View Full Version : Blackberry vs others
swatsurgeon
02-21-2005, 06:19
I'm looking at getting an all in one...could care less about the phone aspect since I'lllikely not ever use it but the email, planner, keyboard, text messaging, etc is what I'm looking for.
I've seen the blackberry, sidekick II, Treo 600....
all personal reviews are welcome...preferably users of said equipment
Roguish Lawyer
02-21-2005, 14:28
I have a "blueberry" but do not use the voice function. I like having a separate cell phone so I can use the blackberry while using the phone at the same time. The blackberry is great for e-mail, address book and notes. Has Internet access, but is very slow. Mine can open word documents too, although the utility is limited. I tried using the calendar, but went back to paper because it did not meet my needs. I have to schedule hearings and things frequently, and I need to be able to see entire months with daily detail at a glance, and this is not possible on the blackberry.
Had a nextel blackberry, couldn't use it alot of places. Got a T mobile Ipaq 6315. Can use about anywhere, including outside us (quad band phone). Can get email from GSM/GPRS, Wifi, Bluetooth. Has a real browser unlike the blackberry. Full PDA functionality, can use SD chips. Have all my maps and use my bluetooth GPS with it (Most of US on 1 GB sd card). The device has its moments, but like it better than my old blackberry.
magician
02-25-2005, 13:59
I am looking hard at the IPAQ and similar devices, myself.
I want:
1. web and email access
2. integrated cellphone, w/ Bluetooth so I can use a cordless earset
3. ability to play video (like episodes of Seinfeld, when I am stuck in a taxi)
4. support for .lit and .pdf files so I can read ebooks
5. ability to read Word and Excel files, and make simple entries into Excel spreadsheets.
the biggest problem that I am encountering at this point is figuring out which PDA, bar none, is considered the best, sparing no expense.
any advice will be gratefully appreciated.
The IPAQ 6315 does all this. I use it daily. I looked at everything else and this one had the most bang for the buck. Replaced my blackberry and my Ipaq 4150. And the cost for service is $50 a month cheaper.
magician
02-25-2005, 14:28
cool....my iPod has a 40GB hard drive...it does not appear like any of these PDAs use a hard drive. Am I missing something?
bottom line: I want to purchase the best, most state-of-the-art device available, because it will have the best longevity.
I also need it with slots for removable storage.....and the ability to attach USB devices like external mini-drives.
is the IPAQ 6315 considered to be the most advanced unit of its type?
thanks for your help.
Smokin Joe
02-25-2005, 14:40
magician,
I just got the IPAQ rx3115. Its not what your looking for but I will offer this I put a ton of crap on my memory in the IPAQ when I first got it, and it killed the performance. I have since moved all my stuff to an 1gb SD card. It made a world of difference in the performance.
So, try to keep your memory as clean as possible and use memory sticks. Also you might want to check out DVD for pocket PC its about 20-30 bucks but it allows you to compress DVD's to fit on to your pocket PC. You can get about 2 or 3 full blown movies on a 1 gb stick (depending on the settings you select). The down side is it takes a looooooong time to compress each DVD.
HTH.
I'm going back to the "walkie-talkies" :eek:
I just brought a new cellphone and the SOB came with a DISK and a thick-a$$ manual to boot. :eek:
The face rotates in some wierd direction and I've yet figured how to manipulate all this BS!
A "Blackberry" would have shut me down. I looked at an "I-Pod" and gave up.
magician
02-25-2005, 16:49
Also you might want to check out DVD for pocket PC its about 20-30 bucks but it allows you to compress DVD's to fit on to your pocket PC. You can get about 2 or 3 full blown movies on a 1 gb stick (depending on the settings you select). The down side is it takes a looooooong time to compress each DVD.
Now that is what I am talking about. I knew that it was possible to do that, as an old friend of mine used to watch movies on his. In fact, he had an entire library of movies...and could use his PocketPC as a video source for output on a television. He also did some crazy stuff with GPS that has me intrigued.
