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Originally Posted by Razor1973
And the main reason I haven't is not only the fact that the BB plans are more expensive than regular internet plans ($10, right?)
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Well, you're missing out. I not only pay more for a BB data plan but I pay more for a BES data plan
and BES hosting. Of course, most people can't justify the added cost or don't need the features of BES or just won't pay and will gripe that they don't have BES features for BIS pricing or less.
As for how much more BB data costs, it depends on the carrier. BIS data is only $19 with TMO. Yes, BB data plans tend to be more expensive but RIM gets a cut of the BB data plans and you can bet that the carriers aren't taking that cut from their end.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Razor1973
Oh, so it's not like the client won't support IDLE, but it also won't even let me set up an IMAP account without a BES/BIS account? And I can't even use the browser?!!?! Forget it. I guess I'll keep "admiring" BB's from a distance.
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Nope. Something that people that haven't really done their research don't realize is that the BB itself is really more of a frontend. BES and BIS are key components of the backend that really make the BB platform shine. If you try to take the BB and make it work like other platforms then, yes, you're going to be frustrated but working against the flow with anything will be frustrating. When you go with the flow, it's a really wonderful experience. However, it sounds like your needs aren't exactly in line with the "BB way".
IMAP support is definitely one of the BB's weak points. If you absolutely must have IMAP account support I probably wouldn't recommend the BB as a solution for you unless you could deal with its shortcomings. It's really better suited for POP, gmail/Yahoo and BES. Of course, BES is really at the top of the hierarchy as it does an excellent job of integrating the BB with your Exchange account (I have no experience with BB's and Notes).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Razor1973
So let me put it this way... If you were/could not get a BES/BIS account (whatever the reason) and you needed a push e-mail of any sort, would you even bother getting a BB?
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Since you can't get BB push email without a BB data plan, no. The BB data plan grants access to RIM's infrastructure which is a prerequisite for BES and/or BIS. Again, without BES or BIS the BB loses a lot of functionality (see above). Lets just take BIS as an example. BIS is your interface between your email account and your BB. Between BIS and your BB it's all push. However, your email accounts probably aren't push. BIS is what does all the work. It's this approach that significantly contributes to the better battery life that BB's tend to have. Other pseudo-push solutions have the device frequently polling (and therefore eating up battery life). Granted, there are some actual push alternatives to BB available now as well.
Despite all that and much more that hasn't been discussed (such as automatically pushed service books that configure your BB for you, etc) the biggest plus in BB's corner IMO is stability. I have yet to find a device as stable as the Blackberry. That's really the most important item on my list.