Help me buy a blackberry?

January 8, 2004 2:17 PM

I urgently need to buy a Blackberry. But their website is mystifying.

I just want wireless email - not necessarily a phone. But I am flummoxed about which model to get and how to pick a plan. They seem to be hiding prices like crazy. I've actually never had to pick a cell phone plan so I'm really clueless here. Can any of you that have one help me navigate this?

posted by CunningLinguist to Shopping (8 answers total)

Everyone at my office has the 857's - they're not very glamorous but remarkably dependable and the battery lasts for weeks. They just do wireless e-mail and other similar functions - Calender and Address book. No internet or audio or anything.

In terms of how to sign up, you got me - our IT guy did it for everyone.
posted by pomegranate at 2:23 PM on January 8, 2004

You can get a blackberry through T-Mobile.

Of course, what email do you want to access? Is it on an Exchange server? POP3? IMAP?

Do you need to get to the email instantaneously? Or is a small delay (~15 minutes) acceptable?
posted by bshort at 3:41 PM on January 8, 2004

Response by poster: It's Exchange.....and the faster the better on email.

So I buy the gizmo from the wireless service provider?
posted by CunningLinguist at 3:44 PM on January 8, 2004

Cunning -- Wonderful name, by the way ...

Yeah, if you look at the bottom of the device page, you can see who the provider is for the particular device. They operate in different frequencies and only some providers have some frequencies. For instance, the 857/957 is offered by Cingular, and although they don't say it, I think T-Mobile offers them to. If they aren't the same company by now.
posted by SpecialK at 5:36 PM on January 8, 2004

Danger is pretty much giving away the old Sidekick for free these days, with a pretty nice plan. Had one for a year, no complaints. Email, keyboard, all the fixin's.
posted by majcher at 5:48 PM on January 8, 2004

Here you go. Strictly speaking, it's not "Blackberry," because that's something which requires a special bit of software in cooperation with your mail server, but it's the same hardware and better functionality (fax, voice, etc).
posted by majick at 7:02 PM on January 8, 2004

tmobile with the sidekick and t-zones pro will let you check email on exchange and even lotus domino servers, which might be a lot cheaper.
posted by rhyax at 7:30 PM on January 8, 2004

Response by poster: Well, I got it and boy am I thrilled....if anyone else is thinking of getting one and feeling utterly clueless, I can now give them the basics. Just email me.


(Now I'm looking for add on programs and there seem to be woeful few. There are a gazillion things to put on your Palm, but so far I've found nothing worth downloading to my Berry.)
posted by CunningLinguist at 9:24 AM on January 11, 2004