Empathy List Archives

MG

Margery Griffith

Thu, Dec 4, 2008 6:43 PM

I just got my new Blackberry STORM on Tuesday by mail and had to take it to the local Verizon store yesterday to get it going. I am rather 'electronically challenged'. So far it is a 'love-hate' relationship! The 'book' that came with it is the usual nerd-written unhelpful stuff. I was told at the Verizon store to make a list of questions then come back for more 'instruction'. They are VERY helpful! It is so sleek and does so much but I am having a problem 'typing' into it. That does improve with practice, but too slowly! The 'store' said they'd help me move my 'contacts' from my old Blackberry...thank goodness because so far I have not been able to type in the first one!...and I have small hands! For me there is definitely a big 'learning curve' but for those who are more savy...it is a gem! I AM determined to stick with it though but so far it has not responded to my command to load the dishwasher! Am I pushing the wrong button? Anyone want to buy my
not very old one?
Marge Griffith

I just got my new Blackberry STORM on Tuesday by mail and had to take it to the local Verizon store yesterday to get it going. I am rather 'electronically challenged'. So far it is a 'love-hate' relationship! The 'book' that came with it is the usual nerd-written unhelpful stuff. I was told at the Verizon store to make a list of questions then come back for more 'instruction'. They are VERY helpful! It is so sleek and does so much but I am having a problem 'typing' into it. That does improve with practice, but too slowly! The 'store' said they'd help me move my 'contacts' from my old Blackberry...thank goodness because so far I have not been able to type in the first one!...and I have small hands! For me there is definitely a big 'learning curve' but for those who are more savy...it is a gem! I AM determined to stick with it though but so far it has not responded to my command to load the dishwasher! Am I pushing the wrong button? Anyone want to buy my not very old one? Marge Griffith

J&

Jean & Michael

Thu, Dec 4, 2008 6:49 PM

We are also considering a Storm, however I understand there is a $10
monthly fee for the GPS usage. At that fee rate I could soon buy a handheld
GPS with free use.Our current phones are a couple of years old & don't have
GPS so I haven't really looked into it. Do all the cell phone companies
charge a fee for GPS?

Michael Wilkie
Dancin' Dolphin II
Willow Berm Marina, CA.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Margery Griffith" grandsturdy410@yahoo.com
To: "trawlers-and-trawlering" trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 10:43 AM
Subject: T&T: New STORM

I just got my new Blackberry STORM on Tuesday by mail and had to take it to
the local Verizon store yesterday to get it going. I am rather
'electronically challenged'. So far it is a 'love-hate' relationship! The
'book' that came with it is the usual nerd-written unhelpful stuff. I was
told at the Verizon store to make a list of questions then come back for
more 'instruction'. They are VERY helpful! It is so sleek and does so much
but I am having a problem 'typing' into it. That does improve with
practice, but too slowly! The 'store' said they'd help me move my
'contacts' from my old Blackberry...thank goodness because so far I have
not been able to type in the first one!...and I have small hands! For me
there is definitely a big 'learning curve' but for those who are more
savy...it is a gem! I AM determined to stick with it though but so far it
has not responded to my command to load the dishwasher! Am I pushing the
wrong button? Anyone want to buy my
not very old one?
Marge Griffith

We are also considering a Storm, however I understand there is a $10 monthly fee for the GPS usage. At that fee rate I could soon buy a handheld GPS with free use.Our current phones are a couple of years old & don't have GPS so I haven't really looked into it. Do all the cell phone companies charge a fee for GPS? Michael Wilkie Dancin' Dolphin II Willow Berm Marina, CA. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Margery Griffith" <grandsturdy410@yahoo.com> To: "trawlers-and-trawlering" <trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com> Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 10:43 AM Subject: T&T: New STORM >I just got my new Blackberry STORM on Tuesday by mail and had to take it to >the local Verizon store yesterday to get it going. I am rather >'electronically challenged'. So far it is a 'love-hate' relationship! The >'book' that came with it is the usual nerd-written unhelpful stuff. I was >told at the Verizon store to make a list of questions then come back for >more 'instruction'. They are VERY helpful! It is so sleek and does so much >but I am having a problem 'typing' into it. That does improve with >practice, but too slowly! The 'store' said they'd help me move my >'contacts' from my old Blackberry...thank goodness because so far I have >not been able to type in the first one!...and I have small hands! For me >there is definitely a big 'learning curve' but for those who are more >savy...it is a gem! I AM determined to stick with it though but so far it >has not responded to my command to load the dishwasher! Am I pushing the >wrong button? Anyone want to buy my > not very old one? > Marge Griffith

JS

Jeffrey Siegel

Thu, Dec 4, 2008 7:30 PM

Do all the cell phone companies charge a fee for GPS?

The GPS is hardware on the phone. Once you have the phone, you already have
the GPS. The monthly fee is a charge for a subscription to their bundled
street navigation software. It is most probably a re-branded version of
Telenav. The issue is that there aren't many other software packages for
Blackberry, especially the Storm right now so there's not other programs
that can use the built-in GPS.

On other phones, you could purchase stand-alone street navigation software
for $99 - $149. The maps would be local on the memory card on the phone
instead of being streamed over the internet. Frankly, other street
navigation software products are much better than Telenav also. I would
much prefer locally stored maps instead of losing all navigation when the
internet connection goes away too (a la Telenav).