If I can watch Seinfeld reruns, movies, read eBooks, surf the web, check email, track expenditures, write memos and take notes....and use it as a phone with a Bluetooth earpiece....I am there.
Now...I just need to figure out what device is the most high-end available now. I looked on CNET, hoping for a simple declaration that "model xyz is the best unit of its kind, period," but got overwhelmed by detail.
Guy...just go get an iPod, brother. You will thank me later. Believe me: you will figure it out in about two minutes, max.
:)
s.
-
ghuinness
02-25-2005, 17:47
Posted this before but the XDA IIs has most of the current protocols/features. With the right software you can download 3 DVD's to a 512 SD and play them on this device. (One of the guys at work has done this :rolleyes: ). I need to ask him where he found the compression software for this. I wasn't particularly interested in this feature.
Cingular - Siemens SX66 (GSM)
Verizon - PPC-6600 (CDMA)
Sprint - PC-6601 (CDMA)
XDA IIs outside the USA.
You can get this device for your favourite cellular protocol GSM or CDMA plus the sleeve for GPS.
Siemens variant and pics (http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=1000&source=MOSTREAD)
QTEK Pics (European name) (http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=119235)
magician
02-25-2005, 19:08
what is up with XDA III's?
http://www.gigaom.com/2004/12/the_next_hot_poc.php
and
http://www.jeffsandquist.com/PermaLink,guid,374e7bee-4455-478e-91e2-39020a4dca83.aspx
for example.
these units...look like the cat's meow. Thanks for the tip.
:)
s.
-
Smokin Joe
02-25-2005, 19:18
Posted this before but the XDA IIs has most of the current protocols/features. With the right software you can download 3 DVD's to a 512 SD and play them on this device. (One of the guys at work has done this :rolleyes: ). I need to ask him where he found the compression software for this. I wasn't particularly interested in this feature.
Cingular - Siemens SX66 (GSM)
Verizon - PPC-6600 (CDMA)
Sprint - PC-6601 (CDMA)
XDA IIs outside the USA.
You can get this device for your favourite cellular protocol GSM or CDMA plus the sleeve for GPS.
Siemens variant and pics (http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=1000&source=MOSTREAD)
QTEK Pics (European name) (http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=119235)
Glad you saw this thread Ghuinness....I was about to refer magician to you.
I'm also curious about what software that guy at your work used because DVD for Pocket PC is really slow. It takes about 2 hrs to compress 1 DVD. Then about another 20 mins to convert it to the pocket pc SD card.
ghuinness
02-25-2005, 19:32
Marketing.....
XDA II (MDA II, QTEK 2020 , IMate ? etc) was the first release ( prior to mid-2004 ) and did not have integrated Bluetooth/WiFi.
The device released near the end of 2004 (XDA III's, XDAIIs, MDA III, QTEK 9090 etc) has the Qwerty Kbd, integrated protocols and some have camera's.
The II series have camera's (more real-estate to support the hardware). I think the European variants of the III's have cameras but not sure. With the pull-down keyboard there isn't a lot of room for a camera. However, with the integrated bluetooth it would be easy to find an add-on.
I am not exactly sure about the manufacturer. I think they are all Siemens but I could be wrong. Names are changed for all the Cellular vendors and to confuse consumers :rolleyes:
www.expansys.com has most of the attachments for International PDA's and USA. (Check the USA box in the upper right hand corner).
Great device. ;)
ghuinness
02-25-2005, 19:36
Glad you saw this thread Ghuinness....I was about to refer magician to you.
I'm also curious about what software that guy at your work used because DVD for Pocket PC is really slow. It takes about 2 hrs to compress 1 DVD. Then about another 20 mins to convert it to the pocket pc SD card.
