Greetings,

I would like to replace my cell phone and Palm with a Blackberry, so I have just one device. However, I don't want to have a data plan or emails. Verizon, my mobile carrier, claims they can't sell me a Blackberry without a data plan. Seems that I should be able to buy the Blackberry, but not register my email address nor use the web browser.

Any input?

Thanks!

elfe

If you don't have a data plan, you can't get any email, browse the Internet, or use your BlackBerry as a modem (tethered).

However, if you can live without all that and simply sync your BlackBerry with something like Outlook, I'm not aware of any reason why you can't buy a BlackBerry and put your current SIM card into it and use it as a phone with an address book, calendar, etc.

You will, however, have to buy either a Verizon BlackBerry otherwise it won't connect to the phone network. Also, the BlackBerry is not the greatest cell phone, but it's acceptable.

1. Verizon is a CDMA carrier and doesn't use SIM cards.
2. The notion that a Blackberry is "not the greatest cell phone" is simply absurd.
3. Verizon Wireless will probably not sell a Blackberry without a data plan.

Seems to me you are paying a high price for just a basic PIM and phone. You might want to look at the Q as it would do the same thing and probably be much cheaper than the Pearl.

Why would you go to the expense, and not use the BB for all its worth.

dionn...you might go to the expense because you want one device rather than two and/or don't have the $50 per month for VZW data.

To the original poster, you might want to try to buy the phone with a data plan and then immediately cancel the data plan. Since the data plan is considered an add-on to the phone plan, you can do this without penalty. I'm not sure if the BB will continue to try to download data however, so you might need to check further into that.

That's dubious reasoning as well. It's like saying that you should drive at 200mph all times if you buy a Corvette Z06 because that's what it's capable of...

Not everyone has the same needs as you (thankfully). Plenty of people are happy with their BB's without data plans -- that's why.

Precisely -- that was one of the BB's selling points for me. If I didn't want internet or email access I'd probably still use a BB because it's a very reliable device and I don't have to maintain two separate phone books which always bugged me. It was annoying to have to rely on my cell phone book for the latest phone numbers and then turn to Outlook for the latest email addresses and other contact info. There options other than the BB out there, of course, but I'd still recommend a Blackberry unless someone really needs media support, third party apps, or a much more robust PIM features. For me, reliability is very important as I don't want to waste my time troubleshooting my phone/PDA -- I do more than enough troubleshooting at the office.

Yes, I want to sync with Outlook and use just one device for phone and PDA. I'm not interested in spending $50/mo for the data plan; I don't need the connectivity that urgently. I believe I could also achieve that with a Treo, but understand that it is klutzier.

I believe I could sign up with Verizon for a go-as-you-use plan. I just want to make sure that I have an option not to activate the email, so that I don't receive emails inadvertently and am charged for data usage. Additionally, is it likely that I would use the internet option inadvertently, i.e., by mistakenly pressing the wrong button or selecting the wrong option?

This is a great forum; thank you very much for your informed comments!

elfe

I don't believe you can do that for data usage.

Without a BB Data Plan, you will not receive emails inadvertently or advertently.

Not if you don't have a BB Data Plan.

So, if Verizon will not sell a BB without a BB Data Plan, you need another carrier.