So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (11 min, 15 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

First, make sure to check out News From The Wire, where we have links to all the 9700 reviews you can handle. If you’re thinking about the device, this should help you decide once and for all.

Our topic, though, is the Curve 2. I’ve been thinking about this one for a while. My buddy, who is a Verizon dealer, got a Tour over the summer. He likes it fine, but once he heard about the Curve 2 he said he regretted getting it. He doesn’t use the screen much — he doesn’t watch video or view advanced websites — so the high-res screen doesn’t mean much to him. He uses other functions, though, and those seem to be great with the Curve 2. If you’re looking for a very basic BlackBerry, this is it and more. The price is right, too, at $99.99.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: November 6, 2009 – Episode 89

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: November 6, 2009 – Episode 89

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (10 min, 51 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

Last time around we talked about the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the Bold 2. AT&T and T-Mobile picked it up as expected. That still left a few BlackBerry models unannounced, but we heard a lot more about them this week.

Verizon announced the Storm 2 on Monday and released it on Wednesday. That was pretty quick, though it was somewhat expected. While the Storm 2 greatly improves on the original, it appears Verizon is more focused on the Droid, its first Android device. Which is doubly a shame, because there are two more BlackBerry models that could drop with the carrier before the holidays.

First is the known, the Curve 8530, the Curve 2. It’s already out on T-Mobile, and Verizon should get a CDMA version in November. It packs in the best of the BlackBerry world, including the fast processor, optical trackpad, and Wi-Fi. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a high-res screen. Oh well. There’s a solution to that, too.

The BlackBerry Essex has been outed as the Tour 2, though we pretty much knew that already. That’s the big upgrade, as the device has all the features of the Curve 2, plus a high-res screen. While it was originally thought that it would drop sometime after the holidays, Kevin at CrackBerry has word that Verizon is going for a pre-holidays release. I wonder what original Tour users think about that.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 30, 2009 – Episode 88

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 30, 2009 – Episode 88

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (9 min, 30 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

The 9700 got the corporate treatment this week, as we heard everything good about it without the bad. That’s why I like the pre-device content. We get to see for ourselves what’s working and what’s not. It seems that once the device gets into reviewers’ hands that all we get are the biases of the reviewers. That’s fine — it’s what reviews are — but there’s always a little bit of sadness when a device becomes official.

(Which sounds horribly backward, I know.)

The Storm 2 isn’t fully announced yet, but we’ve seen just about everything we can of it. The only thing left is to determine if it’s a good device for you. That’s also exciting: picking up a BlackBerry for the first time and getting a feel for it.

We’ve also got an update on Project Dark, which will go well with the 9700.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 23, 2009 – Episode 87

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 23, 2009 – Episode 87

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (10 min, 58 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

So the Storm 2 is coming. Now what? There’s still plenty to get excited about. Hey, we could even get a new BlackBerry announcement next week. That would be the 9700, a/k/a the Onyx, a/k/a the Bold 2. There are strong rumors that both AT&T and T-Mobile will announce the device next week. I’d say it’s almost certain that T-Mobile does, though AT&T shouldn’t be far behind, if they are at all. AT&T did release original Bold in white this week, making me wonder if they’re going to delay the 9700. But probably not.

What’s interesting for T-Mobile is that the 9700 is part of Project Black. This is a do-or-die deal for T-Mobile. They’re rumored to be getting a few super high-end devices. On top of that, they’re upgrading their 3G networks to 21Mbps, and could completely undercut other carriers with a $50 unlimited service plan. It’s a critical point for T-Mobile. Proper execution could move them up the ranks. If it fails, though, it could be the end of the company.

I’m just glad that the 9700 is part of the plan.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 16, 2009 – Episode 86

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 16, 2009 – Episode 86

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (11 min, 38 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

One major theme I harp on is the marketing of the Storm 2. Last year, Verizon made an aggressive marketing pitch with blogs, releasing talking points and hype material in September, in anticipation of the late October, early November release of the Storm. This year it doesn’t seem like they’re doing that. After they guarded images of the device all summer, they’re finally allowing blogs to run with it on their own. Without the aid of RIM or Verizon, the Internet community has built the hype for these devices. This not only saves RIM and Verizon some effort, but the marketing campaign seems a bit purer, since it’s not coming from the parties involved. We’ll see if it works out.

