1. jasonkhowell's Avatar
    Hiya, first time blackberry "owner" here.

    I am kind of what you would call a "phone geek", since I have tried a good majority of the phone OS's out there. I am currently a AT&T iPhone 4 user, but I decided to get a better backup phone then the Samsung Blackjack I have in my closet (Every time I have to use that phone for whatever reason, it is torture).

    Anywho, I guess what I am asking is if there is anything I should get for it, like App World apps or things that might be different for someone who is used to iOS and Android? As far as what I need/do:

    -I am a local computer technician, so email is key to me (I use two gmail accounts, and both need to be on the same time). Browser support not as much, but as long as I can get on the internet and do quick troubleshooting searches, that is fine (Also, any other browsers that might be available?)

    -Basic stuff like Twitter, Facebook, and whatnot, but RSS readers, news apps and a Flashlight app is always great. Also, if there is any Camera or SMS apps that are better then stock, that would be great to know. Basically, recommend some free apps that would be better then stock apps.

    -Any decent accessories I should get? I usually get a screen protector and case, but a good cheap charger cradle would be good to know about (Don't care if it is USB based or not).
    04-15-11 09:04 PM
  2. ElwinAdam#CB's Avatar
    This dosnt answer what your looking for really but just a suggestion, os 6 which is the new os for recent blackberrys has been put on the bold 9000 which is a miracle since it wasn't supposed to run that or at least wasn't expected too...if you go on driphter.com you could find it..
    04-15-11 10:27 PM
  3. neegro's Avatar
    Bold 9000 is a great backup, but it has a relatively low app memory, so I recommend a daily reboot, as for browsers, there's opera, bolt and uzard, opera is the fastest but the stock one isn't bad, about the basic stuff you mentioned you're covered. I recommend downloading the restartme app so you don't have to deal with battery pulls, and quicklaunch. Email, you know blackberry is king (for now), get an extra battery if you spend too much time away from the charger.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-15-11 10:28 PM
  4. jasonkhowell's Avatar
    This dosnt answer what your looking for really but just a suggestion, os 6 which is the new os for recent blackberrys has been put on the bold 9000 which is a miracle since it wasn't supposed to run that or at least wasn't expected too...if you go on driphter.com you could find it..
    How reliable is it? It sounds similar to putting a higher build Android ROM on a phone that can't handle it and slows everything down, but if its usable I would not mind trying.

    Bold 9000 is a great backup, but it has a relatively low app memory, so I recommend a daily reboot, as for browsers, there's opera, bolt and uzard, opera is the fastest but the stock one isn't bad, about the basic stuff you mentioned you're covered. I recommend downloading the restartme app so you don't have to deal with battery pulls, and quicklaunch. Email, you know blackberry is king (for now), get an extra battery if you spend too much time away from the charger.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Thanks, I will defiantly look into restartme and quicklanch when it comes in. I usually have a car charger, but how long does the battery last on average on a full charge? I usually like to dim the screen a little bit to conserve and turn bluetooth off, but use a wi-fi signal pretty regularly.
    04-16-11 08:58 AM
  5. StAiChiLLiN's Avatar
    The Bold 9000 is a great device. I could bang out messages left and right on the thing. I don't really use much apps on the thing. I find everything on the phone just fine.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-16-11 09:22 AM
  6. ElwinAdam#CB's Avatar
    How reliable is it? It sounds similar to putting a higher build Android ROM on a phone that can't handle it and slows everything down, but if its usable I would not mind trying.

    See that i couldn't tell you. But if you go over to Driphter.com maybe check out some reviews..But yeah i guess your right since it wasn't expected to work on the 9000. But its a big deal that it does
    04-16-11 12:40 PM
  7. neegro's Avatar
    The battery on the bold is not bad, but its not OMG either, that's why I recomended the extra battery, though I'm planing to get this portable charger for mine so I can give it heavier use

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-16-11 07:55 PM
  8. techjunkieforlife's Avatar
    As for battery it was only rated for around 4.6hrs of talk from new so its not great for a Blackberry but Ok. I would just stick with the lastest build of OS5 and only use the apps you need, nothing more. Only use the stock theme as most others drain memory like crazy but get the app world for what you need. Chat apps are some of the largest so only install the ones you use.

