Hello fellow people!!! Glad to be part of the forum.
I currently have iPhone3G and due to several reasons ranging from miserable battery life to general phone lag when doing anything, I am on a verge of selling it and using the money to buy BB. There are some things that I really value in iPhone and if BB won't have it, it will be really really hard decision.
I am currently stuck between these phones:
-Blackberry Curve 8310
-Blackberry 8820
-Blackberry 8220 Flip
-Blackberry Bold
1) Video playback:
---Would I be satisfied with playback quality. How easy is it to rewind/FF playback. Or how easy it is to just "scroll" into the middle of the movie? iPhone does it well with quality and control of media player.
I watch a lot of movies/videos on my mobile while in bus/subway/appointment etc...
2) Screen quality:
---I know BOLD has best of all BB's so let's exclude Bold from this category
...but generally, how good is the screen on 8310/8820/8220 when watching pictures? Are they as vidid as iPhone? Does it lag when going from 1 picture to another fast? All these BB's have 65,000 color screen and I am sort of questioning as to how the screen will come out like
3) Russian Language support:
---This is really big thing for me (probably the biggest thing that keeps me from selling the iPhone). 50% of SMS I do is in Russian. Since iPhone has no keyboard, I can easly toggle between Russian and English keyboards with touch of a button. How easy is it on BB? Is it even possible to do that? For example have some app, that when I press english letter on BB keyboard, will transform it into equal Russian letter (a.k.a translit...when you type english characters, bu they come out as Russian).
For example, I type vodka and it comes out as водка. Is that even possible?
If that option is not possible, then how do people even type Russian (or any other non-English characters) with a berry?
4) BB Browser vs Safari
---If I were to rate Safari on iPhone as 9/10, what rating would BB Browser have roughly? My main reason for getting iPhone was browser as I really like the idea of surfing websites on-the-go. Do most websites come out OK ok BB browser? How easy is it to zoom on something if it's too small? Are heavy websites (like cnn.com and others) loaded properly or will I get lot's of errors about page not being able to be displayed properly?
Can somebody just answer these 4 questions for me?
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- 09-13-08, 07:58 PMinphinityCan somebody just answer these 4 questions for me?
- 09-13-08, 08:05 PMMamaluka
Out of your 4 questions I can answer 3 for sure.
1. Iphone is much better at this
2. BB quality can't compare to iphones video quality
4. Everyone here will tell you iphones browser blows away any BB browser.
Doesn't sound like you will like the Blackberry as you seem to use your phone more for media and entertainment. Good luck and dazbedanya (sorry for the spelling)
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com - 09-13-08, 09:42 PMjngizziI agree with Mamaluke. If you are looking for more of an entertainment device or a toy: buy the IPhone (which is built like crap by the way).
If you want a business work horse that can support some media use: Go With The Blackberry.
Joe - 09-13-08, 09:49 PMhearmeoutx
I think you would be getting an Iphone. You are looking to use it for Media purposes, and none of the current Blackberries are really a media/entertainment based device. Good luck picking, and if you do get a berry - we are here to help :).
- 09-13-08, 10:03 PMGregMargiePoster already owns the Iphone
- 09-14-08, 12:16 AMMathrin
Trying to be objective the iPhone is going to be better but the Bold is going to be the best comparison because of the better screen quality and faster processor.
1. Bold will resume playback faster then the others you have listed. But the Curve does just fine and I don't notice the scan really taking that long. If the Bold is a 10 then I would rate the Curve as an 8. (Again, processor speed plays a big part on this) I rarely use the scan because the BB just picks up where I left off anyway.
2. What applies to 1 applies to 2 because at the root they are the same question. The Bold is clearer and scans through pictures faster then the Curve. The pictures are still really good with the curve but bigger pictures can take a bit to load. Again, I'd rate it between 6.5 to 7.5 depending on file size of the pictures.
3. Typing in Russian wouldn't be an issue because each key is associated with a respective Russian charector and autotext will generally help here as well. Just have to get passed the learning curve which shouldn't take long.
4. The browser is where it gets to be a little unfair. The iPhone simply rocks here. I wouldn't call the bb browser terrible though. You just have to know how to use it. The Bold is of course the best bet here because pages load much faster because it is 3G. The Curve is good and is you know how to change the views to best suit a given page its even pretty good. Still only going to be a 6 at best though.
