundreds of contacts in my phone, and not any one of them (many are BB users) ever asked me to message them using BBM, only a normal SMS message. Anyone?
    +1 Not hating on BBM at all, most people on these forums use it everyday. I am just like you, never used it, but maybe I don't see the benefits.
    05-02-11 01:09 PM
  6. jcool13's Avatar
    Cause it's cool??? Really??!!??
    Nice informative response to help me to understand it.

    Will it work with my existing contact list, or can you only message another BBM user?
    05-02-11 01:10 PM
  7. jonty12's Avatar
    free international messaging, delivery/read notification, no 140 character limit. Those are the big ones for me. All my BB contacts use BBM over SMS.

    Also, keep in mind that you may have an unlimited SMS package, but the person you're messaging may not. Since I hardly use SMS (and most of the SMS I do use is international and not covered on an unlimited plan), I choose not to pay AT&T for an unlimited messaging plan, so I ony get 200 messages/month. I have unlimited BBM.
    05-02-11 01:11 PM
  8. Terryble's Avatar
    +1 Not hating on BBM at all, most people on these forums use it everyday. I am just like you, never used it, but maybe I don't see the benefits.
    +1 here too
    05-02-11 01:11 PM
  9. justin619's Avatar
    As mentioned above the main benefit for me is no 140 character limit, that is huge! But you must add them individually as BBM contacts get their PIN or scan the barcode....
    05-02-11 01:14 PM
  10. kb5zht's Avatar
    Cause it's cool??? Really??!!??
    Nice informative response to help me to understand
    ?
    It's also awesome.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    TyePo likes this.
    05-02-11 01:15 PM
  11. ummie4's Avatar
    I've got hundreds of contacts in my phone, and not any one of them (many are BB users) ever asked me to message them using BBM, only a normal SMS message. Anyone?
    You can add people from your address book that do not have BBM to your BBM contacts list. Im sure it still charges you sms rates but it keeps your convos in BBM

    I recently just dropped my text message plan down to the lowest possible plan
    05-02-11 01:17 PM
  12. lindajm22's Avatar
    I want to love it because of all the great features that have already been mentioned, but I only have 5 BBM contacts and they don't chat much. I don't know a lot of people with BBs.
    05-02-11 01:18 PM
  13. dcburke789's Avatar
    You can share files via bbm (music, pics, even .zip files)

    You get instant delivery and read confirmation.

    You have the ability to group chat with up to 30 contacts at once.

    It has a plethora of uses...

    And its COOL

    Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
    05-02-11 01:20 PM
  14. ummie4's Avatar
    Don't forget voice notes. I've been trying to use these more often lately, especially while driving. I just wish they would make it quicker to use. I dont wanna dig through a menu to find it. If they could turn voice notes into something as easy to use as Nextel's push to talk that would be amazing.
    05-02-11 01:27 PM
  15. edaniel1717's Avatar
    I have international partners that have BBM and its a quick easy way to send quick messages or check up on them.

    I also have my employees on BB-- so if i need to send them a quick message/question -- ill send through BBM instead of email (no non-business hours) so that i know for sure if they read it... lol

    At work conferences.. its great for coordinating quick meetings/get together.

    My wife and i use BBM to communicate during the day/ or on business trips..

    Sending contact files, pictures--

    I mean its the same as Live Messenger/AOL, etc---- except that is always on-- and your never logging in from multiple places-- is all on your phone..


    I have about 25 contacts---

    only gets annoying when people change their BB and dont give you their new Pins.. lol.
    05-02-11 01:29 PM
  16. gregorylkelly's Avatar
    I never understood it until I actually used it a few years ago. At first I used it just for 2 people, then gradually more and more people got added to my BBM contact list.

    The things I love about it are that it is instant, always on (unless the phone is off), and you can tell when your message has been delivered (not just sent like SMS, but actually recieved on the other phone) and when the person has read the message. Sometimes you need to get a message across to someone pretty quickly. If you send them an SMS, you don't know if they actually read it unless they respond. With BBM, you know if they have read it or if you need to call them or something like that.

    There are also a ton of other things you can do such as send videos, pictures, and voice notes without any special mms plan.

    Another thing you can do is have a group chat with more than one person at a time and everyone can see the flow of the messages in the order they are meant to be. This works great for making plans. Think of it as a chat room with only the people you want in there.

    Basically BBM is SMS on major steroids!
    05-02-11 01:34 PM
  17. PDSchofield's Avatar
    only gets annoying when people change their BB and dont give you their new Pins.. lol.
    And that annoyance might be going away if RIM switch over to BBID instead of PIN as the your identifier in BBM... Maybe even go cross platform...
    05-02-11 01:36 PM
  18. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    Another good feature of BBM is the ability to send and receive larger files. Files up to 6MB can be transferred using BBM. This is much larger than MMS or email.
    05-02-11 01:36 PM
  19. Laura Knotek's Avatar

    only gets annoying when people change their BB and dont give you their new Pins.. lol.
    If a person uses Desktop Manager Device Switch Wizard, it is not necessary to give the new PIN. I changed devices, and my contacts did not need to be reinvited.
    05-02-11 01:39 PM
  20. OniBerry's Avatar
    And that annoyance might be going away if RIM switch over to BBID instead of PIN as the your identifier in BBM... Maybe even go cross platform...
    RIM plans to use BBID as one of the ways of communicating with others via video chat
    05-02-11 01:46 PM
  21. Blacklac's Avatar
    Actually, just restore your Data to the new phone and your BBM contacts should automatically be added. I just switched BB's and had no issues with BBM or issues having to add contacts again.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-02-11 02:00 PM
  22. TheArliss's Avatar
    Millions of reasons, its an instant messenger, you can send voice notes, pictures, videos,(or any other file on your BB) you can be in a group and chat wit many people at once (ie work group) you can send broadcast messages, its secure. (sms goes through your carriers servers while bbm goes through rim) <-- also why i doubt we will see it on the playbook. you can see when a message is sent or read. and there are some others but my fingers are getting tired....
    05-02-11 02:09 PM
  23. lindajm22's Avatar
    only gets annoying when people change their BB and dont give you their new Pins.. lol.
    Well that would probably explain why only half of my BBM contacts transferred from my phone to my PlayBook.
    05-02-11 02:10 PM
  24. berrydeck's Avatar
    i have 80+ bbm contacts. use it for work and personal. free for international is a big one, no limit on size, delivery/read receipts, attachments, groups.

    really hand when trying to arrange meetings between 3+ people compared to email/sms
    05-02-11 02:20 PM
  25. urbanguy's Avatar
    I often use it to simply send a picture of where I am to a friend (to get them to meet me, or to rub it in that I'm at an event that's difficult to get a ticket to, whatever). No words, just a picture. You can also send your location with BB maps.

    The threaded conversations, and the group conversations are also HUGE pluses.

    For some reason BBM'ing is better than SMS'ing when you're drunk in a bar and have lost the people you came with. So it's a drinking friendly tool!

    Most everybody I know has a BB. When I have to SMS somebody who has Android or an iPhone, it just feels so ghetto.
    05-02-11 02:33 PM
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