My Name is Frank, and I am...
 

crackberryholic.

Hello everyone. I just got my first-ever blackberry (8700c) last night. I purchased it unlocked off Ebay, and it works great. I am using Cingular service with it. I hooked it to my computer, re-reflashed it with Cingular software, it's working good.

Of course, there's that one thing I am not sure about. I have some questions too:

Firstly, I cannot find, for the life of me, the webbrowser that I can launch and use Cingular's network with it (I use pay-per-kb option, 1cent per KB). I would like to use that browser for, among others, downloading Gmail's mobile Java program (which is SWEET!), check my bank statement, etc. I researched installing miniOpera browser, but I just can't imagine my crackberry didn't come with a webbrowser!!! I freshly installed the latest device software off Cingular's website (v4.1.0.175). If the webbrowser is installed, it must be very well hidden, as I looked everywhere and I consider myself to be a somewhat savvy gadget (really quite lame otherwise) user.

Second question is about the service that BlackBerry provides, where you can log in and manage your Gmail synch with your bbry. How much does it cost? I tried registering, but the thing would error out saying "unexpected error" every time I attempted to provide them with my pin and bbry number (whatever they call that number).

Thirdly, I was wondering how you all, my crackberry fellows, are using your devices. For example, which providers do you have, how much do you pay for your plan, for your data, for your SMS, and what is the most cost-effective option with Cingular. Tell me some neat things you're doing, such as using GPS applications and similar things.

4thly, do you think using Gmail's java application is better than synching my bbry through POP3? What app in the OS drives POP3 synchronization?

Thank you all in advance. Keep on checking your crackberries!

Welcome!! Betcha can't hold a note like the original Sinatra.

You are going to need to register the device with Cingular and sign up for a BlackBerry plan before you can get the browser to appear. If Cingular doesn't know you have a BlackBerry then they will not register it properly or send the service books to the device. Without service books, no email and no web browser. Check if you have any service books loaded by going to Options -> Advanced Options -> Service Book. You should see things such as:

Provisioning [PROVISIONING]
Blackberry Internet Browsing Service
IPPP for BIBS [IPPP]
E-mail set up [BrowserConfig]

And a whole lot more, if you don't then you will need to get this fixed first.

toddz

Thank you so much for your prompt and helpful reply. I have nothing in my Service Book. I did call Cingular last night and they told me to reboot the phone and I should be all set. They then said they would call me back on my bbry to complete whatever they were doing, but they never called me back. To top it all off, I was getting "high-level" technical support from some girl who was painting her nails and smacking bubble gum as she was talking to me. Ugh.

When I call them, what should I expect for them to do for me? How much does it cost for the cheapest Blackberry plan? Can i just use pay-per-SMS and pay-per-KB??

hey...one more quick thing: when will version 4.2 come out for cingular?

Thanks again.

Welcome to the forums!

No BlackBerry Data Plan = no email, no internet, no data at all.

Unfortunately, I don't think your existing data plan will work. You'll have to sign up for a Blackberry specific plan. The cheapest one they have in my area is $29.99 (after a $5.00 discount for a voice plan). I don't think it includes text messages (SMS).

That's the only complaint I have about the BB... the cost of the plan. I had a $9.99 data plan with my old phone that would have worked fine for me. I doubt I would have ever busted out to $29.99 worth of overuse. However, with my unlimited plan, I'm using the heck out of it (to make sure I get my money's worth! <grin>).

Good luck!

Kurtis

$29.99??? No SMS?

WHOA!

Not to get too excited too early, I did send a few SMS messages right away, and I will be charged 10 cents a piece for them, so I'm glad that at least that works. I would love to be able to use internet on pay-per-use basis, but we'll see.

BTW, I pay $9.95 for my high-speed internet service at HOME! I mean, c'mon. There's a lot more data that flows through that pipe for only $9.95!!!

Keep on replyin' and telling me good stuff people!

I know... that part kind of sucks. But once you get dependant on it... Well, there's a reason they call them crackberries. ;)

Kurtis

Perhaps, but that pipe stays in one place at all times. It doesn't provide the capability of delivering your e-mail and offering you internet access practically anywhere that you are. that's a feat that requires a lot of work and a lot of equipment, moreso than a DSL or cable modem.

Most people also pay only a few bucks a month for flat rate local phone service at home, and yet they pay more for cell service. There's a reason for this too.

well said. You have a good point. My area of contention is the price differentiation between devices. On my old Motorola V551 I paid 1 cent per KB. With Blackberry, I have to subscribe to a rate plan. With the price of the blackberry plan, I could have used my old motorola to download data until it burst into pieces.

You sure of that? 1 cent per kilobyte doesn't sound like a lot, but it equates to $10.24 per MB (that's 1024KB at 1 cent per KB). Download 4 MB, and you've just spent the equivalent of 1 month of a blackberry unlimited plan. I dunno about you, but I go through data pretty quickly, and can rack up quite a few MB of downloaded data in a single session.

My e-mails are small in size of course, but web browsing or tethering can really eat up data.

As a newbie, you will most certainly under-estimate your eventual data use. It is inevitable... Don't say nobody ever told ya... cause we just did!
Enjoy!