I'll ask him. I think it was freeware. He didn't complain about compress time. I am fairly sure he would have ditched it for speed or price. :p
This works well, but is somewhat slow. Can shrink a movie to 128Kb. Plays through your Windows Media Player when done.
http://www.pocketdvdwizard.com/
Smokin Joe
02-27-2005, 06:24
This works well, but is somewhat slow. Can shrink a movie to 128Kb. Plays through your Windows Media Player when done.
http://www.pocketdvdwizard.com/
Yup, thats what I have. It's okay the cool thing is you can choose how big or small you want it i.e. 128kb up to 512kb. Down side as I said before, it moves like pond water on a no wind day.
ghuinness
02-28-2005, 09:14
Co-worker used PocketDvdStudio (http://www.pqdvd.com/download/).
Took about 1 hour to compress each movie. (50% of movie run-time on average).
"Information overload." :eek:
My "better-half" works for a big corporation and refuses to get one, she gets enough phone calls on the weekend too drive a husband crazy...and that's on her cellphone.
Smokin Joe
02-28-2005, 12:10
Co-worker used PocketDvdStudio (http://www.pqdvd.com/download/).
Took about 1 hour to compress each movie. (50% of movie run-time on average).
Thanks Ghuinness I will give it a try.........ummm.....lets see how it handles Black Hawk Down.
Roguish Lawyer
03-25-2005, 18:22
http://www.cnn.com/2005/BUSINESS/03/23/blackberry.rim/index.html
How BlackBerry conquered the world
Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Posted: 6:49 PM EST (2349 GMT)
(CNN) -- On street corners, in train stations and in restaurants, the telltale signs of BlackBerry addiction are everywhere: pursed lips, a distracted look, thumbs working furiously.
People don't just use BlackBerry; once they've discovered it, they can't live without it.
Though it can be used as a phone, the BlackBerry's power lies in its ability to push e-mail automatically from the company server to the end user.
That simple concept has revolutionized corporate life. Two million BlackBerry subscribers have already signed up and their numbers are growing rapidly.
You might perhaps expect that the must-have executive gadget was unleashed on the world from somewhere inside one of the high-tech hothouses of Silicon Valley.
In fact the BlackBerry was born in the less glamorous and more laidback surroundings of Canadian technology company Research in Motion's headquarters at Waterloo, Ontario.
"I don't think people buy technology products because of the personalities of the people behind them," said RIM chairman Jim Balsillie.
But while RIM's executives have chosen to keep a low profile, they made a key decision early on to make sure their technology got maximum exposure by targeting top Wall Street executives.
"Wall Street professionals are heavily communications focused, heavily customer focused, what we found was many of those people could instantly justify the investment into this, even though it was of an unproven technology," said RIM vice president of corporate marketing Mark Guibert.
"So our approach was to go out there and really evangelize the product to people who we felt were key influencers who could make use of the product and also be seen to be using it.
"It was a viral effect. People talked so emphatically about the product and so enthusiastically they became our best marketing tool."
The early buzz around the BlackBerry got it noticed, but RIM knew that for the product to be successful they needed to convince IT professionals that BlackBerry was both easy to install and safe to use.
"We made sure the CIO was happy," said Balsillie. "The CIO has a veto and they don't hesitate to use it because they lose their jobs if the security and reliability of company data is compromised."
The BlackBerry has seen RIM's stock rocket by more than 1,000 percent since 2002, helping it become one of the most influential names in the technology sector. Yet the company has been around for 20 years, producing more modestly acclaimed wireless technology.
And Balsillie says he would rather his staff forgot about the share price and stayed focused on the research and development that have made the company successful.
Though they may have pioneered pushing e-mail onto mobile devices, the field is getting more crowded and industry analysts say RIM has its work cut out to stay ahead of the competition.
"Down the track I think you'll see some interesting shifts with respect to RIM," predicted Nicholas McQuire of technology consultants Yankee Group.
"It's going to need to make itself more flexible, in the sense it will have to be conscious of price pressure in the marketplace. Push e-mail, which is RIM's bread and butter faces quite a bit of competition."
But RIM's management believes its new wireless Web services, third party software agreements and plans to expand to new markets will keep the company on top.
"The market for BlackBerry is our core customer base and that's what we've targeted," said RIM president Mike Lazaridis.
