Wondering if their other once blackberry hardcore owners that are now leaving to the new Pre, Android or Apple phones?

I blogged in detail as to why I'm thinking of making the move from the 9630 to the HTC Hero on Sprint:

Hanging up BB Sneakers: Blackberry Tour 9630 is improved but not enough
I've owned and loved blackberry phones since the very first 950 pager but it's time to move on. The times it worked during 9/11 and NYC blackouts were priceless. The single double A battery that lasted a month was incredible. But technology and user demands have evolved into a new era where companies have to deliver more than reliable email. Real time email isn't the key it's real time data the Twitter Age.
more here if interested
MacSpotLight.BlogSpot.com: Hanging up BB Sneakers: Blackberry Tour 9630 is improved but not enough

this might not be the great place to post this... Anyone else aware of RIM's limitations and leaving and looking at alternatives?

I've been test driving an HTC Dream on Rogers, and while there are lots of things I like about the experience, I still go back to my Bold for most of my mobile needs.

Android is not ready for the enterprise. Once it is, we'll look at it!

each is his own, each device or platform has its high / low points in the end its all what you are looking for out of the device with you.

one device is not better then the other they are unique in there own way. each offer some function while lacking a different. there is no perfect device. with that said. hope you enjoy what ever device you move to.

NJBlackBerry, why do you say that? If you're talking about Android 1.6 or earlier, I understand. But, if you're talking about 2.0 (will be officially released on Friday), then I'm very curious what about it is not enterprise-ready.

Check out Boy Genius Report's take on Android 2.0 on the Moto Droid.

Motorola DROID review « Boy Genius Report

It's still got some fatal flaws that need to be addressed before it comes anywhere near enterprise-level communications grade.

Android has tons of promise, but like Palm's WebOS it is still a work in progress. Nobody gets it 100% right on their first time out of the box.

I never stop searching for the ultimate mobile. What I have learned is that I come running back to BlackBerry every time. The trap I fall into is that I keep trying to make other devices do what a BlackBerry does natively - superb email. What this tells me is that my #1 priority remains email, followed by PIM, and as long as this remains true I'll be using BlackBerrys. If my focus were to change to multimedia, BlackBerry would be a poor choice. I'd then go with Nokia or even (gasp!) the iPhone.

I left AT&T and my BlackBerry Bold to get the Palm Pre on Sprint. Total rookie mistake, leaving a carrier to get a particular new phone, and I should know better but I did it anyway. I got lucky though, and maybe some of that luck is the residue of good planning. I asked folks A LOT of questions about Sprint in my area before taking the Pre plunge. I didn't change carriers completely on the bind at least! I loved my Palm Pre - for about 2 or 3 weeks - and realized I was doing it again. Trying to make the Pre do email like the BlackBerry. I was seduced by several Palm features:
1. Touchscreen.
2. Shape/form factor.
3. Multimedia capabilities.
4. That I was a Palm user from way back.

1. As great a device as the Pre is, it simply isn't the best fit for how I work. I still have mine, and use it as a backup and for a change of pace. But once the "new-ness" of the Pre wore off, I found that the touchscreen was a cool novelty only. It didn't help me work faster or more efficiently.
2. The shape/form factor causes a compromise with the keyboard design. It's light years behind BlackBerry in this respect. Palm put a Centro-style keypad on the Pre, and it's one reason I never tried a Centro.
3. As cool as the multimedia features of the Pre are, I just don't use them. I have an iPod for when I'm at the gym, a real camera for most photography, and only use the phone cam for quick picks. Honestly, for what I do with my phone camera, the BlackBerry's is fine.
4. WebOS sure isn't the old Palm OS, a.k.a. "Garnett", a.k.a. "Franken-Garnett", that's for sure! This new OS is stable, quick, and a breath of fresh air. Of the 4 reasons I was seduced by the Pre, this remains the strongest lure and is why I'm keeping my Pre. I want to see where Palm takes this new OS. So far they're supporting it very well, putting out multiple updates already that improved it and added new features. Still a long ways to go, and I believe the long-term success will depend on Palm getting the developer community behind WebOS. Palm's strength in the past was the gazillions of apps available. So although the Palm Pre is not my primary device, it's definitely one I'm keeping.

Wirelessly posted

The only beef I have with blackberry is how u pay for apps in the app world.I don't want to use paypal how about letting me use my credit card or charge it to my cell bill other than that I love the phones just wish they made more for sprint

I'm sure App World will open up to other forms of payment. It's relatively new though and PayPal was a good starting place.

Android is a great idea, but as an open source design, it needs to be developed. For me, the BB is a stop gap until Android is further developed and I am hoping 2.5 will get it where I want it. A side note is that the Android app store already has about 15,000 apps available, and should quickly add more. Like Rambo47, I'm looking for the perfect mobile device and I see that in Android. Like my switch to linux, I'm also waiting till it has developed a better interface.

