Comms on the move (Blackberry 7230)

Member Name: Danneey

Product:	Blackberry 7230
Date:	09/05/07 (308 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Push email, pda features

Disadvantages: a little bulky, QWERTY keyboard a little small

Issued a blackberry as a replacement for my work mobile phone, and first impressions were that I didn't like it. I think this is just that I saw it as a very bulky mobile phone. Admittedly, this was a very short sighted view of the Blackberry, my opinion has changed now to appreciate how useful it is.

The blackberry devices are still one of the few devices which has true push email. That is to say, when an email is received by the server at HQ, it is automatically pushed to my blackberry, no need to connect or login to the email server to download the email. The same applies to sending emails, you write your email, click send and away it goes. It still surprises people every now and then that I can respond so quickly to an email.

There is a QWERTY keyboard for writing messages, and notes, although not large enough to use as a computer keyboard, familiarity with where letters are on the keyboard speed up the process.

As a phone, I still have my reservations, it is not the most comfortable thing to hold against your face, and you need to have the earpiece in just the right place. You get a small wired headset with the unit, which allows you to pickup calls when on the move, although I tend not to use it, the wire gets in the way of what you are doing. The address book is quite good though, it can store multiple phone numbers and full details for a contact.

The unit has GPRS functionality for data services such as WAP, and the WAP browser is much better than most I've seen. You can actually call up proper websites, and java is integrated too. Also, if the webpage has a telephone number on it, you can highlight it, and place a call. Handy when searching for contact details for a location you are about to attend.

There is a calendar, with day by day, and time-slots throughout the day to add events and meetings. There is a task list application for creating to-do lists, with due dates and a reminder function.

There is a memo-pad for creating notes, the keyboard comes in handy here when there is no pen and paper around. There is an alarm clock function, although I haven't used this, I can see where it may come in handy, not all hotels provide a clock. There is also a calculator, and a brickbreaker game.

Ringtones are few, midi files can be downloaded from the internet, but the limited vocal range means that finding one that will work well is very much trial and error.

Battery life is good, at about 4 or 5 days if used lightly, and you can set the blackberry up to automatically switch on and off at particular times to preserve battery life further. I wish my personal phone had this feature.

Don't rely on initial impressions with your blackberry, give it a chance, you may indeed come to see it as invaluable.

Summary: Give it a chance, and you may find it invaluable.

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Sound quality:
Variety of features: