Blackberry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile - Let the addiction begin!
Written: Sep 26 '07 (Updated Dec 01 '07)
Product Rating:
Pros: Very easy keyboard and one-handed typing, fun + PDA features, good user interface and size
Cons: Have to send voice notes as MMS. No option to save them. No video recording
The Bottom Line: If you're a T-mobile customer and have been needing full featured PDA features without wanting to give up fun phone features checkout the Curve 8320.
I can't imagine life before this Blackberry. It is so usable even my low-tech friends can use it without any help. Today someone emailed me a short MP3. I was able to listen to it on the Blackberry and save it with 1 click as a ringtone. Overall it is very slick both for entertainment and photos as well as for an organizer.
-----
After many years as a Treo user, I'm ready to embark on a journey as a BlackBerry user. My old Treo 600 seems to not work well anymore on T-mobile, and I'm loyal to that company for their well priced phone/data plans.
Having been disappointed in the T-mobile Dash with Windows OS, I was waiting for a PDA compatible with T-mobile that would also have a good camera and a desktop solution.
So here I sit with a newly unwrapped BlackBerry Curve 8320, enabled with HotSpot @Home.
The instructions and guidance on the device are impressive.
-Adding the SIM card is difficult compared to a Treo or other phone. You think you're going to break something but you really need to life the little metal piece up kind of hard to get it to flip up. Locking it back into place is kinda scary too.
-The trackball felt a little flimsy at first. Then I realized its looseness is an asset. It's effortless to move your pointer around the screen to navigate.
-A wizard takes you through setup. It was a tad confusing that the email setup prompts for corporate email or nothing; not internet email.
After 30 minutes setting up my BlackBerry I now know why people get addicted.
It has all the useful features of a PDA + a great camera with flash, voice notes, and WIFI "you can make and receive
unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi from home, or at any US T-Mobile HotSpot location, anytime, day or night."
To analyze the cost:
$59.99 - 1000 anytime minutes, unlimited internet and email (10 internet email accounts), the ability to double my BlackBerry as a home phone through VOIP, and unlimited text messaging. PLUS "Since you already have unlimited Internet access through your BlackBerry plan, you do not need T-Mobile HotSpots. However, you can use HotSpots to get wireless Internet access with your laptop or with other select T-Mobile devices."
Previously I was paying $69.99 for 1500 minutes, Internet/Hotspots, and NO text messaging.
--6 hours later--
Using my Curve has been a breeze. I hardly referenced the manual and have been able to figure out most functions. The 2 Megapixel camera is great, and allows you to take pictures in sepia as well as B&W, zoom in and out, and adjust white balance and flash settings.
The voice notes and speakerphone will be very useful as well.
--Syncing to my Palm data--
RIM makes importing from Palm nearly effortless. You simply plug both devices into your computer and start the import. Memos and Calendar worked fine. Apparently Addresses has a known bug. A blog I found says it's necessary to export your addresses from Palm, import them into Outlook, then sync outlook to the Curve. This is due to a Palm Desktop issue. Doh.
I will keep updating this...
(If I described anything wrong technically let me know!)
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