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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > iPhone, iPad & iPod > Why I'm getting a Blackberry Bold over an iPhone

Why I'm getting a Blackberry Bold over an iPhone (Page 2)
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darkmatter
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Sep 4, 2008, 09:03 PM
 
Originally Posted by xi_hyperon View Post
Why would you be nervous about this? Your email will fly through the tubes™ from a phone just like it would from any other internet-connected device.
Hi
Writing in average 1-2 paragraphs with 10 sentences each can't be very productive with a Smartphone.
With a Laptop or Desktop it takes much less time

Writing very short emails as substitute of SMS messages may be cheaper with a Smartphone. The question now is if writing
10 short emails or sms messages is more productive than making a phone call. In my case the amount of time lost typing
messages is huge, telephone call is more informative, clear and quick

IMPO ist more productive and cheaper to use a 802.11 enabled Laptop (MacBook Air) and a PTT Line to make phone calls
As mobility option a 3G enabled modem; but this thread is about BBs and iPhones.

Sorry but I'm the legacy oriented geek
     
xi_hyperon
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Sep 4, 2008, 09:34 PM
 
Valid points, and I guess it all comes down to the situation. When you commute to work, 45 minutes each way, like I do, you see a lot of people tapping out emails during that time. My commute times are before and after business hours, so no one is going to answer a phone call. And it would be a pain in the butt to pull out a laptop and work, when everyone is piled on top of each other in the bus. In such a case, a smartphone is more practical.
     
Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 5, 2008, 05:33 AM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
That is incorrect. The Bold's battery life has been one of the major issues BB needed to fix - the jury is still out on whether or not they managed to achieve that. An iPhone with a properly calibrated battery will easily work for two days. This includes web browsing, email and phone calls. My wife, who uses hers mainly for phone calls gets three days without issue.
All the comparative reviews I've read so far put the Bold's battery life well ahead of the iPhone 3G.

I can't find a Vodafone store with Bold in stock though. They have a big reservation list and have big orders from companies to fill too. Orange stores keep selling out of the Bold, as does Phones4U.

If you're going to buy without a contract then the iPhone is the better deal because it is £50 cheaper and you get a year's worth of data for free, but then there's no guarantee you'll ever have professional features (copy+paste, voice dialling, Bluetooth file exhange, file manager, Office or iWork document editing, etc) on the iPhone anytime soon.
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Mastrap
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Sep 5, 2008, 07:09 AM
 
I thought we had been through this?

Bluetooth file exchange is not half as efficient, fast and reliable as WIFI file exchange. Which we have with the iPhone.

We have several file managers for the iPhone, some of which are putting the iPhone onto your desktop just like another disk.

Voice dialling - I would not call this a professional feature. Personally I have yet to see any phone where voice dialing works reliably. Or even works. My suspicion is that we'll see it once Apple have found a way to make it work properly.

MS editing. Is in the works for 2.1.

Copy and paste. Fair enough, that would be a good thing to have. Apple have made a real effort to make you not miss it by auto discovering phone numbers and the like, but it is definitely a missing feature.

Battery life. I am getting an average of three days out of my iPhone with email use only, two days with RSS reader, maps, browsing etc. Sounds similar to what I read about the BB. Calibrate your iPhone's battery properly when you get it first and see the difference.

I think there are far more convincing reasons to choose a BB over an iPhone than the ones you're listing. Email features are one that comes to mind instantly, or the hardware keyboard if you really can't stand/get to work the software keyboard.
     
matt_s
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Sep 6, 2008, 06:19 PM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
....the iPhones lack of Office file format support and editing, and also a file manager, means it really is very hobbled as a professional phone that can be used for document editing when it isn't practical to carry a laptop around.
Aron, I have that Blackberry, and after buying an iPhone for my daughter and goofing around with it, I can say that while I do prefer the BB's keyboard, I think the iPhone's keyboard is more than serviceable. This to me is a non-issue.

I use Vonage for my business lines, and so, I get my voice mail emailed to me as WAV files. The Blackberry will not play WAV files but the iPhone will. To me, this is a huge deal.

