Thank you all, I got my 1st BB! Now some nagging Questions!

Thank you to everybody who helped me choose between the 9000 and 9700 as my first ever blackberry! I chose the 9700 and coming from an iphone I am pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoy the phone. I would say I like them equally, for different reasons, although the BB is fresh right now so I prefer it and am glad I made the change.

I was in the store for a few hours trying to decide between the two. In the end I really like how smooth the 9700 is and it seems like a super solid device for the most part. ALTHOUGH, every time I look at it I wish I was looking at the 9000, maybe this will change, but I am still considering exchanging within my 30 days. A friend of mine has the 9000 and we may trade sim cards for a few days so I can really get a feel for both and make my final decision. Unfortunately I am a little tight on cash and a $35 restocking fee would be a bummer.

Moving right along, I am trying to get the hang of this thing but have some questions that need answering, if you all would be so kind.

1. I was at the mall and could barely hear my phone ringing in my pocket, and the volume is fully turned up, is this normal?
2. There seems to be a tad bit of light coming out between the bottom of the screen and the function keys/trackball. Is this normal?
3. what is the difference between the messages icon and SMS/MMS icon?
4. Is there a way to change the keys I use to unlock the phone?
5. I bought the att gel case for my phone. I wanted the blackberry brand but they didn't carry it. Was this a wise decision or is the BB band case superior? He also said there is no need for a plastic shield over the screen because they dont scratch so easily.
6. My trackpad has some give, I understand this is to be expected, correct?
7. Can I set the phone to ring AND vibrate?
8. While I thought all of the apps on this phone would be preloaded, it seems that when I click them I have to download every single one. Whats the deal?
9. I am trying to download the enhanced gmail plug in and I am being turned in circles. Every time I download it it says that something with a similar name already exists and will be overwritten with the new one and I press ok, it downloads and brings me back to the first download screen. I exit and try to open gmail and it does the same thing.
10. Can anybody give me some good starter tips concerning customization, things I should download right away (apps, programs, themes, plug ins etc) and some good web sites for these things.
11. It seems like most peoples blackberry plans have unlimited texting...so whats the big deal about BBM? I know it has cool chat room functionalities and stuff, but people talk about how they can talk to fellow BB users for free, well cant they just text with their unlimited texting?

Thats a lot of questions, and Ill be grateful for any and all that are answered, and Im sure more will people up. Thank you all again for the help!

I'm sure Ill think up some more questions, but that should do for now.

You really look through the "options", look at the "profiles" section and maybe even read the manual :)

I plan to, but first hand user experience is always better for suggestions. Especially as far as third party apps and phone malfunctions I don't think the manual will touch on either of those.

My thumbs are going to hurt after this. =/

1) You may want to download a program called Audacity to create your own ringtones & amplify the volume. I've noticed that most of the stock ones are pretty quiet even when turned all the way up.

2) Light bleed appears to be a common issue with the new 9700. If you check out the 9700 forum you'll find several threads on the topic.

3) The SMS/MMS folder only shows your SMS & MMS messages. The messages folder can be filtered to show all of your messages (emails, sms/mms, bbm, pin messages, etc) or only emails, pins, & bbm. You can configure this by going to Messages > Menu Key > Options > General Options > SMS and Email Inboxes.

4) The standard is * and the send key. You can also use the lock button on top of the phone. These cannot be changed.

5) When it comes to cases it is a matter of personal preference. I rarely use a case on my phone, but when I do it is normally an Epik case or the OEM holster that came with my phone. I have been told that as well about the screens but I still put a protector on it just to be safe.

6) This is another subject that you can find numerous threads in the 9700 forum about. Some say it shouldn't, some say it should. Honestly, my trackpad moves a tiny bit too but it feels like it is just normal movement. If the trackpad movement (or light bleed) bothers you, I suggest taking the phone back before your 14/30 day grace period is up to get a new device. Just remember that you could be exchanging a phone that has those issues for one that could very possibly have other problems.

7) Yes, with a third party application you will be able to. BuzzMe is a free option that you can try. I use an app called BerryBuzz for vib & ring, however it offers customizable LED colors also, and is not free. There is a 7 day trial for it though if you want to check it out before purchasing.

8) All carrier's do this. They are pushed to your phone through the service books & you have to download them yourself. Most of those icons end up being hidden by BlackBerry users and completely forgotten about.

9) I don't use gmail so I'm not sure how to help with this one.

10) Check out the 3rd party forum (there is a thread at the top with a list of a bunch of free apps) & the 9700 theme forum for apps & themes. A few apps I use regularly are BerryBuzz, BerryWeather, Google Maps, Facebook, Zonasnap (for taking screenshots of your phone), Apps are another thing that personal preference plays a big role in. What one person likes someone else may not.

