[accessory]

Hello! I hope this is the correct forum for this post. I saw so many listed and wasn't sure where to go.

I'm considering Blackberries to replace my Treo 850. I've previously owned: Treo 600, Treo 650, Treo 755p, and older Visors. I've loved every PalmOS and Handspring device for their simplicity and ease of sync, backup, and restore. The Windows Mobile devices haven't been so great for me.

I'm considering Blackberries because the platform appears to have been very stable over the years, and they seem like fairly simple devices when I play with the lower models in the store. I'm assuming this results in better longterm support and development. I'd miss having a touch screen, but I can get by without it.



Soo... I have a few questions.

1. I've installed the Blackberry Desktop, but it won't do anything unless I plug in a Blackberry. Has anyone used both the Blackberry and Palm Desktop software? How do they compare in ease of use and simple presentation of information? I'm fine with keeping everything in Blackberry Desktop - I don't need or want Outlook and Google sync.

2. I would only consider unlocked GSM models with WiFi capability, used on a prepaid plan. On the Treo, this gives me the option of not paying for a data plan, but I'm still able to use the data network while out and about if I need to for cheap per-use fees. I can also use a secured WiFi network completely unrestricted. Would I still have these options as a Blackberry user?

3. Can I download third party applications and install them myself? Either by usb cable, copying to the memory card, or by using an installer in the Blackberry Desktop software? In other words, would I be forced to use only the "App Store" for software and BB Desktop for media like an iTunes/Iphone user?

4. How often do Blackberries crash, freeze, and/or lose data due to resets? Does this ever happen during a call?

5. If I backup my Blackberry using the desktop software, perform a full hard reset of the device, and restore from the desktop software.. Would my Blackberry be returned to precisely the same state as before the hard reset? Contacts, calendar, notes, all applications and their data? Even browser history and cookies?

6. Does in-phone software (third party or included) exist to backup everything to a memory card, in case I need to hard reset and restore it all while away from my computer?

7. How often have users been forced to buy a new phone due to software incompabilities? For example, my inability to use my Palm Desktop software in 64bit windows forced me to replace my Treo 755p.

8. If you installed software on your Blackberry in 2004, how much of it still works on the most recent Blackberry models?

9. Does anyone have any experience with sync/backup in Linux? I know it wouldn't be supported, and I'd probably never even try it, but I'm still curious about success rates.

10. Based on past experiences with Blackberry upgrades, do you think upgrading from a 9700 to a 9800 would be a smooth, seamless experience? All data transferred, applications working even with the new screen size, etc? I know we can only speculate for now, but it's still something I think about.

11. I need an unlocked GSM phone with WiFi capability, an external memory slot, and physical keyboard. I won't be using it much for music/video, but options are always nice. Would a 9700 be perfect for me, or should I look at another model?



I'm not really considering WebOS, Android, Maemo, or MeeGo at this point. As much as I'd love to have Linux on my phone, I need longterm stability and support first. I don't want to change my phone for the "latest and bleeding edge" every six months, and I could be content without Pandora/Youtube/etc if the phone excels in its core features. I'd prefer to keep my phone until it dies on me, and I do treat them well for the duration.

I know it sounds like I've pretty much decided on a Blackberry, but before I spend hundreds on another phone (unlocked = no discounts), I'd like to know I won't be left in the same situation I now find myself with my Treos. I guess my largest problems have been my inability to sync and backup phone data to my computer and the moving target nature of the Treo platform. I'd like the BB Desktop software to sync, backup, and restore to at least three phone upgrades over the next decade.

Since the Blackberry is heavily used in corporate environments, I'm sort of relying on the pressure to maintain some level of backward compatibility with most things, support whatever Windows OS is current, and to not wildly change things like the entire phone OS/architecture and desktop software. Stability, ease of use, flexibility, and not being locked into paid services are my priorities. Multimedia and entertainment are secondary.

Would a Blackberry fit my needs?

Sorry for the walloftext.

Thanks!

[dodger_moore]

Hi, I'm sure someone will be along with more info but I'll give brief answers to what I can help with. I'll leave blank the questions I can't answer. I've got a 9700, owned an 8310 (2007 I think) got a 7290 (2005/6?) and an 8800 (2007?).

Hello! I hope this is the correct forum for this post. I saw so many listed and wasn't sure where to go.

I'm considering Blackberries to replace my Treo 850. I've previously owned: Treo 600, Treo 650, Treo 755p, and older Visors. I've loved every PalmOS and Handspring device for their simplicity and ease of sync, backup, and restore. The Windows Mobile devices haven't been so great for me.

I'm considering Blackberries because the platform appears to have been very stable over the years, and they seem like fairly simple devices when I play with the lower models in the store. I'm assuming this results in better longterm support and development. I'd miss having a touch screen, but I can get by without it.



Soo... I have a few questions.

1. I've installed the Blackberry Desktop, but it won't do anything unless I plug in a Blackberry. Has anyone used both the Blackberry and Palm Desktop software? How do they compare in ease of use and simple presentation of information? I'm fine with keeping everything in Blackberry Desktop - I don't need or want Outlook and Google sync.