So, I will change once Apple opens up the competition. It's really AT&T that's holding me back, since I don't wish to go from $80-90 a month charges to well over $200 a month for similar time and data services.

But it's got nothing to do with phone itself; after a lot of comparison, I think the iPhone is superior.
     
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Sep 7, 2008, 05:32 AM
 
Originally Posted by matt_s View Post
So, I will change once Apple opens up the competition.
Brace yourself for a four-year wait.
     
Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 7, 2008, 07:51 AM
 
Originally Posted by matt_s View Post
Aron, I have that Blackberry, and after buying an iPhone for my daughter and goofing around with it, I can say that while I do prefer the BB's keyboard, I think the iPhone's keyboard is more than serviceable. This to me is a non-issue.
Yes like I said it is about as good as a software keyboard can get. And to update my situation, I played with the Bold for a whole 7 hours yesterday and though it is damn good at the things it does (the screen and sound quality are out of this world!) I am holding off to see what new features make it to the iPhone in the next few months. If we get document editing support and copy+paste it might be enough for me to get the iPhone instead.
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Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 7, 2008, 07:58 AM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
I thought we had been through this?

Bluetooth file exchange is not half as efficient, fast and reliable as WIFI file exchange. Which we have with the iPhone.
Not when you want to exchange files with a device that doesn't have wifi!

We have several file managers for the iPhone, some of which are putting the iPhone onto your desktop just like another disk.
A file manager has to be accessible to apps so that documents can be saved to it.

Voice dialling - I would not call this a professional feature.
This is essential for hands free calling in a car.


MS editing. Is in the works for 2.1.
I am now waiting to see what 2.1 brings before deciding.


Battery life. I am getting an average of three days out of my iPhone with email use only, two days with RSS reader, maps, browsing etc. Sounds similar to what I read about the BB. Calibrate your iPhone's battery properly when you get it first and see the difference.
The BB I played with yesterday for 7 hours straight had only 15% juice out of the box and didn't die on me! Not even my iPod touch could manage that! We have to concede battery life to the Bold simply because the screen is smaller (though has a higher DPI and is sharper and richer) and doesn't have a graphically intensive interface or graphics accelerator like the iPhone has. However, the Bold runs at 624Mhz all the time, versus the iPhone's 620Mhz CPU which is underclocked to run at 412Mhz the last I heard, so the Bold again is making good use of its high capacity battery.
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Sep 7, 2008, 08:27 AM
 
Originally Posted by analogika View Post
Brace yourself for a four-year wait.
"Brace"? Dude, it's just a phone. I could go all the way to the end of my days without one and it wouldn't matter one way or the other.

But I ain't paying the absurd AT&T voice & data pricing.
     
analogika
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Sep 7, 2008, 09:36 AM
 
Originally Posted by matt_s View Post
"Brace"? Dude, it's just a phone.
hyperbole |hīˈpərbəlē|
noun
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.



Sorry if your impulse was to go fœtal.
     
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Sep 7, 2008, 10:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by xi_hyperon View Post
Considering your worthless post is the only one sounding troll-like, I'll assume a flame war is what you're looking for.
Troll? I have been a member on here since 2003 and own nothing Apple products. I too have a iPhone but stop kidding yourself if you think the iPhone is equal to the BB as far as the corporate world is concerned. Sure the iPhone is good, I love mine but there are things i don't like about it.
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turtle777
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Sep 7, 2008, 11:02 AM
 
Can ANYONE tell me any real life useful application of editing M$ documents on a BB, besides maybe just editing very simplistic notes ?

This feature would be absolutely useless to me.
I feel already handicapped when I have to resort to editing M$ documents on my 12" laptop.

On the small BB screen, this has got to be the most useless feature ever.

-t
     
analogika
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Sep 7, 2008, 12:31 PM
 
Editing Excel spreadsheets on the go and then sending them on.

Editing or correcting text received via mail and sending it back.

Using and editing Office templates for in-the-field reports, in situations where carrying a laptop isn't feasible. They can be mailed directly from the phone or transferred over to a computer.

Any situation where data sets are collected and entered by hand onto a notepad and then transferred into a computer spreadsheet for analysis.


I've never had a real need for any of these things, except once, for editing a contract and mailing it back, but that could wait for a day with no problems.

