Going without a PLAN

The Curve is a beauty of a handheld computer, a jewel like marvel of electronics and craftsmanship. I fell in lust with the prospect of using a WiFi connected, always on, always listening for News, always ready to answer any questions that comes to mind while doing my normal chores.

None of the Canadian carriers have elected to support the 8320, but there are supplies of T-Mobile devices on the auction sites. After haunting the auctions for a bit, scored my own jewel for $335 +sh. It is locked to T-Mobile and does not have a SIM card, but it connected to my router on the first try and has been rock solid within my hot spot.

My initial disappointment, when I realized none of the IM+ clients, including Skype, would run without a wireless network vanished when I discovered iGoogle and Gmail. Very cool stuff, Google provides the proxy filters to make News reading practical by stripping out the "baggage". Of course, that includes all the advertising they make their living out of, but I am sure there is a master plan at work. ;)

A Blackberry without BIS? No Crack. :rolleyes:

A Blackberry without voice? No call interruptions. ;)

Only works in WiFi hot spots? Linksys repeaters, shape your own hot spot. :cool:

Setting the Home page to iGoogle makes getting a refresh as simple as hitting the H key. Any new messages, News alerts, Weather alerts happen in seconds.

Some things are still a little rough around the edges. Google know my location is in Canada, but serves me Weather in degrees Fahrenheit. We switched a generation ago, most of our kids know feet, inches and Fahrenheit from the history books.

However ...

Would it have been too much to ask for a simple Notepad application?

The native apps keep their data in the device memory. There is no way to open and edit a simple text document on the SD Micro chip.

The Desktop Device Manager is excellent, I keep finding new levels of sophistication like the built in Sound editing.

Media application to die for.... take that iPhone.

Google to the rescue, again. I need a minimal note taking function and found just that with Google Note. No need to concern myself with note space, Google has plenty to spare and I know I can count on them for a good search algorithm.

The look and feel are severely Spartan. I would certainly appreciate that when paying $12/Mb for data. Just opening Wikipedia must be a hundred Kb, easy.

I,m currently running my 8320 SIM-less as I wait for an unlock code to fall in my lap. The Wi-Fi functionality and my USB/Outlook updates make it a viable option and competition for my laptop. Currently enjoying new ways of figuring out functionality.

-Eric
~posted via crackberry~

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

The wapforum works great too.

I did some wardriving, actually, it was dog walking, an verified my signal strength around the 'hood. Excellent range, over 150 M range when there are no obstructions. Steel roofs do cast a shadow, resulting in signel loss.

...This is my brain on Crackberry...

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Nice job on the wapforum site, the future is looking very friendly for Blackberry and other mobile devices. Ya caught the wave...

I was pleasantly surprised to discover how many of my neighbours have open connections. Got them logged and I will bring it up with them when we have a chance to chat. It looks like we have the making of a community hotspot with multiple overlapping routers.

Some are WAP, like mine is configured, but most are default Linksys open connections.

I am thinking, the owners of the open routers will appreciate the heads up and perhaps a hand with the configuration. If we all use the same WAP pass phrase, a mobile owner can wander the 'hood and stay connected. Guests would be invited to use the 'hood network, encouraging more of them to buy Blackberrys.

My quest to find a Notepad has turned up Mark Rejhon's QuickNote application.

It took a bit of experimenting, the file is tiny, only 602 bytes, but you can not just download it and install it with the Blackberry Desktop Manager. The file is a JAD type, an OTA download. BDM refuses to see it or have anything to do with it.

Simple enough, navigate to the files destination address and it installed over the 'net.

I asked for simple, it is note pad plain and simple. There is no save function, when you close it, puff....

However, it does support copy and paste commands. Notes can be selected and copied to Memo or other apps.

Unfortunately, that means exiting QuickNote and opening the target app, it does not support application switching.

At 602 bytes, this is a keeper.

I have discovered, pre-Curve/Pearl/World Phone models had no SD memory support. It has no function in a wireless network built on dispatching packets to server.

Only the media apps have access to SD memory, for now.

Midlets are the tiny applications written for tiny cell phone displays. Some of them work on the Curve, some just produce an error message.

Now I have a Minesweeper, 'till something better comes along.

Blueapple.mobi serves up my favorite YouTube videos, a trick YouTube has not mastered.

Turns out, there is a save to media card option, that could be handy when out of wifi range.

They say it's better when you win it, well I have just scored a great deal on a Linksys repeater. This will sit near the edge of my current hotspot and repeat the signal over the area currently shaded by steel roofs.

It is getting a good work out, every time RIM drops in price faster then the TSX average, my financial institution sends warning email.... every time I turn around on Friday, down again. No worries, I have still made a pot of cash betting on RIM. :D