Of the ones you have listed, the only one to consider would be the Bold as its closest in hardware to the iPhone. If money is an issue then the Curve is not a bad choice and prefered over the 88XX because of cost and having a camera and a bigger screen than the 8220 Flip.
I watch a good bit on my Curve and never occured to me that the screen is too small and the music playback is excellent if you listen to music. Plus the keyboad is awesome. One of the best BB has made even if it does look a little dated with the gaps between the keys. Would you think of making a post this long on your iPhone as I Have with the Curve? I doubt it. Not to mention the battery life on my Curve kicks ***.
Now something that isn't on your list that I think you may want to consider is the up and coming Thunder/Storm. Very similar to the iPhone in the fact that it wll have a much larger screen, lots of colors, faster processor than the Curve but you might lose the keyboard. Might have a slide out but I am not holding my breath.
I would suggest finding a Bold and playing with it and see what you think. I think the switch would be a good thing because you will lose some on the entertainment value but you will gain a lot more in flexibilty, stability and longevity (and not just in battery life). And if the Bold is priced out of your range, then check out the Curve (or Javalin if your not in a rush to buy) because I think you might be plesently surprised. I chose the Curve over the iPhone when I got a new phone and haven't regretted it one bit.
Good luck with your decision and let us know what you decide.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com - 09-14-08, 12:27 AMSeaCow
Let me just say, while it is off-topic a bit, that the fact you typed that post on your BlackBerry says a lot in itself - both about the ease of use of the keyboard and about the addiction of the BB user/dedication to this forum... :p
All those points are definitely on-key though, that was a very good answer. - 09-14-08, 01:13 AMBuddyL
Let me start by saying that I have the 8820 and wouldn't trade it for either the Bold or the iPhone. Having said that I agree with everybody else that from what you want that the iPhone suits your needs best.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com - 09-14-08, 11:10 AMReed McLayWelcome to CrackBerry.
I can not speak to Russian directly, but I have use the French language option and it is very well implemented.
There are several non-English character that are mapped to the keyboard as secondary characters. They are accessed with a key press and trackball.
Switching languages is fast and simple, Options / Language... done.
If it is good enough for Prime Minister Putin, it will work just fine for you. ;)
I can think of no better example of how good the keyboard is then to point out Mathrin typed his full reply on one. That would take days on an virtual keyboard. - 09-15-08, 01:55 PMinphinity
WoW!!
I am absolutely amazed at that.
I can barely type this what I am typing right now on iPhone. Kudos to you for being such a BB pro O_O!
I don't know if anybody told you this, but you'd make a great salesman...if I knew you in person, you'd probably sell me 5 Curve's and 3 Bold's without much trouble :)
The question #3 (about Russian language) was my biggest concern and now that I know that I can have russian language too, it's very good.
I will try calling my provider see if I can somehow exchange my iPhone and pay penalties and get Bold.
Just to clear something up, would I need to install some software from 3rd party vendor to type in Russian? Or is it built-in into BB operating system?
And how exactly does it type?
So if I press the letter L, will it automatically type letter Л (russian version of L) - 09-15-08, 02:13 PMReed McLay
Language support is built into BlackBerrys right from the start.
The first prompt you see on initial power up selects the default language. After the startup, you will be prompted to run the Setup Wizard. One step allows you to select alternate languages to retain or delete.
As for the mapping, I will install Russian and post a reply.
The text will be "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." - 09-15-08, 02:21 PMfonebrkrI don't know about anyone else, but i'm impressed. not many folk would be willing to do this.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.....:) - 09-15-08, 02:26 PMReed McLay
>: 9hi<4 B57cl ?7a ;h1e2 78:5 =>: Mdo3 07@ .
http://photoshare.shaw.ca/image/7/1/...11-0.jpg?rev=0
Looks a lot better on my Curve. :D
Any special requests? I will leave it installed for a while.
До свидания. (da svee-DAH-nyah.)
