Blackberries

[MalcPow]

Do you have one? Do you love it? Hate it? Did you know that if you're in an incredibly miserable situation (like stuck in traffic on a bus between New York and Boston) you can actually log in and post on FOFC with one? Should there be a separate forum with triple counted posts for idiots typing things with their thumbs?

So yeah, a little bored here...

[terpkristin]

I don't have one, and the a large proportion of the rude people that have one piss me off royally. I especially hate it when you're trying to talk to them or are in a meeting and people are tapping away on them. I REALLY DESPISE the one farkwad who is in my group at work and seems to think he's important enough that he has a Blackberry AND a Treo (neither authorized by work), and hasn't figured out how to turn down the sound on either so DURING A MEETING will be reading his email and writing back, with keys that make a noise when they're used.

Farkwads.
/tk

[MalcPow]

I think the huge dude sleeping next to me feels that way as well. He's protesting my farkwadiness by building a stale fart forcefield around us. :)

[Raiders Army]

I have one and it's nice. I can access my work emails and cruise the internet sparingly. That being said, it's about impossible to surf FOFC. It takes me about five screens just to get to General Discussions...from there you can only see about five threads. It's just not worth it, IMHO just to surf FOFC.

However, I am able to get weather, stocks, sports, etc. rather easily. Typing is a snap as well. I have a Nextel 7520.

[Raiders Army]

Dola, if you're looking at one, I'd get either the Pearl or 7730/7780. The 7520 has an antenna that sticks up and it doesn't fit on your belt well. The antenna sticks into my side (and I'm not fat) making it uncomfortable. I rarely wear it and just leave it lying around where I am. Mostly I use it when I'm away from work or at home on the weekends. I don't take it out too much.

[digamma]

I had one for three years and thought I loved it. Haven't had one for going on two years, and I don't miss it a bit.

[sabotai]

I don't have one, and the a large proportion of the rude people that have one piss me off royally. I especially hate it when you're trying to talk to them or are in a meeting and people are tapping away on them. I REALLY DESPISE the one farkwad who is in my group at work and seems to think he's important enough that he has a Blackberry AND a Treo (neither authorized by work), and hasn't figured out how to turn down the sound on either so DURING A MEETING will be reading his email and writing back, with keys that make a noise when they're used.

Farkwads.
/tk

During a meeting? Don't you work in the aerospace industry? ....in a meeting...

Yeah, I'm never flying again.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I had one for three years and thought I loved it. Haven't had one for going on two years, and I don't miss it a bit.

Ditto here. I had one for 2 years and loved it. I haven't had one for almost a year now and don't miss it a bit. My job is a bit different n

[terpkristin]

Dola, if you're looking at one, I'd get either the Pearl or 7730/7780. The 7520 has an antenna that sticks up and it doesn't fit on your belt well. The antenna sticks into my side (and I'm not fat) making it uncomfortable. I rarely wear it and just leave it lying around where I am. Mostly I use it when I'm away from work or at home on the weekends. I don't take it out too much.

I've actually heard some "meh" things about the Pearl, the biggest problem being that the buttons (keys) are HORRIBLE. http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/09/25/why-the-blackberry-pearl-keys-suck/

sab, yes, I work in aerospace, but I work in space, not aero. ;) And thankfully the super jerk I was speaking of (the one with the Treo AND the Blackberry) isn't a lead, nor do I think he has any potential to ever be one. All his work has to get through me before being released, so I can vouch that things are ok in terms of the design. ;)

As for the others who use them in meetings...well, it IS the aerospace industry, and we quite often have to deal with issues that come up very quickly. Most of the others I know who use them in meetings, while it drives me nuts, do so quickly and discretely such that they can get back to the focus of the meeting. They also tend to use them when something irrelevant to them is being discussed. For example, if the propulsion lead were in there using his BB while I was talking (harness lead), I wouldn't mind as much, because unless I was saying something that specifically related to the propulsion system wiring, what I'm going to say is pretty irrelevant to him anyway.

Meh. I might feel differently if I had one. I do have a PDA (Dell Axim x51v) and have used it at various places to check email and put out fires (not literal fires) when I'm out of the office. That said, I use my PDA mostly for the PIM functions (calendar, contacts, etc), taking notes in meetings, and playing games while I'm killing time (like waiting in a doc's office).

/tk

[MizzouRah]

I have one for work and I like the email function and the google maps. Plus, we can close tickets with ease.

[VPI97]

I had a 7520 for a while and couldn't stand it...too bulky and the screen wasn't all that 'vibrant'. I picked up a Nokia 9300 Smartphone after that and it was nice for a while, but I think the Treo I have now is my favorite of the three.

[dervack]

I have a Treo 650 and love it. I don't think I could ever get any other kind of cellphone but a PDA phone.

[Galaril]

I am curious currently the public accounting firm I work for will pay for managers and up to have one but I am wondering is that generally the case. Do most companies subsidize the monthly data subscription to these or do alot of people pay out of pocket?