    The charging cradle is nice, makes the phone a decent alarm clock as the speakers are loud! Its my backup and sits in the cradle on my nightstand most of the time just showing the time. No email and Blackberry app data thou unless you have the SIM in, most non Blackberry apps work over WiFi without a SIM Ok.
    04-16-11 09:36 PM
  9. jinxednuance's Avatar
    If you don't mind running OS5 and you're OK with the memory, then that's probably the best phone you can ever get.

    Of course, as soon as it's newer generation comes out, 9900, then that's a complete different story...
    04-17-11 08:58 AM
  10. anon(1308230)'s Avatar
    Compared to the specs of the devices [to be] released this year, it's not a super-amazing phone, but when it came out, it was the creme de la creme, and it still has many features that are superior to the current phones (like the superior sound quality from three speakers, great screen resolution and size, and in my opinion, the best keyboard of any Blackberry ever manufactured.)

    I had 3 of these devices- I even downgraded from a 9700 to a 9000 once. The only thing I should note is that these phones are notorious for speaker problems- all three of my Bolds had this problem, and three people I know also had it happen; you'll notice suddenly that your ringer is getting progressively quieter, until it gives up completely and you have no ringtone/have to rely on vibrate for notification of incoming calls.

    There are fixes, but they will void your warranty. Here is a list of helpful threads on the topic, should you need to come back to it:
    bold 9000 speaker fix - Google Search

    Otherwise, it's a sturdy phone, I have nothing bad to say about it. Your trackball may get a little fussy if your hands were sticky, but the circular chrome piece around it pops out easily for cleaning. Enjoy it, it's a great phone
    04-17-11 09:09 AM
  11. jasonkhowell's Avatar
    As for battery it was only rated for around 4.6hrs of talk from new so its not great for a Blackberry but Ok. I would just stick with the lastest build of OS5 and only use the apps you need, nothing more. Only use the stock theme as most others drain memory like crazy but get the app world for what you need. Chat apps are some of the largest so only install the ones you use.

    The charging cradle is nice, makes the phone a decent alarm clock as the speakers are loud! Its my backup and sits in the cradle on my nightstand most of the time just showing the time. No email and Blackberry app data thou unless you have the SIM in, most non Blackberry apps work over WiFi without a SIM Ok.
    I an guessing there is no way to boot apps from the memory card, such as hacks or whatnot? That is fine, since at most I will need Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Instant Messenger, something like CNN, and ebay/paypal as apps.

    Also, as far as the cradle, I am looking at the "BlackBerry Charging Pod" on Amazon. Does that seem like a OK one to get? Since the blackberry will be backup most of the time, I was kind of hoping I could at least get my Gmail and whatnot via Wi-Fi if needed.


    If you don't mind running OS5 and you're OK with the memory, then that's probably the best phone you can ever get.

    Of course, as soon as it's newer generation comes out, 9900, then that's a complete different story...
    That is fine, since I basically need it as a quick replacement phone during the periods where I might not have my iPhone 4 or just on random days when I want to play around with it. Once the torch starts going down in price (in like 2 years), I might look at that as a second phone/replacement phone.

    Compared to the specs of the devices [to be] released this year, it's not a super-amazing phone, but when it came out, it was the creme de la creme, and it still has many features that are superior to the current phones (like the superior sound quality from three speakers, great screen resolution and size, and in my opinion, the best keyboard of any Blackberry ever manufactured.)

    I had 3 of these devices- I even downgraded from a 9700 to a 9000 once. The only thing I should note is that these phones are notorious for speaker problems- all three of my Bolds had this problem, and three people I know also had it happen; you'll notice suddenly that your ringer is getting progressively quieter, until it gives up completely and you have no ringtone/have to rely on vibrate for notification of incoming calls.

    There are fixes, but they will void your warranty. Here is a list of helpful threads on the topic, should you need to come back to it:

    Otherwise, it's a sturdy phone, I have nothing bad to say about it. Your trackball may get a little fussy if your hands were sticky, but the circular chrome piece around it pops out easily for cleaning. Enjoy it, it's a great phone
    Yeah, it seems like a really decent backup phone that isn't crap like some of those flip phones, and better then my old Blackjack which was near tortuous to use every time I had to use it. I will keep the speaker problem in mind, and thanks for letting me know about it.
    04-17-11 11:50 AM
  12. scubadaddy's Avatar
    I'm using this phone as my primary and I love it. Wish I could have a trackpad on it instead of the ball, I like the extra size and weight the phone has over the curve and the newer Bold 9XXX series.

    +1 on the low app memory though, it doesn't take much to fill it up.
    04-17-11 12:07 PM
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