[idssteve]

Hahaha yeah, the 99 is like the sub-compact model now. I 100% agree with this!

I just commented a thread about how for light duty (and even some heavy duty) the 9900 is absolutely capable including heavy social media, blogging, emails, Instagram, etc. and we KNOW this because we use it.

I don't think I want to lug a massive Classic around and often I don't bother using the belt holster. My test is if I can have it in my front pocket and bend over to tie a shoelace and it doesn't rupture my spleen, IT PASSES! The 99 is perfect, but even my tall thin 4-inch iphone miserably fails this simple test. I am betting the Classic would fail too and I would be walking with a lop-sided limp all day long

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Yep, my criteria is ability to grasp and use in all positions. 99 can be comfortably and confidently grasped between fourth and first fingers, bottom to top. This affords comfortable reach of thumb to all keys & toolbelt. In nearly ANY position!

My test is replying to grandkids while flat on back in bed with wife on right arm. A cherished nightly routine.

A small handed coworker has glued a patch of velcro to the back of her Classic and frequently wears a velcro ring she's made. Useful possibilities.

[idssteve]

On the topic of compactness: there really is something to be said about being able to carry around a device small enough to fit in your pocket without having to wear MC Hammer pants, yet powerful enough to out-type and outlast (via swappable battery) even the fanciest flagships of the day.

Although I am not using a 9900/9930 as my daily driver (blasphemy, I know), I am using a Q10, which is only very slightly taller than the 9900/9930. And I do still have my brand new 9930 which I bought new-sealed-in-box and used only a couple weeks. I will never sell it, although it lacks a couple software features I absolutely need, which is why I'm on BB10. But I digress.

I do miss having toolbelt, but I love the swappable battery. The Q10 is the only BB10 phone with a physical keyboard AND swappable battery.

I love the Q10 form factor so much that I am actually returning a Passport SE I bought just last week because I found it entirely too bulky and heavy to lug around as my daily driver. I also found the Passport typing experience to be entirely unsuitable to my personal typing style.

I wrote about this in detail on my blog: Newfangled - Taking a pass on the BlackBerry Passport SE

I do want to try a Classic, as I haven't yet had the opportunity. Many have said that because of the toolbelt it offers the best typing experience of any post-9900 BlackBerry phone. But I am also concerned about the larger size and sealed battery. I am willing to try it out, because if the toolbelt really does add to the typing experience it may be worth it to me.

However, I will always keep a Q10 (or two or three) around. It's that awesome. It's that versatile. And it's one of the last devices designed, developed, and produced 100% in-house by BlackBerry. The Classic was designed by BlackBerry but manufactured by Foxconn.

Posted from my Q10 via CB10

Toolbelt makes Classic worth a try, imo. I use mine about 10% of the time. I DO frequently employ double fisted use with 9900 in left hand and Classic in right. Typically coordinating a Client's crew thru Classic with my crew thru 99. Very effective real-time coordination of plant wide start ups, for example. Only made possible by single handed capability of BOTH handsets. Great opportunity to side-by-side compare. I might've even considered making Classic primary carry if the silly thing had a swappable battery. Oh well.

I've always felt betrayed by Q10. Great promise. "Bait & Switch" delivery. Even tho it's far more compact than Classic, lack of tool belt demands INCHES of thumb movement to accomplish tasks comfortably performed with mm of thumb movement on Classic/9900. Stretching to reach far corners of Q10's display makes secure single handed grasp tenuous. Compared with 9900, at least.

Such a tragic shame BB omitted such valuable features on Q10. How different might BB's fortunes be today without that roadblock of omission to legacy users. Possibly even enough migration to have jumpstarted BB10 app ecosystem??

Given the years it took to code toolbelt into BB10, I remain convinced that omitting toolbelt from Q10 had more to do with launch schedules than truly improving user experience. Imo. Fwiw.

I'm also still convinced that Q10's non-ergonomic straight keyboard resulted from lack of toolbelt space to fill the gap between curved kb and screen. BB's claim that "internal testing" indicated straight was faster is NOT substantiated by my side-by-side comparisons. My thumbs aren't mounted on linear bearings! 99's curved kb better accommodates the natural rotating articulation of my thumbs. Old as they are. Lol.

[idssteve]

Flat on back, over head...

[idssteve]

What tools I need to replace the keyboard in my 9900? I mean screwdriver TORX? But what number?

I have 3 extra Bold 9900 as a gift from IT guys from my company in
super conditions - but in one the trackpad is faulty - click works, but moving left-right and up-down doesn't...
Do I need only to replace the trackpad or I need to find the full keyboard with toolbelt?

