Blackberry In Bangkok / Chiang Mai

[webworldly]

Greetings!

I've never had a Blackberry....but am considering getting one so as to have an always on email connection with "push email" functionality (I think this means that I don't have to look for new emails, but rather, they just show up in my inbox)....and a full QWERTY keyboard.

I've done some homework.....on True's and AIS's websites. But I still can't seem to find what the exact cost is per month.

What I'd like to have is:

1. unlimited web surfing

2. unlimited email (inbound/outbound)

3. unlimited access time for instant messaging

What would the monthly service for this cost? Would I need a Thai bank account to qualify for it....and if so, what's the price if I don't have a Thai bank account?

In addition....can I add the following to that "data" service plan:

1. phone access (for local calls)

2. text messaging

....and if so, what sort of cost would it be for the voice / text messaging service? Is there a plan that allows for unlimited calls and text messages...what would that cost?

What's your feeling on whether True or AIS is better for service quality and price?

I'm a newbie at all of this (as you can surely tell ).....any help is greatly appreciated!

CHEERS!

D

[lomatopo]

I just did a search, all forums, keyword=Blackberry and got a ton of hits. I browsed a few of the dozens of threads and found a lot of interesting reading. While you wait for replies here maybe give search a go?

[webworldly]

I just did a search, all forums, keyword=Blackberry and got a ton of hits. I browsed a few of the dozens of threads and found a lot of interesting reading. While you wait for replies here maybe give search a go?

I really did search first....on Thaivisa as well as on True's and AIS's websites. Honest!

Drat! What am I doing wrong? This is what I got back from my Thaivisa search:

(see attached image)

[lomatopo]

Wrong search tool. Click on Search, upper right side of screen, between Help and Members

Edited August 12, 2006 by lomatopo

[webworldly]

Wrong search tool. Click on Search, upper right side of screen, between Help and Members

Cool....thank you!

And I'd still love to hear more about individual experiences from anyone who has gone the way of the Blackberry in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

CHEERS!

D

[grrr]

I just bought a Nokia E61 in Chiang Mai. The connectivity options are pretty impressive... built in WiFi/WLAN, GPRS, Bluetooth, etc. I can check email/surf the web broadband at home or anywhere with WiFi, or a whole lot slower anywhere in the country via GPRS. The QWERTY keyboard is wonderful. Many reviews of this thing call it the "Blackberry Killer".

[rcm]

I just bought a Nokia E61 in Chiang Mai. The connectivity options are pretty impressive... built in WiFi/WLAN, GPRS, Bluetooth, etc. I can check email/surf the web broadband at home or anywhere with WiFi, or a whole lot slower anywhere in the country via GPRS. The QWERTY keyboard is wonderful. Many reviews of this thing call it the "Blackberry Killer".

Having currently the Nokia 9500 which isn't too bad (except of it's processor speed which is kinda slow) ...out of curiosity how much did you pay for the Nokia E61 ? It got all the features that i like to have....so i might have a look into that ...

rcm

[thohts]

My DOPOD 838 will kick the Blackberry's butt any day.

Of course, I've never actually used a Blackberry.

[webworldly]

My DOPOD 838 will kick the Blackberry's butt any day.

Of course, I've never actually used a Blackberry.

OK....so "THOHTS" got me thinking, searching, and reading about Blackberry alternatives.

I saw this review for his DOPOD 838

http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handhelds/0,3...9268469p,00.htm

Does anyone have experience with several different brands/models (Dopod, Blackberry, Nokia)?

[CalicoConsulting]

Maybe this isn't about Blackberry, but I'm too ignorant to know. Here's what I want. An electronic gizmo, about the size of a paperback, that I can just stuff with ebooks and read at my leisure. I am a reading junkie, big time. And I love the book stores in Chiang Mai. So unlike that place where I used to live that I mention too much when I post. But I also read a lot of ebooks and other Internet-type stuff. I hate printing it, and I hate reading at my laptop rather than in a songtaew or with a bowl of noodles or in bed. So a CHEAP ebook reader, with no bells and whistles except perhaps the backlight for night reading, would be ideal. Is it a reality yet, or do I have to wait for the United Federation of Planets, Kirk's day and not Pike's, before it happens?

[Phil Conners]

Those Nokias sure sounds nice but I think the Blackberry is the only one using push-technology, right? I think the Nokias you need to check mail yourself (or let the phone do it automatically) to find out if you have mail?

[CalicoConsulting]

"You can't handle the truth!"

[Plus]

I think the e-mail server should be set up for push-mail, too - like Microsoft Exchange server does not automatically support Blackberry, afaik, it has to be configured for that. So the question is not the device you are having, but the server - get the gadget that works with your mail server and check if it would work on your network.

Maybe you should go with whatever AIS/Dtac recommends you, they might give you e-mail address on their own servers, they used to do that.

[grrr]

...out of curiosity how much did you pay for the Nokia E61 ?

