Submitted by Fred on

I Crossed Over (This is not a paid advertisement)

Categories
Tech News

As many may know I have been a long adherent of the BlackBerry. Why? Mostly because of the keyboard which for me was far easier to use than a touchscreen.

Then my trusty Blackberry went dead and when I went to the Verizon store to look at the newest model I learned, to my alarm, that it too had a touchscreen and not a keyboard.

It was a true moment of truth. Go with the new Blackberry or crossover to the Apple product which everyone has been teasing me about and lauding?

Maybe it's because I so much liked Steve Jobs's biography and the fact that I have an iPad, but, for whatever the reason, I took the leap.

I picked up the basics pretty easily and had the help of my IT consultant and law partner Jane Jacobs, plus Apple's amazing Help Desk. Also, I must confide, I bypassed the keyboard problem by using the voice recognition feature (which I am using right now to dictate this blog). I even have a bubblewrap style phone guard given to me by my granddaughter Maggie.

Plus, reliable Corey (has clout) Bearak loaded his playlist into it and I can't stop paying attention to my iPhone.

I forgot to mention the superior camera, the pictures, videos, flash light and Internet access. It really is a revelation and I feel as if I have finally entered the 22nd century.

Try it you'll like it!


Comments

Benjamin Geizhals

What I would like to know is whether there are others out there who have made, or are making, a gradual transition and have both a Blackberry and iPhone.

Submitted by Laraine_Schwartz on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 00:06

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Laraine Schwartz

just goes to show you it is never too late to change

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 00:08

In reply to by Laraine_Schwartz

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Voice recognition makes all the difference

Submitted by Martin_Klein on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 00:13

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Martin Klein

I too just swithched from bb to iphone. My complaint is that my emails are not being pushed through in real time. I have the setting set for email to be pushed but they are still coming through every 15 minutes.

Submitted by Fred on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 00:15

In reply to by Martin_Klein

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Fred Klein

Call Apple Help Desk (Google for number)

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 00:19

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It's a beautiful thing.

Submitted by Linda_Newman on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 00:25

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Linda Newman

Fred, you are definitely ahead of me! I was one of the last people in the Universe to get a Smartphone. By the time I switch from Blackberry or switch to iPhone or Android, there will be a million new choices. I did give up Windows for an iMac in January 2011 and have never looked back. I will definitely will notify The Tribe when such occasion occurs. Kudos to you, Fred for making to switch. One more notch in Jane Jacob's belt. Who knew she was the "IT Consultant"?
Rona Gura

Did you look at the Androids? I love my ipad but have an issue with the iphone. The touch screen keyboard is too small for me because of my fingernails. I switched from the blackberry to the Droid 4 for all the reasons you stated above (although no voice technology) because it has a pull out manual keyboard. My concern is that, some day, the droids will all be touch screen also. And then I don't know what I will do.
Jane Jacobs

Credit where it's due, although Fred still insists that he has to wiggle his fingers under his desk monitor (not touching anything) to turn it on, he took to the iPhone like a fish to water.

Ben, I switched but not gradually. For a while I had a personal flip phone and a work iPhone but I now have my personal number ringing on the iPhone.

The iPad/iPhone is perfect. One or the other (and usually both) have my music, the book I'm reading and my reading on deck circle, a note taking program that I use in meetings and depositions, all of the transcripts and deposition exhibits in my current cases, my address book and calendar, contacts and mail, a movie or two, podcasts, jigsaw puzzles and a ton of other games, my Fitbit information, Dropbox, photographs, a flashlight, chat programs, train information, Fresh Direct, Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, and 10 other similar apps, HBO's full line up, tv when I'm at home....

Blackberry can do some of that. I'm sure that other smart phones can do a lot of that. None of them (that I can tell) do as much as quickly.

Submitted by Lucas_Meyer on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 01:42

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Lucas Meyer

Rona: I don't have long fingernails, but I do have (as my children mockingly point out) rather fat fingers (they all have long, elegant, tapering digits), and the touch screen is difficult for me to navigate (but somehow I manage to). My wife still has a Blackberry, for the record; she says she's going iPhone in the fall when her contract is up.

Am I the only one who remembers when telephones were either black or white (white cost extra), and wall-mounted or table models? And the kitchen extension had a 25 foot spiral cord that reached all the way into the far reaches of the dining room?

Fred: I thought you went iPhone last August when you "lost" your Blackberry at the softball game last August. Oh, and "Try it. You'll like it!" was the slogan for Alka Seltzer, not Apple... That was probably the most clever TV commercial ever.

Submitted by Janet_Adler on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 01:45

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Janet Adler

I must have been one of the original IPhone people...had it forever and loved it...just switched to an Android and I must tell you it is so next century...

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 01:47

In reply to by Lucas_Meyer

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I had a party line, which was an early version of a chat room
Cayce Crown

Welcome to the cult! And lets not forget the built in HD video for grabbing interesting street sights on the go...
This news perked me up.

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 02:00

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I went FROM Android (HTC Evo) TO iPhone -- and feel like Fred sounds, about moving up from BlackBerry. The Android apps don't have the sophistication and elegance as the iPhone apps. I was concerned that an iPhone and an iPad would make one or the other redundant, and that by having an Android phone I would have the best of both worlds. But there's nothing that I miss from the Android, and it's great to have the iPad and iPhone synching together.
Cynthia Somma

Ben, I did both for a little while until two people told me I looked like a drug lord.
Martin, BB simply has the best email platform out there..I did not like that at all, truth be told...if they come immediately it uses so much of your battery. That is my only complaint, batterly life is just not there...yet
Lucas--remember when cordless home phones were all the rage??
Rona, I felt the same way...I was mistakenly putting my mail in trash because it is so sensitive!


In case anyone is wondering, the iphone did not come with a filter for Fred. They can't make anything strong enough ;)

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 03:59

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You up for a game of " Words With Friends ?" I'm playing Alec Baldwin right now amongst others.

Hollander sends

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 04:41

In reply to by NULL (not verified)

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Sure, what is it?
Corey Bearak

I used to tell people if Allen Cappelli can use an iPhone, no one has an excuse not to; now I can tell folks if Fred Klein uses one.....
:)

Submitted by Vincent_Serro on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 06:28

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Vincent Serro

I went Rona's direction with the droid with the pullout keyboard. I don't have a fingernail problem, just stubby fingers. My wife laughs at me everytime I try to use her iphone. I hit more wrong keys than right keys. Although I must say she is excellent at using her nails to type. Perhaps she can give Rona lessons?

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 07:30

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From the other Rona, Rona Wexler
I love the voice recognition especially for texting. Without it I could NEVER keep up with my dgtr's flying fingers. Even now, she is way ahead of me. The only thing with microphone, proofing is VERY important. Some weird stuff shows up on the keyboard. BUt it's worth it! Also great the way the OS is so easy just like the IPad. But, I really want the Samsung note. BIG screen and keyboard. Just hard to switch after adjusting to IPhone.

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Fri, 06/21/2013 - 09:13

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i still have a blackberry - and it's as smart as i can absorb :)

Submitted by NULL (not verified) on Sat, 06/22/2013 - 03:10

In reply to by NULL (not verified)

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It's Scrabble with a few different ways to play...You can download the APP called Words With Friends...Follow the directions....My user name is Neil Hollander...When you want to play me just scroll down and click on Start a Game and find me by user name....Let me know what your user name is so I know who you are.....It's not something you have to obsess over...You can wait a few days to respond to the words...If you wait too long it will send you a "nudge"....Let me know if you have any questions...neilhollander@gmail.com

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