Ok so, new job, personal browsing and email is totally banned 👿
I want to keep up with my own shizzle obviously, want a bit of web browsing ability for when I’m away in hotels, and want to push my hotmail to one.

I like the idea of the bold as it has the streaming capability, but am a little put off by the size so would prefer the new 8900 but don’t think it has the browsing feature and click links in emails either..

Just wondered how you guys got on with yours..

What dyou have, prefer? Why?

same kinda boat, but stuck between the curve and bold. O2 seems to have the best unlimited surfing offer.
But would 3g make that much a difference between the 2? (Curve doesn’t have 3g)

not considering the iphone?

I recently got a curve and it’s really ace.

Same situation for me too but got told today that the internet connection is lots faster on the Nokia E71 than Blackberry, somthing about Edge connectivity not being as good as HPsomething … actually spoke to someone helpful in the o2 shop after months of frustration trying to get sense out of 3!

I’d go for an iphone myself. Way more functionality than the blackberry. The list of aps you can get is almost endless. And it’s not often you’ll hear me bigging up apple products but they really are rather good.

the bold is good if you actually write emails on them, pearl is a good phone and ok for emails bit not war and peace type efforts. Used a storm and hated it. I pref my BB to an iPhone – gave it back after 2 days. Depends what you want. I wanted something that rang, gave me sms/mms and email not a **** hi-fi in my pocket…

Netbook + 3G modem. Even the iPhone would get annoying if it was a primary browsing device.

I went in for a Bold and walked out with an Iphone, I use it for business e-mails, calender updating, web browsing, etc, etc. It’s very good and has even survived being used in truly appalling conditions.

Blackberries are great for email, no good for the web. If it’s light email and a lot of web, get an iphone.

Just a word of warning for anyone thinking of using an iphone for business or personal stuff…..

There are currently 53 documented vulnerabilities for the iphone, make absolutely sure you have the latest version of software on it before connecting to the web. They come out of the box as weak as hell. (which of course, most devices do)

Blackberries are good for keeping up with work e-mail and tolerable for basic web stuff, like news, train times and simple low-graphics websites (best on sites with a separate PDA version). The browser on mine (an 8310 Curve) doesn’t handle tables all that well so sites using them are at best a bit random and at worst illegible or misleading.

Basically if your work are giving you one so you can suck on the corporate cock when out of the office then that’s fine, but otherwise must be something better out there for what you want.

Blackberry is shit…Nokia E71 is what you want

Nokia E71 tried here, but found it’s reception poor?!

I’ve just got the curve 9000, my first forray in Blackberry so still learning about it, but i’m fully web’d up and emails pushed to it loving it so far, though a bit bulky doesn’t really bother me TBH

The newer BB firmware (I’ve got an 8320 Curve) has a much improved browser (now with a proper cursor) but it will never beat the iPhone for web browsing. However it does a great job of keeping you in touch via email, SMS, IM, Web all in a compact little package which you can type propperly on at a decent pace. I still think it is the best allrounder. Get a newer one with GPS AND WiFI (it was one or the other when I got mine) and you’ll be able to use trekbuddy.

If my employer didn’t trust me, I’d get an iPhone.

I’ve got a BOLD. I’ve had Nokia and an iPhone in the past and find the BOLD by far the best. Great for email, good for web and media plus its built like phones in the good old days!

Surfr
Is trek buddy worth installing as a GPS/SAT NAV system on my curve 9000?

Thanks for the advice,

The main reason I’m thinking of a BB over an iphone is the price of the iphone tariffs. I’d prefer the iphone, BUT! I can get a full BB deal from my current provider with 600 mins, 1000 text, unlimited browsing, push email etc and with my loyalty discount it comes down to £20 a month with all the bolt ons. Hard to refuse!

The Curve 8900 would work out free and the Bold would work out about £50, so you can see my reasoning for considering one.

My original question was if anyone had the Bold or Curve 8900 and could compare between the two. Functionality wise, the Bold wins, but size wise, the Curve/Javelin 8900 wins..

I’ve tried the N98 but hated it, but have not had any experience with the E71.. Be interested to hear more about that.

