[jhilgeman]

Okay, so I've had it with my current phone (Samsung SCH-i760). The thing freezes all the time, has poor battery life, and sometimes has a life of its own (setting alarms randomly). Complained to Verizon and the guy I talked to said to check out Blackberry phones and that the people here could probably answer my technical questions better, soo....

Here's what I use my current phone for (besides calls):

1. E-mail - I have ActiveSync wirelessly syncing with our Exchange server to get my work e-mail on my phone.

2. Web browsing - I use Skyfire, since it seems to be the only decent browser on Windows Mobile.

3. Terminal Services - I sometimes need to log into a server via Remote Desktop / Terminal Services, so I just load up the data connection from wherever and remotely control the server.

4. Text Messaging - pretty basic. I don't do a lot of this.

5. Impromptu modem - if I'm driving around with my laptop and need an immediate internet connection on it, I can plug my phone into a USB port via a data cable, and use the phone's data plan / broadband connection.

6. Games - When I just need to break some bubbles or play Sudoku. nothing major.

7. Minor programming - I occasionally tinker with the .Net Compact Framework and create small apps here and there - nothing of importance, but it's nice to have the ability to create custom apps for my phone and download/install others without being limited to some "Verizon App Store" or something.

So my question is - will most Blackberry devices do these things right out of the box (or else with a couple free apps)? VZW has the Storm 9530, Curve 8330, and Pearl 8130, and it's hard to find reliable information on these devices. I'm not sure which ones will do everything I currently do (or at least most of them). Any cons/pros I should know about?

Thanks in advance!

[elvin1983]

Ok, here's my 2 cents, for what it's worth!

1. If you have an Exchange server, you're going to want to use your BB with BES service, which will "push" e-mails directly to your BB (it's what BB is famous for, as I'm sure you already know!)

2. Here you have a few options. The BB browser is what I use and it works fine for me, but many people on here like Opera Mini, and have good things to say about it. With the trackball, navigation is quite easy and somewhat similar to a desktop interface!

3. I believe it can be done, but I know nothing about this, sorry!

4. Like you said, pretty basic, I find it easy on my curve...

5. Definately possible, many people on here do this, however, I am not one of them, and I don't know how to either, sorry again!

6. Brickbreaker, which is pre-loaded on all BB's, is crazy addicting, easy to burn time with this game. There are other free ones out there too.

7. There are loads of free, highly useful BB apps out there that can do any number of tasks. I would post a link on here if I wasn't on my BB, but you can do a quick search on here for free apps and you'll find a bunch of links.

I suggest you go to VZW and test out all 3 of the BB devices they offer, but in my opinion, the Curve is the best all around choice. Physical QWERTY keyboard, more memory than the Pearl. The Storm is cool, no doubt of that, but the touchscreen turns me away! Remember also, Verizon let's you do a 30 day test drive, su take advantage of that! I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Good luck with your decision, and welcome to CrackBerry!!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Golf-Tech]

Everything elvin1983 said! I think the curve ROCKS!!!!

[jhilgeman]

Nice! Thanks for the quick reply - 1 more quick question. Do you know what language(s) are used to create BB apps? Is it C++, some .NET framework, something proprietary?

[jhilgeman]

Hmmm - noticed that BES pricing seems to start at $3k a year, which might not be approved if I'm the only one using the service. Does the BB do "pull" style e-mail from Exchange?

[Jim from NW Pa]

No idea on the pull... I am new to this as well.

But maybe you could get a group of coworkers together that all want to switch and go to the boss about bes. You can't be the only one seeing the blackberry light

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jhilgeman]

Found this:
h t t p : / / na.blackberry.com/eng/services/server/offers/professional_express.jsp#tab_tab_overview

I guess there's now a version of BES that's for small-to-medium businesses and it has 1 free user license. Perfect! They didn't make it easy to find, though.

Now, hopefully VZW doesn't give me any grief about test-driving the 8330 curve. Thanks again for all the advice!

[cjmac]

I have a Pearl and love it...

Maybe this could help your decision:

Lecture 3: How to Choose the Right BlackBerry for You! | CrackBerry.com