Boy Genius Report

Tags: BlackBerry, RIM, storm, thunder, Verizon, Vodafone

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88 Responses to “What the…”

1. 76
   Shane says:

   November 16, 2008 at 6:50 PM

   G_Money21…

   Apparently you work at an office where they let you visit any website you want on company computers. Congratulations.

   But for the majority of people, work computers are blocked from visiting many basic websites. So if I want to check my Gmail account at work, no dice. I have to use my phone. Same for 90% of the websites out there. Most are blocked from a business computer.

   Most companies I know block websites from company computers. This is a common practice nowadays.

   However, most offices do offer free WiFi in many areas of the building. So having WiFi on any phone is a huge plus.

   And it’s not just work. Last week I had to go in for Jury Duty and I got absolutely no signal at all on my Verizon phones. Zero. Couldn’t even make a phone call. And this is in Los Angeles, not some rural area.

   However, they offered free WiFi for the people in the Jury waiting rooms. But since Verizon chooses to remove the WiFi on my phone, I couldn’t use it at all. It was an absolute brick for the 8 hours I was there.

   And it’s not just when there are coverage issues either. I have a home network and I would like to transfer files over my WiFi network to my phone. My friends with other carrier’s phones can do this no problem. But since Verizon cripples their phones, I have no option to do this. So everytime I want to transfer files I have to grab the cord and plug it in. Stupid to make people do this nowadays.

   Plus it’s faster than Verizon’s EVDO network too. I get 12 Mbps on my home WiFi network, and only 500 kbps on Verizon’s network. Even though no phone could use the full 12 Mbps, it would be WAY faster than the EVDO speeds I get.

   Need yet another reason? How about VOIP calls? If you want to use Skype to call friends overseas for a cheaper rate, you need WiFi on a phone. Otherwise you can only make the call when you are on your computer, not from your phone.

   And don’t confuse me as an ATT fanboy. I do not have ATT, or Tmobile, or any other service at all. I have two Verizon phones, one company phone and one personal one.

   I agree that Verizon’s service is usually better than most other carriers. That’s why I have two of their phones. But they do not have signals in 100% of the places I go. That’s when I would like WiFi. That and to use it with my home network.

   But Verizon takes all those choices away from their customers. There’s not even an option. That’s why I’m sick of them. That’s why I am no longer interested in buying a Storm, and why I plan to leave Verizon as soon as my contract is up.

   And if you actually believe Verizon’s line that you don’t need WiFi with their EVDO network, then you’re gullable. They reason they disable it is to keep people from using Skype and other VOIP services, which they do not make any money off of. They want you paying for their minutes, their international rates, their overage fees, etc. They’re greedy. Pure and simple. Most carriers are, but Verizon purposely cripples their phones to force you into it.

   So is that enough reasons for you? If you don’t need WiFi where you go, that’s great. But many other people do. Not just for one use, but MANY uses. So stop drinking Verizon’s Kool Aid and presuming to know what every other person in the world needs in their phones.

   WiFi has tons of uses everyday for people, but Verizon doesn’t want you using anything they can’t charge you for. Example, why are they the only carrier that disables built in GPS on the BB 8830, when it works for free on Sprint, ATT and Tmobile? So that they can charge you for VZ Naigator.

   Unless you are a Verizon employee, or simply never use any of these features, this should be pretty obvious.

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2. 77
   GMoney_21 says:

   November 16, 2008 at 8:29 PM

   @ SHane…

   I commend you, great well written post with actual content. Unlike much of the garbage posted in the comments of many of these blogs.

   You’re right, I am a consultant always on the move and my work provides me with a laptop and does not black access to ANY site. So yes I guess I never really considered using a phone to access stuff at work that is blocked on your computer. What doesnt make sense is if they block these sites on your work computer (presumably to keep productivity up) then why would they offer a completely open wifi network? That doesnt make sense. Finding open Wifi is almost impossible nowadays anyway. Even in manhattan.

   Onto the one remote place where verizon doesnt have a signal. A jury room. I am 27 years old and have never been called to jury duty. If wifi is a must for the 8 hours once in your lifetime you are called, then thats on you. Same goes for when on vacation any place that doesnt have a good 3G signal. Im ok with not having data for the time I am at the pool on vacation etc.

   VOIP??? This isnt 2001, ebay reported in there last earnings that skype had 18 million users. Thats worldwide, cmon man thats nothing. If making a call roaming internationally prohibits you from making this months rent, then you dont need to have a storm and need to set your priorities in order.

