[Rockdog97]

to a new BB 9000 once it gets released. I'm a current Treo 650 user and my wife is a new Tilt user (w/WndowsMobile)..

I have some general questions, mainly about the email and calendar aspects of the BBs.

I hear all this talk about Gmail, yahoo mail, and "push" this and "push" that, but I guess I just dont understand it all.

I currently have my home internet through Surewest in California. i have two surewest email accounts that I use. My use for the BB will be personal, not business, so I dont need to worry about work email or IT issues.

Can I set up the BB to check my home email through the surewest pop3 server? Can I use the [email protected] email name through the BB or do I have to use some Gmail, Yahoo or blackberry email address?

As for email programs, I recently converted by home laptop to a Vista machine, and that OS uses the new Microsoft Mail program, instead of Outlook Express. I like the Microsoft mail program, but will this work with the BOLD OS? And what is this Google Sync or Google Calendar all about?

If not, do I need to use another desktop email program on my laptop? Do i need to buy a copy of Outlook to use as my email program since I currently dont have a copy of Outlook on my laptop?

Does the BB desktop program have a calendar function built in (like the Palm Desktop program does)? does it have an email program built in? What desktop calendar program are you all using?

Sorry for all the newbie questions, but these I just cant seem to find a straight answer to. All the topics are pretty generic when it comes to discussing specific email programs.

I have not even purchased a BB yet, but i'm already well on my way to being a damn BB addict!!!

Thanks in advance...

[tcpetersesq]

You do have lots of questions. First, congrats on at least thinking of making the switch to a "real" smartphone.

Quick answers to some of your questions. Push on BB is truly push. No waiting, no questions asked, just performance. That means instantly getting your emails. No, you do not have to go through Yahoo or Gmail, etc. You can configure your own email account to work with your BB. It's a snap to do and you will be up and running in no time.

I don't know much about the microsoft mail program, but I am familiar with outlook. BB can sync directly with outlook - and can even do it wirelessly. It works pretty good. BUT, I happen to use Google Sync because I don't want to be constrained with my outlook program. I keep my entire calendar on google calendar, and then have that sync with my BB integrated calendar. It works very well. However, while the Google Sync is free, it does have some limitations. You can only sync 6 months into the future. Past that, your calendar events won't show up on your BB.

If you want to use both google calendar and outlook, you can do that too (which is what I do since my work uses outlook). Google has a program that can sync your outlook to your google calendar, then you have your google calendar sync with your BB, and voila!

Feel free to ask more. There are no dumb questions here, and there are lots of people who are more than pleased to help!

[loooney2ns]

You can also sync with Yahoo! I would rather sync with a web-based program rather than something like Outlook or Palm Desktop, which I used to use with my many PDA's. Blackberry Desktop Manager will allow you to use their "Switch Device Wizard" to transfer to your new BB. It's pretty easy to do and you won't have to retype everything. I think you will find the Bold to your liking. I really like the OS and I was a die-hard Palm user. The only thing I miss is the screen on my Sony Clie TH-55 and using Graffiti for data entry. Welcome aboard!!

[Username5300]

Never used any palm devices or WM devices so I don't know much about that. I do know that I have been using BB many many years now and always seem to improve on their systems.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Rockdog97]

You can also sync with Yahoo! I would rather sync with a web-based program rather than something like Outlook or Palm Desktop, which I used to use with my many PDA's. Blackberry Desktop Manager will allow you to use their "Switch Device Wizard" to transfer to your new BB. It's pretty easy to do and you won't have to retype everything. I think you will find the Bold to your liking. I really like the OS and I was a die-hard Palm user. The only thing I miss is the screen on my Sony Clie TH-55 and using Graffiti for data entry. Welcome aboard!!

Thanks for the information. Why do you prefer to sync with a web-based program instead?

Here is what I think my usage will be. I dont currently use my Treo for email so this is all new to me. but.. what Id like to do is be able to download, read, edit, etc my home email through my laptop and also be able to do the same via the BB when Im traveling? The question is, what "service" would best allow me to do this? gmail, yahoo? use my own surewest account and set up as a POP server and sync with the BB and my laptop? can i sync my Vista OS Microsoft Mail with google sync?

sorry if Im asking dumb questions.

[tcpetersesq]

Thanks for the information. Why do you prefer to sync with a web-based program instead?

Here is what I think my usage will be. I dont currently use my Treo for email so this is all new to me. but.. what Id like to do is be able to download, read, edit, etc my home email through my laptop and also be able to do the same via the BB when Im traveling? The question is, what "service" would best allow me to do this? gmail, yahoo? use my own surewest account and set up as a POP server and sync with the BB and my laptop? can i sync my Vista OS Microsoft Mail with google sync?

sorry if Im asking dumb questions.

There aren't dumb questions at all... Personally, I tend to prefer syncing with a web-based calendar (as opposed to syncing with outlook). Web-based calendars allow easy access anywhere you have an internet connection. You are therefore not a slave to your desktop wherever your outlook might happen to be stored. There are many such web-based calendars out there - many of which are completely free to use. I happen to use Google Calendar which I think does a great job. But I use it with a slight twist - I sync it with Outlook using a sync application that Google provides for free. Then I use Google Sync which gets installed on the BB, and I'm set. In response to your questions about whether you can sync Vista Microsoft Mail with google sync.... I personally have not tried. But as indicated above, what I have had good success with is syncing Outlook with Google Calendar, which then in turn can sync to your BB.

In terms of what service to use - that's a matter of choice. I have 3 separate pop accounts that receive email on my BB. How do you access your email accounts on your laptop? Through Microsoft Mail? I have an MSN account that I access through an MSN application. My gmail account is accessed via the web. My other email accounts interestingly enough I access only via BB (unless I just HAVE to get the mail via a PC, in which case I use a web-based retrieval such as web2mail).

The short answer is there are many ways you can set this up. Just set up your surewest pop account on your BB, and then you can see all your mail there instantly. Make sure to go to mail/options/email reconciliation to tell BB how you want to handle mail that you review on your BB (i.e., if you delete an email on your BB, you can have that email deleted from your surewest account also). Whatever email account you are going to use, just be sure to set it up on BB so you can access there. (and remember, you can have multiple email accounts set up too).

Hope that helps! Good luck.

[Rockdog97]

Thanks very much. perhaps I'm just making too much out of this.. after all, I've never touched a BB 'cept for in the AT&T store the other day.. but that was enough to convert me to the BOLD once it comes out.

Ok, another question for you related to Contacts. Does the BB support organizing Contacts into different categories (ie, personal, business, clients, etc.)??

[tcpetersesq]

You can create groups, I know that. I've not played with that feature however, so I'm not sure how it works. From what I understand, in theory it's supposed to allow you to organize different contacts into different groups that you can define. I also think you can have the same contact in multiple groups.

[Rockdog97]

Thanks "berry" much.... :-)

[tcpetersesq]

Always glad to help!

[JasonHDD]

The Bold is NOT going to dissappoint you!! And welcome to the family!!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Rockdog97]

I was just too curious...so I downloaded the DM v4.3 just to see what it looked like.. I guess I was hoping that it would be more like the Palm DM, but NOT... Does this program allow you to manage contacts, etc? from the desktop?

all this and I dont even own a B3 (ie BlackBerryBold) yet...

[tcpetersesq]

Does this program allow you to manage contacts, etc? from the desktop?

I don't believe so. At least I've never seen it done, and I've tinkered with it plenty of times.