[afterhours]

There are some items I miss from my Nokia as I test the waters with my new Blackberry Pearl (with my Mac):

To have a built-in countdown timer and stopwatch. Or a way to install the existing older app directly from a Mac. No, RIM, I won't buy a PC just for your software. I may get rid of my Pearl, 'though.

To have call forwarding features that make sense -- rather than always-on or off. In Nokia land, I can set my phone to have the forwarding number programmed in, but I can choose to have it only active if the phone is off/out of coverage -- or always on -- or always off. Pretty sensible to have forwarding kick in if the phone is off.

To have bluetooth work with my Mac. The Nokia would iSync perfectly via bluetooth for iCal, AddressBook, photos, tunes, voice recordings, etc. Why not the Blackberry? Seems a waste of technological concept that this phone wouldn't make better use of Bluetooth (with a Mac).

To have an option to make one of the 'convenience' keys activate the speakerphone instead of digging through option menus while on the call.

To have an option to record phone calls (a very handy feature in the old Nokia).

To have a website that has a contact page where such suggestions could be left -- and not make it so difficult to reach RIM without the appearance that all they will do is answer the phone for money. RIM makes Apple and MS look absolutely friendly and generous by comparison.


With that said, there are features I've undoubtedly not found that are in the phone. Such as:

where I can turn off the autoguessing when I type

where I could have the number function/shift key lock so I could enter in strings of numbers without having to keep hitting that up arrow thing

where I could turn off auto-capitalization of first let when in browsers (maybe that's an Opera thing -- not the BB at all).



That's enough off the top of my head. I do hope the RIM engineers lurk here on occasion.

[NJBlackBerry]

** Moved to Rants and Raves **

BTW when I had a Pearl (8100) I hit the OP button (upper right hand corner) to activate the speakerphone.

[jeremyckitching]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 8100: Opera/9.50 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.0.10222/280; U; en))

NJ is correct. The OP button should have a little icon of a speaker on it. While on a call all you have to do is press it and it will automatically go to speaker.

[JSanders]

autoguessing = Predictive text? Try options

[ezrunner]

also in a call press down on trackball and what pops up? option to activate speaker phone no real digging reuired. though the OP button is still faster.

search the forum there are many effective ways to reach RIM

[John Clark]

Here is a nice stopwatch/chronograph:

http://www.blackberryforums.com/afte...ronograph.html

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by NJBlackBerry

** Moved to Rants and Raves **

BTW when I had a Pearl (8100) I hit the OP button (upper right hand corner) to activate the speakerphone.

You are so correct. Thank you for pointing that out.

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by afterhours

There are some items I miss from my Nokia as I test the waters with my new Blackberry Pearl (with my Mac):

where I could have the number function/shift key lock so I could enter in strings of numbers without having to keep hitting that up arrow thing

Answering my own question -- Num lock is shift-alt to turn on, alt to turn off.

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by JSanders

autoguessing = Predictive text? Try options

I think they call it 'sure text' -- and while I can view how to work it, I have not yet discovered how to disable it. :(

[JSanders]

Options > Screen/Keyboard > Language Input Method.

Choose Multitap, you will need to press the keys twice to get the second letter, it is very hard to use in my opinion. If you have SureType some time, read the hints and tips here and in Stinsonddog's Tips, you might actually like it, most people do and can type faster on SureType than the full QWERTY keyboard.

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by John Clark

Here is a nice stopwatch/chronograph:

http://www.blackberryforums.com/afte...ronograph.html

That's a wonderful tool. RIM should buy his code and couple it with the built-in alarm for a future OS release. Thank you.

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by JSanders

Options > Screen/Keyboard > Language Input Method.

Choose Multitap, you will need to press the keys twice to get the second letter, it is very hard to use in my opinion. If you have SureType some time, read the hints and tips here and in Stinsonddog's Tips, you might actually like it, most people do and can type faster on SureType than the full QWERTY keyboard.

Thank you. That wasn't the path on my 8120. But it got me to digging and trying stuff I thought I might want to leave alone earlier...

Options:Language:Use Input Language Shortcut: (toggle Yes/No) for most general apps. I still can't turn off autocapitilization :(. Opera 4 seems to override my system setting, with it's own multitap option to toggle. Again with the autocapitilization. Why is that important? many of the pages I hit are password-protected. Opera4 is the only browser I've found on the BB that can properly access these pages. The RIM browser fails to properly display links on pages once it successfully logs in, leaving the access worthless. Opera wants to capitalize entries for uid -- rendering the page blocked because of credential mismatch. There are workarounds (like First-letter capitalization of my user ids on all my accounts :p )

But we're getting there. Nokia ease-of-use habits will have to get supplanted by BB ease-of-use. But for such a mature product and OS, I'm very surprised how many little things seem unpolished or unmanaged. How often does RIM update their OS?

[NJBlackBerry]

By unpolished you mean you could find them or search for them, right? Sounds to me like you have to learn some NEW habits.. It may take a little time. Especially with Suretype or whatever input method you choose.

So far, the items you don't have (syncing with iCal; recording phone calls) have never existed on a BlackBerry. Prior research would have found that.

New OS updates will not make it work like a Nokia.

For some of us, that's just fine.

Search; read; Ask. Lots and lots of information here about the BlackBerry. Most of your questions were already answered, right?

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by NJBlackBerry

By unpolished you mean you could find them or search for them, right? Sounds to me like you have to learn some NEW habits.. It may take a little time. Especially with Suretype or whatever input method you choose.

So far, the items you don't have (syncing with iCal; recording phone calls) have never existed on a BlackBerry. Prior research would have found that.

New OS updates will not make it work like a Nokia.

For some of us, that's just fine.

Search; read; Ask. Lots and lots of information here about the BlackBerry. Most of your questions were already answered, right?

Well, not exactly. Yes, I'm a newbie to the BB (just shy of 3 days old). Yes, I haven't learned the BB vocabulary -- and the vast majority of my questions have been addressed by researching this and other forums, so let's not make the mistake of assuming I haven't done any research before posting ;) I've posted what had stumped me for longer that 24 hrs. The only timer tool I had found prior to the kind posting above was some PC browser download that required the DM to install. That right there alienates 8% of the potential consumer base for the BB -- and I think we can make a case that mac users may as a whole have a little more discretionary income so might be more inclined to buy pricier toys like a BB over the plain-jane flip phone for whom RIM is not a market.

To be fair to the BB, I can already sync my iCal using Missing Sync -- I'd simply like RIM and Apple to play nice and work with each other to be proactive using the tools available. Having this device sync via bluetooth isn't something you'd find useful? I would. I haven't had a USB cord on my desk in three years. Now -- thanks to the BB, I do. Seems so -- antique.

You are right to gently chastise me about some other ideas. Blackberry never had some of these features. But I ask you: why not? Why not record phone calls (or at least snippets)? Useful in my work as a reminder. I drive -- I don't write things down when I have to take a call. I'm already embarrassed that I answer a phone (speakerphone) while driving. The other drivers deserve better (but at least I pull over). And when I'm driving, or hiking, or otherwise not at my desk and a client asks me to do some thing or asks a question, I like to record it so I can refer to it later. Nice Nokia feature. Blackberrians don't know the utility of having a feature because you've never had it. Doesn't make it less useful -- it makes for a feature gap between worlds. The BB was sold to me as the 'other' iPhone. In some respects, it is close. Some features are on par with Nokia (video phone, Apple: take note since the iPhone DOESN'T have one). Some features are well behind. But the BB shines over the iPhone in one regard: I'm no longer paying AT&T for their service and that makes me happy.

As to my prior research, yes -- I _did_ find that some of these features are wanting. I didn't realize how much I liked those features until I hit these limitations. Bluetooth syncing? voice recording? My wishlist and 'how to' list is certainly growing shorter with every task/habit I learn from you and others here. Doesn't diminish my desire for an even better product (via software changes only one hopes). RIM has a lot to learn from Nokia. I'd like to throw these ideas at them and see what they consider. This thread got moved from where I thought it belonged -- wishlist items -- into 'rants'. Lovely. I suspect RIM engineers would be less likely to read rants than datamine the wishlist arena. As for finding out how to contact them directly -- I haven't found that easy short of writing a letter. maybe I'll do that.

Thanks to all that continue to nudge me in a better direction. Before I figured out how to get Opera 4 working (under Options:Advanced Options:TCP Set the APN: internet for a SunCom network), I was pretty bummed by the built-in browser failures. It's information like this that may let me keep my BB and not go suck up to AT&T for an iPhone. Then again, why is the native browser broken and why wouldn't RIM want to know that?

Cheers, all.

[penguin3107]

I don't even know where to begin with a response to this... so I won't.

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by penguin3107

I don't even know where to begin with a response to this... so I won't.

Oh -- please do. You guys have perhaps single-handedly made me give this thing another few days to earn it's keep. (Well, discovering the secret sauce setting for getting Opera working helped )

I am not trying to pick on anyone. Everyone here has given me a lot of useful assistance (better than another forum, I must say). If I'm wrong, I am so happy to get educated.

Being a Mac guy -- it's all about the user experience, not about fighting through esoteria to get something working. Apple's methods were always about not letting the machines get in the way of the user. I found a lot of the Nokia experience was similar to that. They certainly have their warts -- but if I could in some fashion help nudge the BB into a slightly better platform, I'm happy to offer suggestions. I'm even more happily learning new tricks from y'all. So with that, I'll shut up

[NJBlackBerry]

A Mac guy - that explains a lot
Yes, Apple and RIM do not work well with each other. They are competitors.

Well, I do have an E61, and a Nokia 9300 (both of which I used with BES to get push email with them) and I do know that there are other devices and platforms with other features. Some of us may not be as sheltered as you thing. Some of us even have iPhones <gasp> and may have tried Windows Mobile devices. Even Palms.

So we do know what's out there. And some of us are very comfortable with a device that does what we need, when we need it, without tons of add ons and ohter features to break. I daresay I think the Symbian OS is a bloated, slow operating system.

Just food for thought.

I hope you enjoy your BlackBerry (after three days) warts and all