boxst

When I joined my current company, I was presented with a Blackberry and a mobile phone. After several attempts at letting them know their mistake, apparently it was normal to have both.

I found that incredibly strange and just persuaded them to activate the phone plan on the Blackberry.

Quite a few people still have both.

Steve

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Ah, a sensible answer explaining why people with both don't understand why they have both!

bigsinky

they only had data services activated :cookoo: why would you do that? penny pinching i suppose

Devildog

Dave,

Your answer:

Until the Pearl came out, we had blackberries and mobiles.

2 reasons -

1, Originally, the calling plans on the blackberries was poor in terms of cost compared to normal mobile phones.
2, the first blackberries were not that small, were awkward to hold as phone due to their shape and spent more time in bags and briefcases than in pockets, and hence were not always to hand.

Now we have just blackberries because the calling plans are comparable and they are generally smaller.

The personal/business aspect is a separate one (which I adopt by having a personal iphone and a work blackberry)

ps, the iphone is better

bigsinky

Another smiting session, Master :nods:

ChefDude

i have a work blackberry, which is primarily for email but globally authorised for calls.

It's sat in my drawer, however the sim is now in a nokia and this goes with us abroad as our holiday phone

...i use an iPhone otherwise

Snazy

Lisa, personally I find the BB fine to make calls on.

I have to admit when I first got the BB I was a little aware of its size so preferred using the other phone for calls. Since then I have realised its not much bigger than a lot of phones on the market now, so happily make calls on it.

Trout, most BB's are pretty square and pretty flat, so I would assume that the "pancake" one is actually all the Curve/Bold and Storm series lol.
They actually fit in my hand quite nicely too

I dont think you are gonna get a definative answer to your question tbh, but if the people carrying and using both cant give their own individual answers, then they are a little wierd. Everyone has their reasons, everyone is different.
Crikey, some people even have an iPhone AND a Blackberry!

hodgy0_2

why do people need two phones anyway

for the last 10 years I have only had one provided by work

Devildog

Snaz,

I gave Dave an answer (from a corporate perspective)

BuRR

I have a BlackBerry 8310 for work, an iPhone 3G (jailbroken with a 3 USIM installed for cheap data) as a leisure "toy" and a BlackBerry 9000 Bold as my personal phone.

iPhone is great, but the need to recharge often is a real downside. I often get less than a waking day's life out of the battery!!

The 8310 battery lasts me a week, the Bold almost 3 days.

Devildog

Indeed

Which makes me qualified to say the Blackberry is **** in comparison

boxst

I generally agree with you APART from emails -- writing lengthy emails on my iPhone is an incredible pain. Doing it on a (non-Storm) Blackberry is easy in comparision.

As an all round pleasure to use and have, the iPhone wins every time.

Steve

Snazy

I would be inclined to agree actually, which may shock most. As a casual phone I would say the iPhone is good, apart from its battery life.
However most of my time is spent, emailing, blogging and other lengthy writing things, so a BB is far more suited to my needs

I dont really do many of the things that the iPhone excels at, like game playing, media playing, or circumnavigating the earth lol

Nice to see some educated opinions for once lol.

As for the questions of why 2 phones. As has been said a few times now, some things are best kept seperate, in fact as FAR apart as possible lol
I have used 2 phones for years now, probably 8-10 years in fact, and it works well for me.

Devildog

Agreed. It has a particularly good web browser , but its quite battery intensive.

BuRR

and thanks for the misquote

JackClark

I really can't see the advantage of a Blackberry keyboard, it's tiny! I much prefer the large keys of the iPhone and choice of Landscape and Portrait mode.

Devildog

Hey,

At least you noticed

EddScott

Blackberries are the "in thing" at work right now. I can't abide mobile phones even though I'm the company IT gimp. I actually take smug pride in being perfectly happy with my rubbish cheapo phone.

My boss no longer says "I'll be on my mobile if you need me" its now "I'm on the blackberry".

Snazy

Each to their own. Personally I prefer using a physical keyboard rather than a touch screen, especially for long emails, messages etc.
Once you use the keys of the BB they really are not that awkward at all.

Snazy

lol and iPhones are the in thing for the rest of the world.

Obama's big bowling fingers manage on a Blackberry, they cant be that bad

BuRR

Can't beat a tactile keyboard

EddScott

Well yes, my unemployed friend with baby twins, a GF that works all hours that god sends (that I would clearly treat far better given half a chance) spent his compo (finger squashed at work) on lots of chav clothes and £500 on an Iphone.

