Ok... maybe that's going too far considering its just a not-so-smart phone but I'm getting very frustrated with this thing...I needed to finally move into the "smartphone" age and get a device that allows me to receive and respond to emails in order to support my new venture, VirtualWaitingRoom.com (VWR). My coworker, JL, went out an got an iPhone. I have wanted an iPhone for a while but was hesitant to pull the trigger until such time as 1) my VZW contract was up and 2) the iPhone got a little better than it was in version 1. Since JL got an iPhone, it made sense for me to get a Blackberry so that we could build and test out VWR applications we make for each computer (and these phones really are computers).
A good friend of mine hooked me up with a free Blackberry 8330 Curve to try things out. Not the latest but just fine for my purposes. I set it up with his help and I'm off and running... then strange things started to happen...
First, I couldn't make phone calls. The Blackberry was up and running, could access all contacts and features but it appears that the radio was off. Ok, so you go in and turn it on. Nope. Doesn't take. Turns out that when the Blackberry runs very low on battery, it shuts down the radio but leaves the phone running because it has so many other things it can do for you. Plug it in and recharge but the radio doesn't come back on when it has enough power. You have to reboot the phone. (Cue music for Windows 95 - Start me up!) I find I have to three finger reboot this thing once a week to keep it going. Research on the forums show official RIM personnel telling you that you should remove the battery weekly to keep the cache clean and such. You have got to be kiddin' me.
Next, we have the wonderful option to add a sim card to expand the memory which is woefully small. Who had the brilliant idea to put it behind the battery? Maybe it was the guy from the movie "The Core" who put the emergency ejection system trigger in the outer corridor which is at 5 bajillion degrees?
Now I'm having problems trying to recharge and use the phone at all. The "Blackbrick" (as I'm now calling it), tries to charge, automatically turns on and says it doesn't have enough power so it shuts off and stops charging. If you're so smart to know you need more juice and you're plugged in, why won't you drink the dang Kool-Aid? So I go out, get a $40 battery and try again, but this time I'm plugging it into my pc's usb so that I can back it up... just in case.
Right. Proactive thinking never goes unpunished.
Windows doesn't recognize it as a device anymore. Grrrrrr. Forums say switch out the cable. Did that; No dice. Update its drivers. Did that; No dice. Reboot Windows and the Blackbrick. Did that; No dice. Now the friggin' battery, which had very litle charge in it new, is now dead and I'm back to the "I think I can, I think I can... nope I couldn't" start sequence. SIGH.Let me get this straight. People all over the world love this thing. I get that. They live by it. I get that. Do they know they have choices? Do they know that this thing is basically a terminal from the 80's with a character mode screen that can throw up some images? Yes, I know the "touch screen" Storm is more graphical. It also acts and sounds like a Dymo label printer. You really want me to press down on the screen that hard to tell it I want to do something? Ever try one of the demo models in a Verizon store? They never work. Why? Cause all the people out there are presssing the heck out of the screens and breaking that delicate technology.
You may ask, "Why am I getting so frustrated?" I'll tell you. I also own an iPod touch. Didnt' want the iPhone as it wasn't 3G and didn't have copy/paste and such but everything else about the device is a dream. Wonderful graphics, responsive, quick on / off (the "Blackbrick" takes minutes to do either). 16G of storage, mp3/video player on a very large screen and not a dang thing "terminal" about it. Am I an Apple lover? To some degree... they make great human interfaces and are very forward thinking with their products except when it comes to opening up their OS to third parties. But I'm not an Apple Freak. Having used and enjoyed the iTouch for a year, JL and I came up with the perfect explanation for my disastisfaction for the "BlackBrick".
The Blackberry is functional.The iTouch/iPhone is fun.
I enjoy using the iTouch.
My needs are served by the Blackberry.
I am entertained and, yes, coddled by my iTouch and its ease of use, wonderful presentation.
I am forced to drill down multiple menu paths to change options with my Blackberry all the while feeling like I'm back in 1980.
I just don't enjoy using the Blackberry. I love using the iTouch.
I understand that the iPhone has its share of issues. Its just getting functionality that the Blackberry has had for many years. But its going to be available soon. The calls drop too much on ATT. The battery life may not be what it should be on the iPhone. And more... nothing is perfect.
But if I have to put up with a smartphone's quirks, can I please be entertained while I'm doing so?
0 comments:
Post a Comment