It was not cheap...14,000B. At Amazon they are selling an "unlocked" one for US$536! However, for what it does and does for me I think it's worth it. If I go on an adventure for a few days I can leave my laptop behind! Accessing email, web pages, my server (via SSH) are all possible. It can be set to check email at any interval or on demand. Personally I would not trust AIS or DTAC to host my email...yikes.

[tjo o tjim]

I desperately want an alternative to a Blackberry, but unfortunately everything is really disappointing once you have used a BB. My personal priority is to be able to enter data easily - be it a web address or writing an e-mail. Prefer to be able to do it with one hand, and prefer to not have to use a stylus.

Really quickly a run-down of major players in Thailand:

-Treo 650 - Terrible battery life-- 24 hours if you are lucky. Still top contender, but not a great value.

-Dopod 818 (also marketed as O2 and HTC) - Virtual keyboard is tiny, and a bad interface if you have to do a lot of text. Handwriting recognition might be promising, but the Windows Mobile interface is really lacking none the less. Not bad for getting data overall, but rough on entering information. No wireless synchronization.

-Dopod 838 - has thumb keyboard, but awkward size and not comfortable to hold. Keyboard quality is low. Still no wireless synchronization.

-Dopod 919 (?)/HTC Hermes - Promising design with slide-out keyboard, but considerably thicker than the 818. Still all of the Windows Mobile shortfalls.

-Nokia E61 - Pretty chunky size, but I forget if is Symbian or Windows Mobile. Pretty good thumb keyboard. A possibility, but... big. Not a bad value.

-Motorola Q (not in Thialand yet) - Windows Mobile without the touch screen. Could have been a great product if they didn't go Windows, but the lack of a touch screen means that many applications become much more difficult to use with the "jog-wheel" substitution.

Webworldly - For your stated needs, almost anythying will work. The main thing you need to figure out is what percentage of the time you need to enter data, vs. just looking at it. If it is under 5%, and you do it in a "controlled" environment where you can use both hands, you don't need a thumb board. If you need more than that, focus on the options with a keyboard. For those with a keyboard, hold them and enter data. See how comfortable it is.

The major downside with the Blackberry route is that they are not network-portable; you are actually getting blackberry *service* through your cell provider. Without that blackberry service, you can't use GPRS/EDGE features of the device; you just have a PIM with phone. If you are upset with your carrier, switching can be hard. The service is only available post-paid, so if you don't have a work permit it is useless.

I've had three blackberries over the years, and have generally had a great experience (at least compared to the competition). It still isn't where I would like it to be, but I am picky.

If you do go for the blackberry, the only model to consider is the 8700. The smaller model (7900?) looks nice, but losing the full keyboard is painful. This is the model that supports Edge.

[webworldly]

I desperately want an alternative to a Blackberry, but unfortunately everything is really disappointing once you have used a BB. My personal priority is to be able to enter data easily - be it a web address or writing an e-mail. Prefer to be able to do it with one hand, and prefer to not have to use a stylus.

Really quickly a run-down of major players in Thailand:

-Treo 650 - Terrible battery life-- 24 hours if you are lucky. Still top contender, but not a great value.

-Dopod 818 (also marketed as O2 and HTC) - Virtual keyboard is tiny, and a bad interface if you have to do a lot of text. Handwriting recognition might be promising, but the Windows Mobile interface is really lacking none the less. Not bad for getting data overall, but rough on entering information. No wireless synchronization.

-Dopod 838 - has thumb keyboard, but awkward size and not comfortable to hold. Keyboard quality is low. Still no wireless synchronization.

-Dopod 919 (?)/HTC Hermes - Promising design with slide-out keyboard, but considerably thicker than the 818. Still all of the Windows Mobile shortfalls.

-Nokia E61 - Pretty chunky size, but I forget if is Symbian or Windows Mobile. Pretty good thumb keyboard. A possibility, but... big. Not a bad value.

-Motorola Q (not in Thialand yet) - Windows Mobile without the touch screen. Could have been a great product if they didn't go Windows, but the lack of a touch screen means that many applications become much more difficult to use with the "jog-wheel" substitution.

Webworldly - For your stated needs, almost anythying will work. The main thing you need to figure out is what percentage of the time you need to enter data, vs. just looking at it. If it is under 5%, and you do it in a "controlled" environment where you can use both hands, you don't need a thumb board. If you need more than that, focus on the options with a keyboard. For those with a keyboard, hold them and enter data. See how comfortable it is.

The major downside with the Blackberry route is that they are not network-portable; you are actually getting blackberry *service* through your cell provider. Without that blackberry service, you can't use GPRS/EDGE features of the device; you just have a PIM with phone. If you are upset with your carrier, switching can be hard. The service is only available post-paid, so if you don't have a work permit it is useless.

I've had three blackberries over the years, and have generally had a great experience (at least compared to the competition). It still isn't where I would like it to be, but I am picky.

