[anon(3093498)]

crackberrybrandon is right, since she dosent have friends with BB, isnt worth it to get a BB...

and for christopherp, a BB isnt something that is required to be a grown up... i dunno why you say that in two years she will be doing something that requires a BB... any other phone could do it... the point here is that if you arent gonna take advantage of the services RIM provides you, in this case BBM, later it might be the email service... then get another phone

[phonejunky]

crackberrybrandon is right, since she dosent have friends with BB, isnt worth it to get a BB...

and for christopherp, a BB isnt something that is required to be a grown up... i dunno why you say that in two years she will be doing something that requires a BB... any other phone could do it... the point here is that if you arent gonna take advantage of the services RIM provides you, in this case BBM, later it might be the email service... then get another phone

This is also a good point I didn't hit on if she isn't using BB services don't waste your money or your parents money on something you will be disappointed with, just because it's called blackberry.

[afropoika]

So I was right after all, that's all I wanted to know.

@DazeeBabe have a look at the Nokia N900, I'm sure you're going to love it. My sister has one too and she can't take her hands off it

[DazeeBabe]

but i don't like how it looks

[afropoika]

DazeeBabe that's no problem. For every teenager there is a perfect device. You might like the Palm Pre for instance. It's a slider too with a touch screen, but in my opinion looks much better than the Nokia N900. Maybe even a bit girlier

Social networking should be good with the Palm Pre, but I haven't tested this yet personally (though I'm looking into getting the Pre soon).

[TgeekB]

Um...exactly what apps are missing from a BB that a 15 year old needs? Whatever a 15 year old wants to do is, to an extent, available through a BB. Get off your pompous 'this platform is for this' and 'that platform is for that' pony for gawds sake. In two years the 15 year old will be in college / at work / serving our country or doing something that requires a BB...hopefully.

I believe the words you used, "to an extent", are key. Lets talk facebook or twitter. There is no app I have seen on a BB that matches the aesthetics or ease of use of the iPhone apps. Most 15 year olds are visual and will enjoy the app on the iPhone more.

I would go with a phone that you can use the cheaper data plans on. Why spend the extra $20 per month? In a few years, if you will need the benefit of a BB, then you can switch.

[hibby50]

I'm 14 and ive used wm for 3 years (PPCGEEKS.COM!) and just switched to blackberry. its great and i convinced my friend to get one and he loves it too.

[avt123]

but i don't like how it looks

Do you like tinker/hacking/tweaking your device? If so, get the Droid/Android device. Or the N900 with Maemo which is the ultimate hacking experience.

Do you like simplicity? Overall smoothness? Do you not mind being a little restricted unless you jailbreak? Then get the iPhone. It has the most/best apps.

[christopherp]

1) Don't let the thread count fool you...if you know so much about this here CBerry site you know people sometimes go underground and re-emerge.
2) What's the point in saying there are 100,000 apps for i-Toy? This is stupid...how many of them are you going to use? How many can you use? How many are essentially dupes? It's like saying you have 100,000 songs in your i-Toy, you couldn't possibly listen to them so you're really just thumping your chest like an animal and grunting "Me have more...Me better".
3) Yahoo, AOL and other IM services are available for BBerrys...you're not limited to just the BBM.
4) No point in going to a mall to see what 'lots of kids are doing'...they wear their pants on the ground, get multiple tatts, ear plugs, hilarious haircuts and some of the other crazy stuff that seems to be in vogue. If I cared about what was in vogue I'd be just another sheople, no thanks. You might want to run with the flock if you have no ability to think as an individual, I think as an individual, so I don't do things just because so many other sheople do.
5) Read hibby50's comments to see that their are 'yutes' of America today who see the value of a BBerry.

[StAiChiLLiN]

if you text like a maniac BB are for you.
Entertaining apps and games? iPhone.

[christopherp]

If you want to stay with the i-Toy brand take a look at the i-Pad...now that seems like a cool thingamabob...sort of like a huge BBerry actually!

[phonejunky]

1) Don't let the thread count fool you...if you know so much about this here CBerry site you know people sometimes go underground and re-emerge.
2) What's the point in saying there are 100,000 apps for i-Toy? This is stupid...how many of them are you going to use? How many can you use? How many are essentially dupes? It's like saying you have 100,000 songs in your i-Toy, you couldn't possibly listen to them so you're really just thumping your chest like an animal and grunting "Me have more...Me better".
3) Yahoo, AOL and other IM services are available for BBerrys...you're not limited to just the BBM.
4) No point in going to a mall to see what 'lots of kids are doing'...they wear their pants on the ground, get multiple tatts, ear plugs, hilarious haircuts and some of the other crazy stuff that seems to be in vogue. If I cared about what was in vogue I'd be just another sheople, no thanks. You might want to run with the flock if you have no ability to think as an individual, I think as an individual, so I don't do things just because so many other sheople do.
5) Read hibby50's comments to see that their are 'yutes' of America today who see the value of a BBerry.

