Question about Gtalk vs BBM

[Adiliyo]

it's not a device issue, all they have to do is get someone to code the talk app better. maybe find the devs who did the blackberry app.

 

[teknomedic]

Wow Adiliyo thanks a ton, I did what I could to add to your rep as well.

Thanks for the update on PDF files, I had forgotten that "email it to myself trick" to preview them... still seems like a pain though considering Adobe offers a free program to view them on PC/MAC.

So just to double check, currently I wouldn't be able to send/receive files/pictures through the Gtalk, but I'd be able to do that through BBM. Is there a file size limit to pics or files on BBM?

Would that issue with sending files on the Droid also apply to other IM programs (yahoo) or email like Gmail as well? I assume yes because it sounds like it's a device issue vs service issue???

Thanks again, you've been a great help.

I have watched the "storm vs droid" videos that I've been able to find but they seem to have missed a lot of needed info. I'll of course try the phones out in the store, but I still needed to know these things before trying them out.

 

[Adiliyo]

attaching files to an email is not an issue (at least in the gmail app, as i don't use the email app)

the attachment issue is an app issue and not a service or device issue. they just need to add the functionality into the talk app.

i don't remember what the file size limit was on bbm

ok, had OI file manager on my droid (free) and i just put the pdf for the manual on my sd card. navigate to it, and click, it opened just fine without having to download anything. so there you go with regard to pdf. you can view them natively so long as you have a file manager.

 

[teknomedic]

sweet, thanks for the update on the PDF issue.

So it's strictly a Gtalk issue for the files and pics... that's not a big deal I guess since I could just head into Gmail or use something else to do that then. It would be nice to have that be native in Gtalk though.

I just wish someone could make an App that could send messages to the BBM from Droid, but not go through the BBM servers. It would be a little slower for IMs, but the Blackberry people wouldn't have to learn anything else or change what they like.... but I would guess that would require a hack on the Blackberrry as well.

I'm thinking I like the Droid better overall, but I can still be swayed by holding each device in my hands, but then there's also the rumor of the "touch only" Droid with no hardware keyboard so I may want to wait until early next year to decide.... but both myself and the wife would like new phones.

Thanks again, this topic has turned my choice from a "clear as mudd" to a "a little murky".

 

[teknomedic]

forgot to ask another "newb" question or two...

Both the Droid and Storm 2 are "3G" and I've heard that "4G" will be coming out soon. Can either the Droid or Storm 2 be "upgraded" to use 4G later on, or would that require a new phone?

Also, what's this "traveler's phone" I hear about the Blackberries?... is there some limit on the Droid that doesn't allow it to work in say Europe, but the Blackberry can??

Thanks again as always.

 

[Adiliyo]

the 4G network that sprint is advertising is something else, from what i gather it's similar to t-mobile's recent speed increase (not the same thing technically, but i think the end result is the same, someone correct me if i'm wrong)

verizon's LTE network which is still a little way off (in my eyes) is the true "4G" network to roll out, but none of the phones out right now will work on it in the sense of really utilizing it. LTE should be completely backworks compatible, so the phones will work, just not on 4G, similar to the original iPhone not being 3G, but working on AT&T's network. Or all the EVDO rev.0 devices on verizon's network.

so you'll have to buy a new phone to really use verizon's LTE networking, but most likely by the time it's really out and ready, it'll be time for a new phone anyways.

the storms and tour are all world phones, the are both CDMA and GSM, so they will work overseas where there (depending on where you go) might not be any CDMA coverage, as the GSM format is more popular.

from what i gather, if you really need a phone (and want verizon to provide it) they used to (still might) offer int'l loaners (at i'm guessing pretty high prices) that you can ask them for.

personally, if i really need a phone, i have a decent quad band gsm phone around somwhere i'd just buy a prepaid SIM for over there and use that.

if you travel overseas a lot for business or something, you might want to consider one of verizon's world phones so your number wouldn't change and it would be a pretty seamless experience.

 

[jokerls240]

forgot to ask another "newb" question or two...

Both the Droid and Storm 2 are "3G" and I've heard that "4G" will be coming out soon. Can either the Droid or Storm 2 be "upgraded" to use 4G later on, or would that require a new phone?

Also, what's this "traveler's phone" I hear about the Blackberries?... is there some limit on the Droid that doesn't allow it to work in say Europe, but the Blackberry can??

Thanks again as always.

All of VZW's BB's have been "3G" but shown on the screen as 1XEV; it all comes down to branding. A speed test from the BB and Droid will show that they are the same.

I'm currently using the Storm2 until the Droid comes in today. One thing I didn't see while scanning through the replies is how BBM saves conversations. In BB OS 5, you have the option to "archive" your conversations to the SD card, so you chat log is virtually unlimited if you haven't fully loaded the SD card with other media/docs.

I used to be a hard-core BB fanboy but have accepted BlackBerry's limitations when it comes to browsing (especially). RIM's effort to introduce BlackBerry devices to the "consumer" market is a late start at best. Rumor is that Q1 2010 will offer a webkit browser and widgets to BB OS 5.

As for GTalk (or Talk), I can't comment but can assume and agree with previous responses in the fact that conversations would be saved on the server. Maybe, even, you could save a chat history to the SD card.

The main decider for you will be this: if you want BES connectivity, go with the S2. If you love Google and the plethora of its free web apps, Droid and Droid Eris seem the way to go. As for communicating w/ BB users at work, just get them on GTalk.

As for the "traveller phone", I don't think the Driod is globally-capable (Droid owners welcome to correct me). The S2 and Tour have SIM card slots for use in international markets and can even be unlocked to work on AT&T and T-mobile's networks.

I'm anxious to swap my personal S2 for the Driod today! Being the BES admin, though, I'll still have to carry the S2, but no biggie there. I don't mind having 2 devices on my belt. I also can't wait until 32GB microSD's become more affordable!

 

[teknomedic]

Just wanted to up date this thread one last time.

My wife and I checked out the Storm 2 and Droid at our Verizon store and ended up going with the Droid for many reasons. Our only real reason for wanting the Storm 2 was the BBM, but since we've never had a BB before it wasn't a change we really had to deal with.

Our Verizon store was sold out of the Droids though... on a whim we checked out Best Buy and they had a ton in stock.

We picked up two Droids for $149.99 each. They allowed us to price match the "exsisting verizon customer/2yr deal" that we saw on the Verizon website for both phones... not sure we would have qualified for that deal to begin with going through Verizon and probably couldn't have gotten two Droids for that price, but thank you Best Buy.

Thanks again for all the help, it got us the info we needed to make an informed choice on our new phones.

 

[Adiliyo]

hope you enjoy your phones!