I do see why this would be *extremely* useful for a number of people, though.
     
Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 7, 2008, 01:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
Can ANYONE tell me any real life useful application of editing M$ documents on a BB, besides maybe just editing very simplistic notes ?


-t
For years and years I've seen people denounce various tech specs and features only to praise them when they have become available on a device made by their favorite manufacturer
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turtle777
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Sep 7, 2008, 02:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogika View Post
Editing Excel spreadsheets on the go and then sending them on.
Oh please, I work in finance.

There is no way you can do serious editing on a BB. That would require the "viewer" suddenly to have complete capability of formulas and functions.

Let me put it like this:
Having editing functions available makes your life HARDER.

Because then, your idiotic boss suddenly expects that you can do all your work on a BB, for which you previously had sufficient tools (laptop, large screen) to do so.
This is absolute bullsh!t, but try to explain that to a technically inept superior that BB editing is not the same as having a full fledged Excel version running on a full fledged computer.

-t
     
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Sep 7, 2008, 03:05 PM
 
I wonder if Apple would ever consider the idea of splitting the iPhone line into a consumer-level iPhone and an iPhone Pro aimed more towards corporate customers. The Pro could have a hardware keyboard and a few more applications aimed at the business world bundled with it. The screen size might suffer a little, but that's not as big an issue for a business-oriented device, or it could go the Experia route and do a slider to reveal the keyboard. Likely it would be more expensive, but then again, "Pro" models always are.
     
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Sep 7, 2008, 07:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
Having editing functions available makes your life HARDER.
No, it doesn't. I work in advertising and frequently find myself on location. I'd love to be able to just quickly change a sentence in a script, to mark up a casting sheet or to amend a budget item on my iPhone.

That would be incredibly useful to me.
     
turtle777
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Sep 7, 2008, 08:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
No, it doesn't. I work in advertising and frequently find myself on location. I'd love to be able to just quickly change a sentence in a script, to mark up a casting sheet or to amend a budget item on my iPhone.

That would be incredibly useful to me.
Are you serious ?

What kind of version control system would you use ?
How do ensure backups ?

This might work for a one-man show, but if you have to collaborate and / or edit anything but the most basic documents, this won't work.

-t
     
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Sep 7, 2008, 08:39 PM
 
I have people who take care of that stuff for me.
     
turtle777
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Sep 7, 2008, 09:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
I have people who take care of that stuff for me.
And that's why YOU need editing of M$ documents on an iPhone ?

Or are you one of those bosses that will expect their employees to do everything on their BBs, since they can edit on them ?

-t
     
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Sep 7, 2008, 11:43 PM
 
I dont see the problem people have with the iPhone and pricing plan? I switched from Nextel which I HATED, where I paid $80/month I pay the exact same amount for my iPhone3g and now I have a phone that I absolutely love. My wife and I share 1400 minutes and the 200 texts for $5 is enough for me.

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Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 8, 2008, 05:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
Oh please, I work in finance.

There is no way you can do serious editing on a BB.

Having editing functions available makes your life HARDER.
The makers of Documents To Go and their bank manager would disagree with you that editing functions make life harder or is useless, as would just about everyone who wants copy+paste and document editing. That's a significant slice of the mobile market and you're voicing a minority opinion.
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Sep 8, 2008, 05:47 AM
 
Originally Posted by analogika View Post
Editing or correcting text received via mail and sending it back.
Umm... you can edit text in Mail. Just save the formatting for later.
     
turtle777
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Sep 8, 2008, 09:18 AM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
The makers of Documents To Go and their bank manager would disagree with you that editing functions make life harder or is useless, as would just about everyone who wants copy+paste and document editing. That's a significant slice of the mobile market and you're voicing a minority opinion.
Pff, I used Documents To Go before on a Palm. Absolute useless for real work.

It just gives you the feeling of being in control, but there's noting to it.

Like I said, it'll bite your ass sooner or later, when you start to rely on this and it fails to deliver, or when other's expectations go beyond the capabilities of this "feature".

-t
     
Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 8, 2008, 10:00 AM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
Pff, I used Documents To Go before on a Palm. Absolute useless for real work.



