Tech Tip: New Isn’t Always Better

January 27, 2010 by Chris · Comments Off
Filed under: Tech Tip

It was bound to happen. I had to replace my Blackberry Curve 8330 when it stopped charging. It turns out the USB port was damaged. I could either dish out $119 to repair it or upgrade for $50 after a mail-in rebate. Guess which I chose?

Upgrading is always a hassle. Moving programs and data sucks. My move wasn’t horribly painful, but I encountered two glitches that made it unpleasant.

First, there was the operating system. I followed the OS updates regularly, wanting to take advantage of updates and new features. Well, the updates carry issues. My new 5.0 OS has this annoying tendency to switch to the Media app with no means of closing the application. A flaw that RIM is aware of, I’m told. Crap. It’s an extreme inconvenience with no upgrade in sight.

Then my Aerize Card Loader ceased to work. Lame excuses by the developer did nothing to soften the blow. I paid for an app that would save apps to a memory card rather than internal memory. Wasted money until the app is upgraded. No word on when that will happen. Word to the wise: don’t waste your money on this application until you can be sure the product will deliver what it promises. Duh!

It’s not a fault with the Curve 8530, I realize. Yet, the upgrade caused these frustrations. Maybe I can review this smartphone more objectively when everything works like it is supposed to do.

Tags: blackberry, upgrade

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