[VicMatson]

I'm new to BB and have an 8530. How do BBs handle GPS when not using Gmaps, but is on my Quick(long press) menu? I know Trapster eats battery, but it's OK because I can exit from the app. But I'm liking to hear Arnold Schwarzenegger tell me where the speed cameras are!

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted

Maybe someone else understands what you are asking; I don't.

What do you mean, "handle GPS"?

Are you asking about the native blackberry maps app? About power consumption? What?

[VicMatson]

Originally Posted by aiharkness

Wirelessly posted

Maybe someone else understands what you are asking; I don't.

What do you mean, "handle GPS"?

Are you asking about the native blackberry maps app? About power consumption? What?

Yea, power consumption. I also have a Moto Droid and Android puts GPS to sleep when you aren't using apps that require it. Things like location based weather do not use the GPS chip so they consume less power.

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted

I don't know the nuts and bolts, but blackberrys are generally very frugal with power, and native apps are generally very efficient with power and data. I leave GPS enabled and don't think about it. Blackberry Maps isn't pretty and doesn't have the bells and whistles, but it is fast and uses less data relatively speaking. The potential power consumption problems a user typically encounters are with aftermarket apps. That's been my observation, for what it's worth. I haven't used Google Maps in years, tried trapster for just a couple days a long time ago, and pretty much rely on Blackberry Maps nowadays.

[VicMatson]

You're telling me, BB's are like a smartphone on a power diet! IMO, Trapster is worth it in DC, at $100.00 a pop for a red lite or speeding ticket it'll pay for my next Berry!

I was wondering about Gmaps though, I like the traffic layer in a instant.

Btw, those long menu press apps, what is the official word for them and are they recent or running apps?

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted

If you are asking about the "blackberry" button to the left of the track pad/ball, you press and hold and it brings up the ribbon ... Those are running apps. The basic blackbbery apps like browser, messages, blackberry messenger and so forth are always running and will always show in the ribbon.

Be sure to close apps when you are not using them. Don't leave the browser open on an active web page. Anything that is running and continually accessing the network is going to run your battery down fairly rapidly.