"Recently we've expanded to the "prosumer" market -- the professionals, doctors, contractors, delivery people -- there is a whole segment of processionals out there who are self-employed."
As BlackBerry use spreads so, inevitably, will the complaints about over-worked, addicted professionals who just can't put the gadgets down. For those already suffering, Lazaridis has some advice.
"The person that means a lot to me that complains the most loudly about my BlackBerry use is my wife," he said.
"I realized a lot of executives were having the same problem so I came up with the perfect solution. I gave her one too, and I suggested they do the same."
-- CNN's Maggie Lake contributed to this report.
magician
03-26-2005, 05:30
reviews courtesy of Yahoo: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/gadgets/index1.html.
O2 Xda IIs PDA
O2 makes it a hat-trick with its third Pocket PC-and-phone combo in a row - a menacing dark contender that packs Wi-Fi connectivity and hides a secret slide-out keyboard.
This is a fully fledged Pocket PC with a gorgeous screen that now supports landscape mode. It's equipped with both flavours of wireless connectivity - Bluetooth and Wi-Fi - and also houses a respectable camera.
The black case looks superb (it's also available in a more staid silver version as the T-Mobile MDA III or the sim-free i-mate PDA2k) and really stands out next to the competition.
O2 has skinned the home screen for easy access to the phone and the Internet, and there's also a handy set-up wizard. The usual Microsoft apps are included, and tons of other software is available too.
The slide-out qwerty keypad, while a bonus, isn't that great to use and adds bulk, making this slightly chunkier than the previous version. The processor is capable but falls behind those of other Pocket PCs.
An outstanding device that still sets the pace for all-in-one communication and looks the part too - don't buy it for the keyboard, though.
HP iPAQ H6340 PDA
An iPAQ, sir? With four modes of wireless? To beat the Xda IIs? And can we add a keyboard? Oh, I think R&D might be able to rustle something up... HP practically invented the Pocket PC, and although this is its first stab at a PDA/phone, you know that support is going to be second to none.
With a quad-band antenna, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and infrared, it's as well connected as the Xda IIs. Three dedicated LEDs show the status of each connection, and bundled software makes phone and data set-up a cinch. Nice touches such as large volume keys along the side are a welcome addition.
It looks like a box with a stick-on antenna. The keyboard is a useless clip-on affair that makes the device even uglier than before and should be left in its bubble wrap. There's no camera and performance is sluggish, with a seriously underpowered processor - though this does help to push the battery life up.
A decent enough package, and reasonable value SIM-free, but it feels like a rushed effort and falls well behind the Xda in terms of both design and performance.
Orange Treo 600 PDA
Practically being given away on contract ahead of the imminent launch of its replacement model, this stalwart is the cheapest way to combine a phone and a PDA.
A full PalmOne PDA, a quad-band phone and a qwerty keyboard have all somehow been squashed into this sleek and portable unit. The legendary Palm usability has been extended to the phone app, which includes excellent software for keeping track of texts and a booming speakerphone. The keyboard is surprisingly practical whether held in two hands or one, and cleverly doubles as a conventional numeric keypad for phone use. A decent Web browser is bundled and there's a stack of third-party software on the Net.
This has the poorest screen on test, with a pitifully low resolution and just 4,096 colours. There's also no Bluetooth - a criminal omission on a device such as this - and the bundled software lacks any office suite for Word documents or spreadsheets. The camera isn't up to much either, and is the worst of the three in this round-up. It's dirt cheap and very user-friendly, but this much-loved handset is starting to show its age - hold off for the new version if you want Palm.
I just tried this site for help in doing a mini source selection: http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/home.do
The results surprised me.
Anybody have anything new to add on this topic? I was doing a "search" on the topic and all of these replys are at least 2 1/2 years old. I'm looking at buying an all-in-one. As the technology continues to advance and new products continue to come out, is their a particular product out these days that any of you prefer over another? I've played with an I-Phone recently. Unbelievable.
