Smart Phone

T

TexasEd

1,000+ Posts
Trying to help my self-employed brother with a phone choice to support getting critical e-mails while out of the office. He is a financial adviser and travels almost daily.

Blackjack II
Blackberry Curve
Other?

I'm used to using Blackberry on enterprise server he liked the way that worked but he won't have access to BES so it would be whatever he can get his office mail server to support.

Service will be through AT&T

Thoughts?
 
Well, the iPhone won't support activesync until the 2.0 release this summer. (June?)

I need more info on his email server - POP? IMAP? Exchange?
 
I'm interested in this same question. I'm on AT&T, have email (no exchange server) set up as a POP account.

I'm generally considering a Treo or an IPhone. Does anyone have any thoughts?
 
Captain Ed - From reading that link it looks like you have to have a MS Exchange Server installed to run the "free" BB service...do you know if that's true? This could be the answer to my situation as a small business as well but I don't really want to purchase any MS Exchange stuff. Also, the site lacks information on costs for additional CALs, do you know what they run?

As for the OP - the Iphone is going to be the most fun, but BB is the only way to go if email is of the utmost importance.

However, if you don't go with a BB, try using an email with IMAP service rather than POP. The best I can figure out is to forward your business email to a gmail address and use their IMAP service. It has worked well for me so far.
 
i have an iphone and for his situation i'd recommend the blackberry. i've found my email delivery on my iphone to be somewhat spotty. sometimes i get the emails before my home computer does, sometimes much much later. until the iphone gets push email (which is soon) then the blackberry is better choice for someone who finds emails to be the first priority.
 
I've had my Blackjack II for two weeks now and I love it. I'm not too technically savy and I had it up and running with my POP3 email in no time.

I read a lot of reviews of the iPhone that were very critical of the phone quality. I don't need an iPod either. I only need to send and receive phone calls and email.

Bernard
 
Yeah, I don't think he wants an iPhone. I think it is down to Blackberry or Blackjack.

The thing I don't like about the blackberry is how the sync application works with Lotus Notes we have at work.

I think he is using Outlook and wondered if Blackberry or Blackjack had better sync tools for your address book, calendar, to do list, etc.
 
Don't you have to pay money for the Blackberry service on top of whatever you pay your cellular provider?

Does anyone have any thought on the Palm Centro?
 
Sure you have to pay for blackberry service, just like you have to pay for any other internet service with phones.

I'm still looking for the answer to the "free" blackberry license and whether or not you have to have MS Exchange in order to use it, and what more CALs cost. If anyone knows, please let me know. I'm going to try calling today if I get around to it.
 
My question, more specifically, is do you have to pay for data from your carrier and Balckberry? In other words, do I have to pay Sprint for data/web and the Blackberry as well?
 
I recently moved from the Blackberry 8700 series to a BlackJack. I loved the Blackberry and now my wife loves it. If you use Redirector with the Blackberry you don't need BES. Of course, the primary downside is that you must leave your PC connected at work. So, I kept a PC "on" at work with redirector setup and traveled with a separate laptop. Redirector encrypts the email so it works much better than forwarding your email to gmail then forwarding it to the BB, IMHO. I used T-Mobile for the BB since they have an unlimited data plan for $19.99 as compared to the other companies $40+/month.

We use the Goodlink at work so I now have the original BlackJack (after destroying my Treo 650). Though the screen is very pretty I don't like the keys being too close together. It's keyboard pales in comparison to the BB in terms of usability.
 
Texclerk - I think most carriers have a "data" service and a "blackberry" service...but the blackberry service comes with data services as well.

Now, that's completely separate from anything you have to setup as far as a Blackberry Enterprise Server goes or the "free" edition linked above.

To be honest, it's absurdly confusing if you're trying to setup blackberry services for yourself or your own small business. If you just buy a device and have your IT guy at your big company set it up, it's easy as pie.

I've been trying to figure out the best way for me to setup a small business with just three email addresses and reading the Blackberry website, the Microsoft Exchange website, and other sites has about driven me to drink...and I'm by far the most tech-saavy of the bunch. Hell it makes me feel like just setting us all up with company emails forwarding to gmail and using their IMAP service...it's not the "best" service, but at least that's simple.
 
johnny -

sorry i'm just getting to this. i haven't been up to date on any of that pricing in about 1.5 years but i doubt it has changed much. additional CALs were $99 each and bulk (5 or 10 at a time) might get it down a bit further. keep in mind that to take it over 15 users you have to upgrade for a few thousand dollars.

about msft ex, the simple answer is yes, you need it or lotus domino, though i'm sure there is some existing workaround somewhere.
 
FWIW, I hate my Blackjack, mainly because:

1) Many functions are not intuitive
2) Keyboard small; number layout is spread out
3) Internet screen is often difficult to navigate

However, my coworker says the Blackjack II is much better.
 
Well of course after having pored over my options, my hand was forced when I put my old phone in the washing machine two days ago.
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I got a Blackberry 8320 (called the "Curve") from T-Mobile and so far I think it is fantastic. I have it synced to get my Yahoo, Gmail, and a temporary work email for the company I am setting up(using it to test). Things work perfectly.

Now I'm confused on Blackberry....what does the "free" license linked above, or even the BES, do? I am getting all my emails in realtime without doing anything but setting up the addresses...so what am I NOT getting that Blackberry provides?

For the OP though...this is by far the best email device I have ever had.
 
I have the BlackBerry curve and love it. We have an enterprise server at the office so it works fantastic.
 
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