8330 Keyboard Lock

[Richard Holloway]

Okay, on to my next silly question-- this one on locking the keyboard.

I'm a recovering flip phone user. (It must be going on 15 years now. I have a box full of different ones, some a good bit larger than captain Kirk's 1966 communicator!) I love my new curve but I very much miss having the keys instantly protected when I hang up the phone.

This is only day two of using an 8330 and already I'm going nuts with bumping the keys at bad times.

Unlocking the keyboard is a slight hassle with the "*" and "Send" keys but guess I can deal with that. What I don't care for at all is having to locate the lock icon before I holster this thing every time.

Surely there is a key combination or some other way that I'm overlooking? The manual has not impressed me so far but I've looked several times and find no alternative.

Overall I find what I can do with this thing to be wonderful. For me it replaces the need for mobile broadband service with the laptop-- I can just find the occasional hot spot for what the phone won't do, but this settling-in to a new way of doing things is rough! LOL....

[John Clark]

Instead of keylock, use StandBy. Push and hold the mute key on the top of the device for about 1/2 to 1 second. That will put the device in standby, much like when it's in the holster. When you want to use it again, simply tap the mute key again. This is what I use when it's in my pocket.

[ezrunner]

Wirelessly posted (off to see the wizard)

JC beat me too it

[Richard Holloway]

So "standby" still lets everything work-- calls come in and so forth?

I was assuming that was more like "sleep".

Again, I'm just on day two here so excuse my foolish questions...

[John Clark]

Yep. Everything works. It's perfect for in the pocket.

[Richard Holloway]

Very cool. Wouldn't that be a smart tip for the manual to aim towards new users and maybe to mention next to the info on the "keyboard lock"?

Thanks very much!

[John Clark]

There is a full user's guide on the CD that came with your device.

[GXX]

I actually prefer to just hit the 'K' button and lock it. I also set a pass that I could hit with one hand to easily unlock it. Haven't had a need to press and hold anything :)

[John Clark]

I bet I can put the device into standby and bring it out much faster than you can lock and unlock.

[GXX]

I accept your challenge John. When can we brawl?

[John Clark]

Just try the standby. It doesn't even take a full second to put it into standby. Then just a tap of the mute key to bring it out. It's much faster than lock/unlock. This comparison is barring any security issues addressed by locking the device with a password.

[Richard Holloway]

There is a full user's guide on the CD that came with your device.

I figured there probably was-- the CD is in a PC that I can never manage to sit down at. I'm typing on a Mac right now. There's usually a Macintosh within arm's reach of me wherever I am when I'm home-- I reserve PC's for the few odd tasks that are too much of a hassle (or cannot be done, there are a few of those) on a Mac. (No offense PC guys.)

I should probably glance at the CD in a Mac too though as the manual is quite possibly just in a pdf. I literally put the CD in that PC yesterday and started to run the installer and have not gotten back to the machine since. (There's a sleeping two-year-old against my left side now preventing me from going to the PC now... Ah, kids!...)

If there's one more concern / complaint I have about the BB it is about the lack of a proper Mac solution that should come with it as far as I'm concerned, but what do I know?

Anyhow, thanks to all for the excellent advice. No doubt it will all be second nature shortly--

[John Clark]

yep, you'll need that PC for doing most things on your BB. Don't let it go! ;-)

[Richard Holloway]

No worries-- I just bought the PC. Custom-Built Delux-O Mega-PC from HP. Great machine. I just hate it because it is a PC.

I'm from Atlanta; the home of Coke. I can't stand Pepsi. Folks who like Pepsi are just fine by me, but I don't care to drink the stuff, not a bit. To me it tastes like it has soil in it. Probably it is just whatever one's familiar with-- I grew up drinking Coke.

Same thing for PC's. I have no problem with PC people-- in fact I'm married to one, but that doesn't mean I want to sit down and use a PC. They leave a funny taste in my mouth-- tastes a lot like Pepsi.