It's always good to see such hate for apple It makes me smile, Steve jobs pooped all on this guys day apparently lol.

[avt123]

If you want to stay with the i-Toy brand take a look at the i-Pad...now that seems like a cool thingamabob...sort of like a huge BBerry actually!

It is anything but a big BB. You sit here and patronize the iPhone, and then say the iPad looks cool, when all it is is a bigger iPod Touch.

The iPhone is not a toy. If the user makes it a toy, then it is a toy. If the user uses it for productivity, then it is a tool. It all depends on what the users turns it into.

Just because the iPhone has better games than any other platform (because the APIs allow it, and the SDK is better) doesn't mean it is a toy. BB fanboys need to get it out of there heads that because a device is more capable with certain other aspects of technology doesn't automatically make something a toy.

[anon(3093498)]

1) Don't let the thread count fool you...if you know so much about this here CBerry site you know people sometimes go underground and re-emerge.
2) What's the point in saying there are 100,000 apps for i-Toy? This is stupid...how many of them are you going to use? How many can you use? How many are essentially dupes? It's like saying you have 100,000 songs in your i-Toy, you couldn't possibly listen to them so you're really just thumping your chest like an animal and grunting "Me have more...Me better".
3) Yahoo, AOL and other IM services are available for BBerrys...you're not limited to just the BBM.
4) No point in going to a mall to see what 'lots of kids are doing'...they wear their pants on the ground, get multiple tatts, ear plugs, hilarious haircuts and some of the other crazy stuff that seems to be in vogue. If I cared about what was in vogue I'd be just another sheople, no thanks. You might want to run with the flock if you have no ability to think as an individual, I think as an individual, so I don't do things just because so many other sheople do.
5) Read hibby50's comments to see that their are 'yutes' of America today who see the value of a BBerry.

you might not be getting the point here, or maybe i am the one not getting it?? mmm anyways...

Yahoo, AOL and other IM services are available for BBerrys...
yesss but they are also available for a lot other phones, but BBM its exclusive for blackberries, thats the only reason i see a teenager getting a blackberry, they LOVE texting, and whats better than unlimited texting with your pals. But if you dont have any friends with BBs, then its pointless.
You can get yahoo, msn, aol, etc on any other phone...

what im trying to show, and im saying it again, if youre not gonna take advantage of pretty much every service RIM provides... dont waste your money... get a cheaper phone with a cheaper data plan... if blackberry is cheap enough, then go for it... but its not a multimedia phone either... so...

[afropoika]

@buck2: AMEN.

If one is not going to use a BlackBerry to its fullest potential, then there is little reason to get one. Also from a financial standpoint the extra cost one has to pay for a BlackBerry data plan is a major turn off.

Nokia / Palm / Apple, they are all good alternatives. Pick one you like and off you go, DazeeBabe.

[christopherp]

"if you're not gonna take advantage of pretty much every service RIM provides"

This is my point with the 100,000 apps available, what's the point in having so many apps when you can't possibly use them.

"get a cheaper phone with a cheaper data plan"

If you're getting an i-Toy for games this seems like a far greater waste of money than the extra cost for BBerry service. I don't have a text plan on my Bold, I use the email, unlimited characters and virtually as fast from unit to unit as texting. I bet I pay less for my service overall for a year than most i-Toy users when they total up the cost of the apps, the text charges and internet charges.

[afropoika]

This is my point with the 100,000 apps available, what's the point in having so many apps when you can't possibly use them.

Thing is, you don't have to pay a single dime to access those 100,000 apps. With a BlackBerry no matter whether you use BBM or not, you're still paying for the BlackBerry data plan package.

[anon(3093498)]

"if you're not gonna take advantage of pretty much every service RIM provides"

This is my point with the 100,000 apps available, what's the point in having so many apps when you can't possibly use them.

"get a cheaper phone with a cheaper data plan"

If you're getting an i-Toy for games this seems like a far greater waste of money than the extra cost for BBerry service. I don't have a text plan on my Bold, I use the email, unlimited characters and virtually as fast from unit to unit as texting. I bet I pay less for my service overall for a year than most i-Toy users when they total up the cost of the apps, the text charges and internet charges.

