[rachamphetamine]

True, which is why the clients from the mobile BB site are recommended to avoid going allotted texts if not on an unlimited messaging plan.

[conazo]

Originally Posted by ScottRPriester

I work for VZW. I sell the product every day.

Instant messages are counted as text, period

End of story.

I used to work for verizon myself NOT TRUE! IM are counted as data on the storm i use it everyday both AIM and MSN and i instant message all day on both and it does not count as text! get your facts straight.

[dandan83]

I know this is a dumb question, but how can you tell which version of the app you have? I got AIM through the Blackberry manager that came with the phone, does that mean I have the BB version? lol

[ScottRPriester]

Originally Posted by conazo

I used to work for verizon myself NOT TRUE! IM are counted as data on the storm i use it everyday both AIM and MSN and i instant message all day on both and it does not count as text! get your facts straight.

Data usage is measured in KB usage now. How could you possibly count an instant message in kb?

Here's a novel thought, if you don't believe me, call 611, or 1 800 922 0204, and hit the pound key then zero to take you to a live person.

And to further my point
http://www.blackberryforums.com/rant...-charging.html

You say you "used" to work for VZW, the Storm has barely been out two months.

[rachamphetamine]

Originally Posted by ScottRPriester

Data usage is measured in KB usage now. How could you possibly count an instant message in kb?

The same way that BeeJive sends it in kb. Or Mundu, IM+, or WebMessenger.

It depends on the client used. Some people in the past have reported being charged by text message by the IM clients on their phone - I think the OZ messengers. However, it has also been reported that the IM clients from the mobile BlackBerry site charge in data.

I send 300+ IMs a day and have never been charged over my allotted text messages with the RIM client. If it charged via SMS, I would have busted over my text message plan in a matter of days. It has yet to happen.

[rachamphetamine]

Originally Posted by dandan83

I know this is a dumb question, but how can you tell which version of the app you have? I got AIM through the Blackberry manager that came with the phone, does that mean I have the BB version? lol

Honestly, I'm not sure. I'd download it from the mobile site just to be safe. But that's just me.

[Dawg]

Originally Posted by k9th

So apparently your OK with being lied to and double and triple charged for the same service. I am not so complacent. Do you realize how many billions of dollars they garner by double and triple charging for their services? It was different when things were analog, but preying upon the ignorance of the general public and exploiting that ignorance is unacceptable to me. They will not stop on their own since it is a sizable revenue stream that positively affects their balance sheet and that is why litigation will be required to put a stop to it.

Its built in to my package so I really dont care one way or another.

At the OP
if you use a thried party aim program it will be billed as data. If you use the vwz mobile IM its sms trust me I have been using there service for a long time and I know how mines billed. I use the aim program from rim zero text charges.

[dandan83]

Ahhh. I found the answer to my own question. I looked in the Application Center and under each app you can install it lists the developer!

[dolphin_lena]

There is IM+ All-ine-One Messenger application. It works also with the latest BlackBerry Storm.
It allows you to chat within AIM/ iChat, MSN / Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo!, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk and MySpaceIM with no cost per message.
By the way, the application has new IM Push feature: send and receive IMs as emails and save precious battery life!
IM+ BlackBerry IM Push

[XelhaBB]

I leave my AIM running constantly and communicate extensively with it daily. My bill hasn't changed one bit and I do not have an unlimited plan. Messenger communication must fall under data traffic and to be quite honest, messenger traffic must barely register a blip in the KB scale.

I also SMS and MMS extensively and my bill is still not affected.

Just enjoy the product folks and stop squabbling over such an inane topic.

[Sam K]

Originally Posted by Dawg

The app from verizon uses SMS the app from RIM uses data Thats why you get the 50/50

Dawg is 100% correct. The Verizon Mobile IM application uses SMS and all the other IM applications (i.e. Blackberry IM applications, JiveTalk, IM+, etc) all use data. Up until fairly recently, the Blackberry AIM and Yahoo Messenger applications didn't work on the Verizon Blackberries so you were forced to either use Verizon's Mobile IM application (which used SMS) or buy a third party program such as JiveTalk or IM+. Before anyone flames me, I know that JiveTalk isn't available for the Storm yet. I used to have a Verizon Pearl 8130 and I purchased JiveTalk so I wouldn't have to use the crappy Verizon Mobile IM application. It appears that the Verizon Mobile IM application has not been released for the Storm because I just went to the Verizon Blackberry Storm home page and clicked on "Get Apps" and it's not listed there. Basically if you use the Blackberry instant messenger applications (AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger and ICQ) on your Storm, they will use data.