-t
You've done this several times now in this discussion - you've judged an app based on what it was on another platform or an old version, like when you judged the Blackberry apps based on how they were on devices with half the power and almost none of the connectivity of the Bold. Those apps will be updated for the new Blackberrys.

As for Documents To Go, it does a pretty good job and there's a pro version that offers just about everything an Office suite should.
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iomatic
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Sep 8, 2008, 11:08 AM
 
Originally Posted by Poppakap View Post
You can be as cocky as you want. I would be interested in how a your corporate level address book works for you in the iphone. My point was that they are different devices that serve different purposes albeit with a cross-section.
I was saying 'bullcrap' at the iPhone bashing statement. Sorry for the confusion. Never mind.

To reiterate, I have both; prefer the iPhone. In short, copy and paste is the only feature of the iPhone that is missing, but not entirely missed.
     
analogika
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Sep 8, 2008, 04:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
Pff, I used Documents To Go before on a Palm. Absolute useless for real work.

It just gives you the feeling of being in control, but there's noting to it.
Mastrap's post and your response have demonstrated quite clearly that "real work", i.e. what you actually make your living doing, and what you might consider useful tools to help you do so, vary considerably with what you're actually doing.

Has it occurred to you that others' needs might be significantly different from what makes iPhone editing of office documents useless for your job?
     
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Sep 8, 2008, 11:46 PM
 
I just got a BB Curve. I would have gotten an iPhone, but native ATT coverage is virtually non existent here. That being said, I'm pretty happy with the Curve so far. I have an iPod touch so I can kinda sorta compare the two. There are a few graphical quirks about the BB I don't like (the call time screen is ugly, the call timer itself uses a terrible looking font, some of the icons look jagged and crappy) and there are some other features missing that I can't quite understand why they neglected (no vibe+backlight notification when receiving a text, doesn't show who the message is from when receiving a text). The media player on this thing is terrible, end of subject. The iPod/iPhone web browser absolutely demolishes the BB web browsing experience. Period.

But the screen resolution on the BB is pretty good, I like the overall form factor, it handles email very well as everyone knows, and I like having a tactile keyboard (though I have used the iPod touch keyboard quite a bit and I am really impressed with it and I could definitely use it full time).

I would choose the iPhone if I had an option, but where I'm at geographically it just doesn't make sense to do it. Having said that, the BB Curve has turned out to be a pleasant surprise and a quality smartphone thus far.
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Sep 9, 2008, 09:52 AM
 
Originally Posted by sdilley14 View Post
I just got a BB Curve. The iPod/iPhone web browser absolutely demolishes the BB web browsing experience. Period.

But the screen resolution on the BB is pretty good,
I can't believe you're comparing a Curve to an iPhone. This topic was about the Bold and NEW features. The Bold's browser for example is a complete rewrite, a full web browser and as a cute bonus you can change the User Agent so that sites think you're using Firefox or Internet Explorer. And the Curve isn't even 3G so there's no point in comparing it to any new smartphone.

(Side note: Gartner today came out with smartphone sales figures for the last quarter and does not count the iPhone as a smartphone yet, instead it places the iPhone in the "Other" category. All the smartphones listed have professional features such as a document editing, copy+paste. file management, etc)

One thing customers should be aware of, in the UK at least, is that the Bold is being sold contract free at Carphone Warehouse even though they know that a contract free Bold would be useless 3G wise. It's HSDPA does not work on a pay as you go basis because none of the service providers support Blackberry Internet Service as a PAYG add-on. Both the providers and Blackberry are to blame for this bit of Stone Age nonsense.

Also, Carphone Warehouse has deleted Blackberry Maps from the device and installed its own GPS solution, which is commercial and thus expires after the 15 day trial. Orange is also doing the same. The only way to get free GPS maps on a Blackberry Bold from CW or Orange is to download Google Maps, which is good but hasn't been updated yet to exploit the Bold's powerful processor and screen resolution.
( Last edited by Aron Peterson; Sep 9, 2008 at 10:03 AM. )
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Sep 13, 2008, 04:19 PM
 
So I've been trying to decide on which to get. A iPhone or Bold (when available). Today I decided to go with the iPhone. To the AT&T store I go and much to my surprise, I was told no insurance was available for the iPhone.

?? HUH are you kidding me ??

The odds of me actually using the insurance for repair/replacement is remote. I just like the knowledge that I have some type of product protection.

So I guess I'll go with the Bold
whenever it's available, ??
maybe next year ??
dammit.
     
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Sep 13, 2008, 08:23 PM
 
Originally Posted by Gator Lager View Post
So I've been trying to decide on which to get. A iPhone or Bold (when available). Today I decided to go with the iPhone. To the AT&T store I go and much to my surprise, I was told no insurance was available for the iPhone.

?? HUH are you kidding me ??

The odds of me actually using the insurance for repair/replacement is remote. I just like the knowledge that I have some type of product protection.

So I guess I'll go with the Bold
whenever it's available, ??
maybe next year ??
dammit.
For the iPhone, you're expected to get AppleCare or SafeWare.
     
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Sep 13, 2008, 09:29 PM
 
Blackberry devices are for hipster PC using corporate types who carry their phone in a holster on their hip. They are not designed to be used for personal use by the average human being. The phone holster is the pocket protector of the 21st century. You might as well carry a fake tricorder in a holster.

To the OP, get a blog. I can understand if you want to say that you are not getting an iPhone but if you are going to advertise the Bold, go do it somewhere else.
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Sep 14, 2008, 08:01 AM
 
Originally Posted by aristotles View Post
Blackberry devices are for hipster PC using corporate types who carry their phone in a holster on their hip. They are not designed to be used for personal use by the average human being.
That's nonsense. The majority of people I see using them are girls who text and email a lot. And you're supposed to be judging current products and trends not past niche products otherwise you're like those Windows users who still judge Macs based on OS 7 etc
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Sep 14, 2008, 08:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by Gator Lager View Post

So I guess I'll go with the Bold
whenever it's available, ??
maybe next year ??
dammit.
I'm getting neither. I will wait to see if developers take advantage of the Bold's new hardware features or see if the iPhone finally joins the smart phone category in a future software update.
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Sep 14, 2008, 03:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
That's nonsense. The majority of people I see using them are girls who text and email a lot. And you're supposed to be judging current products and trends not past niche products otherwise you're like those Windows users who still judge Macs based on OS 7 etc
OMG, now I'm going to have dreams about 7.6.1. Thanks!!!!!
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Sep 14, 2008, 07:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
A year later and we've got the iPhone 3G. It's a fantastic piece of kit but still lacking. I need copy + paste, a hardware keyboard, a file manager and Bluetooth file exchange.
I will grant you copy and past but a hardware keyboard takes up too much space. Have you given the onscreen keyboard a chance? I was able to use the default notes app on the iPhone to write some in meeting notes in a user story overview meeting. You can get file managers which sync with Wifi in the app store if you have that niche requirement. Bluetooth? Have you actually tried using bluetooth file exchange on your typical cellphone. It is a pain in the arse.
Now along comes the Blackberry Bold. It doesn't have the iPhones touchscreen or App Store but it has all the features I need plus an amazingly sharp screen.
An amazingly sharp screen that is half the size of the iphone screen because of that bloody keyboard and the usability problems are still present in the new UI. What exactly besides the keyboard and copy/paste are you getting in the bargain?
Finally, the iPhones lack of Office file format support and editing, and also a file manager, means it really is very hobbled as a professional phone that can be used for document editing when it isn't practical to carry a laptop around. The quicker Apple remedies this problem the better, but I wasn't going to wait 6 months or a year more for it to happen.
Again, a file manager is a niche requirement that can be fulfilled by several apps in the app store. You can view office and iWork documents as attachments in mail.app or one of those file managers. Editing office documents is not a reasonable request. Even the BB will not give you full-fledged editing capabilities. If you want to edit long documents, use a laptop.

Magicpad from the app store gives you copy and paste as well as rich text editing and you can forward those notes via email.