2. I would only consider unlocked GSM models with WiFi capability, used on a prepaid plan. On the Treo, this gives me the option of not paying for a data plan, but I'm still able to use the data network while out and about if I need to for cheap per-use fees. I can also use a secured WiFi network completely unrestricted. Would I still have these options as a Blackberry user?

3. Can I download third party applications and install them myself? Either by usb cable, copying to the memory card, or by using an installer in the Blackberry Desktop software? In other words, would I be forced to use only the "App Store" for software and BB Desktop for media like an iTunes/Iphone user?

You can install apps over the air from a BlackBerry from anyone that's hosting them. There's no restrictions like iTunes.

4. How often do Blackberries crash, freeze, and/or lose data due to resets? Does this ever happen during a call?

Now regarding apps not from Appworld, some did cause issues on my old Curve 8310, I had to restore it three times. However, it never froze during a call. My 9700 however, lots of apps, some not from Appworld, no issues at all. Losing data depends on your next questions...

5. If I backup my Blackberry using the desktop software, perform a full hard reset of the device, and restore from the desktop software.. Would my Blackberry be returned to precisely the same state as before the hard reset? Contacts, calendar, notes, all applications and their data? Even browser history and cookies?

You'll get eveything back that was stored on the device. The only thing I'm not sure about would be cookies.

6. Does in-phone software (third party or included) exist to backup everything to a memory card, in case I need to hard reset and restore it all while away from my computer?

I'm hazy on this but I've managed to somehow back my apps up onto the micro sd card - not sure how, but they're all there..

7. How often have users been forced to buy a new phone due to software incompabilities? For example, my inability to use my Palm Desktop software in 64bit windows forced me to replace my Treo 755p.

This has never happened to me. I use desktop manager on my 64bit windows PC and my little XP notebook. The BB hooks up fine to both. That's to say my 8310 did and my 9700.

8. If you installed software on your Blackberry in 2004, how much of it still works on the most recent Blackberry models?

Can't really speak for this - but I have an old 7290 and my SIM card switches between that and my new 9700. I've never plugged the 7290 into desktop manager.

9. Does anyone have any experience with sync/backup in Linux? I know it wouldn't be supported, and I'd probably never even try it, but I'm still curious about success rates.

10. Based on past experiences with Blackberry upgrades, do you think upgrading from a 9700 to a 9800 would be a smooth, seamless experience? All data transferred, applications working even with the new screen size, etc? I know we can only speculate for now, but it's still something I think about.

As far as we can tell, I'd say it'd be pretty easy. Moving around the 7290 isn't a lot different to navigating around the 9700. Same sort of menus and so on. So far as transferring data and so on upwards through devices, never tried - maybe someone else can help?

11. I need an unlocked GSM phone with WiFi capability, an external memory slot, and physical keyboard. I won't be using it much for music/video, but options are always nice. Would a 9700 be perfect for me, or should I look at another model?

That's pretty much exactly what my 9700 does, BUT I do listen to a lot of music on it

I'm not really considering WebOS, Android, Maemo, or MeeGo at this point. As much as I'd love to have Linux on my phone, I need longterm stability and support first. I don't want to change my phone for the "latest and bleeding edge" every six months, and I could be content without Pandora/Youtube/etc if the phone excels in its core features. I'd prefer to keep my phone until it dies on me, and I do treat them well for the duration.

You can get Pandora and Youtube on a BB.

I know it sounds like I've pretty much decided on a Blackberry, but before I spend hundreds on another phone (unlocked = no discounts), I'd like to know I won't be left in the same situation I now find myself with my Treos. I guess my largest problems have been my inability to sync and backup phone data to my computer and the moving target nature of the Treo platform. I'd like the BB Desktop software to sync, backup, and restore to at least three phone upgrades over the next decade.

Since the Blackberry is heavily used in corporate environments, I'm sort of relying on the pressure to maintain some level of backward compatibility with most things, support whatever Windows OS is current, and to not wildly change things like the entire phone OS/architecture and desktop software. Stability, ease of use, flexibility, and not being locked into paid services are my priorities. Multimedia and entertainment are secondary.

Would a Blackberry fit my needs?

Sorry for the walloftext.

Thanks!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[amazinglygraceless]

1) BlackBerry Desktop Manager is not a PIM so you will need Google Sync or Outlook. No way around that.

2) Yes, just chose the correct device and you'll be fine. (9000, 9700, 9100 etc...)

3) Yes you can install apps in all the manners you mention. Be aware though that
you CANNOT load apps to or run them from the memory card.

4) BlackBerries crash / freeze as regularly as any other platform. Just manage your
memory properly and do some basic housekeeping and you will lessen that.

5) No. Your apps will not be part of the backup / restore process. Everything
else will be as it was.

6) There are some apps such as SmrtGuard and DataBackup that will backup your
DATA to the memory card. There is no solution that will perform a total backup
(that is apps and data)

7) Rarely, if ever.

8) Some will, some won't. remember there have been quite a lot of changes to the
OS in six (6) years

9)

10) Data will be a piece of cake. Just use the Device Switch Wizard in Desktop
Manager. Apps are another. Some may become incompatible due to the differences
in hardware and especially the two different OSs.

11) Perfect? I don't know. What I can say is it is a solid and very capable device.