“Blackberries for dummies”

It seems like everyone I know is either getting a Blackberry or thinking about getting one. Would someone please explain to me what a Blackberry is, what it does, and whether or not it’s simple to use? There’s no “Blackberries for dummies” book that I can buy (thank I know of LOL) so I need the help of those familiar with it.

Sidenote: Wish me luck – this evening I get to find out whether or not I have DSL again. Been on dialup since I moved and while it’s good to have a back up way of getting online, well – you know how I feel about that Earthlink has told me that I should be up and running with DSL “by the 27th.” So I’ll be checking this evening to see if they have me set up to have DSL again.

Update 6:53 PM: I’ve got DSL again $\:d/$

12 Responses to "“Blackberries for dummies”"

Severian says:

January 27, 2006 at 4:32 pm

Blackberries are neat little devices that allow you to be chained to your office e-mail at all times and places, turning your life into a living hell!

They are a small device with a keyboard and display that lets executives and other business people (and also total net heads addicted to e-mail) stay in contact via e-mail wherever they go. They are useful, on one task I was on we scheduled a meeting with a Homeland Security official by having his secretary Blackberry him at a meeting. He got back to us in about 15 minutes with a scheduled meeting. People who use them seem to be totally addicted, my boss never goes anywhere without his. You can do the same thing with a cell phone or PDA, but the Blackberry is more optimized for e-mail.

Be aware they may not last long though. The Supreme Court just ruled on a patent infringement issue on the Blackberry that may shut them down. Executives and politicos around the country are sweating bullets thinking they’ll have to give them up. They are so addictive some call them Crack-berries.
ArizonaTeach says:

January 27, 2006 at 4:43 pm

I won’t even get a cell phone. Hate hate hate hate hate them.

Although I might be tempted to get that wicked box that Veronica Mars has, because that thing is AWESOME.
andrew says:

January 27, 2006 at 5:35 pm

“Be aware they may not last long though. The Supreme Court just ruled on a patent infringement issue on the Blackberry that may shut them down. Executives and politicos around the country are sweating bullets thinking they’ll have to give them up.”

Do not get a blackberry till this is resolved.
andrew says:

January 27, 2006 at 5:36 pm

“Executives and politicos around the country are sweating bullets thinking they’ll have to give them up.”

One more thing: government users likely won’t be affected by this. Its because you can’t get an injunction against govt violation.
CZ says:

January 27, 2006 at 5:55 pm

ST, about five years ago when the Blackberry first came out I was working full time for a company that offered one to anyone who was VP or above.

When asked if I wanted one my reply was “sure”. I learned a long time ago that in a corporate environment you take everything they want to give you or you may not be asked again.

It takes some getting used to because of the tiny keyboard and use of an orange key for caps and odd characters. I will admit that once it became familiar with it and my thumbs became limber enough, I liked it.

However, you became a slave to it. “Crack” berry is an excellent description.

More than a year after I had it I left mine in a NY cab on my way to LaG one Friday afternoon. Did not realize it was lost until I landed at O’Hare and immediately reached into my bag for it. I started to sense the withdrawal immediately.

After reporting this loss to our CIO he asked if I wanted him to replace it.

After thinking about it for about five seconds I said NO. And I got along without it just fine.

Severian wrote about sending a message to someone in a meeting. I thought it was very rude when someone in a meeting used a PDA or Blackberry or cell phone in front of everyone during important discussions and presentations.

You definitely can live without this. It is expensive and turns you into an email slave. I do not even use text messaging on my cell phone.

A cell phone works just fine for my needs. And my computers are very capable of email.
CavalierX says:

January 27, 2006 at 6:13 pm

>There’s no “Blackberries for dummies”
>book that I can buy

Well, of course there is. Having said that, I join with the “I don’t need a Crackberry” crowd, but only because one to many people has pulled one of those things out and started tapping away with his thumbs during a meeting or presentation, as I was right in the middle of a sentence, without a word or even an apologetic glance.
Baklava says:

January 28, 2006 at 12:20 am

My DSL was just upgraded this week from 384K to 3M.

Too cool.
Bachbone says:

January 28, 2006 at 1:13 am

May I offer a different viewpoint?

Questions: Does your wireless or corded telephone control you? Or your computer? How about your phone recorder? Or your _____?

If not, your Blackberry wouldn’t, either.

I love technology and use it for what it can do for me. But I don’t let it control me. At meetings or when I just plain don’t want to be disturbed, I shut the blamed things off. If someone else pays attention to “it” instead of what we are discussing, I ask ’em to shut the darned thing off.

From what I’ve seen of your blog and your posts, ST, I suspect you are not one who allows herself to be controlled. If Blackberry survives and you see it filling some void in your armamentarium, get one.

Didn’t you see that movie, “She Who Will Be Obeyed”?
Baklava says:

January 28, 2006 at 2:20 am

To me it depends on your lifestyle and needs. 2 examples:

1) You go to work and at work you have access to your computer. You go home and at home you have access to your computer. From time to time you go to the store and/or out for fun. At work and home you have a better faster device. At stores and out having fun do you want the slower and harder to use device to keep you connected?

2) You travel a bunch. You are never really at home or at work consistently enough to keep up with communications/emails. You can’t type as fast as using a keyboard but you do have a device that would help you keep up with communications. In this scenario it may actually be better to get a thin and light laptop with a wireless (not the built-in wireless) card from a telecommunications provider so that you can access the Internet thus giving you access to email/blog with a full size keyboard. You’d have to research the wireless card options in your area to see the prices.
Jack Deth says:

January 28, 2006 at 4:46 am

WOOHOO!!!! $\:d/$

Sister Toldjah has DSL!!!

I’m with you, ST. I don’t own a Blackberry. Don’t know how they work. Don’t really want to know, either.

Though I understand that Sam Fisher has a Killer Blackberry in his “Splinter Cell” game.

Heck. My cell phone doesn’t even have Text Messaging.

Jack.
Big Bang Hunter says:

January 28, 2006 at 8:48 am

– Supposidly they doubled my DSL speed last week too Bak. From the snappy net response I’m seeing lately they must have gone all out and added another set of paper cups, and a second wax string….

– Bang
Sister Toldjah says:

January 30, 2006 at 11:10 am

Appreciate the input, ya’ll – doesn’t sound like something I really need right now but it’s definitely something I may look into in the future (assuming they are still around). As much as I enjoy blogging, if I were to get something like a Blackberry I’d be too tempted to blog when I’m out and about and I really need that ‘down time’ away from the computer – know what I mean?

Comments are closed.