I have to ask you, is this device for your personal use, exclusively for business or a combination of both? If it is not for business exclusively, I don't understand why you would be spending your own money and hobbling yourself with a Blackberry by choice.
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Sep 16, 2008, 05:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by aristotles View Post
I will grant you copy and past but a hardware keyboard takes up too much space. Have you given the onscreen keyboard a chance?
The Bold's keyboard is amazing and the screen is the same resolution as the iPhone yet they are about the same size. I was also able to type one handed on the Bold in my test! Yes I've given the iPhone every chance in the world but it still isn't a smartphone so I have to keep waiting. I am tempted to get both the Bold and iPhone and just use them at different times though

I was able to use the default notes app on the iPhone to write some in meeting notes in a user story overview meeting. You can get file managers which sync with Wifi in the app store if you have that niche requirement. Bluetooth? Have you actually tried using bluetooth file exchange on your typical cellphone. It is a pain in the arse.
A file manager has to be accessible to applications otherwise Open and Save just isn't going to happen. I never had trouble sending and recieving files over Bluetooth with Sony Ericsson phones.

An amazingly sharp screen that is half the size of the iphone screen because of that bloody keyboard and the usability problems are still present in the new UI.
There are no usability issues with the Bold's OS 4.6. It's very simple and straightforward and quite Mac OS-like, whereas the iPhone's OS is basically like Dashboard.
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analogika
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Sep 16, 2008, 06:21 AM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
I never had trouble sending and recieving files over Bluetooth with Sony Ericsson phones.
I was going to say that, too.

My Sony-Ericssons have been *fairly* painless for Bluetooth transfer (if slightly more convoluted than Apple would probably find acceptable).

Tried on a Nokia 6320i, though, and good God! did that suck complete donkey nuts - even just receiving was unFATHOMably brain-dead. Really.
     
Mastrap
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Sep 16, 2008, 07:08 AM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
but it still isn't a smartphone so I have to keep waiting.
Sorry, but that's just ridiculous. Just because some publication somewhere claims that the iPhone isn't a smartphone doesn't make it so. The iPhone may lack some features that are of importance to you, but it is pretty much the mother of all smartphones. There is nothing at all on the market right now that matches it for sheer versatility.

Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
There are no usability issues with the Bold's OS 4.6. It's very simple and straightforward and quite Mac OS-like, whereas the iPhone's OS is basically like Dashboard.
You're kidding, right? There is nothing at all Mac like about the BB OS. Nothing. At. All.
     
Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 16, 2008, 12:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
Sorry, but that's just ridiculous. Just because some publication somewhere claims that the iPhone isn't a smartphone doesn't make it so. The iPhone may lack some features that are of importance to you, but it is pretty much the mother of all smartphones. There is nothing at all on the market right now that matches it for sheer versatility.
You are more intelligent than that Mas. The iPhone, right now, is a MID device. It isn't in the smartphone PDA category.


You're kidding, right? There is nothing at all Mac like about the BB OS. Nothing. At. All.
I found the latest Blackberry OS 4.6 to take several cues directly from Leopard, not just its theme. For one, it takes less steps to change many settings than on the iPhone. That is one of the most hailed features of the Mac OS over Windows - making less clicks to get to a setting or dialogue window. You can also assign hardware buttons to just about anything. I set one side button to the Wifi Browser. With just one click I could see available Wifi networks. With the iPhone I have to go through three screens and wait for each one to animate itself into view. Very un-Maclike.
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Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 16, 2008, 12:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogika View Post
I was going to say that, too.

My Sony-Ericssons have been *fairly* painless for Bluetooth transfer (if slightly more convoluted than Apple would probably find acceptable).

Tried on a Nokia 6320i, though, and good God! did that suck complete donkey nuts - even just receiving was unFATHOMably brain-dead. Really.
I've never actually owned a Nokia. Never liked their designs and for some reason slow software. The N96's DVB-H feature looks great, wish that was on an iPhone or Bold.
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analogika
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Sep 16, 2008, 03:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
With just one click I could see available Wifi networks. With the iPhone I have to go through three screens and wait for each one to animate itself into view. Very un-Maclike.
Wait, I thought by default, there is NO click to get a Wi-Fi browser - it'll just ask you by itself.
     
- - e r i k - -
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Sep 16, 2008, 08:21 PM
 
Indeed. By default it will simply ask you to join a nearby WiFi network.

