[cjsalv63]

[csgka]

[cjsalv63]

[birdman]

am a long time PPC user, currently using a converged device but very tempted to move over to a BB.
While I know that I cannot use a BB to listen to music and it does not have an SD card slot, I could probably do without the music part if I could get close to comparable functionality as my PPC.

I have done a bunch of reading on BB Forums, etc., but the following are primary uses of my PPC. Can I find equivalent programs / syncing ability on a BB?

Outlook Tasks, Contacts and Calendar (I believe all can be sync'd on a BB).

-Can I sync Outlook Notes on a BB?
-Is there an off-line Newsreader program like AvantGo on the BB?
-I use ListPro a lot to make lists. (Shopping list, Travel Prep., etc.) Is there a comparable BB program?
-I use ewallet to carry a lot of PW, financial, credit card info., etc. Is there a comparable BB program.

TIA.

[ScOObydoo]

I answered a few of your questions on HoFo, as for the app's, check out these people;

http://en-corp.delineo.de/index/BlackBerry-SW

They seem to have some stuff you might need.

[Mark Rejhon]

Before I continue, please allow me to recommend the model 7290 if you are on the GSM/GPRS network, the 7520 if you are on the iDEN network, and please wait for the 7250 (avoid the 7750) if you are on the CDMA. If you want BlackBerry TCP/IP stack for full Internet access such as Verichat AIM/ICQ/MSN/etc, do not get a CDMA BlackBerry. And if a phone form factor is strongly preferred, the 7100 is good although it has its own tradeoffs. There are many people I know who made the mistake of buying a 7750 and then regretted it if they are one of the power users who wanted to use chat software & other stuff... (Although the 7750 is a fine device in other respects, just slower than the other models and more limited.). Also make sure to upgrade to BlackBerryOS 4.0 so you can get Categories for everything.


>>Can I sync Outlook Notes on a BB?

Yes.

>>Is there an off-line Newsreader program like AvantGo on the BB?

Not at this moment. But since BlackBerry is Always-on, I can use a HTML browser to to access information. Kind of slow though. I did hear AvantGO is considering BlackBerry support eventually in a few months. (They first said no, but they changed tunes and are looking into it now.)

>>I use ListPro a lot to make lists. (Shopping list, Travel Prep., etc.) Is there a comparable BB program?

I just use Outlook Notes for this sort of stuff. However, there are two shopping programs too, one is called ShopMagic at the web address ScOObydoo mentioned.

>>-I use ewallet to carry a lot of PW, financial, credit card info., etc. Is there a comparable BB program.

BlackBerryOS 4.0 includes a password wallet built into it ("Password Keeper"). It is very barebones and not as fullfeatured as eWallet though.


By the way -- when you have unlimited always-on Internet with no in-country roaming charges (it's just like wireless equivalent of DSL/Cable, not in speed but in availability) you might actually notice your primary uses change too. For example, running instant messaging 24/7. Or using the web to access information you normally have offline. (Weather, News, Internet Movie Database to check if a DVD is good before renting it, etc.) The great thing is that the news is up to date to the second, and you can access information spontaneously. I lost interest in Avantgo pretty quickly. The web is very slow but I turned off images to speed it up, and I like up-to-the-second news rather than offline news.

If you like the idea of wireless synchronization between your desktop Outlook and BlackBerry, no matter where you are in the country, I recommend getting a BES hosting service.

Some things will be a downgrade (loss of multimedia), and some things will be an upgrade (the freedom of always-on Internet). CPU speed is also much slower on BlackBerry, but the battery life is great, you can have over 100+ hours of continuous Internet connectivity. (Can't do that with WiFi or Bluetooth) There's no "connect to internet" feature, there's no power button -- it is truly always-on.

[Talldog]

Originally Posted by birdman

-I use ListPro a lot to make lists. (Shopping list, Travel Prep., etc.) Is there a comparable BB program?
-I use ewallet to carry a lot of PW, financial, credit card info., etc. Is there a comparable BB program.

There are a few programs out there to replace eWallet. I use CryptMagic. The built-in Password app really won't do the job. Unfortunately, there is no decent replacement for ListPro. I've been using that program for years on Palm and PPC, and I really miss it. Not enough to give up my 7290, though. I use a combination of MemoPad and Tasks, depending on the type of list.

[birdman]

Thank you for these very informative posts.
I am in Toronto and currently on Rogers.
I have been using a PPC for so many years, and a converged PPC Phone edition device for the past 2 or 3 years that I am reluctant to change platforms. While I do get email on my handheld, it is not push, and there is no data compression so to poll on a regular basis eats up bandwith (and data charges) very quickly.
I am intrigued by the newer BB (7100?) because of the form factor and speaker phone, but apart from the keyboard, is it more or less limited in functionality than the "traditional" BB?
Thanx again.

[NJBlackBerry]

Originally Posted by birdman

I am intrigued by the newer BB (7100?) because of the form factor and speaker phone, but apart from the keyboard, is it more or less limited in functionality than the "traditional" BB?
Thanx again.

I have a 7100t (and have had every other BB); I don't think the 7100 is more or less limited - it is just different. You definitely have to get used to it. It takes around 3 days. The 7100t is a great phone that does e-mail. I do not use IM nor have I tried to use the 7100t as a modem.

The traditional BBs are great e-mail devices that are also mobile phones. If you are going to be doing a lot of e-mail, the traditional BBs may work better. If you are voice oriented, the 7100 may be better. I've had the 7100t since it first came out (30 September) and I haven't switched back. If I had a job which was much more e-mail centric, I would probably get a 7290.

[SaV]

NJBlackBerry put it well. The 7100t is a great phone but with the capablities with full email, scheduling, and 3 IM clients (that TMO does charge every message as a text message).

[birdman]

Thanx. I probably use email more than I use the phone which is why I was happy with a converged PPC device; it is more PDA than phone.
Does the 7290 have a speaker phone?
Also, it seems as if the screen is better on the 7100.

[bfrye]

7290 doesn't have a speaker phone.

And I don't think the screen between the 7290 and 7100 are that different in quality, just that the 7100 screen resolution is slightly higher than the 7290. They are comparable devices, both with bluetooth, 32mb ram and features that are almost identical. It's more a factor of which model fits your hand and hip best.

[birdman]

thank you for all the replies. Very helpful.

[Mark Rejhon]

If you do email more than phone, DEFINITELY get the 7290.

There is no speakerphone on the 7290. But if you really want a speakerphone, you may want to get the model 7520 by Telus. (However, I prefer the Rogers network by far.)

The 7100 screen is better because it is higher resolution in a smaller size. The 7290 screen is bigger than the 7100 screen, but lower resolution.

Also the 7290 screen is better looking outdoors in the sunlight with the light off. Saves a lot of battery power not needing to turn on the backlight.