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com - 09-15-08, 02:33 PMexelant
Good for you. When it comes to media, I ways wonder how someone, unless travling, can manage to watch a whole movie on a mobile device. After watching a movie on my HD tv, I can't even sit through a movie in standard def on a big tv, let alone a micro screen.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com - 09-15-08, 03:26 PMMathrin
Well I wouldn't call myself a Blackberry expert as I've only had my Curve for about three and a half months but I am the type of person that looks at the different options and decide accordingly. Much of what I have learned has actually been off of Crackberry.com and pinstack.com. Then I've spent time with other people's iPhone and the Bold is from plenty of reviews because I am excited about it.
As for watching things on my Curve, you kind of block it out because your watching it for different reasons. When I am at home I am watching for purely entertainment reasons. Sit back and let the picture and surround sound absorb into you. Its more about the experience.
Now for watching things on my Curve, it's because I have down time and need something to entertain me. Which is why I love the fact that I can exit the show and it picks up where I left up without a single hiccup. I typically watch WRC on my phone but I did just recently just watch Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantonimo Bay (great movie by the way) while on lunch. I typically eat alone and just popped the headphones in and propted the Curve and had entertainment while on my lunch break. I finished up early and got to finish the movie while waiting on my car pool.
So it is really a matter of perspective. I want to say congrats on the decision to get a Bold and wish you the best of luck with it. You're welcome to contact me at anytime if you want to talk or you have anymore questions. Just ping me or hit me up on BBMessanger. My pin is 2454104f.
Edit: as for selling you stuff, I used to sell computers at Best Buy as well as cars and was the leading seller for Conversion Vans and Corvettes at the dealership. It isn't about talking people into something you can make the most money on but finding out what they want and what is important and finding the best match for them. The commision will take care of itself.
As for your original post, I could have simply said the iPhone is better but that wouldn't have helped you. Instead you stated what you liked about your current phone and wanted to know what Blackberry had to offer. So I simply answered your question with regard to what you thought was important. Then gave more feedback into what you were rally asking but wasn't specifically stated.
I guess I have written enough and you can tell I don't feel hindered by typing on my phone.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com - 09-15-08, 04:47 PMcctraderx
It then comes down to size of BB and screen. The curve or 8820.
- 09-15-08, 07:16 PMinphinityErrr, lol
I don't know what those worlds in picture mean, it's just combination of letters :/
This is Russian keyboard layout:
According to it, "The quick brown" should be seen as:
"Еру йгшсл икщцт"
T=Е
h=р
e=у
q=й
u=г
and so forth...
But it says "Нок йшщмд тезуь" which in Russian does not mean anything at all.
Are there maybe different russian layouts in BB? - 09-15-08, 08:41 PMfonebrkr
I gotta give Reed credit for even trying, made it way farther than I could've, I know mine came from vzw with built in French and Spanish support, I've used them both and they are easy to switch, the support for Russian characters is built in stock, but I believe you need to add in the official language support, not just the characters.
Here's a quick pull from RIM, seems like alot of info available..
Good Luck on your Decision..
For the Bold Bold language support
Rim Russian language support search rim - 09-15-08, 09:01 PMfishkat
Welcome to the cb family! I have enjoyed reading all the posts in reply to your ?s. One thing is certain, whichever bb you choose you won't go wrong. I don't believe I will even attempt to add a thing. :D
- 09-15-08, 09:24 PMReed McLayIt is a random combination of characters, the odds of a translation are near zero.
On the positive note, the Cyrillic alphabet does display correctly on the forum.
It is interesting to note the differences in keyboard mapping. I am sure a lot of though has gone into making it usable. 150 Million Slavic language speaking population is a healty market place.
edit: That comment only addressed the Russian speaking population. The Cyrillic alphabet is used by at least 300 million.
Source: Wikipedia Cyrillic Alphabet. - 09-15-08, 09:48 PMMathrin
Online translator+Russian language+picture of keyboards =
*KAB@0O :>@8G=520O A>10:0.
Which of course looks like: Быстрая коричневая собака. when I'm typing it out. I'm guessing there is a something to do with how the Blackberry sends this information to the boards that cause it to come out with the funky giberish instead of the actual Russian letters.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com - 09-15-08, 10:24 PMMathrin
Edit: testing there is a russian(english) and a russian(russian) I was trying both ways, but comes out with gibberish when sent to board. Looks pretty on the Curve and the predictive text is a lifesaver. :)