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Aron Peterson  (op)
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Sep 17, 2008, 05:31 AM
 
Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - View Post
Indeed. By default it will simply ask you to join a nearby WiFi network.
So does the Bold.

But what the iPhone does is not exactly straightforward and as quick as the shortcut button setup I performed on the Bold. You have to attempt a connection with an application such as Safari before it asks you, and then it will exit that application and take you to the hotspot chooser.

The other thing is the Bold has proper multitasking so a browser or other web app won't shut down when you open the hotspot chooser. You choose the hotspot and then carry on in the browser. Ah, the other Mac-like thing about the Bold's interface is the application switcher. It's exactly like Leopards! I set the switcher to another hardware key and hey presto I could switch between open apps without having to go to a start/home screen.

I might well indeed be buying the iPhone this week though to take advantage of the year's worth of 3G and hotspot access that O2 is bundling for free. It would only be for calling, web browsing, youtube and gaming though. Any pro use will have to wait.
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Sep 17, 2008, 08:51 AM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
So does the Bold.

But what the iPhone does is not exactly straightforward and as quick as the shortcut button setup I performed on the Bold. You have to attempt a connection with an application such as Safari before it asks you, and then it will exit that application and take you to the hotspot chooser.

The other thing is the Bold has proper multitasking so a browser or other web app won't shut down when you open the hotspot chooser. You choose the hotspot and then carry on in the browser. Ah, the other Mac-like thing about the Bold's interface is the application switcher. It's exactly like Leopards! I set the switcher to another hardware key and hey presto I could switch between open apps without having to go to a start/home screen.

I might well indeed be buying the iPhone this week though to take advantage of the year's worth of 3G and hotspot access that O2 is bundling for free. It would only be for calling, web browsing, youtube and gaming though. Any pro use will have to wait.
Wrong.

It doesn't exit the application to connect you to wifi. A dialog pops up over safari, asks you what network, you touch it, if there's a password, you type it, all right over safari. Then you're right back to where you were. I haven't used the bold, but that sounds exactly like what you just said - you choose the hotspot and then carry on in the browser. Same deal.
     
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:52 AM
 
And the iPhone does have proper multitasking. It has just withheld it from third parties for good reasons.

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stevebez
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Sep 18, 2008, 04:45 AM
 
Originally Posted by Aron Peterson View Post
... and the screen is the same resolution as the iPhone yet they are about the same size...
According to you the Bold has a physically smaller screen with the same resolution. Assuming the same usage this will cause more eye strain and lead to eye damage sooner. Can you please explain to me how this is in any way better?
     
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Sep 18, 2008, 05:15 AM
 
Originally Posted by stevebez View Post
According to you the Bold has a physically smaller screen with the same resolution. Assuming the same usage this will cause more eye strain and lead to eye damage sooner.
Woah there, stevey - BAD SCIENCE.

Straining to see something small can tire you, but not damage your eyes.
     
SEkker
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Sep 18, 2008, 02:09 PM
 
Seems to me the Bold is exactly what the Treo was supposed to be but never was. It's a good thing RIM came into the game to polish the device invented by Handspring (and later purchased and abused by Palm).

The iPhone is really a new device. I personally love thumbboards instead of software keypads, but I hate tiny screens. So I accept the iPhone's compromise.

What seems to me to distinguish these two devices will be third party apps and how easy they will be to install and use. So even if the Bold out of the box competes with an iPhone out of the box, how will they compare 3 months later? For me, I have installed an amazing number of cool news apps, many that are not listed for the Bold as far as I can tell.

The target audience for the Bold are business-types who think of these devices as disposable and will replace them once their contract is up. iPhones are more mac-like; my 2.5G iphone (which unlike the 3G model can be unlocked) is actually worth MORE now than a year ago.
     
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Sep 19, 2008, 03:12 AM
 
Originally Posted by analogika View Post
Woah there, stevey - BAD SCIENCE.

Straining to see something small can tire you, but not damage your eyes.
Woah there, grandma. You must be her, since only she calls me Stevey. Also notice the capital S.

You can call it bad science if you want to, but there is a reason they call it straining.
     
 
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