   Exchaniging files over your network while at home? Why not use usb? I mean you are at home right? Do you live in an 11 bedroom 10k sq ft house? Is it that hard to get to your home computer to do the file swap?

   In conclusion, would wifi be nice to have? Of course it would. My beef is with the tools that post…”no wifi no deal”….”no wifi this is a POS”. WiFi is not needed 95% of the time. ATT needed wifi becuase att didnt EVEN HAVE A sustainable 3G network when apple released the EDGE iphone. And let’s be honest, ATT’s 3G network is hardly robust. So yes wifi would be nice addition, but its NOT A DEAL BREAKER.

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3. 78
   Hans Jobs says:

   November 16, 2008 at 9:16 PM

   Good post Shane, but for the record G_Mone21 is proven idiot.

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4. 79
   Chris says:

   November 16, 2008 at 10:58 PM

   umm let me guess, touch screen javelin? from a freeze frame on the video i cldnt see any physical keyboard and the form factor does seem like a javelin.

   lucky guess?

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5. 80
   Storm Analyzer says:

   November 16, 2008 at 11:31 PM

   Verizon has to cripple the team that put policies in their handsets selection

   There is nothing revolutionary about the phone except it’s a mimic or a copy of the iphone minus a lot of features
   528 Mhz processor, not 624 Mhz, neutered, matter of fact they have chosen a cheaper CPU pxa930 instead of the powerful pxa320 (Samsung Omnia) which can be over clocked to a 806mhz (pxa320 has 256 kb l2 cache and a 768 kb 3d frame buffer)
   Not VGA, only half the revolution! When they thought of the resolution, they saw the iphone as the limit, there is no creativity
   No wide screen format to play movies nicely, only square 4:3 aspect ratio, they forgot to copy that.
   No infrared port
   No flash support
   No Bluetooth v2.1
   No video acceleration, u have to pay for data plans but u can’t play online games!
   No LED, regular TFT LCD
   No 16.7 millions true colors like the
   No WiMax, don’t even dream about it
   No wifi, no streaming (streaming is not allowed in the data plan)
   No high number of channels of polyphonic (32 channels only) ringtones typically 72
   Pages are slow to load and render and zoom/pan operations were slow and jerky no matter what the software version is, it will be in beta till after one year at least.
   Not really built for multi tasking only small memory (128 MB RAM) even it has big Rom
   No 8-megapixel camera
   No stereo microphone
   No stereo loudspeaker
   No Hdmi
   No electronic dictionary,
   No Business card recognition
   No finger print reader

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6. 81
   Rey says:

   November 17, 2008 at 1:12 AM

   WHAT A TEASE ! THANKS !!

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7. 82
   Christopher Cox says:

   November 17, 2008 at 2:12 AM

   LOL this is so funny. Why does everyone thing BG made this? Read what others have said … THIS WAS AIRED ON TV LIKE A MONTH OR TWO AGO. This was not a tease by this web site or any other review or tech site unless they actually paid money to air this on the television network. This was either made by RIM or by one of the carriers.

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8. 83
   The Boy Genius says:

   November 17, 2008 at 2:14 AM

   @Christopher

   Dude… are you seriously that dense? I filmed that Saturday night, dropped in the audio track, and posted it. Jesus…

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9. 84
   brum says:

   November 17, 2008 at 2:45 AM

   @ G_Mone21, you clearly don’t get the point. Because of people like you corporations can hold back technology and keep us using crap for as long as they want, charging us as much as they want when they add that feature that should have been there in the first place.

   Is it just me or do the main marketing images for the Storm make it look dated, before it has been released?

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10. 85
    brum says:

    November 17, 2008 at 2:56 AM

    ps. can someone explain to me why they think this is not a Storm? You can see the face at the last little snip that shows the front and it looks like a storm to me.

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11. 86
    Christopher Cox says:

    November 17, 2008 at 3:03 AM

    Ok now that I look at it again it is a rip off of a commercial that aired on TV.

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12. 87
    G_Money21 says:

    November 17, 2008 at 8:27 AM

    @ Brum

    I do get the point. Did you read my post, wifi would be great, BUT ITS NOT A DEAL BREAKER. If you are not in a financial position to buy a device of this nature without relying on free public wifi, that is not vzw’s problem.

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13. 88
    Michael says:

    November 17, 2008 at 9:49 AM

    @Brum

    It’s just you.

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