And-Cuffs

[Xaccers]

Right, back at a decent computer.
Like with Android you can get the playbook to access multiple exchange mail accounts, unfortunately, when you view all in-boxes together unlike my Sensation, it doesn't mark each email with a colour depending on which account it is from.
This device is for one of the directors who is not tech literate, has two email accounts and the tablet just is not intuitive, for instance to go back you have to swipe up the screen, but you must start from the bezel.
Anyway, you set the mail client up to access your exchange server over wifi, or in his case two mail accounts. You use Blackberry bridge to connect to your blackberry handset over bluetooth and think "It'll use the handset's internet connection and download the email from the Exchange server" but you'd be wrong.
It lets you access the handset, ie its email, its sms, its apps etc. It doesn't link it to the tablet's mail app.
Now this director has to carry two handsets (one for each mail account) taking up two BES licences.
They've got it for a month's free trial, I'm hoping he gets fed up with it and throws it against a wall, especially as it takes over 5 minutes to boot up.

[Timmo]

playbooks were late to the market and a little behind in the stats stakes, os2 has apparently helped a little,
your right about bridge, it uses the phone's connection to allow the playbook access,
why they called it the playbook when they had the 'blackpad' name ready!

ive got an android tablet, cheapy Clunky 2.2 version - flytouch3, its an alright little unit, but, it doesnt replace the net book (same size screen but keyboardless) and doesnt replace the phone, so is essentially just an extra bit of kit to have a play on, is okay for surfing on, doesnt work as an ereader as they all dont due to too reflective a screen! but for £100 isnt bad!! i still use my berry most, then the net book then the tablet,

[Xaccers]

I couldn't believe how expensive the apps are though, £5 for Angry Birds, and £6-8 for an RDP client!

[Timmo]

Mostly due to everyone making apps for the clitoris phone and androids so tjhe blackberrys get left out somewhat, not that its a bad thing as half the apps in apples store and the android market are rubbish! Made because they can be made! And So many duplicates too! I've got 2 maybe 3 paid apps on muy phones in (he time appworlds been going!

Blackberrys always have been the businessmans phone due to the way they handle emails and messaging, if you look at any of the berry range with exception of the playbook they are all aimed at being fantastic communications devices with the media abilities added on! Look at the iphone and its an ipod touch that can make calls, thus a media device with the ability to communicate, blackberrys will Never truely compete with the idevices or majority of the androids as its not their intended markets, they are fashionable at the mo for bbm amongst the kids, and they all use the entry level curve versions, and they are substantially cheaper than an idevice on tarriff too, but compete directly they won't,
I Love my berry's, on my 4th now, for communicating is simply no better, the app store has enougj in it, plenty of free apps, plenty of decent priced ones etc. Never going to compete with the others but its not aimed too! For playing music on, you connect it up, select usb mode, open the card file and drag and drop to it, same with pictures etc.
To have a device to handle and email from there is No better way to go about it, but if your looking for up to the minute specs, blackberry isn't the one! They are pretty much always late on releasing the tech so are close to out dated when it launches and they take Forever to come up with new gear!
But, my next phone Will be another berry! Not an apple person, never have been. Have an android tablet but just couldn't cope with it as an every day OS!

Sorry, seem to have slipped into mini Rant mode there, wasn't intended as such!

[Xaccers]

Timmo, as I'm someone who has the displeasure in having to suport bbs with bes, I can safely say you are a very strange man (but then most of us Citroen owners are strange!)
They suffer strange problems where one aspect like the calendar will stop syncing while email and contacts will be fine. Users have learnt to pull the battery to resolve many problems.
iPhones/pads have a tendency to randomly lose calendar entries. We're an Apple partner or something daft like that so it puts me in the position of having to explain that it is poo without admitting it is poo.
The stock interface that most android tablets and phones come with is horrible, ICS is slightly better, but if it wasn't for HTC's Sense interface I'd have to pay £15 for SPB mobile shell.

[Northern_Mike]

I couldn't believe how expensive the apps are though, £5 for Angry Birds, and £6-8 for an RDP client!

I have an HTC Sensation, It's great. I even use it! Angry Birds can be had for free if you don't the odd ad banner. I use a free Citrix client and MS webmail for work. I've also got a fantastic radio app which lets me listen to Colombian Radio (!) Piece of cake to use once you get used to it, a bit weird before you do though.

[Timmo]

I'd agree with you there Xac! Hahaha! Many Many people have said similar over thje years!

[KP]

I've got an old Droid Wildfire that has really really taken a beating.
The back cover is bent in and the battery in the same place where a 2950 slid off the rails and into my side as it hadn't been racked right... If it wasnt for the phone im sure it would have gone deep enough into my leg for blood to come out as it ripped through the trousers and pocket

Its a great phone and only cost £100(unlocked for free by voda )and has lasted 2years or more now and is used as hot spot a lot of the time with my business bundle. Battery lasts about a day but if im on the road i have my iPod with me and have the phone plugged into the accessory socket adapter charging it all the time.

Looking at my next phone being a well used or very cheap 16gb iPhone 4 as i use an otterbox with my iPod i want the same thing for my next phone and the choice for droid devices is limited. I'm not too bothered about the itunes store as i only get the free stuff almost all the time. i think the only thing i bought from it was scrable other than hotspotting my other main use is MapMyRide which is meant to be quite good on the ip4 as it really struggles on my droid when it comes to starting a session or stopping one, neer mind in session tracking....

I've had berrys before and not really for me tbh but for business use they are the best, androids are good as well but there is a lot out there and windoze mobile..... hmmm best leave it be methinks......

and Xac, really sympathise with the bes issues.
1 company i worked for had the best plan. only a few people, circa 5 had BB's all the time. the rest only got them as and when they needed them for a few weeks at a time. this was great as there were very little issues then with the main stream users and for the higher ups that had them all the time the battery trick was great, if not leave it off with battery overnight and force a resynch during that time.

[Timmo]

KP, have you tried Endomondo instead of mapmyride?? A lot less battery hungry! Quite a few of the guys in the mtb club use it over MMR now,

[KP]

I've heard of that from a guy at work a while back I think.

Thing is I do a few miles to the train station, then another few at the far end so don't pootle and avg about 18-23mph on each segment so its not too heavy on the battery.

The hotspot I use really really eats the battery!

[addo]

Battery life is definitely a weak point of the offending article in my possession.

So many apps have been updated to function even when the phone isn't active. I then set it to only search for/download updates when on wi-fi. Even then it made not much difference.

The other silly behaviour is how it downloads an Ebay or mail notification, then fails to update reliably if you read these elsewhere. Nor does it delete redundant reminders to not miss out on an article where bidding finished hours prior.

So now, unless anticipating an important email or other incoming detail, I turn off the wi-fi and 3G at bedtime or sooner. It's adding up to half a day of battery life.

[Xaccers]

3G is what drains the battery the most, and with the drive to make "stylish" thin phones it doesn't leave much space for a higher capacity battery.
Some companies do sell higher capacity in the same size but there are a lot of fakes so it is best to check reviews or on xda as they normally have a battery thread for each phone.
So if you aren't going to be browsing the web stick to 2G.
Also check which accounts are synchronising and when, disable any you don't need or set them to only update when you open the app.

[addo]

This silly piece of kit decided today it would "upgrade" to Android 4.0.4 - as with pretty much all upgrades/updates the improvements are negligible - if any.

Dumbest (IMHO) aspects of change are making things that once slid up/down to now slide left/right. WHY BOTHER CHANGING THIS?

[DickieG]

This silly piece of kit decided today it would "upgrade" to Android 4.0.4 - as with pretty much all upgrades/updates the improvements are negligible - if any.

Dumbest (IMHO) aspects of change are making things that once slid up/down to now slide left/right. WHY BOTHER CHANGING THIS?

Come on get with it, it's called progress

[citronut]

Dumbest (IMHO) aspects of change are making things that once slid up/down to now slide left/right. WHY BOTHER CHANGING THIS?

to correct this just turn the device on its side then it will slide up and down

regards malcolm