:-(

[John Clark]

I wasn't referring to which one was better. I only referred to what you need to work best with your BlackBerry.

[Richard Holloway]

I wasn't referring to which one was better. I only referred to what you need to work best with your BlackBerry.

Nor was I-- I think my comments may have come across the wrong way-- I was in fact trying to avoid any PC / Mac arguments myself, I assure you!

I just wish there was better access for Mac users, especially ones who don't have PC access at all...

[kjjb0204]

Quick question - if you're holstering it in a holster with the sleep magnet built in, why would you need to lock the keys anyhow?

[Richard Holloway]

I guess my quick (if foolish sounding) answer is I was not aware of the magnets. So there's issue number one. (This is just my third day with a BB.)

However I have seen the display glowing with the unit in the case and I think it was facing the right way at the time-- I had noticed the cutout for "blackberry" to display while protecting the camera and also the front cut dipping below the earpiece/speaker.

Where exactly is the magnetic switch? My wife and daughter have also had similar issues with the phones doing their own things in their purses. They have each been using the BB supplied vertical sleeves-- we all have 8330 Curves-- I just bought three of these.

My wife & daughter can probably use the factory case but I cannot. I have to have this device attached to my belt or it will quickly get lost or destroyed. I need this on my belt and the case has to be SECURE-- no clips-- solid belt loops only. The only exception I've found so far has been with Tamrac camera cases that double velcro (velcro down behind the belt and then a second flap velcros bach up behind the first)-- extremely secure; like nothing I've ever found elsewhere. If I'm doing production work I may bend and move a good bit and I've had numerous phones and small cameras fall right off my belt in the case.

On day one with this phone I grabbed a compact camera case that I had and used it-- fine for one day but not the best fit and clearly no magnets.

Yesterday I found a nice fitting leather case at a local Sprint store. The fellow who sold me the $20 case failed to mention the magnetic feature as well-- I think I may need to go back and discuss this-- he personally test-fit the phone in the case so it isn't like he didn't know the application...

Checking carefully, this case (which ironically closes with magnets) seems to have no sleep magnets, but again, I can just check for function-- I don't know where these should be...

[kjjb0204]

Wirelessly posted

Most aftermarket cases won't have the sleeper magnet, especially if they were not designed for your specific phone. Even some Sprint or Verizon cases don't have it. I use a Seidio clip but I think they make other holsters with velcro closures as well. Just make sure what ever you get says that it has the sleeper magnet built in. Or, just use the case you have and use the standby feature that John mentioned.

[Richard Holloway]

Where exactly is the sleeper "switch" (or the associated magnet in the holder)? With all three of us having issues-- even with the factory holders, there has to be at least some degree of operator error...

Thanks.

[JSanders]

In the leather, usually in the front and sometimes both the rear sides.

Hold a paperclip up to your holster and see where it grabs.

[kjjb0204]

This looks like it might work. Thank Dawg for it.

http://www.blackberryforums.com/hardware-accessories/135305-ballistic-nylon-case-sleeper-magnet.html

[Richard Holloway]

This looks like it might work. Thank Dawg for it.

http://www.blackberryforums.com/hardware-accessories/135305-ballistic-nylon-case-sleeper-magnet.html

Looks promising; very helpful-- thanks to both yourself and Dawg!

[techluvr1234]

Use standby like all the others said. It will work for you. And why do you have the same last name as me Richard Holloway!?!?!?

[Richard Holloway]

Use standby like all the others said. It will work for you. And why do you have the same last name as me Richard Holloway!?!?!?

Thanks... So I've bumped into another Holloway, eh? You know I don't often run across folks with the same last name-- that's cool...

[djm2]

Looks promising; very helpful-- thanks to both yourself and Dawg!

Also try forum sponsor Fortte.

[techluvr1234]

Thanks... So I've bumped into another Holloway, eh? You know I don't often run across folks with the same last name-- that's cool...

Thats right my name is Holloway... you've run across one now!