A must have item indeed.

Jamescsti

I have a blackberry and no seperate phone. I find my curve works as well as any nokia phone I've ever had which was what I always used before this.
I find the keyboard very good and I have big fat thumbs.
My bb is my own personal phone. Work keep trying to force a phone on me too, which would be another blackberry! So far I have refused.

Dream Weaver

I just flick the email switch to off on my phone when I don't want to receive them at weekends or on holiday, couldn't be easier!!

A single device is all that should be needed.

BuRR

"Should" but in reality, can cause real headaches for everyone when all goes wrong.... bear in mind, I work in support of civil litigation so I see where it goes wrong daily. Keep work and play separate; mikes life much more simple for all concerned.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

A Blackberry is offender tagging for corporate slaves, spend a couple of hours in London City Airport on a Friday afternoon and you are ready to shove one up someone ****, they seem to provide some kudos for those that want to be seen climbing the ladder and they are at pains to show how welded to it they are because they are sooo important and buisnessy.

I have one, it is useful but I dignify it with the contempt it desrves most of the time, it sits in the pannier on my bike, its good as the battery lasts ages and if doing something under sufferance at the weekend I get system alerts to show me what I have buggered up, I have asked for a new one as mine is ancient and its purely a selfish way to get something with a camera and MP3 functionality that I dotn pay the bill on, I may as well cancel my mobile and let the comapny pay my mobile bill as I dont make that many calls, it is quite good for writing emails on, my phone and the BB Pearl are frustrating if you need to say more than yes, and as you can see, I am not a man of few words !

Simon K

Im glad the `two phone debat` has been sorted. I used to have a work's phone and a separate personal one, so decided to rubber band them together :-) Used to slap that down on the bar, boy I looked cool :-)

Now, on to the next question, "Why do you actually need a Blackberry ? "

Ok, I understand if your someone that is out of the office all day, need to answer the odd email, but many owners arent.

Let me give you an example, a few `Gordon Gecko's` here have blackberrys, but are never out of the office, and if they are, is for lunch. When at home, you can login if needs be, so why the need for a blackberry ?

Even a friend of mine, who is 54, retired, and does nothing all day, feels he needs blackberry for his emails. Really ?? What important emails are those ?? The "Add 9 inches to your member ?" or "Cheap viagra" ones ?

Next question, "How stupid do you look shopping in Sainsburys with a bluetooth device still in your ear ?" Again, are you so important that you need immediate communications ?? If that phone rings, the time spent to take it out of your pocket and answer it, well, is just too long, and a bluetooth device is required ?

Mobile devices are becoming modern day jewellery, a blackberry portrays the image of someone important, someone that makes decisions, a big cog in the machine of life.

Me, well, Ive still got my StarTac, and if I need to login, then although slow, my Vic 20 serves me well :-)

SBK

Snazy

lol I do love people with their bluetooth headsets. My sister once wore hers all day, and didnt get a single call... Mainly because she had put the headset on but left the phone at home.!

As for the Blackberry, same reason anyone uses any kind of smart phone really. For me, commuting, messenger, email, internet etc passes the time, and over recent times has proven quite important to get my mail in real time.
Not a mega heavy user for "important stuff" but I do spend a lot of the time attached to it.

One great thing though is not needing to go to the PC at home, where I always find myself sitting for hours once seated. Quick email check on the berry, any sites I NEED to check, and im done. Saved hours of my life lol

davyboy

I'll forgive a Bluetooth headset being worn in the car, but never in a supermarket. Most of the time these are being worn by argos shoppers so it's no suprise.

Our company were quite careful in only supplying BB devices to those that regularly travel. There really is no point giving an office based member of staff a device.....unless they are regularly on call.

I've got one as I am responsible for the BES, although I'm a bit fan of it when on Holiday and I can check maps, weather, quick internet searches, and email my mates!

boxst

Well, I am not in the office all the time and find my Blackberry invaluable as 98% of my job is really answering and writing emails. As mentioned above it is a form of addiction though. I deal with people all over the world, so get emails at all times and I have been known to get up to go to loo in the middle of the night and answer a few emails on my way. Sad and no excuse for it really!

I do not understand the Bluetooth in the ear at all times thing. I have been around peoplr for several hours and the phone hasn't rang once so why have that in your ear all the time?

Steve