Better odds for better outcome by just replacing entire KB/trackpad assembly, imo. Little to no $ savings by swapping trackpad only, last I heard. I've swapped LOTS of KBs in 5 minutes & zero problems but some have had troubles with non-oem kb. Ralph found a good source, last I heard.

[sweeperdk]

Right , so I'm sittting here reading this thread all day, on my brand spanking new iPhone 7 Plus that does everything and his uncle.... and all I'm dreaming about is the 9900 I have coming to me within a week. It won't be on bis but will do what I need... a simpler experience without too many distractions. I can't wait!

Ralph... I blame you! Oh, and everyone else in this thread.

[Ursus Rufus]

Right , so I'm sittting here reading this thread all day, on my brand spanking new iPhone 7 Plus that does everything and his uncle.... and all I'm dreaming about is the 9900 I have coming to me within a week. It won't be on bis but will do what I need... a simpler experience without too many distractions. I can't wait!

Ralph... I blame you! Oh, and everyone else in this thread.

Haha. I recall this feeling The waiting.

So true about the simpler experience too. Less (distractions) is a feature not a bug

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[Ursus Rufus]

Yep, my criteria is ability to grasp and use in all positions. 99 can be comfortably and confidently grasped between fourth and first fingers, bottom to top. This affords comfortable reach of thumb to all keys & toolbelt. In nearly ANY position!

My test is replying to grandkids while flat on back in bed with wife on right arm. A cherished nightly routine.

A small handed coworker has glued a patch of velcro to the back of her Classic and frequently wears a velcro ring she's made. Useful possibilities.

Hah. Velcro. What an idea.

Cannot do the overhead in bed thing very well with my Classic. Great phone though. 9900 best for that! Best all around for one-handed use! And as you say, in any position.

Second best (for me) is my SE.

Not THAT SE.
The SE that came out a few months ago & was roundly excoriated by the tech media for being "too small, & outdated; who would want such a thing?" Well. Only enough people that demand far exceeded supply, for a couple of months.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(6038817)]

Toolbelt makes Classic worth a try, imo. I use mine about 10% of the time. I DO frequently employ double fisted use with 9900 in left hand and Classic in right. Typically coordinating a Client's crew thru Classic with my crew thru 99. Very effective real-time coordination of plant wide start ups, for example. Only made possible by single handed capability of BOTH handsets. Great opportunity to side-by-side compare. I might've even considered making Classic primary carry if the silly thing had a swappable battery. Oh well.

I've always felt betrayed by Q10. Great promise. "Bait & Switch" delivery. Even tho it's far more compact than Classic, lack of tool belt demands INCHES of thumb movement to accomplish tasks comfortably performed with mm of thumb movement on Classic/9900. Stretching to reach far corners of Q10's display makes secure single handed grasp tenuous. Compared with 9900, at least.

Such a tragic shame BB omitted such valuable features on Q10. How different might BB's fortunes be today without that roadblock of omission to legacy users. Possibly even enough migration to have jumpstarted BB10 app ecosystem??

Given the years it took to code toolbelt into BB10, I remain convinced that omitting toolbelt from Q10 had more to do with launch schedules than truly improving user experience. Imo. Fwiw.

I'm also still convinced that Q10's non-ergonomic straight keyboard resulted from lack of toolbelt space to fill the gap between curved kb and screen. BB's claim that "internal testing" indicated straight was faster is NOT substantiated by my side-by-side comparisons. My thumbs aren't mounted on linear bearings! 99's curved kb better accommodates the natural rotating articulation of my thumbs. Old as they are. Lol.

I can definitely envision a scenario where the Q10 was rushed out the door to accommodate launch schedules to the detriment of the user experience. I'm sure that was part of it. But I think RIM (they were still called RIM back then, right?) truly thought they could leave the toolbelt behind in favor of a touch interface.

The problem, of course, is that you can NEVER have the degree of precision needed on a touch screen that you can have with a trackpad. They should have foreseen this early on (and again, maybe they did, but they wanted to get the devices to market fast instead of waiting for the extra toolbelt code to be added to the OS). There is no way that a touch screen - no matter how advanced and precise, can interpret the same tap the same way every time. A fingertip just covers too much surface area.

I do get frustrated with editing text on the Q10, especially when the text is so close to other on-screen buttons that, when I try to tap to place the cursor in the middle of a sentence or tap-and-hold to bring up the cut/copy/paste icons, I accidentally end up sending a message prematurely, bringing up the share screen, etc.

To BlackBerry's credit, they made the touch-screen interface in BB10 as user-friendly and accurate as possible, but there is just no substitute for a trackpad when it comes to cutting/pasting and text editing. With minimal movement and laser precision, a trackpad can put that cursor exactly where I want it every time and I can copy/cut/paste exactly the text I want, wherever I want it with that trackpad.