[jsntrenkler]

Originally Posted by ScottRPriester

Data usage is measured in KB usage now. How could you possibly count an instant message in kb?

Here's a novel thought, if you don't believe me, call 611, or 1 800 922 0204, and hit the pound key then zero to take you to a live person.

And to further my point
http://www.blackberryforums.com/rant...-charging.html

You say you "used" to work for VZW, the Storm has barely been out two months.

Verizon Mobile App used SMS to chat with your online buddies. The AOL, Google, Yahoo, MSN apps that come by default on your storm were made by RIM. They use your data service to send Instant Messages to your online friends. They do not use SMS!

[AJamesR]

I'm glad I didn't give up on searching and found this post, it answered my question perfectly.

I find it funny the people that say "well I work for verizon and I KNOW" becuase a few days ago I was in a verizon store and asked the people that worked there this question and one said for sure it did NOT use sms, and one said no doubt about it, it DOES use sms. So there is your 50/50 again. The trouble is most (if not all) people I've talked to that work for Verizon don't know hardly anything about Blackberrys and just assume they work like all the other phones.

[XelhaBB]

WOW - who resurrected this horse skeleton to beat once again?

AIM, YAHOO, BB messenger, and also MMS traffic run through RIM as data. This is a fact. I confirmed this after upgrading to OS .103 and my service books were disabled. My messenger programs would not work and I could not send MMS messages. However I WAS able to send SMS messages. Everything ran fine again once I prompted the Storm via the host routing table to register the phone with RIM again and send the service books to my phone. This happens with unlocked phones on other carriers as well.

Without data services, none of these functions will work.

Let this one go folks. Or just call RIM and confirm it for yourself.

Are we done beating this dead horse already?

[candrist]

The best way to know that you have the apps that use data is if you install the msn, aim, and yahoo straight from the application center. If you install from anywhere else it may not use data.

[Bulgaro]

Originally Posted by k9th

So apparently your OK with being lied to and double and triple charged for the same service. I am not so complacent. Do you realize how many billions of dollars they garner by double and triple charging for their services? It was different when things were analog, but preying upon the ignorance of the general public and exploiting that ignorance is unacceptable to me. They will not stop on their own since it is a sizable revenue stream that positively affects their balance sheet and that is why litigation will be required to put a stop to it.

It's a service, not a right (.) We do pay for services don't we ... And if we do not like... said services we choose another carrier . If one is so concern about data usage let's just say for sake of argument that this product is not meant for the user . And of course we would all like to go back to "ANALOG" . I mean really . This forum is full of advice on how to find solutions for problems suggesting that litigation is an answer is absurd.


My 2 Cents ... No change required

[zero7404]

i was reading this thread and thought i'd download the aol messaging app from mobile.blackberry.com.

i am using an unlocked 9530 with tmo as my provider. i get an error message when i try to log in to aim, saying "service not enabled for this handheld"....

anyone know what causes this message ?

[XelhaBB]

Zero7404,

Do you pay for the Blackberry data package? If you don't, then you have again proved that messenger traffic is data. You probably are unable to send MMS messages as well.

When you pay for the Blackberry data package and register with RIM, the service books will be sent to your Storm and you will be able to utilize MMS and messenger services.

[zero7404]

Originally Posted by XelhaBB

Zero7404,

Do you pay for the Blackberry data package? If you don't, then you have again proved that messenger traffic is data. You probably are unable to send MMS messages as well.

When you pay for the Blackberry data package and register with RIM, the service books will be sent to your Storm and you will be able to utilize MMS and messenger services.

i do have a data plan. maybe it has something to do with my online account with tmobile, as the device is not meant for their network ?

i can browse and email fine...

[XelhaBB]

Hmm,

If you pay for data then you should be able to run AIM. If you are sending email you should be registered with RIM. Have you logged onto Blackberry and registered your Storm? Use the link below if you haven't, it takes only a minute.

BlackBerry Owners Lounge - Welcome

After you register, try resending the service books to yourself.

Options > Advanced Options > Host Routing Table > Once there press the BB menu key and click on "Register Now"

Let me know if that works for you.