BBs bad for non-geeks?

I have sung the praises of my Pearl so relentlessly that my boyfriend decided to get a BlackBerry of his own yesterday. Today we were back at the Sprint store to return his BB. It was on account of the need to install the device software in Windows in order to get the application loader to work. I have a Mac and have installed everything OTA, so I had avoided this. Now I do have to wonder: how does your average BB user navigate this complexity? I'm a total geek, and the boyfriend is a computer science professor, and we were pretty frustrated. There was no documentation about this (I finally checked CB forums and voila!), and it is a very basic thing. I'm starting to wonder if your average smartphone user would be better off with an iPhone...they're toys, but jeez, RIM doesn't really make it easy to get along with BBs. Do most people just not sync or install software? Random thoughts, I know, but I'm just surprised that the necessary software isn't included in the box with the phone. Sheesh.

This is a topic for bmcclure937..he shall be with you shortly to answer you questions.

I wasn't clear. I figured out how to do it; I am just wondering why RIM makes it so complicated. It seems like you should be able to run the install disk and have the stuff work---like with every other smartphone out there. It was just a random thought in case RIM patrols these boards :)

I'm not sure I understand the prob. I am new to bb. (first one a week ago) and so far it all seems of average simplicity. maybe I just got lucky.

by the way... I Love BB. :)

It definitely takes some time to get the hang of it, especially for "non-geeks", but really not that bad. This will sound really weird, but I actually don't mind when something is confusing or goes wrong with my BB. I use it as a learning experience, and I always know CB is a mouse click away.

Never really had a problem installing my software. Everything has always been a smooth ride for me.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I don't think the learning curve is high, my wife loves her Pearl and she is not a geek. Compared to her last phone she likes it much better, she has no problems find and accessing what she wants.

She is not much one for installing software though so she did not have your experience exactly.

I dont even have a DVD player and I can operate my BB fairly effeciently. I have spent a lot of time on here reading too...lol:D

Originally Posted by amandarei

I dont even have a DVD player and I can operate my BB fairly effeciently. I have spent a lot of time on here reading too...lol:D

My good GOD - VHS!? :eek:

Lol I like technology but I'm no geek by any means. I thought that that the BB software was pretty easy to figure out. In fact I haven't had any trouble. It's not the most user friendly but it's not impossible either

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Look, If I can work this thing, most anybody should be able to...:)

Originally Posted by megscd

...RIM doesn't really make it easy to get along with BBs. Do most people just not sync or install software? Random thoughts, I know, but I'm just surprised that the necessary software isn't included in the box with the phone. Sheesh.

LOL, that is the truth.

I don't understand why they don't put the device OS on the install CD either. Each carrier and device would require a separate CD, but that is not rocket science.

I suspect the reason they make it so tough, is to make sure the less technically able clients never get to the point of messing things up and generating support calls.

Until now, all that support stuff was done by the geeks in the back room. Consumers don't have an onsite IT staff. :rolleyes:

I remember when I got my first berry almost 5 years ago. It was difficult at first.

There's usually no problem in installing the software. Its very easy just like any other gadget. I guess a person who's used a slightly higher level phone before can easily user a BB.

I see two issues - Rim/BB do not make clear anywhere that I've readily seen that in order to add new application to the BB you have to download the OS for your specific phone and then install it. When I first got the OS software, it was (my thought) only to have a backup in case the phone lost the OS - I thought you ran it and it installed the OS on the phone. It was not clear that you needed to run that EXE file to actually install the OS on my computer and that it would secondarily allow Desktop Manager to add applications.

Second, BB fully relies on MS and having Outlook installed in order to make reasonable backs (and recovery) of the phone's data. Each of the other phones I've had (3 or 4 now) had software that functioned independently and had basically desktop versions to use/sync data.

So, yes, if Rim is cruising the forums - clear up the documentation. (G)