I dunno whats your problem with the I-Toy, if you even have one, but it seems like you have one...
I must admit the Iphone is too expensive, so thats not an option, or at least im not saying she must get one, i said any other phone. Also she said she wants a keyboard phone... so stop mentioning the iphone...

but i also think that the iphone is a good handset, because of its possibilities... lets be honest, their apps are waaaaay better than BB apps (not all of them, a lot are crappy)... and they are more popular, its a better market because its intended to be a popular ecosystem... im having troubles trying to write this idea down, but its meant to be popular, so its cooler... great for a teen...

and about that that you said you use e mail instead of texting, man, thats your case, you can do that, you are used to email... teens arent... this isnt japan or something like that where emails are popular enoght to replace sms and stuff like that... teens over here, as far as i know, are not used to do a lot email...

[phonejunky]

"if you're not gonna take advantage of pretty much every service RIM provides"

This is my point with the 100,000 apps available, what's the point in having so many apps when you can't possibly use them.

"get a cheaper phone with a cheaper data plan"

If you're getting an i-Toy for games this seems like a far greater waste of money than the extra cost for BBerry service. I don't have a text plan on my Bold, I use the email, unlimited characters and virtually as fast from unit to unit as texting. I bet I pay less for my service overall for a year than most i-Toy users when they total up the cost of the apps, the text charges and internet charges.

your argument isn't even valuable your comparing your needs to everyone elses when are wants and needs aren't the same. What teenager do you know that just sits around and emails all there friends all day. Dude just because your a cheapscape doesn't mean we all have to be and that your solution is best because your saving money. You ever think maybe this kid and his family or people with the itoy as you call it have the money to spend.

[afropoika]

Teens don't really e-mail much. DazeeBabe also said her friends don't have BlackBerry. That means two greatest advantages of BlackBerry (e-mail + BBM) are essentially rendered useless. Put on top of that the extra cost every month. You get the picture. Sure, as a device a BlackBerry is suitable for a teen, but as a whole probably not.

[avt123]

This is my point with the 100,000 apps available, what's the point in having so many apps when you can't possibly use them.

At least you have the options. That is all that matters. The more apps the better. Yes there will be a lot of **** apps, but at least you are guaranteed to have a ton of awesome ones.

[kevinb518]

"if you're not gonna take advantage of pretty much every service RIM provides"

This is my point with the 100,000 apps available, what's the point in having so many apps when you can't possibly use them.

"get a cheaper phone with a cheaper data plan"

If you're getting an i-Toy for games this seems like a far greater waste of money than the extra cost for BBerry service. I don't have a text plan on my Bold, I use the email, unlimited characters and virtually as fast from unit to unit as texting. I bet I pay less for my service overall for a year than most i-Toy users when they total up the cost of the apps, the text charges and internet charges.

Why do you continue to argue with others despite having an actual premise to argue from. Wow, that must be great for you, not having to pay as much as most other iPhone users out there...man, talk about generalizations! Like others have said, 99% of teenagers (this is pretty much fact) use texting as opposed to texting via email. No reason why you should be mentioning this...

Contrary to your belief, the iPhone is one of the best mobile-phones in history. If you don't like it, for whatever reason, leave it alone you're not convincing anyone.

[afropoika]

Maybe the thread title should be changed from "is BlackBerry suitable for teenagers?" to "is BlackBerry suitable for me?" (referring to op).

Discussion is taking many paths here, not really sure who is helping whom right now (or who is flaming whom )

[mitchell209]

Yeah, I agree Blackberries aren't great for teens. The only reason I have one is because I got it for free from my uncle.

Nobody can prove if the Blackberry or iPhone is better. If a Blackberry does what you need it to do and the iPhone doesn't, then get it. If the iPhone does everything you need and you don't want/need a blackberry, then get the iPhone.

[afropoika]

Once considering needs, usability and possible financial issues, it's fairly simple to answer the question.

Teens text, they don't e-mail. The situation with the op is that her friends don't have BlackBerry, therefore there is little advantage of using a BlackBerry as BBM will be useless. Also the added cost of a BlackBerry data plan is something to think about and whether it is beneficial to use a BlackBerry for this added cost.

Now even if the op's needs are a smartphone with a keyboard, that's still 1/3. Usability is not as high as it could be and financial issues might be in the way. I say case closed, to the op if you read this, get a Nokia E71/E72 or anything else that you like.