A Blackberry user is set free!

I have had one blackberry after another for the last 5 years. I have had enough! I finally gave up the crackberry addiction and supplanted it with a whole new beast of a device.

For years I’ve been pining away for a true “all-in-one” device that is capable of everything I could think I need. Wi-Fi, GPS, bluetooth stereo, MP3’s, email, web browsing, add-ons, applications and more are mine since I have purchased my first Windows Mobile 6.1 device. Yes… I went to a mobile device. And I’m not looking back too much. So far the only dissapointment I have is the alarm on the device doesn’t have a “browse” button so I can use an mp3 for an alarm as opposed to the ultra-annoying prepackaged tones most companies “value-add” to their products. Speaking of the value-add ability of companies. I followed the instructions on this website to clean that vendor specific applications out of my phone:
http://www.ezcomputerhelp.org/uninstall-att-software-from-your-att-tilt-htc-8925-windows-mobile-61/comment-page-1/#comment-12501

Unfortunately this does reduce a bit of functionality from the vendor branded product. It does turn out that most of the applications can be replaced by installing them from the \windows directory of the mobile install. So far there is not a ton of information available as to which .cab file installs which app, aside from the PT_manillia.cab being the TouchFlo3D app. The other ones I identified through a quick search was the opera browser, the printing add-on, the “black” splash screen, and the M$ security fix.

I’m not 100% positive I will keep the stripped-down version or retain the value-add software. I haven’t had the phone longer than 96 hours, so I haven’t tried all the applications that were provided out-of-the-box. I suspect most of the applications are worthless. Most of the apps provided by the vendor take up memory for running the programs I *do* want, and once added, they can’t be uninstalled. That means my system memory is being used for apps I won’t ever use.

As far as the apps I will be using, the RDP client has made the biggest impression on me so far. After dealing with third-party RDP apps for the blackberry, a native client is a very welcome addition. Beyond that I haven’t done much… I never used Opera on the blackberry, but I am finding it superior to the blackberry browser. Even the browser supported in 4.5 wasn’t as easy to use.

Where did blackberry go wrong? Why did I leave them and abandon my post? I am still a blackberry administrator at work, but I am also an Exchange 2007 admin now. With ActiveSync available, and direct push… why do I need to waste money on a server application that is additional to the infrastructure, but why do I need to waste money on CAL’s for it as well? I have a blackberry roadmap session to look forward to with the regional RIM manager in sight, but I am nervous about what RIM can do to catch up to the other offerings in the world.

In the meantime I found dozens of incredible ideas and possibilities for my new device. This includes the ability to use my camera as a business card scanner using OCR. Here are some other things you can do with a 6.1 mobile:
http://www.mobilitydigest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=367

Exciting!!!

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