Thinking about making the switch from Treo 700P to BB

[CDNBlue]

Hi All,

I currently own a Treo 700P and have been a Palm user since the days of the first Handspring Visor. I am considering making the switch to Blackberry but wondered if I'll still have the same functionality I have with my Treo and the 3rd party apps I use. I have a few questions:

1. Does the blackberry syncronize with Outlook so my tasks, contacts and folders from my IN box all transfer over to an area in the BB with the same categories, times, etc.?

2. Currenlty I use Datebook6 (a 3rd party) app on the Treo. Is the something like this that allows me to add icons to specify certain activitie in my calender? For example, when I have a meeting I have it shaded with black background with an icon of two heads talking to one another. Every business meeting I have can been easily seen because of this icon and color. Whereas birthday are just in the color pink, and assigned a birthday cake icon.

3. Am I able to link a contact to my clander so all I have to do is click on the contact in my calendar and have it dial that contact's number for me?

Thanks so much for your help! [/FONT]

[ArgonNJ]

The BB calender is definitely plain jane. No color, no icons. Only the calender on Win Mobile is worse. RIM should really work on this. I don't believe you can do what you want to do in #3 either.

[tobyw]

Re number 1: if you're going to be using BIS on the BB then you won't get folders from your inbox or the ability to file in folders. I still miss this ability from when I used Chatter for mail with my Treo 650.

[Fkmegently]

Do you use Windows or Mac?

[SheepDog]

Definately make the switch to BB. I had treos. 3 of them. Dern POS were worthless if they fell or even got bumped. I have been BB for 2 devices now the 7100i and now the 8830 and will never go back!

Things on the BB are different than the Treo's thats true. But the BB doesnt lock up 1000 times a month like the treo either. Palm makes a lousy OS.

[cmguerra77]

Hi All,

I currently own a Treo 700P and have been a Palm user since the days of the first Handspring Visor. I am considering making the switch to Blackberry but wondered if I'll still have the same functionality I have with my Treo and the 3rd party apps I use. I have a few questions:

1. Does the blackberry syncronize with Outlook so my tasks, contacts and folders from my IN box all transfer over to an area in the BB with the same categories, times, etc.?

2. Currenlty I use Datebook6 (a 3rd party) app on the Treo. Is the something like this that allows me to add icons to specify certain activitie in my calender? For example, when I have a meeting I have it shaded with black background with an icon of two heads talking to one another. Every business meeting I have can been easily seen because of this icon and color. Whereas birthday are just in the color pink, and assigned a birthday cake icon.

3. Am I able to link a contact to my clander so all I have to do is click on the contact in my calendar and have it dial that contact's number for me?

Thanks so much for your help! [/FONT]

The BB is the way to go. I have a Curve and I get everything I need. To answer your questions:

1) You can sync your BB with outlook for everything, but visually it will be a bit different. It won't have ebrything Outlook had, but everything will tranfer over.

2) I don't know of any application that does that. However with a bit of searching through the forums and online you might find something similar.

3) You cannot call a person directly from the calendar on a BB, but emails that have web addresses and phone numbers can be inked to and dialed directly.

Even though it doesn't have the same features you're used too the BB is the way to go!

[gameboy213]

come on over.... BB is the way to go.

[davi20d]

OMG....BB is the way to go. I had a Palm 5000, then several Treo's. The Treo is junk. I had 3 of them, no matter, they all constantly froze and had to be reset, they constantly duplicated entries in Outlook. On and on, I'll never get another. The BB's are different, but they work, everyday, allday!! In the long run, I don't miss anything about the Treo. If you're a professional, use technology that is, get a BB!

[shogunmaster]

I recently switched from the 700p a few weeks ago. I think the other posts adequately answered your questions. On a whole I really like my 8830. It feels nicer and I like the screen much better. Having push email is really nice compared to Versamail. It's all been a nice change.

Some things that I am having a hard time getting used to is finding third party apps to replace the one I had on the Treo. I've had to troll around the internet to find apps to do what I need.

One other thing I've found is that the applications aren't as optimized as they are for the Treo. The Blackberry apps are much larger and I cannot install nearly as many apps as I did on the Treo.

So, changing a device like this you will have get used to the idea that things are going to be different and you may not be able to do all the things you did before in the same way.

Like I said, I'm very happy with the change and think that it is a step up.

[Mark Rejhon]

One other thing I've found is that the applications aren't as optimized as they are for the Treo. The Blackberry apps are much larger and I cannot install nearly as many apps as I did on the Treo.It's actually more that BlackBerry have more battery-friendly processors (read: somewhat slower). BlackBerry is also powered from Java rather than native compiled apps.

That being said, many BlackBerry apps are far higher quality than the equivalents on the TREO -- especially instant messaging programs (i.e. JiveTalk) -- and much more stable. Google Maps Mobile and GMAIL Mobile (now has ringtone/vibrate notify) is better on the BlackBerry than the TREO, and Google Maps fully supports addressbook integration ("Show in Google Maps" in your BlackBerry addressbook), supports the GPS builtin to certain BlackBerry models. So much better than the Palm versions of the Google apps. And multitask between all of them.

BlackBerry are much better multitasking devices too: You can run many applications concurrently and switch between background apps (Alt+Esc). You can't do that on Palm TREO's. Want to copy and paste between your web browser and addressbook? Although you do have to trackball instead of using a stylus for copy and paste, you can switch back and fourth without interrupting your position in addressbook / scrolled position in webpage.

BlackBerry is thankfully getting Dataviz Documents-To-Go very shortly, they are beta testing it now.

[Mark Rejhon]

1. BlackBerry uses Outlook as the default sync source. You can even keep your TREO and BlackBerry synced to the same Outlook until you decide to fully commit BlackBerry.

2. There are now third party PIM's that are fancier than the builtins. PocketDay (http://www.crossriversystems.com/PocketDayBB.htm), BBTask Pro, todoMATRIX, Dynoplex eOffice, etc. I think there's a DateBk5 clone coming out soon, forgot the name.

3. I think this feature is now being added OS 4.3 which is not yet out. For now you can just copy and paste. BlackBerry is a multitasking capable device (unlike Palm) so it's easy to switch back and fourth without interrupting the application, you can copy and paste numbers into the Notes field. And yes, you can just click on phone numbers (in almost any text edit field) to dial the phone number. See a phone number in web browser, in a text document, etc -- just click and dial on BlackBerry. Other conveniences like these make up for shortcomings if you can brave it for now.

[JaguarXJ7]

I too come from a long line of palm devices including 3 Treos (600, 650 & 680). In the early days, Palm was the way to go .............. In more recent times, Palm has got to go away!

Don't get me wrong, their devices are nice and to a certain degree I obviously liked them alot, but to have been around as long as they have and to STILL have stability issues like they do ............. come on!

I had a BB 7250 some time ago and HATED it. I returned to Treo with a new 650 and just dealt with the "issues" as long as I could until the 680 came along. With renewd hope I bought it and foound that it was only marginally better. Just about a week ago my 680 went for a swim, from which it did not recover and I decided to find a different device and looked up BlackBerry again as I knew one thing for certain ............. the devices are stable.

Well after a week or so with my new BB 8310 Curve I am ridiculously ecstatic with my decision and I am sure you will be too.