[justageek#CB]

ok BB-fiends, I need some non-opinionated advice. Please read all of this before bashing me (if you have finished reading and still feel like bashing me then that is your prerogative )
I have loved BB since before I got my curve when they first came out. I lusted after them and have always considered them the pinnacle of smartphone-dom. That being said, I have been having some issues with my curve since I first got it and no amount of OS upgrades have helped. I even replaced it with a new unit shortly after the problem began, thinking erroneously that the hardware was the problem. nope. the problem is that when I try to use it, it will lock up randomly. I have not been able to identify a specific program or process that is causing it. Even when I optimize the OS to only load bare bone essentials it still does it. I get the damnable "busy" hourglass thing for anywhere from a few seconds to the amount of time it takes to deplete my battery (no I'm not exaggerating) It takes me an average of 5-10 seconds to take a picture. and then another 5-10 to take another. I will go to show someone how cool something is only to have to tell them to "hang on" while it sits and does whatever it is doing.
Frustrating!
here comes the part where you want to bash me....
So for my Wife's birthday I got her an iPhone yeah I know.
I figured that since she is very non-geeky she would get along with it much better than a BB. and I was right.
what I had not anticipated was the fact that... I really like it too....
I know.. I know... "traiter"
here's the thing though...
it.just.works.
I know, I know, I know.
but she can take 10 pictures in the time it takes me to do 1
she has 3g and I'm on EDGE
she has wireless... I don't
her phone has yet to need a "reset" mine gets reset about 4x a day or more.
I am not on BES and I don't need corporate functionality
and here's the kicker.
my price on a BOLD: $349 (after 100 rebate card that takes 6 wks to get)
my price on an iPhone: $99 (thats a refurb but even a new 3gs is $199)
and I am a cheap guy (mostly because I am poor)

so what do I do? I LOVE BB. I love RIM as a company and I am not a fan of Apple but I don't see a way to get a good BB on AT&T that will do what the iPhone does at a fraction of the cost.

I.have.guilt.

so I am putting myself out here for you to demolish and heckle. but I would also hope for some constructive, informative advice.

Let the games begin!

[fletch77]

I just switched from an iphone back to a BB Curve. I had the iphone for almost 2 years. It worked great. I liked it, but for my needs now the BB is better. If you like it, it's cheaper, and it works for you get it. Who cares what anyone else thinks.

[jamesshuford]

Don't do it!!! Once an addict always an addict

While the cost is less for the iphew at this time, you will always want to undo your decision and by then it'll be too late!

[Snarfler]

<insert bash here>

Someone will come along and help you figure out how to get your BB to stop acting abnormally. That's the low cost option

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[hootyhoo]

Risking giving advice to a possible troll , have you tried running your phone with out the sd card? Those are the symptoms of corrupted files.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[justageek#CB]

@hootyhoo

Risking giving advice to a possible troll

Wow... Troll huh? I must say that is one way to help me decide. not sure why you jumped to the conclusion that I am a 'troll' because I don't post often? because I have been a forum member for a year? interesting... to answer your question, I have run without an sd card with no appreciable difference.

@snarfler
That has been the hope but I am thoroughly frustrated with this phone from the get go and through several OS's and countless wipe/install's ME = wits end

@Jamesshuford
I could not agree more. I love BB and RIM but there is little BB love on AT&T. I will regret switching just as much as I regret selling my first Jeep... *sigh*

@fletch77
thanks for the advice. I am in exactly the opposite situation where I like my BB but I don't need the features. thanks for being unbiased.

[joe.kent]

I have a Blackberry BOLD, and I have a iPod Touch 16GB. My wife has an iPhone 3G, and my BOLD will run circles around her iPhone....EVERYDAY!!!! The funny thing earlier this evening, I took a picture, with FLASH, and sent it to her via MMS. Then I sent it to 3 of my friends on BBM and they all got it and replied before she even got it. I think if you are happy with your BB, you will truly miss it.

[justageek#CB]

@joe.kent
you bring up a good point, although as I mentioned above, the BOLD is too expensive for me. but the point you make is that the BBM works so well. I never use the BBM. I have no contacts. I don't have friends with BB's. yet another feature of the phone I don't utilize.

[cadzilla74]

You asked a decent question ...

It sounds like you don't really have the need for all the BB functionality to justify the cost of a tricked out BB. You might actually enjoy playing iPhones with the wife as well. If you are in an area where you are not suffering fom AT&T's lousy network it makes sense for you to make the jump.

If it isn't a good deal for you after a while and you start missing the BB come around once in a while and see what's new. Unless your company shoves a phone down your throat I believe you are still free to make personal choices ... even here ... but I could be wrong ... LOL

Good luck to ya ...

[ComfortablyNumb]

First off I'm definitely partial to rim. BUT you can't force a phone on someone. Maybe BB just isn't for you. It doesn't make you a traitor or a bad person, it just means that the iphone may work better for you. I say try it out if it's what you really want. If you don't like it then you can always come back...

