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asodamiac · Oct 30, 2006, 02:30 PM

I'm thinking about picking up the Blackberry Pearl. I just had a few questions for those of you that own one.

1. Hows the call quality? I've read mixed reviews, however, it leans towards "sub-par" call quality. Is this true? Other reviewers such as Yahoo Tech claims great call quality.
2. Bluetooth connectivity: Can I sync with my Mac? iCal, Mail, etc? Also, will I be able to transfer files through bluetooth, or does the bluetooth only support bluetooth with wireless headsets?
3. How's browsing the internet on this phone? Is the screen too small? Too slow? Does it allow you to download .pdf's, word documents, etc.? I don't necessarily have to view them on the Pearl. I would transfer them to my laptop (bad wireless connections at school).

If anyone that owns this phone can help me out, I'd appreciate it! Thanks!

asodamiac · Nov 2, 2006, 07:18 PM

Well, since no one else seems to have a Pearl, I'll update a bit. I just picked up the Blackberry Pearl and so far, it's a fantastic phone.

1. The call quality is decent. Not very loud. The ring tone isn't too loud either. The speaker phone however is nice.

2. I downloaded PocketMac and was able to sync with iCal and Mail. It must be tethered for now, unless you purchase PocketMac Pro. Despite that, I am able to send photos and clips of mp3's via bluetooth.

3. Browsing internet on this phone is awesome. EDGE speeds are pretty fast and definitely useable. I haven't been able to download files (not sure how to).

Well, I guess I just answered my own questions. Hope it helps someone else.

alex_kac · Nov 4, 2006, 07:50 PM

Which version of PocketMac did you end up with?

asodamiac · Nov 7, 2006, 12:16 PM

I've been using PocketMac. I'm able to sync my Address book, iCal events pretty much seamlessly. I haven't had any issues yet. The only problem is that you must sync while the phone is tethered to your Mac. This isn't an issue for me because I can always add contacts/calendar events via the Blacktooth while I'm on the go (though I'll go back to Address book later and add contacts for easy updates later on).

On a side note, using the bluetooth modem is awesome. I'm typing this reply while using the Pearl as a bluetooth modem

More Cowbell · Nov 8, 2006, 09:59 AM

How does your email sync?

asodamiac · Nov 8, 2006, 09:31 PM

Sync with Mail? I actually haven't tried that.

I do receive emails flawlessly from both my gmail and school email system. E-mails show up as fast as it would on a computer. With the gmail mobile mail app, going through gmail is just fantastic.

Syncing in general isn't too bad with Pocketmac. Yes you can only sync via a USB cable, but it hasn't been a hassle to me. If I need to send smaller files one at a time, I'll use bluetooth. Haven't had trouble with that yet either.

besson3c · Nov 8, 2006, 10:47 PM

Sync is what?

asodamiac · Nov 9, 2006, 02:04 PM

Sync = syncing between a Mac (or any computer) and the mobile phone itself. I guess being able to transfer files, contacts, events from iCal, etc.

schuey100 · Nov 10, 2006, 07:02 PM

I just got the pearl and am trying to use Pocketmac 4. It's a total disaster. Pretty much everyone has major issues with it. Are you using pocketmac 4? or an earlier version?

Check out this thread...PocketMac 4.0 Released - BlackBerryForums.com : Your Number One BlackBerry Community

I wish I could get my Mac and Pearl syncing

asodamiac · Nov 11, 2006, 12:20 AM

Yea, I'm using the latest version of PocketMac. What kind of issues are you having? I haven't had any problems at all. It syncs perfectly fine with my Powerbook (specs in sig).

schuey100 · Nov 11, 2006, 03:44 AM

I'm using a MBP Rev A, OSX 10.4.8, 2 gig RAM.

Poketmac won't sync with iCal but does 'sometimes' work with contact syncing.

Basically, I get all kinds of errors and crashes every-time I try to use it. Generally, as it says 'syncing' the application then hangs for about 10 minutes and eventually I have to cancel sync. As in the thread I linked to, I have the same problems as everyone else. I'm amazed you've got it to work. You're one of the lucky few!

asodamiac · Nov 11, 2006, 08:38 PM

Interesting. Maybe it's because I'm running a G4 and not an Intel based Mac. Maybe there are issues with the Universal Binary coding? Hmm, that's a shame because everything is working fine for me. I hope something turns up for you guys!