Blackberry Pearl

[Smoke Screen]

Been given one of these to play with.

Always used Nokia (flirtations with Motorola and Sony Erikson in the past) so have the usual menu re-learning to negotiate.

Like the idea of e-mail on the go, but not sure about the titchy keyboard.

Certainly the idea of taking photos on site surveys and instantly mailing them back to the office is attractive and at the least being able to read inbound mails on the go.

The unit itself is attractive and well made.

Anyone got experience using Blackberry Enterprise Server?

Is it any good? Do you have to buy it separately?

,

Matt

[amateurandy]

Anyone got experience using Blackberry Enterprise Server?

Is it any good? Do you have to buy it separately?

Errr, do you work for a big company, small firm or yourself? Only the first would even dream of running a Blackberry Server!

When you got the phone, didn't you sign up for a blackberry email service with it?

[camerabloke]

go for windows mobile 2005 phone, better all round imo

[Smoke Screen]

go for windows mobile 2005 phone, better all round imo

As mentioned given the device to play with. Having had a look through, the use of the server software is ridiculous for a team our size.

It is a lot of money.

Will look into the Windows based devices.

Shame, because apart from that, it is a nice bit of kit. Some limitations, but not bad.

[amateurandy]

Having had a look through, the use of the server software is ridiculous for a team our size.

True, but there are plenty of suppliers who will provide a full service to your individual blackberry at reasonable rates. In many cases you can even add an existing email into it, though some prefer you to use their email service.

So, if you really like what it can do check out the options...

But forget running the server yourself :!:

[Smoke Screen]

True, but there are plenty of suppliers who will provide a full service to your individual blackberry at reasonable rates. In many cases you can even add an existing email into it, though some prefer you to use their email service.

So, if you really like what it can do check out the options...

But forget running the server yourself :!:

Torn really,

Cannot find a Windows based platform that I like, the Sony equivalent seems to be fraught with bugs, and the Blackberry, while nice, cannot manipulate office docs.

Can anyone offer a good suggestion or experience of a "push e-mail" device?

Thanks,

Matt

P.S. the push e-mail is attractive, as I know that I just will not use a pull e-mail type device to get my mail having had the facility in the past and not utilised it.

[Phil Sumner]

Blackberries are great - IF and _only_ if you're using it in a corporate environment where it's linked into your exchange/lotus server, and you get everything (email, calendar, tasks) synced wirelessly. In this environment you can also use the remote data services if you need them, to access your corporate network remotely.

With the consumer version, you get a severely cut down version. This allows you to get email on the move, but it's not true push. The consumer server checks email accounts you specify (up to 10) every 10 minutes or so, then pushes any new emails to your device. You can not wirelessly sync anything, it's all wired, and there's no email sync. So you delete an email on your BB and it doesn't get deleted from your destop mailbox.

[Phil Sumner]

Cannot find a Windows based platform that I like, the Sony equivalent seems to be fraught with bugs, and the Blackberry, while nice, cannot manipulate office docs.

Can anyone offer a good suggestion or experience of a "push e-mail" device?

Why push email specifically? Why not a device which checks your email account every 10mins/half an hour? Essentially it works out to be the same thing, maybe with a slight delay. But really, how often is a 10 min delay in receiving an email going to be _that_ catastrophic?

I use a T-Mobile MDA Vario. I say use, I don't use it unless I'm going to be away from a PC for a long period of time and that rarely actually happens. It's great as a short term substitute for running some apps, getting online and browsing, and checking/replying to emails. The big bonus with a Windows Mobile device is that you can easily get hold of other applications, whereas with the blackberry devices, 3rd party apps are expensive and IME don't work terribly well.

[Smoke Screen]

Why push email specifically? Why not a device which checks your email account every 10mins/half an hour? Essentially it works out to be the same thing, maybe with a slight delay. But really, how often is a 10 min delay in receiving an email going to be _that_ catastrophic?

I use a T-Mobile MDA Vario. I say use, I don't use it unless I'm going to be away from a PC for a long period of time and that rarely actually happens. It's great as a short term substitute for running some apps, getting online and browsing, and checking/replying to emails. The big bonus with a Windows Mobile device is that you can easily get hold of other applications, whereas with the blackberry devices, 3rd party apps are expensive and IME don't work terribly well.

Thanks Phil,

Your probably right. I may yet go down the route of a PDA with a PAYG SIM installed and configure it like that (i.e. poll every 1/2 hour or on demand) and a separate phone.

The problem I am having is being caused by myself. I want a one stop shop that fits into a suit pocket, is bug free, can handle office apps and looks nice. I don't think such a thing exists.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

[arfur mo]

go for windows mobile 2005 phone, better all round imo

i agree,

i looked at the standard blackberry but could not see it offering me me anything better than a WM5 smartphone while being far larger, other than the big keyboard. i also looked at the baby one did not rock my cage though to be honest. i have large hands and fingers so tend to type with the stylus onto the screen. i do emails on the go, and if needed i email photo's of kit to suppliers for identification, door entry and CCTv if i don't recognise the model or want exactely the same.

i have two handsets, a MIO A701 Digi Walker and a T-Mobil MDA Versa (came free after swapping from Orange), both are very good handsets imo. i favour the MIO as the GPS SIRF receiver built in, handy for the motorbike and no recharging a dongle.

it is very close between the 2, as the MDA has WiFi and a gizmo slide out keyboard option- i like gizmo stuff big time and with all those buttons to play with i'm in 7th heaven.

this way i feel i'm not locked into (so not limited by) a specific maker or platform. if i want to change for new features or upgrades on new models it's very easy.

blackberries seem to score heavilly in corporate setups and have the quedos of the old fil-o-fax's, imho that is more because of heavy discounting than technical superiority over WM5, but i wonder if they lock up as often?

i wonder if we are heading into a snobbery battle royal, like those i've had when discussing the PC V MAC platforms?

regs

alan