[coachcurtisbusse]

Are you a lawyer no matter what anyon writes you have an answer for? LoL you realy want help or a debate. Get what works, get what ya want,

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[clitrenta]

OK. First, if you want to "try" an iPhone then do it. You won't know if it will make you ahppy until you do. Secondly, if you really love BB's, then just spend your money on another one of those. They aren't all $300. Don't let you emotions get the better of you. Go to your carrier and play with both. Your wife's iPhone looks good right now because your phone sucks. I guarantee you if you had my phone (8900) this decision would be much more difficult. Put the phone down and step away. Take 10 breaths and think logically. After that, you can at least say you made an informed decision (even if it turns out to be wrong).

[clitrenta]

@joe.kent
you bring up a good point, although as I mentioned above, the BOLD is too expensive for me. but the point you make is that the BBM works so well. I never use the BBM. I have no contacts. I don't have friends with BB's. yet another feature of the phone I don't utilize.

ok dude, if you get a BB, I"LL be your friend. I need some BBM contacts anyway.

[Reed McLay]

I even replaced it with a new unit shortly after the problem began, thinking erroneously that the hardware was the problem. nope. the problem is that when I try to use it, it will lock up randomly. I have not been able to identify a specific program or process that is causing it. Even when I optimize the OS to only load bare bone essentials it still does it. I get the damnable "busy" hourglass thing for anywhere from a few seconds to the amount of time it takes to deplete my battery (no I'm not exaggerating) ...

That is a hardware symptom, the battery or the internal power supply.

The Curve may not be perfect, but it is dependable. It should go weeks without attention.

[lakergirl23]

Maybe you should try it out but I do think you'll miss the BB

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[1967LS2]

My girls iphone broke the first day out of the box. The screen went black for 2 days straight then magically just started working again. She has terrible service on AT&T, constant dropped calls and I know everyone always says "I have never had one dropped call with my iphone" but I have plenty of friends and family that I call that have the iphone and its always their phones that seem to drop the calls and none of my Verizon friends ever seem to have any issues with this. Call it a coincidence or what ever you want but I think it is obvious what the culprit is. When browsing the web it will just turn off safari over and over again, anytime you need help with it you have to go and make an appointment at the Genius store and half the time they never helped us with anything. Then last night while Im at school she texts me that her phone just died again and she had to go to the Apple store again to get it fixed. They said the phone needed a complete wipe and to reload safari again, but sadly they couldnt do it for her from the store because they said they can't make a back up of all her contacts and what not. For what ever reason I have itunes on my computer but it wont let me access the itunes store. I brought my laptop to the Geniuses and they couldnt figure it out, so we have to go to her moms house and plug her phone into her computer just to perform an update and it looks like we have to go there today to reload safari or whatever to get the d amn thing up and running again. People talk about how seamless the UI is but when i click on messages on her iphone it goes to a blank page for like 5 seconds before it will display anything. I click on messages on my Storm and I'm browsing emails and SMS instantly. Her phone has an extreme lack of service which is the main downfall I see. Next in line to that is the lack of multitasking. We were in the car the other day and she had her phone plugged in listening to pandora. She turns it off and starts screwing with her phone and I'm like why did you turn it off and she said she was text messging. That's lame. I can use Pandora and just switch to messaging someone without turning off pandora or any other application for that matter. Multitasking is a must. I guess it all depends on what you like but for me my Storm has been rock solid and personally with .230 OS it has been sweet. I wouldn't go to an iphone if someone paid me and especially not on the AT&T network. Just my own personal observations take it for what you want but IMO the iphone is lacking way too many features that the BB has. If you do get an iphone good luck and I hope your happy with it.

[clitrenta]

I'm no iPhone fan but as for AT&T, I think it really just matters where you're at. It isn't all that great where I am but I know it's pretty darn good in Chicago. When you get a new cell phone, you REALLY need to ask other people (friends, family, etc.) how their service is because it's different everywhere you go. As for the phone itself, seems like the case with a lot of phones, some people just always seem to have problems and others don't have anything. Now, as for this particular phone, I'd say ditch it because obviously the AT&T service where you live is crappy and the phone itself seems to have issues. This is where doing your homework also pays off. I research phones to death before I buy one and I usually already know which provider works for me.

[anon(51467)]

I second the notion there is a hardware issue, those things don't happen with all manner of OS and apps you put in. Seems odd.

As for the iPhone, I know quite a few people including my sister who have them and love them. I dare say they are a great phone and if you truly do not need the corporate level connections and such that a BB offers, go for the iPhone and enjoy it. It is your money to spend, so try it out. If you don't like it, perhaps you can find someone who does want one and you can sell them the phone and the service and get yourself back into a BB.

At the end of the day, you won't answer to us but rather to yourself. Try out the iPhone or mess with your wife's for a while and then decide.

No harm nor foul if you go there. It ain't worth much, but I'll respect your decision. :-) And I would say, you'll always be welcome here.

[gmkahuna]

I'd be all over my carriers a** about it if I were you. One thing you haven't discussed though...did you possibly get this unit wet at some point? Not saying that's it, but that would help explain quite a bit of the screwy activity and time frames you are seeing. Pull the back cover off and the battery out, there is a plain white sticker inside there. If it is anything but white, you have a moisture problem.

Again not saying thats it, but I'd check that too.

As for what you actually carry with you, that is your business since your the one footing the bill. I've never had an Iphone, have no intentions of getting one, but that does not mean it is a piece of crap.