11. They could, but one advantage to using BBM is that you do not have to give your phone number out to people to talk over it. PINs are device specific so a person would only be able to contact you as long as you are using that device. Also, the new BBM (5.0.0.33) allows you to block people from adding you again after you have deleted them.

Hope this helps some!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Originally Posted by KasiCatastrophe

My thumbs are going to hurt after this. =/

1) You may want to download a program called Audacity to create your own ringtones & amplify the volume. I've noticed that most of the stock ones are pretty quiet even when turned all the way up.

2) Light bleed appears to be a common issue with the new 9700. If you check out the 9700 forum you'll find several threads on the topic.

3) The SMS/MMS folder only shows your SMS & MMS messages. The messages folder can be filtered to show all of your messages (emails, sms/mms, bbm, pin messages, etc) or only emails, pins, & bbm. You can configure this by going to Messages > Menu Key > Options > General Options > SMS and Email Inboxes.

4) The standard is * and the send key. You can also use the lock button on top of the phone. These cannot be changed.

5) When it comes to cases it is a matter of personal preference. I rarely use a case on my phone, but when I do it is normally an Epik case or the OEM holster that came with my phone. I have been told that as well about the screens but I still put a protector on it just to be safe.

6) This is another subject that you can find numerous threads in the 9700 forum about. Some say it shouldn't, some say it should. Honestly, my trackpad moves a tiny bit too but it feels like it is just normal movement. If the trackpad movement (or light bleed) bothers you, I suggest taking the phone back before your 14/30 day grace period is up to get a new device. Just remember that you could be exchanging a phone that has those issues for one that could very possibly have other problems.

7) Yes, with a third party application you will be able to. BuzzMe is a free option that you can try. I use an app called BerryBuzz for vib & ring, however it offers customizable LED colors also, and is not free. There is a 7 day trial for it though if you want to check it out before purchasing.

8) All carrier's do this. They are pushed to your phone through the service books & you have to download them yourself. Most of those icons end up being hidden by BlackBerry users and completely forgotten about.

9) I don't use gmail so I'm not sure how to help with this one.

10) Check out the 3rd party forum (there is a thread at the top with a list of a bunch of free apps) & the 9700 theme forum for apps & themes. A few apps I use regularly are BerryBuzz, BerryWeather, Google Maps, Facebook, Zonasnap (for taking screenshots of your phone), Apps are another thing that personal preference plays a big role in. What one person likes someone else may not.

11. They could, but one advantage to using BBM is that you do not have to give your phone number out to people to talk over it. PINs are device specific so a person would only be able to contact you as long as you are using that device. Also, the new BBM (5.0.0.33) allows you to block people from adding you again after you have deleted them.

Hope this helps some!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Geez, you posted all that from your phone! This was all very helpful, thank you so much! So im guessing you like your 9700?

Originally Posted by Ozreth

Geez, you posted all that from your phone! This was all very helpful, thank you so much! So im guessing you like your 9700?

I did. :o

I am loving it. Upgraded from an 8320 and it is like night and day. This phone is the best one I've had in a long time.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Another tip for themes, many of the 8900 & 9630 themes will work on the 9700. As long as it says that the theme is compatible with 5.0, it will work.

I also forgot to mention that as well as checking out the 3rd party theme forum, you may want to check out the Crackberry App Store. There are tons of apps out there for BlackBerry phones that do a number of different things.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Originally Posted by Ozreth

Geez, you posted all that from your phone! This was all very helpful, thank you so much! So im guessing you like your 9700?

WOW! that shows how dedicated the bb community is to one another! great job on answering his questions.

One thing you may find is that if you carry your BB in your pocket, you might want to turn on vibrate (Options > Sounds and Ring Tones). That way, you should feel it vibrate in your pocket when you can't hear it.

I haven't tried it, but wasn't 5.0 supposed to add vibe + ring at the same time?

^^^ Seconded - I have a Storm2 but I have the same complaint. I use the vibrate then ring feature (there is also a vibrate and ring feature) I find the ringer is not always loud enough and vibrate is not always strong enough, but combining the two is enough that I don't upset my officemates, and I can still get my calls when I am carrying the phone while out and about.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I have found that the vibe on the 9700 vibes REALLY well. Better than any phone I have ever used. IMO of course.

Originally Posted by Xopher

One thing you may find is that if you carry your BB in your pocket, you might want to turn on vibrate (Options > Sounds and Ring Tones). That way, you should feel it vibrate in your pocket when you can't hear it.

I haven't tried it, but wasn't 5.0 supposed to add vibe + ring at the same time?

Also, try setting your profile to a higher setting, like from "normal" to "medium" or "loud". I've noticed that this makes a drastic change in volume. For instance, I usually run in normal setting, where my message ringers are all set at volume level 3, but when I change it to Medium or Loud, they sure get louder! Have you tried that?

Using profiles was something that took a little getting used to for me...