All of these issues and many others are covered in our 17 part series about
using mobile phones on boats:
http://www.activecaptain.com/GM/MobilePhones/Intro.php

I would be very careful in selecting a Storm right now. It is a whole new
thing for Blackberry and there are bound to be a host of problems with it.
If you really need to have Blackberry, a Bold looks to me to be a better
product, at least from a stability standpoint. If you don't need a
Blackberry and want navigation/GPS software, most other phone platforms are
better.

---=
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53PH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine

www.activecaptain.com
Content, Communications, Community

..

> Do all the cell phone companies charge a fee for GPS? > The GPS is hardware on the phone. Once you have the phone, you already have the GPS. The monthly fee is a charge for a subscription to their bundled street navigation software. It is most probably a re-branded version of Telenav. The issue is that there aren't many other software packages for Blackberry, especially the Storm right now so there's not other programs that can use the built-in GPS. On other phones, you could purchase stand-alone street navigation software for $99 - $149. The maps would be local on the memory card on the phone instead of being streamed over the internet. Frankly, other street navigation software products are much better than Telenav also. I would much prefer locally stored maps instead of losing all navigation when the internet connection goes away too (a la Telenav). All of these issues and many others are covered in our 17 part series about using mobile phones on boats: http://www.activecaptain.com/GM/MobilePhones/Intro.php I would be very careful in selecting a Storm right now. It is a whole new thing for Blackberry and there are bound to be a host of problems with it. If you really need to have Blackberry, a Bold looks to me to be a better product, at least from a stability standpoint. If you don't need a Blackberry and want navigation/GPS software, most other phone platforms are better. ================================== Jeffrey Siegel M/V aCappella DeFever 53PH W1ACA/WDB4350 Castine, Maine www.activecaptain.com Content, Communications, Community ..

RC

Richard Cook

Thu, Dec 4, 2008 7:32 PM

My spouse and I are in the process of figuring out her new BB Curve (our
first smartphone). We have a lot to learn yet.

It has GPS hardware, but to make practical use of it we need to download
the (free) mobile version of Google Maps, if I understand correctly.
I've sen it demonstrated, and it looks OK. The $10/mo charge is for
Telenav, a program that includes voiced turn-by-turn driving directions.

We tried an iPhone, but returned it. The touch screen, and the position
in which she had to put her hand to work it, did not do well for her.
OTOH, in almost every application it had considerably more intuitive
ease-of-use than the BB. And among other things, it included a very
nice and simple built-in GPS/maps application.

Richard Cook
New Moon (Bounty 257)

Jean & Michael wrote:

We are also considering a Storm, however I understand there is a $10
monthly fee for the GPS usage. At that fee rate I could soon buy a handheld
GPS with free use.Our current phones are a couple of years old & don't have
GPS so I haven't really looked into it. Do all the cell phone companies
charge a fee for GPS?

Michael Wilkie
Dancin' Dolphin II
Willow Berm Marina, CA.

My spouse and I are in the process of figuring out her new BB Curve (our first smartphone). We have a lot to learn yet. It has GPS hardware, but to make practical use of it we need to download the (free) mobile version of Google Maps, if I understand correctly. I've sen it demonstrated, and it looks OK. The $10/mo charge is for Telenav, a program that includes voiced turn-by-turn driving directions. We tried an iPhone, but returned it. The touch screen, and the position in which she had to put her hand to work it, did not do well for her. OTOH, in almost every application it had considerably more intuitive ease-of-use than the BB. And among other things, it included a very nice and simple built-in GPS/maps application. Richard Cook New Moon (Bounty 257) Jean & Michael wrote: > We are also considering a Storm, however I understand there is a $10 > monthly fee for the GPS usage. At that fee rate I could soon buy a handheld > GPS with free use.Our current phones are a couple of years old & don't have > GPS so I haven't really looked into it. Do all the cell phone companies > charge a fee for GPS? > > Michael Wilkie > Dancin' Dolphin II > Willow Berm Marina, CA.

TM

Todd Mains

Fri, Dec 5, 2008 12:09 AM

On Friday, November 28, the 42' fishing vessel Network capsized and struck
the Tillamook, Oregon jetty. One of the three persons onboard survived.
For more information, plus video and still photos, see

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/21/243114/

Todd Mains
Scappoose, OR

On Friday, November 28, the 42' fishing vessel Network capsized and struck the Tillamook, Oregon jetty. One of the three persons onboard survived. For more information, plus video and still photos, see http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/21/243114/ Todd Mains Scappoose, OR

JS

Jeffrey Siegel

Fri, Dec 5, 2008 4:27 PM

George's comments regarding the Blackberry Storm are starting to get outside
the boating-content of this forum. If you're interested in learning more
about using a mobile phone on your boat, check out our 17 part series on
that topic:
http://www.activecaptain.com/GM/MobilePhones/Intro.php

In particular, there's an article just about BlackBerry and Symbian:
http://www.activecaptain.com/GM/MobilePhones/BlackberrySymbian.php

I stand behind every statement in those articles particularly about
BlackBerry.

---=
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53PH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine

www.activecaptain.com
Content, Communications, Community

..

George's comments regarding the Blackberry Storm are starting to get outside the boating-content of this forum. If you're interested in learning more about using a mobile phone on your boat, check out our 17 part series on that topic: http://www.activecaptain.com/GM/MobilePhones/Intro.php In particular, there's an article just about BlackBerry and Symbian: http://www.activecaptain.com/GM/MobilePhones/BlackberrySymbian.php I stand behind every statement in those articles particularly about BlackBerry. ================================== Jeffrey Siegel M/V aCappella DeFever 53PH W1ACA/WDB4350 Castine, Maine www.activecaptain.com Content, Communications, Community ..

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New STORM