Haven’t read all the posts but here are a few thoughts. Have an iPhone (personal) and a blackberry (work). The latter is crap basically, IMO. Yes it works with my work e-mail (unsurprisingly), but I can’t read pdfs etc properly – no problem with the iPhone (may be BB apps are available that can do this stuff but our corporate IT police won’t allow their installation). I’ve also had an N95 – now that is a crap phone, but don’t know what the latest version is like. The iPhone has done everything it advertised and more. Getting apps is easy, the GPS works really well (solved a bridleway dispute out on the trail the other week), lots of good stuff. Setting up e-mail really easy, and with multiple accounts. Well built IMO. Surfing web is excellent. Having tried a reasonable number of ‘smartphones’ the iPhone is the first that for me lives up to the billing. I am a mac user as well though, so that might explain why I think that. One thing that I will say is a bit crap with the iPhone is the camera. Anyway, just my 2 pence worth.

I have a nokia N78 which does most things including twatnav/GPS, it also hooks up to the laptop via bluetooth to enable full sized net browsing as a 3g broadband modem if neccesary, the built in browser is ok but a bit small. email works fine on it, worht a look IMO.

i’ve got the 9000 bold, its great and i’m now a blackberry convert – worth the extra imho as its 3g and far better for browsing, etc.

I’ve given the fellas at work bolds, they love em, since getting the better half an iPod touch I’m now hankering after the soon to be released iPhone3

After much pondering recently (iPhone, HTC Touch HD, Storm, etc) I decided that I just wasn’t ready for the full touch screen experience.

I had been shocked in the past how truly useless the N95 (original version), and N80 before it were, but I read some good tings about the E71 and went for it.

All good news so far. Camera’s not great, and the flash is useless – either a complete washout close up or not enough at any sort of distance. Handy as a torch though.

I had read, as mentioned above, that the signal strength is supposed to be poor, but so far it has been as good as my last phone (Nok 5500 Sport).

Web, email, fring, and of course phoning people are all good. Texting on the wee querty is also good, but takes a day or so to get used to. Also has predictive text that actually predicts, unlike the usual guff.

which provider will you be using stumpi? O2 seem the best as Orange useage isnt very high 250mb or extra £5 for 500mb a month

Hi Smudge, it’ll be on O2.
Have to say I’m now leaning more toward the Bold, mainly as it has the browser functionality and 3G.
Please remember guys that the main reason Im looking at BBs is that I’ll get heavily discounted on the airtime and wont have to stump up £35+ for an iphone tariff.

*if* I could get what theyre offering me for the BB tariff for an iphone I’d almost certainly get one, but as it is I am pretty much forced to the BB option.

Thanks for the on going info though, it’s much appreciated.

Re TrekMate, I can’t comment yet as I’ve not bothered to install it as I don’t haev a bluetooth GPS dongle. I don’t know it anyone else can comment? Apparently it takes MemoryMap maps amongst others.

The browser on mine (an 8310 Curve) doesn’t handle tables all that well so sites using them are at best a bit random and at worst illegible or misleading.

Stu – get Opera Mini on there. Problem solved. Works a treat on my BB 8800

Well I hope they are half decent.

Cancelled my old contract with vodafone and they been phoning me incessantly ever since.

Just agreed to take a free bold, same tarriff as old except (which I never usually exceed) + free b/b push e-mail & internet all on an 18 month contract…

saving £10/month on iphone and £99/£159 phone cost.

okay i’d probably still ‘prefer’ an iphone but then i’d prefer a better car than i got too!

The iPhone would be a good bet if it wasn’t locked to O2 on an expensive contract, but this does include unlimited UK browsing/downloads.

The iPhone UI is superior to others and there are loads of additional apps. available, many FOC. I don’t know if you can run msn, yahoo on iPhone. If Apple’s usual tack is anything to go by you won’t. Meebo is the alternative if you need this, but runs slow in my experience.

Blackberry is focused at business users and like the E71 is not as intuitive and user friendly as an iPhone.

However another concern I have about iPhone is what to do about it when it’s battery is worn out. Buy a new one?

Replaceable battery and compatibility with other music formats/media software would be a deal maker for me.

other bonus with the BB is that its comes with a great leather case so you can bask the f@@k out of it on the trails and it doesnt get sratched.

Agree with Spongebob – lack of removeable battery and music lock dwown make it a no go IMO