And as much as I love the Q10 keyboard, I have to agree that the 99XX keyboard represents the pinnacle of mobile typing experiences for me. It's not just the Mona Lisa smile, it's that the keys get larger the further they are from the center of the keyboard. Those 2 traits might seem subtle, but they make ALL the difference in the world to my thumbs.

[Nguyen1]

I agree. My passport is good with the touch screen, but my 9930 touchpad is much more precise and faster. Who says newer is better?

Sent from my BlackBerry Passport SE

[anon(9721108)]

Yep, my criteria is ability to grasp and use in all positions. 99 can be comfortably and confidently grasped between fourth and first fingers, bottom to top. This affords comfortable reach of thumb to all keys & toolbelt. In nearly ANY position!

My test is replying to grandkids while flat on back in bed with wife on right arm. A cherished nightly routine.

A small handed coworker has glued a patch of velcro to the back of her Classic and frequently wears a velcro ring she's made. Useful possibilities.

Something I do wish the 9900 had is the little loop for a camera strap like the 9780 has. I bet a lot of 9780 owners never knew what that side hole/port was for. I appreciated the strap when walking on the street or holding the phone in bed because if you have ever dropped it on your eye or nose, then you know what I am talking aboot eh. Don't even ask about the time I dropped my ipad 1 like this, and that thing was a TANK!

[anon(9721108)]

Better odds for better outcome by just replacing entire KB/trackpad assembly, imo. Little to no $ savings by swapping trackpad only, last I heard. I've swapped LOTS of KBs in 5 minutes & zero problems but some have had troubles with non-oem kb. Ralph found a good source, last I heard.

"Purebrindle" from Ebay.ca I believe it was. He is a seller from Ontario and he sells original NEW Blackberry keyboards among other things. I am more than happy about this white KB and it still clicks like new! The trackpad and connections were all part of the Keyboard and everything works so great that I just cannot bring myself to pop the sim back into the iphone because I want to savour every day we have with Whatsapp.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(9721108)]

Right , so I'm sittting here reading this thread all day, on my brand spanking new iPhone 7 Plus that does everything and his uncle.... and all I'm dreaming about is the 9900 I have coming to me within a week. It won't be on bis but will do what I need... a simpler experience without too many distractions. I can't wait!

Ralph... I blame you! Oh, and everyone else in this thread.

Wanna trade? My 99 for your 7 seems fair? ok ok guys JK! Both are awesome though

Have you ever had a Legacy Blackberry before?

BIS is definately a bonus and I am not sure I could survive without emails, etc. But I am grateful for the H+ speeds and if you have good wifi wherever you go, then you should be more than ok with it.

So did you order an unlocked one and can you say roughly how much you paid?

Welcome aboard.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[idssteve]

I agree. My passport is good with the touch screen, but my 9930 touchpad is much more precise and faster. Who says newer is better?

Sent from my BlackBerry Passport SE

Afaik, Apple's "Multi Touch" launched fall of 2007... BB's optical trackpad debuted with 8520, fall of 2009. Optical trackpad is the NEWER tech by 2 yrs, afaik...

[sweeperdk]

Wanna trade? My 99 for your 7 seems fair? ok ok guys JK! Both are awesome though

Have you ever had a Legacy Blackberry before?

BIS is definately a bonus and I am not sure I could survive without emails, etc. But I am grateful for the H+ speeds and if you have good wifi wherever you go, then you should be more than ok with it.

So did you order an unlocked one and can you say roughly how much you paid?

Welcome aboard.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Yup, I had a 9000 back in the day... I have a q10 laying about but will enjoy the 9900 more, I hope

It's unlocked, bought it off the bay for �35. A steal, I'd say

[idssteve]

I can definitely envision a scenario where the Q10 was rushed out the door to accommodate launch schedules to the detriment of the user experience. I'm sure that was part of it. But I think RIM (they were still called RIM back then, right?) truly thought they could leave the toolbelt behind in favor of a touch interface.

The problem, of course, is that you can NEVER have the degree of precision needed on a touch screen that you can have with a trackpad. They should have foreseen this early on (and again, maybe they did, but they wanted to get the devices to market fast instead of waiting for the extra toolbelt code to be added to the OS). There is no way that a touch screen - no matter how advanced and precise, can interpret the same tap the same way every time. A fingertip just covers too much surface area.

I do get frustrated with editing text on the Q10, especially when the text is so close to other on-screen buttons that, when I try to tap to place the cursor in the middle of a sentence or tap-and-hold to bring up the cut/copy/paste icons, I accidentally end up sending a message prematurely, bringing up the share screen, etc.

