It all started simply enough, after a years break I’m returning to work (shiny new Masters qualification in hand) and started thinking about mobile phones. I’m currently using a Telstra prepaid sim with a spare unlocked Blackberry 8320 that my other half isn’t using (she is using a GPS model 8310 for her work).
So, time to get some data connectivity going, after all, that is what all the hype is about currently. I can see a browser and a few apps installed but Google talk was missing. Fine, I can deal with that, spin up the Vmware Fusion XP image and load Blackberry Desktop Manager 4.7. Oeeer, lots of updates and a new firmware version (4.5). Fine, upgrade away.
Ten minutes later, the phone chirps and displays a nasty white screen with a 503 error in the centre. Hmmm, not good. Blackberry desktop is saying it can’t communicate with the phone and the phone isn’t doing a damn thing. Off to Google search I toddle.
Most of a day later, I now know considerably more about Blackberries than I ever really wanted to know. It is running again (don’t ask me where the firmware image from, I really can’t remember) but it doesn’t have data access yet.
Now for the other part of the Blackberry saga, it turns out in Australia, without a Blackberry data plan, you can only get very limited data access. You need to play around with your APN settings and use third party applications like Opera Mini (not knocking Opera at all, it is a very good product). IM, Evernote, other applications? Not a hope unless you find something that won’t always talk to the RIM servers.
As for a Blackberry data plan? Not a hope on prepaid in this country and I’m not signing up for 24 months for $50 a month for some data (add a call plan on top of that).
Annoyed with this, I turn to our Ipod Touch with Wifi access. A few weeks ago, I updated it to version 3.0 (flawless easy upgrade) and have been really really enjoying Stanza on it (ebooks are great). The Ipod has a bright screen, a superb UI and “just works”.
After a little bit of playing around on wifi, I have Evernote, Facebook, WordPress, Skype and even the ABC TV’s app running easily, happily and well on my little ipod.
So, Blackberry 0, Ipod 1 (and the Blackberry only narrowly escaped being flung against a wall in disgust).
A Blackberry is useful in certain circumstances – a regulated corporate BES environment. How long this will last with the increasing ability of Apple to deal with corporate data infrastructure remains to be seen. Certainly both my other half and I are actively discussing who gets the first Iphone 3gs and who gets the second.
