I'm getting along pretty well with my new BlackBerry. I got Sid Meyers Pirates for it, but there don't appear to be many games or Themes for the 9500 yet. The on screen keyboard is getting easier to use and everything hangs together really well.
I'm less impressed with the switch over of my business number from O2 to Vodafone. First O2 took ten days to get me the PAC code which is just pure incompetence. Then Vodafone seem to think that you can't change numbers - even though they have a department to deal with number changes. I've ported my number loads of times - ever since I first bought it from EasyMobile. Vodafone are the first company to tell me repeatedly that I can't change my number once its been set up. They are wrong. They are dumb for not knowing that it can be changed very simply.
Vodafone are actually sending me a NEW SIM for the change of number... I have no idea why because no network has ever done that before. Still... I'm looking forward to getting my business number set up on my new phone.
Tuesday 10th December 2008
I've had a few days getting to know the BlackBerry Storm now and generally I'm very impressed. I find it harder to type on the BlackBerry touch screen than on my iPhone because the letters "highlight" under my rather large fingers so I can't see what I'm selecting. On the iPhone the letter is show above and to oneside as a "pop up". Using the iPhone screen does seem lifeless and strange compared to the Storm after only a few days though.
A little bit of software that comes from BlackBerry made me ever so impressed. You can now Sync your iTunes mp3's onto your BlackBerry - either by Play list or in a mass - automatically. I've downloaded around 8GB of music to the Storm (on a 16GB Micro SD card) and I've been enjoying them all weekend. The built in speaker on the Storm is rather good.
Oh and I really like how the Storm displays a nice clock when you power it up. The stainless steel Deskholder I bought sets nicely on the desk with the BlackBerry showing an analogue clock. Loving it!
Saturday 6th December 2008
So many gadgets to start off the first week of
December! I got my TH Bury phone holder for the BlackBerry Storm this
morning. My car kit from Bury is one of those that allows you to change
holders when you change phones. It looks really well made with a "lock
feature" when you power the phone. The new phone holder was
surprisingly easy to fit. The old cover unclicks and slides off and the
new one clicks and locks into place.
I couldn't see anywhere for the power coupling to connect but those
clever designers at TH Bury make the covers so that everything fits
together correctly. Beautifully engineered. Notice the "Lock" button on
the left side of the phone holder which holds the phone securely in
place.
I was a little surprised at how big the Bury kit for my BlackBerry
8800 was compared to the 9500. I've gotten so used to having the 8800
plugged into my car as I drive that it was strange to see the old and
new holders side by side. The BlackBerry 9500 is quite dinky.
With my new BlackBerry 9500 connected and the car engine on I was
really pleased by how well thought out the whole TH Bury holder idea is.
I had worried it would be much harder to install but it was a "piece of
cake".
Friday 5th December 2008
I ordered a stainless
steel desk charger (from Expansys) for my BlackBerry Storm and was
really pleased when it arrived today. The stainless steel finish is
really nice and heavy. The 9500 lays sideways on the holder - of course
the screen simply orientates to the landscape mode when you turn it.
Wednesday 3rd December 2008
My new
BlackBerry "Storm" (the 9500) arrived from
Vodafone. It's a much nicer phone than even I expected. The finish
quality is excellent and the touch screen is so bright and clear! When
you type on the screen there is a distinct movement - like pressing a
key on a keyboard. The setup wizard was painless and like everything I
have had from BlackBerry it was well thought out and efficient.
The back of the BlackBerry 9500 is a satisfyingly snug fitting metal -
although it was quite a tight fit slipping in the Vodafone simcard I
think its better that eveything fits "just so". Aren't memory cards
getting tiny? The 9500 takes Micro SD cards and I ordered a 16Gb card
from Mobile Fun who run an excellent gadgets shop online -
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/ -
I recommend you check them out if you like gadgets. I'm hoping that the
extra memory capacity on the card will let me use the 9500 for movies
and music like my iPhone.
One really nice thing was to have a partially charged battery so I
could setup the phone and get to check it out before leaving it for its
first full charge overnight. The BlackBerry is smaller than I expected
and the screen is much nicer. I've gotten used to the limitations of
having a single button on the iPhone - so its a relief to have a
sensible 4 buttons on the front of the 9500. The buttons are Call, Menu,
Back and Hang up. Makes much more sense to have a menu of options when
something is selected on the screen!
The BlackBerry 9500 has a reasonable little camera - 3.2
megapixels. I know that isn't digital camera level but quite adequate
for snapping odd shots and handy to have in your pockets. It compares
quite nicely with the 2 megapixel camera on my iPhone and has the
advantage of having a built in flash. If anything more ambitious is
needed I always have my trusted Casio Exlim and my new Nikon D40X.
The Vodafone offer included some freebies - a Vodafone branded
Bluetooth headset and a car holder. Nice to have extras but I can't see
me using them. I have a much much nicer Bluetooth headset from Nokia and
I've ordered a Bury holder for my car kit.
I've archived off my Blogs from earlier this year - check them
out using the links below:
