[susanswan]

I am considering taking the leap from a regular cell phone to a blackberry/smartphone. I am a "travelling" medical professional - so am off site most of the time, and carry around a PDA with medical software on it so I can look things up when not in the office. It died. So instead of carrying around a cell and pda, thought I would combine functions. I do a little bit of texting, am not that particularly interested in checking my emails, although that may change. I want a phone that will handle the software, I will be able to see the screen, and it won't be obsolete tomorrow, but doesn't have to be particularly social networking friendly. Any recommendations on a model would be appreciated.

[Reed McLay]

Free medical PDA software: Epocrates Rx for BlackBerry

Epocrates is likely your first choice in software.

A couple years ago, it was a challenge making it run on a BlackBerry, but the current generation, with 256Mb or more allow plenty of space to use it effectively.

The choices are between a touch screen interface or a keyboard, or both.

I would be inclined to choose a Bold for the high quality keyboard and high res display.

[susanswan]

The phone company is offering me a blackberry Curve 8530. When I just checked online it says that it doesn't have a memory card option. Is this true.

[Reed McLay]

BlackBerry - Curve 8530 Specifications - New BlackBerry Curve 2 Specs

256MB Flash Memory
...

No media card provision? Go figure.

[vailjo91]

BOLD 9700 OR 9780 OR TORCH 9800 WOULD BE MY HONEST SUGGESTIONS FOR YOU. They are some of the best phones avaliable and would be ablee to hanlde the medical software well.

[Heavy Fluid]

8530 does have memory card support. If you are offered an 8530, you are with a CDMA provider, so the 9700/9780/9800 will not work for you. What provider is this with?n That will help narrow it down.

The medical app will need to be on the phone, not the memory card. I think I can see where this is going.

[susanswan]

I am in Canada, the wireless company making the offer if Fido. What the heck is CDMA? And what do you mean by on the phone versus on the memory card. Sorry, I'm a dunce

[Heavy Fluid]

The app has to be on the phone, not the memory card. Once installed, it uses phone memory, not memory card memory, so you want a phone with more internal memory. If you truly are offered the 8530, that is a CDMA device, meaning it does not take a SIM card. I am not up on my Canadian carriers, but I believe that FIDO is a CDMA network. Don't mark my words on that though.

[persimmons91]

fido is actually part of rogers which uses gsm. all its blackberries will have sim cards

[Heavy Fluid]

fido is actually part of rogers which uses gsm. all its blackberries will have sim cards

So how does the 8530 fit into this, since it is a CDMA device?

[avt123]

You are better off with the iPhone, I wouldn't take the company offer. I would buy my own device if that's the best they will give you. The screen is bigger and a higher resolution so reading and viewing things will be much better on the iPhone than the 8530. Also, I believe the iPhone has the best selection of medical apps. All my doctors use them along with iPads.

The 8530 is already obsolete. I believe there is a newer Curve out. Not much of an upgrade anyways.

[susanswan]

I like the idea of an iphone on certain levels - I would not only be combining the cell phone and palm pilot, but the ipod too. But I have experience with an LG eve and I find using a screen versus a keypad really annoying - on tv it always show people adeptly moving their hands across the screen to scroll. Doesn't work for me. I press "r" and get "t", I press one icon and another program opens up. Will the iphone be that finicky?

[Heavy Fluid]

With any touchscreen, you run the risk of not technically hitting the right key. You will not experience that on a full QWERTY keypad, like a BlackBerry. If you stick with a BlackBerry, I would see about getting one with a bigger screen, depending on what devices are offered, and if your employer will pay for that.

[Rootbrian]

Android seems to be very social networking friendly, blackberry half that and has brilliant push e-mail, iphone, don't know about that. Windows mobile/phone 7 (windows mobile/ce 6.8) is very business centric (once you remove the social crap from it), since it has office on it, and adobe pdf viewer (correct me if I'm wrong).

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[MaxProfit]

Sounds like you need the Bold 9700 or the Torch. If you really want a big screen go torch. If you want the most reliable BB go bold. If Price is involved you might wanna look at the curve series but I don't know much about the curve.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Heavy Fluid]

I would suggest Torch in this case. Big screen, yet has the convenience of a physical QWERTY keypad. The only thing I don't like about the Torch is the slider. It needs some work in my opinion.

[Rodo]

One other thing to consider is the reception in your facility. I know that in one of the city hospital (the largest) in my city, only one carrier works consistently. It may be a function of the building(s). lead shielding etc but it might help to check with other med professionals as to what carrier they have.

[avt123]

I like the idea of an iphone on certain levels - I would not only be combining the cell phone and palm pilot, but the ipod too. But I have experience with an LG eve and I find using a screen versus a keypad really annoying - on tv it always show people adeptly moving their hands across the screen to scroll. Doesn't work for me. I press "r" and get "t", I press one icon and another program opens up. Will the iphone be that finicky?

The iPhones touchscreen is very accurate. If you are afraid you are going to be hitting the wrong buttons, an Android device may be better for you due to the screen size on some models being much larger. I can tell you this though, all the doctors I know (and I know a decent amount) have iPhones, iPads and Android devices. They all use to own BBs. The touchscreens are bigger, display information much better and clearer and they have better medical apps (from what I hear).

You can also pinch to zoom on these devices so touch accuracy is increased.

[qbnkelt]

My pediatrician just returned his iPhone. Too "temperamental" as he called it.
He's got a 9780.

[pkcable]

Fido's choices appear to be VERY limited, for Blackberry, your only 2 choices are the 8520, or the 8100. The 8520 is the 1 you want out of those two, BUT there are MUCH better BBs out there if you can switch to Rodgers, Bell or Telus. For example the Bold series, 9700, 9780, and the Torch 9800, are MUCH better devices.