BlackBerry Curve

So, my husband and I were sick of the do-nothing-special flip phones i.e. Motorola Razr. We were ready for something that could give us a lot more mobility in retrieving information. I was sick of trying to view my email on through the web button on the phone. Such a pain! Plus, they (Flip Phones) seem like devices from the dark ages now. I started researching phones online that were provided by Verizon. While there were many to choose from, the BB Curve seemed the most appealing. The full keyboard, the size of the screen, the convenience keys, the scroll ball, the many tools and applications already tested and readily available (many for free) peaked my interest.

When we went to the Verizon store and started looking at the phones they had on display, I quickly found the Curve. The salesman gave very compelling reviews (he pulled his out and started showing us things he could do with it) but also warned, “You will never want a different kind of phone. This phone is addicting. They don’t call them CrackBerries for nothing.”

CrackBerries? What?! How could a phone possibly be addicting? Let me remind you I have never had a Cellular PDA so I had no idea what was in store for me. We purchased our phones and activated them. Then came the real story, HOW ON EARTH DO WE MAKE A PHONE CALL?! Ha. It took me about 10 minutes to figure out how to make phone calls and store names and numbers on my phone.

Once I mastered the basics and understood what each pre-programmed application did, I was hungry for more. What else could this little computer in my hand do?! I began searching the web for other applications. I first went to http://www.blackberry.com/ and clicked on the “What Can BlackBerry Do?” tab. At the bottom there is a link for Downloads. I clicked on the link and it brought me to a page that had a whole slew of convenient applications that could be downloaded for free. Great!

But still, after perfecting those, I wanted more, I needed more. I was addicted! So I searched my new Google application for Free BlackBerry Applications and Downloads. I came across an amazing site, http://www.blackberryfreeware.com/ . This site is fantastic! Every kind of topic and application at my fingertips! A new application was developed and ready for download: BlackBerry App World. This is an application that is basically a store for all the applications created for BlackBerry compiled in one location. I deem it perfect.

Now, for ringtones… unlike the V-Cast, there isn’t an application pre-programmed for ringtones. You can either sign up for a $9.99/month ringtone plan from any ringtone provider on tv like Ringster or you can create your own. The BB does have a microphone and recorder. But then, my husband found http://www.funformobile.com/ and we can download songs and all sorts of things, for free! The content is created by users so the quality isn’t great on all files but it does have a preview option so you can hear what it sounds like prior to downloading.

All in all, after finding free applications and ringtones, the additional $30/month from our service provider for unlimited data is absolutely worth it. I love this phone and I will never have a regular one again! I highly recommend this phone to anyone who is looking to break into the PDA-World but unsure of how to use it. It’s simple.