To BlackBerry's credit, they made the touch-screen interface in BB10 as user-friendly and accurate as possible, but there is just no substitute for a trackpad when it comes to cutting/pasting and text editing. With minimal movement and laser precision, a trackpad can put that cursor exactly where I want it every time and I can copy/cut/paste exactly the text I want, wherever I want it with that trackpad.

And as much as I love the Q10 keyboard, I have to agree that the 99XX keyboard represents the pinnacle of mobile typing experiences for me. It's not just the Mona Lisa smile, it's that the keys get larger the further they are from the center of the keyboard. Those 2 traits might seem subtle, but they make ALL the difference in the world to my thumbs.

Yep... Try editing 100+ spreadsheet cells on a Q... !! One might discover hidden propensity for creative four letter combinations!! Lol.

I also never found an elegant desk doc solution for Q. Lack of charge contacts combined with usb placement conspired to make Q10 charging docks relatively awkward, compared with 9900 or Classic's Qi. My Qi gets hot tho.

That limitation is what prompted me to start powering primarily thru battery swaps. TRUE wireless freedom! A strategy I carried back to 9900 and fully embrace to this day.

[anon(9721108)]

Yup, I had a 9000 back in the day... I have a q10 laying about but will enjoy the 9900 more, I hope

It's unlocked, bought it off the bay for �35. A steal, I'd say

Ah cool! yeah you'll like it, as long as the BIS isn't too big a deal....

"The 99's charms will tug at your heart. Nothing else ever approached such exquisite perfection"-idsSteve

[anon(9721108)]

Haha... Poetry by steve?? ROTFLMAO!! ... Hudathunk...

You certainly have permission to use it. lol.

I blame Ralph, tho...

Notice anything? And yes, I'm sure Kim K blames me too, just as long as she doesn't stand near me when she is robbed

"The 99's charms will tug at your heart. Nothing else ever approached such exquisite perfection"-idssteve

[idssteve]

Nice signature, Ralph... Lol.

[ColinsCity]

Yup, I had a 9000 back in the day... I have a q10 laying about but will enjoy the 9900 more, I hope

It's unlocked, bought it off the bay for �35. A steal, I'd say

I had my Q10 laying in the drawer since June and recently sold it for �50 which was great, now i just have my 9900, i'm looking out for the 9900 in white or if the price goes down even more after december the p9981 haha.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(9721108)]

Nice signature, Ralph... Lol.

IKR! First I tried to change it off the ipad on desktop safari mode but there was no place to do it there. I was suprised I had to click Settings in the CB app on the 99 to do it. Whodathunkit!

"The 99's charms will tug at your heart. Nothing else ever approached such exquisite perfection"-idssteve

[anon(9721108)]

I had my Q10 laying in the drawer since June and recently sold it for �50 which was great, now i just have my 9900, i'm looking out for the 9900 in white or if the price goes down even more after december the p9981 haha.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

I did run across a warehouse in Hong Kong that had white 9900's NEW and UNLOCKED for $75 Canadian $. I think it was off Ebay but I'll take a look later, I'm curious if they still are around.

"The 99's charms will tug at your heart. Nothing else ever approached such exquisite perfection"-idssteve

[anon(9721108)]

BTW Steve.....

I will expect a new poem every month!

"The 99's charms will tug at your heart. Nothing else ever approached such exquisite perfection"-idssteve

[ColinsCity]

I did run across a warehouse in Hong Kong that had white 9900's NEW and UNLOCKED for $75 Canadian $. I think it was off Ebay but I'll take a look later, I'm curious if they still are around.

"The 99's charms will tug at your heart. Nothing else ever approached such exquisite perfection"-idssteve

I've seen that listing also, i think it's still a bit expensive haha, considering i paid half that for the black 9900, the problem for EU people is we get charged too much tax on electrical things if we buy them online, or anything in general that is a little expensive.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(9721108)]

I've seen that listing also, i think it's still a bit expensive haha, considering i paid half that for the black 9900, the problem for EU people is we get charged too much tax on electrical things if we buy them online, or anything in general that is a little expensive.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Ah ya ok. I just know that anywhere I have seen white 99's for sale, they are always more $ usually. They are more rare and therfore more of a "Status Symbol" perhaps. I do think the white is classy and I despised how they were introduced more for "females" when they finally came out. I dig the white Keyboard on mine.

"The 99's charms will tug at your heart. Nothing else ever approached such exquisite perfection"-idssteve

[anon(9721108)]

oh and believe me, a NEW UNLOCKED WHITE 9900 is a bargain for $75 I think. For here anyway. Used ones can be that still on some listings.

On the local kijiji there is a white one used, for $50. Not a bad deal but I am ok with mine and the white KB.

"The 99's charms will tug at your heart. Nothing else ever approached such exquisite perfection"-idssteve