We just got the new AT&T tilt. It has streaming video, decent camera, full keyboard, ease to use calendar (important for me because I am lazy and will use post-its if my PDA is too complicated), GPS, full internet access, email, and upgradeable memory. All in all I have been very happy with it, but I have only had it for a month. My girlfriend who has the iPhone swears by it. However, AT&T wasn't coming off their price at all on the iPhone, and I am too cheap to pay full price for much of anything :)
Here is the link for the tilt: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=AT%26T+Tilt(TM)&q_sku=sku1060009
and the iPhone: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=Apple+iPhone+-+8+GB&q_sku=sku780101
JustinW20
11-20-2007, 11:54
The iPhone's a fun toy. Syncs with MS Outlook, does everything my old Blackberry did plus surfs the web and plays videos. Still pretty pricey, but I think it's gonna reivent the industry the same way iPods reinvented MP3 players. Just my .02.
JAGeorgia
11-20-2007, 12:21
How 'bout the Samsung BlackJack? JATX has had one for a long while and loves it. It's even his wireless high-speed modem for his notebook. Works just about everywhere (CONUS). I'm sure he'd respond but is occupied at "Benning" at the moment.
I’ve played around with my sister’s iPhone. This is the one she paid $600 for, a couple of weeks before Apple dropped the price by $200. Apple subsequently sent her a $100 Apple store credit. That didn’t seem to make things completely right in my mind, but I’m not a marketing genius like Jobs so what the hell do I know. But I digress.
It’s a cool device, but I decided not to abandon my Blackberry Curve yet. The iPhone is cool for multimedia and connectivity, but I could not type emails and go through contacts fast enough with that touch screen. Not that the tiny buttons on the Crackberry are any better, but at least I’ve learned to live with those. One of my buddies who still lives on the road carries both an iPhone and a Blackberry. The iPhone he uses for fun, the Blackberry for serious work.
Whatever the device, if you’re looking to surf the web Wi-Fi seems like a must-have, at least until the networks get upgraded. Internet through the cellular network is painful. It’s like the good ol' days of dial-up sitting around waiting for po…um, I mean large work-related data files, to download.
dmgedgoods
11-21-2007, 20:07
#
How 'bout the Samsung BlackJack? JATX has had one for a long while and loves it. It's even his wireless high-speed modem for his notebook. Works just about everywhere (CONUS). I'm sure he'd respond but is occupied at "Benning" at the moment.
True, the Blackjack has worked well for me. I've been using one for about a year now, with the recent addition of a 1 gig memory chip. It has allowed me to decrease my travel with a laptop by about 50%.
Tethering to a laptop is simple and I typically get DSL speeds when I am covered by a 3G network. It is my only Internet access and I have used it very heavily.
Navigation on web pages is a little difficult, and I like the trackball on some of the Blackberries better.
Some of my keys are beginning to stick, but that might be expected for a power user at the 12 month mark. It is otherwise pretty robust, and I carry it in the sleeve pocket of my ACU's.
I have never run into any software glitches or had problems with stability.
All in all, a great option, especially now that the prices have come down.
CIHuntR1
11-25-2007, 23:27
I have gone through two Blackberry devices (of different versions) and have also had, around the same period, two Treos. In my experience none compare, however, to my current PocketPC by Cingular. The PocketPC handles a number of security protocols, memory expansion, media, BlueTooth, bla bla. Big fan.
Great information to work off of. Thanks for the input. I'm needing something that will allow telephone service, internet access and e-mail capabilities, plus the capability to download and store a decent number of files and documents (mostly powerpoint and excel). I guess I'll just start heading to the stores now and playing with a few different models. Thanks again. I'd love to hear any additional thoughts and/or opinions though. I don't think I'll be buying anything until after Christmas.
My wife works for at&t mobile and this is what she says.
Get blackberry if e-mail is a big priority, they have a qwerty keyboard, she sells blackberry 4 to 1 over all other products you mentioned in the startup post.
clapdoc sends.