Review: Blackberry Curve 8530

February 16, 2010 by Chris · 2 Comments
Filed under: Tech Tip

It’s been about a month since I purchased my new Blackberry Curve 8530. My faithful Curve 8330 bit the dust when it stopped taking a charge. The micro USB port with the 8530 is more stable, I’m told.

The difference using a phone that was 3G-network enabled was noticeable right away. Nothing like a fast network connection. My Pocket Express news loaded quickly.

The phone has a nice feel to it. Rather than the trackball, it has an optical trackpad. I admit that it took some getting used to, but I really like it now. The phone is both wireless and GPS-enabled, which is another plus if you have poor phone coverage. You can still get all of those work emails, don’t worry.

It comes with a 2 megapixel camera, with surprisingly no flash. That may be a major drawback if you’re taking a lot of pictures inside.

Now the drawbacks. Unbeknownst to me, the Curve 8530 uses the v5.0 operating system. That’s good for the all around upgrades, including OTA wireless updates. On the downside, several of my installed programs ceased to work. Incompatible with the new OS.

The most annoying of the OS issue was with Aerize Card Loader. I used to be able to download programs to my memory card. No more. The program is incompatible and the developer does not appear quick to solve the issue.

Another annoying OS problem was with glitch with the pre-installed version of the OS. The phone had this irksome habit of switching from the home screen to the Media app every few seconds. It tapped the battery quickly. Fortunately, an update fixed that particular issue. However, there still are issues with my AutoStandby program.

Overall, it’s a great phone. I like its slick design, even though I’ll have to sell my Otterbox that no longer fits. The hardware is much improved, the sound quality much better. I feel a bit miffed that I wasn’t alerted to potential software issues by the otherwise very knowledgeable salesperson with whom I dealt.

Despite the hassles, I believe it was a good purchase. Recommended!

Technorati Tags: blackberry curve 8530

Tags: blackberry curve

Me And My New Blackberry

October 22, 2008 by Chris · Comments Off
Filed under: Lessons Learned

So, I’ve been on a kick to get organized and more efficient. All is going well. I’m on track. My latest tool is my Blackberry. Me and my new Blackberry, love at first site. Photo by bgautrea

I love the idea of being able to stay on top of things. I’ve been spending a lot of time marketing my art business with social media sites such as Twitter. Besides, it’s fun to meet people and share ideas. I’ve met some great artists.

The Blackberry gives me mobility and freedom. I can keep up with my tweeting. I can write on the fly. I can blog on the fly. As I say all this, I have to admit that it was a bit of a learning curve, no pun intended. I had to learn how to get around on a smart phone. I had to learn what it could do.

I went through the tutorials. I read online. I signed up for the Blackberry newsletter. If writing has taught me anything, it has taught me the value of research. I see this purchase helping me toward marketing. Since, this is what I understand, is a part of the equation in getting published, my thought is that it is a good move.

Technorati Tags: blackberry curve

Tags: blackberry, blackberry curve