[mattymee]

Highlights for me:

• New browser
• L theme (wish you could change where the ringer type goes though)
• UI for SMS and Email (wish it translated over to message mode)
• SureType vertical
• Media Player UI (although I rarely use MP)

[brucewayne]

Why won't RIM enable video recording on the 8100 I don't understand the new curve 4.3 update is supposed to have video recording what gives?

[Sith_Apprentice]

the curve has a completely different camera than the pearl. 2.0mp vs 1.3mp. Seems to me the quality on a 1.3mp camera during video recording would be horrendous

[auditman]

funny u can do video on vga but not on 1.3mp? i dont think so.

[coldconfession13]

It's all business they can probably give you video recording but with the pearl 2's coming out why would they. I mean they want you to upgrade so thats the best way to do it if you want video recording capabilities.

[brucewayne]

Originally Posted by coldconfession13

It's all business they can probably give you video recording but with the pearl 2's coming out why would they. I mean they want you to upgrade so thats the best way to do it if you want video recording capabilities.

I guess thats it. Money, money, money, and screw the consumer!

[Sith_Apprentice]

Originally Posted by auditman

funny u can do video on vga but not on 1.3mp? i dont think so.

didnt say it couldnt be done, but why would they?

[thasgolas]

re: Predictive text -- doesn't clicking the pearl also select the word without being awkward?

[Sith_Apprentice]

yes, it selects the first word in the suretype box.

[warrencoakley]

installed the beta 4.3 all was going for a fe weeks well until the phone crashed when i tried to make a call there.

egg timer was on for ages then an error 205 on the screen keeped telling me to reset.No joy and thank god i done a back up as i had to wipe the whole thing and re-install.

Also the colour pearl app does not work on it either

Any ideas on the full functional version yet?

[TellarHK]

Video recording has almost nothing whatsoever to do with the CCD sensor size of the camera. It's all about processing power. Most small devices that do video encoding have CPU units specially optimized for the process of encoding a video stream.

The 1.3 megapixel camera in the Pearl is far, far more than adequate for the task of video encoding, however a video capture utility using a general purpose processor such as the Pearl's would only be able to provide very slow framerates and low resolutions in the 320x200 realm or possibly smaller, and probably at the cost of performance.

Basically, for those looking for video encoding on the Pearl: It just can't handle it.

[kjdoug]

Sure there are things that don't work but thats cause its a beta. But here are my thoughts:

Love the new look of calender and messages. (New fonts, cleaner look)
New Media screen!! Nice look and touch!!
A2DP!!!! Been waiting...love it!!! Except it doesn't work with video (yet..maybe it will)
Have been using my Motorola S9 headphones with this OS and it doesn't cut out between songs like some people have said..not even on shuffle!
Love the new cursor on the mobile browser...better than moving a highlighted text down on something.
Haven't had any errors or reboots yet and have been running this OS for 3 days.
Actually wait the above is not correct...like previously stated the camera doesn't work as soon as i take a pic it doesn't save and the camera closes..but i can live with that for now until the final version comes out.
Quicker reboot...turn on.

Overall a vast improvement!! Can't wait for the final version!!

[vhato]

Ahh, I am loving this so much.

This firmware just extended the life of my Pearl!!!! I will be keeping her until AT&T replaces the 8100.

[chibiskuld]

So... I keep seeing all this about the beta, but I can't find anything but mediocre torrents. Can any help me out here?

[John Clark]

It's not for public use and is not posted anywhere on the forum. Sorry.

[vhato]

Been using for exactly 5 days. And I gotta say, RIM got it right!!

The changes are subtle, but every change is so important. Unless for some reason my phone bricks from this, I simply cannot go back to 4.2.1.

I uploaded it to my bosses phone, he explored it from an airplane while bored and sent me updates all day (after landing of course) from how wonderful he feels 4.3 is.

I am so stoked about this, that I haven't touched Outlook this entire week. I set up meetings and sent/replied to E-mail and SMS all from the phone while at my desk. Outlook must miss me.

I plug my phone into an FM Modulator and listen to HiDef Podcasts, Microsoft Tech Podcasts or music on the way to work using an FM modulator. Even the new media player is cool. Battery life appears to be the same so far.

Answering a second call is easier, but E-mail and SMS, thats the sexy ticket to Blackberry Bliss. And more!!

For me to load the boss with it and for him to be thanking me all day has to mean something!!!

[gixxer750kid]

Wow all of this looks really cool thanks for all the updates on it! Any idea when the final product will be releasing?

[penk]

the good -

• everything about this is faster. everything.
• minor tweaks with icon fixes and menu stylings give the device more and more of a PC feel, which i think is really swell; my home PC is more of a communications tool and media hub, so this new feel makes the penkberry pretty darn close to a PC-on-the-go (and performs in one package what my old SONY Clié/SE T637 or NOK6230 pairing would do)
• when viewing a memo, it no longer opens in a "read only" mode and editing is possible immediately - this is a huge improvement! (now with more spell check!)
• Y!Messenger 3.0 is pretty sweet on this and maybe it's credit due the app and not the OS but the connection is much more stable and now allows more file sharing
• Docs to Go is dandy!

the bad -

• still an occasional (but still very rare) occurence of "SIM not allowed" which is cured only by battery pop - i know this is an issue with the BETA and not the potential release so it is only mentioned for those still interested in using the BETA

the ugly -

• no camera. still miss this now and again, but i still ain't cryin' about it since it's just the BETA

the weird -

• Blackberry Maps shows on the AppLoader (finally moved to DM4.3, BTW), Application List and within Service Books but the icon is nowhere on the device; trying a manual DL from the Browser, it prompts "replace 2.1.12 with version 1.2.26?" so i tried it, it installed, went back to the DM AL and it installed over it - now the weird - it popped a .cod ribbon module conflict but i let it go and according to the Application list i now have 2.1.12 and the Browser states the same if i try to DL 1.2.26 again (?!?!)

the not so great and too early to tell -

• haven't done too much poking on this one, as others are more tech saavy than i, but when downloading an app the Browser lets you set permissions prior to DL - and it gives a long list of different access permissions to select/deselect (most users should probably skip this step and set this during the first-use security prompt)
• still not happy with the inbox view regarding font width

[Tritan]

all these fixes are in the newer pearls already correct. 8130 on sprint and verizon?

[vhato]

Originally Posted by Tritan

all these fixes are in the newer pearls already correct. 8130 on sprint and verizon?

No, those are 4.3.0.xx. We have some Sprint 8130's and though I haven't really used them, the Browser isn't as cool as the 4.3.1.14.

Something I *think* I see is different. When my battery reaches 25% charge, the indicator on screen switches to red and the overall bandwidth the phone can use while in EDGE seems to be reduced to conserve battery life. Sending a simple e-mail took 15 seconds so I tried on multiple times. Plugged it in to the charger for 1 minute, speed was back.

So far, if this is true, I am happy to have it throttle bandwidth at near depletion (EDGE uses timeslot allocations similar to T-1 Circuits) to conserve battery life.