Considering it but I don't exactly like Apple's approach to things like the App Store (and its seemingly arbitrary approval process). The Droid looks interesting and has strong potential to be a game changer but it's too early to tell for certain. Pre is permanently out for me as long as it's only on Sprint.

Email isn't a top priority for me either. I do want a decent selection of apps. I definitely want a much better browser. I'm not quite sure where I'll be headed at this point. I'd like to see some real world experience with the Droid. These sneak peeks and quick reviews that pop up for new devices rarely tell you the important stuff that pops up from actual day-to-day use.

BGR's review of the Droid pointed out some disappointing flaws. It's one to watch, but it looks like another Revision 1 device with some issues.

Motorola DROID review « Boy Genius Report

The salient points in the review seem to be:
1. Physical keyboard is poorly designed.
2. Android third-party apps are of generally poor quality compared to the built-in Android apps.
3. Lack of a real password to unlock - you have to draw a picture instead.
4. Lag/freezing.
5. Buggy Exchange support.

I posted this in another thread...

All the pioneers are dead on the prairie... First generation devices rarely last, and always disappoint the early adopters.

Yet we keep buying them

I still have a BlackBerry 5810 in the desk.

As I said I'm playing around with, er conducting technical evaluation of a Rogers HTC Dream. I'm looking at it from a corporate IT point of view but I could look at some personal use issues.

At the moment my impressions are:
1) The touch screen is disappointing when compared to the iPhone.
2) It supports background processing (though with different UI semantics than the blackberry which I'm still wrapping my head around).
3) From a user point of view the browser, email, Market (applications store) are much better than Blackberry. There is no push email or MDS push which I make extensive use of, so for me the Blackberry wins YMMV
4) Application permissions on Android are not as flexible for the user as on the Blackberry. You are told what the app wants and you can install it (granting the permissions) or not. On the Blackberry the user can allow some and not others. For example on the Blackberry I run the Wordpress application without any of the permissions it asks for, and it runs fine within those bounds.
5) System security from a design point of view is interesting and reasonably strong. There have been some notable huge blunders in implementation.

Generally, all the people on here who want to run their Blackberries without a Blackberry data plan and use Wi-Fi hotspots for data should get an Android. I'm running it with a PAYG sim card for voice and SMS, no data except Wi-Fi and everything works as expected without any fuss.

seems like once they replaced the trackwheel RIM has been trying to find it's balance... the 8700 series was once of the best blackberries in terms of build and feel... the 7200 series as well... RIM may loose it's touch and feel with the trackpad...

RIM post the track wheel has made turn trying to survive in the 'popular mobile market' since they had a hit with the pearl.

I still miss my thumb wheel from my 7105t.

The 957 battery was much better.

I guess I just hate progress.

I know what your thinking : iPhone , Android , and even WebOS seem so visual , reliable , and totally awesome ... I'm ready for something new instead of same ole' Blackberry this or Blackberry that ... right ?
Well let me tell you that like yourself after many years I too had doubts and wanted something new so I went from : BB 8700 , 8800 , 8300 , Treo , 8310 , iPhone 2G , T-mobile G1 (Android) , 8900 , iPhone 3G , iPhones 3GS , and now I'm running back to good ole' Blackberry 9700 just as soon as I can get my mitts on one.


I can't say exactly what keeps me coming back to BB after all these fancy smancy devices out there but for some reason I need my crackberry ...

It's all about finding the right solution for your own needs. If you're a multimedia guy more than anything else, the iPhone 3GS is the king. Android and WebOS may mount serious challenges in the future, but for now those platforms are still both "works in progress". The original iPhone had some serious faults/missing features, and it took several revisions to start addressing them. So WebOS and Android may get there, but IMHO they're not there yet.

What has kept me coming back to BlackBerry is how well it suits my needs. #1 for me is email/messaging, #2 is PIM. Multimedia is WAY down the list. After realizing I was being seduced by the multimedia hype, I found I was trying to force a multimedia powerhouse device to be more like a BlackBerry. The obvious solution hit me like a kick between the eyes: Use A BlackBerry!

I didn't discover BB's till Verizon got the Pearl loved that but wanted bigger screen. Then I went to the Curve was in love all over again, I strayed when they got the EnV touch. Had that for maybe a week what a POS and took it back and waited till they got the Tour. Don't see myself betraying BB again, it just does everything I need and very well.

Dude, from what I've gathered, the HTC devices, Palm Pre, iPhone and other similar devices, are all hyped up. One would pick up such a device for reasons that are more emotional than practical. I have both the iPhone and the Bold, but the iPhone has no push email; at best it can fetch email every fifteen minutes. Are you picking a new device because of the way it appeals to you emotionally, or would you rather receive and send emails instantly? Blackberry is king when it comes to push email.

I'm with the choose by the application/abilities crowd. For me Todo Matrix is my killer app and it only runs on BB. I keep looking around at Droid, Pre, Iphone etc.

I can get very frustrated with BB OS at times I don't like how it limits the way I organize my apps, multi tasking is less than a stellar feature but it does do what I need.

The others are very tempting but since this one app is more important to me than what looks to be a nicer UI, I stick with BB.

i have to be honest i have been testing almost every pocketpc phone out there and always end up coming back to a blackberry. i just find that pocket pc phones just dont run as smooth as the blackberry OS . you are correct these days its more about just email but the blackberry is all about email and push data . i find it that pocket pc phones are people who just want to copy there pc computer real quick, but for some reason i always end up returning the pocketpc phones and end up on the blackberry again. i rather pay a restocking fee then end up with 500 dollar phone that i am not going to use and have it collect dust . one of the main issues i find people who buy a blackberry and are disapponted the blackberry is not a toy its a tool. i mean as much as i would love to have the same web browser as an iphone and play games on it i just find it hands down blackberry makes an overall better product in the professional world

I'd consider the Droid except that Verizon basically wants double what my current TMO Blackberry plan costs me. Sorry, but having a "cool phone" isn't worth an extra $720 per year + tax to me.

Some days, I miss my 7100, but overall I'm much happier with the Curve since overcoming my trackball fear.

Blackberry For Life

My only loyalty is to the best device. For people who actually want to get professional work done on their mobile device, that's still the Blackberry.

I was utterly unimpressed with the blog posting of the OP.

Rambling and inarticulate and without supporting evidence; reminds me of junior high school "I feel this way, thus it is so" type essays.

Unfortunately there is no perfect device. I have an iphone 3GS (as well as a BlackBerry 9700) and it is great, except it has three major flaws: a virtual keyboard, poor battery life, and a crappy camera. Perhaps if Blackberry or Apple come out with slider (full screen and physical keyboard) . . . . .

I have been a BlackBerry user for quite a while and still think that it is the fastest mobile email platform. My 9700 is certainly the best for texting, BlackBerry Messenger (must I explain?), excellent calling capabilities (handset and speakerphone), very good PIM (though in very bad need of an interface update), an a reliably good keyboard.

However, I really feel like BlackBerry devices are falling behind for business use insome serious ways. Number one and a seriously annoying one is the lack of a full featured mobile Office client included with the phone. Oh yes, Documents to Go is included, and it certainly allows some documents to be opened. I cannot create one unless I purchase the premium version of the software. Should I really have to purchase commom office software for a business device when other work focused smartphones include it? I really do not like this at all.

Web browsing. This has been covered by everyone reviewing a BlackBerry. The web browsing experience is just not alright anymore. I will not go into detail. I don't feel like it. Every smartphone out there has a better browser than BlackBerry devices do. I won't pay a premium for a device that is getting left behind like this.

My New Bold 9700, which I managed to get a VERY deep discount on, is my personal phone. I cannot use it for work. It doesn't have what I need for that but is almost perfect for personal use. Think about that...the BlackBerry Bold 9700 isn't good enough for me to use for work yet it is great for personal use. Isn't that backwards?! My business line is now being used by the ultra capable Touch Pro 2. I have the push email and Exchange syncing, a great mobile Office suite, a great web browser, wonderful speaker phone and the ahndset actually beats the Bold for calling all around, and very good battery life (the 9700 keeps the advantage there though). I enjoy the Touch Pro 2 as a personal phone as well but it is best for work as I need it.

The battery was unbelievable... I wish RIM made the retro... no recharging.. a device that lasts a month. Probably cheaper as batteries weren't included

Blackberry has long since left the "business and professional work" market as a major source of revenue. Once they came out with the Pearl and Curve the focus has been more consumer less business.

I just did the reverse swap I was one of the first to hop on the Android bandwagon last year when released through T-Mobile. The Android hype and possibilities all sounded great. My expectation as to where the Android platform would have gone was not met. Lots of Apps was there for the product, but the limiting factor again was the network. I don't think cell network providers should be selling Internet phones. Their thinking and focus is selling minutes on the mobile network and not really making the technology work as promised/expected. It somewhat works.

I just picked up a BB 9700 and my expectation is a good cell phone, with email and texting capability. A feature like UMA technology should have been part of the Android package.

We need to start thinking about the real functionality of these products being dumped on the market because the people doing the dumpling they have no clue.

Do you mean the technology of the network or the phone?

Providers provide a network, they only subsidize hardware on contracts for the user to have a phone to use on that network, or the user purchases a phone outright to use. They don't make the phones themselves. You have to look at the manufactuer for phone defects.

This is assuming you meant the technology of the phone itself. Sorry if you just meant the network on which you were using the phone

I think the fault is equally share between the two, the network providers and the hardware manufacturers.

Okay, so your problem is with the quality of T-mobiles network, and the functionality of the phone you chose?

Some people accuse the carriers for the technological issues of the phone. I was just making sure that was clear.