We’re seeing something similar with the 9700. The hype is growing, and it got even bigger this week, with comparative videos and sharp images. We also got word on an announcement date. Not sure if that’s the same as the release date, or if it’s just the day that AT&T and T-Mobile will announce the release date. In any case, the device should hit soon.

And speaking of T-Mobile, they have partnered with RIM for a new business service. Details inside.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 9, 2009 – Episode 85

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 9, 2009 – Episode 85

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (10 min, 38 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

RIM has added so many subscribers lately — they’re now up to 32 million users worldwide. That’s a big jump from where they were when BBGeeks launched in late 2007. They’re also raking the in the dough, 37 percent more than they did in the same quarter last year. Things continue to look up for RIM.

Onto the devices, we get the first look at the BlackBerry Atlas, which is not what we thought it was. Originally, the Atlas was slated as a CDMA device, but after a week of looking around for more information, it’s pretty clear that it will be a GSM device marketed towards the Asian market. Oh well. We do get a bit about the Storm 2, though, which is always exciting.

Oh, and by the time this goes up you should be able to get BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac. Just head to blackberry.com/mac to download your copy.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 2, 2009 – Episode 84

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: October 2, 2009 – Episode 84

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (9 min, 4 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

It’s all about the Tour trackball issues. It’s a decent discussion: did the parties involved handle things correctly? As far as replacing the handsets, I haven’t heard too many complaints. But what about those who experience the problem down the road? Both Verizon and Sprint sounded like they wanted to have the final word, that the issue is behind them. But what if there’s an issue with the newest production line that takes longer to crop up? I’m not saying that they won’t handle it well; I just wish they didn’t sound so final about the issue.

This is why the trackpad is the way to go. It segues perfectly into the BlackBeryy 9700, which is slated for a mid-November release through T-Mobile and AT&T, and should hit Rogers a little before that. We’ve already heard it called the best BlackBerry to date. We’ll see how it fares against the Storm 2.

Oh yeah, and the U2 album was quite a disappointment.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: September 25, 2009 – Episode 83

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: September 25, 2009 – Episode 83

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (9 min, 5 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

The Storm 2 is the future, and the way a current issue is going, the Tour might be the past. There appears to be a widespread trackball issue with the device, causing people to exchange the device left and right. What is Verizon going to do about it? I’ve heard they’re not exchanging the devices any more. That’s a shame. Sorry to anyone who’s stuck with a faulty trackball.

There are other tidbits too, like OS 5.0 coming out some time this year — we hope. RIM said so. Can we take their word for it?

Oh yeah, and the U2 mobile album. That seems to be a big deal. I don’t care for the band, but the concept is solid. Mobile is an excellent platform on which to distribute supplemental material with an album.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: September 18, 2009 – Episode 82

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: September 18, 2009 – Episode 82

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (8 min, 43 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

The Onyx is on the way. How close? Well, we saw the first press photos of it, though they weren’t supposed to come out for a while. There’s a question about that I address in the Geekcast, but to sum up I think it’s perfectly fine, considering the circumstances. It’s the first high-res image of the device, and surely we’ll see a few more before its release in November. Plus, there’s some video comparing the trackpad to the Bold’s trackball.

How easy will it be to type on the Storm 2? Definitely easier than the first Storm. And, depending on your typing style, it might be incredibly easier. There’s a video up on demonstrating the corrective measures the Storm takes while you type. I’m not sure it will benefit everyone, as we all have different typing and writing styles. But it seems to be a pretty big improvement over the original.

Oh, and watch out for cell phone radiation.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: September 11, 2009- Episode 81

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: September 11, 2009- Episode 81

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (8 min, 8 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:

First off, we got the hum/buzz/feedback issue fixed. Apparently it happens when I plug in a USB mouse. Strange, but fixable. We’re back to normal for this week.

Good news on the Storm 2: it could be out in October. Then again, the original Storm was slated for a late October release, only to see it pushed back to mid-November. We could see the same thing this year, but there’s no telling at this point. Meanwhile, RIM continues to take down everything Storm 2 on the internet. What gives, man?

The Onyx could be hitting in November, which is good for T-Mobile customers. Finally they’ll have a 3G BlackBerry. Not only that, but they’ll have one with a smaller form factor than the Bold. It should prove to be a most excellent device.

And the Essex? It’s another CDMA model, and it has a few upgrades. We know little about it, other than it will have a trackpad and WiFi. I wouldn’t expect this one until some point next year.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: September 4, 2009 – Episode 80

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: September 4, 2009 – Episode 80