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Help Requested: Blackberry vs Verizon Laptop Card

Help Requested: Blackberry vs Verizon Laptop Card

Old Oct 25, 2006, 8:40 pm
  #1  
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Help Requested: Blackberry vs Verizon Laptop Card

I'm looking for some input ... I can ask my company to get me the Verizon pcmcia(?) card for internet access on the road totally on their dime, or I can work out a deal where they pay something (not much) towards a blackberry type phone and the monthly service (about 50-75%) which will provide me with internet & email access while I'm on the road.

I've been thinking about the E61 Nokia but am not convinced it's worth it for me, both from its size and its necessity. The phone is much larger than what I use today and I don't wear a belt often enough to rely on that to hang the phone so I fear I would be carrying it around a lot loose (and dropping it, knowing me). The phone would be used more for work productivity purposes than personal use (although that would definitely be there too) so it's bugging me that I'd have to pay out of pocket to acquire and use the service. I also have a plan on my cell phone right now (tmobile) that fits my needs perfectly at a reasonable price which is no longer available. OTOH, the idea of not having to lug the laptop all the time is extremely appealing. For the Verizon card, my laptop would be much more useful to me at multiple client locations where I have no internet access at all both for email/internet and general work productivity being able to easily exchange files, etc.

I've never had the blackberry type phone before so not sure how quickly it becomes addictive or totally hated - I know I'd use the Verizon but is the phone a better idea? Which do you think I should go for ... if money wasn't an issue and in where it is? Thanks.

And a question for the ladies, how do you carry blackberry type phones around your office all day to meetings, etc? My current phone stays on a string that can hang around my neck keeping my hands free.
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Old Oct 25, 2006, 10:11 pm
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You know, I have avoided the blackberry or any other email capable type phone for some time due to the size and not wanting to carry the big bulky things around. I have had Verizon service for some time and wanted a more mobile data plan and when looking at their options they got pretty expensive although I believe their PC card is pretty fast compared to other networks. So, I just switched to tmobile and got a the newer blackberry 8100/pearl. I am extremely happy with it. It is not big and bulky like the other models and is pretty light. The email functionality is pretty good and I have my laptop setup to use it as a modem for internet as opposed to paying while at an airport etc. That plan was like a $20 a month add on so pretty reasonable I think for email and internet access.

This phone was exactly what I was looking for as it is not bulky like previous versions. I am not an addict but it is very handy to keep in touch with email without having to break out the laptop. I thought typing on it would be a pain but only after a week it is getting pretty easy already so I think in a few weeks it will be a no brainer.
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Old Oct 25, 2006, 10:26 pm
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Originally Posted by mcgahat
You know, I have avoided the blackberry or any other email capable type phone for some time due to the size and not wanting to carry the big bulky things around. I have had Verizon service for some time and wanted a more mobile data plan and when looking at their options they got pretty expensive although I believe their PC card is pretty fast compared to other networks. So, I just switched to tmobile and got a the newer blackberry 8100/pearl. I am extremely happy with it. It is not big and bulky like the other models and is pretty light. The email functionality is pretty good and I have my laptop setup to use it as a modem for internet as opposed to paying while at an airport etc. That plan was like a $20 a month add on so pretty reasonable I think for email and internet access.

This phone was exactly what I was looking for as it is not bulky like previous versions. I am not an addict but it is very handy to keep in touch with email without having to break out the laptop. I thought typing on it would be a pain but only after a week it is getting pretty easy already so I think in a few weeks it will be a no brainer.
I don't recall that phone - I'll look at it, too. What did you have to do to allow the laptop to use the cell for the connection to the internet?
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Old Oct 26, 2006, 8:37 pm
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Another suggestion would be to get a Verizon Blackberry with the Broadband Connect option. I recently got the 7130e, which is small enough to carry around in your pocket and also a decent phone. It can also be tethered to my laptop for (somewhat) high-speed internet access. Its actually fast enough to get on my VPN. This combination lets me use the Blackberry for email and phone, but get online via laptop when necessary, for about $85/month total including a small voice plan.
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Old Oct 26, 2006, 10:05 pm
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Originally Posted by GoingAway
I don't recall that phone - I'll look at it, too. What did you have to do to allow the laptop to use the cell for the connection to the internet?

Relatively easy actually. I got the instructions on how to set it up on a forum on the internet. Here is the instructions that I used and they worked fine except as other posters mentioned...I had to remove the period from the phone number mentioned in this thread otherwise relatively simple and it is accepetable speed.

http://www.blackberryforums.com/gene...eb-access.html
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Old Oct 31, 2006, 11:25 am
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Their nickname is "CrackBerry" - they can be hard to trun off (for some) and the buzz of a new e-mail arriving seems like a Pavlov's dog type reaction - once you are trained you just can't seem to not look to see who just e-mailed you - no matter who is talkign to you, where you are etc
I don't have one - but that's just me
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