If you do go for the blackberry, the only model to consider is the 8700. The smaller model (7900?) looks nice, but losing the full keyboard is painful. This is the model that supports Edge.

tjo o tjim.....rock on! Thank you very much for the thorough analysis. If you're inclined to answer one follow up question.....here goes:

Is it a "work permit" I need in order to get a postpaid account....or do I just need a local Thail bank account? I've been told there are some banks that will open accounts for foreigners even if they don't have work permits. True?

And in case I can't get a postpaid account....which device would you go with? I will be doing heavy web surfing, using JAVA based apps, and sending/receiving a ton of email. Which one wins your "best of the best"?

CHEERS!

D

[grrr]

Just to clarify on the E61, it's Symbian (S60 Platform 3rd Edition OS version 9.1). Personally I'd never buy a Windows Mobile device. The product spec page says:

"Supported third party email clients: Visto email technology, BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink and Seven Always-On Mail".

As far as size, it fits perfectly in my 30GB iPod photo case, which is not very big:

Weight: 144 g (with Nokia Battery BP-5L)

Dimensions: 117 mm x 69.7 mm x 14 mm, 108 cc

I'm not an E61 evangelist, but am continually impressed with the device!

[webworldly]

Just to clarify on the E61, it's Symbian (S60 Platform 3rd Edition OS version 9.1). Personally I'd never buy a Windows Mobile device. The product spec page says:

"Supported third party email clients: Visto email technology, BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink and Seven Always-On Mail".

As far as size, it fits perfectly in my 30GB iPod photo case, which is not very big:

Weight: 144 g (with Nokia Battery BP-5L)

Dimensions: 117 mm x 69.7 mm x 14 mm, 108 cc

I'm not an E61 evangelist, but am continually impressed with the device!

Hey grrrrrrrr......how about sharing a few of the things that are "less than perfect" about the device, its performance, or your experience using it. Surely there's a few things on that list, no?

CHEERS!

D

[rcm]

Just to clarify on the E61, it's Symbian (S60 Platform 3rd Edition OS version 9.1). Personally I'd never buy a Windows Mobile device. The product spec page says:

"Supported third party email clients: Visto email technology, BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink and Seven Always-On Mail".

As far as size, it fits perfectly in my 30GB iPod photo case, which is not very big:

Weight: 144 g (with Nokia Battery BP-5L)

Dimensions: 117 mm x 69.7 mm x 14 mm, 108 cc

I'm not an E61 evangelist, but am continually impressed with the device!

Hey grrrrrrrr......how about sharing a few of the things that are "less than perfect" about the device, its performance, or your experience using it. Surely there's a few things on that list, no?

CHEERS!

D

Good question...i would like to know that too...specially how fast is it(processor)? How fast do applications , document...open . my current device(nokia 9500) is on the slow side and a bit big but has in general everything else i wanted....also interesting to know about Battery Life where many PDa/Smartphones have a problem(this is a strong point on the Nokia 9500 , the battery really goes a long way) .

thx

rcm

[Phil Conners]

You don't need a work permit, just a non-O visa. Get a TGF/TW to do the subscription, as with anything here just makes life much easier.

[grrr]

Hey grrrrrrrr......how about sharing a few of the things that are "less than perfect" about the device, its performance, or your experience using it. Surely there's a few things on that list, no?

Well, is any device perfect? I had an issue with the charger...not charging! I'd plug it in and the phone would charge for a few minutes and then stop. A little searching online found a few others with the same problem. It turns out some of the chargers don't seem to put out enough power, especially at 220v. I used an older (easy to find) charger from my Nokia 6260 and it charges completely now.

The battery life is really incredible. Not quite up to what Nokia says though:

Battery: BP-5L

Capacity: 1500 mAh

Talk time GSM: Up to 4.3 - 9.5 hours

Standby time GSM: Up to 13 - 17 days

I seem to get around a week of regular use between charges. It takes a while to boot/turn on, but applications load and run pretty quickly (excluding Java apps, which are always slower).

The WikiPedia page has more info, as well as some links to sites dedicated to this device if anyone wants more info...

[terdsak_12]

I just bought a Nokia E61 in Chiang Mai. The connectivity options are pretty impressive... built in WiFi/WLAN, GPRS, Bluetooth, etc. I can check email/surf the web broadband at home or anywhere with WiFi, or a whole lot slower anywhere in the country via GPRS. The QWERTY keyboard is wonderful. Many reviews of this thing call it the "Blackberry Killer".

How much dod you pay for the E61? Cheers.

[alexth]

I just bought a Nokia E61 in Chiang Mai. The connectivity options are pretty impressive... built in WiFi/WLAN, GPRS, Bluetooth, etc. I can check email/surf the web broadband at home or anywhere with WiFi, or a whole lot slower anywhere in the country via GPRS. The QWERTY keyboard is wonderful. Many reviews of this thing call it the "Blackberry Killer".

How much dod you pay for the E61? Cheers.

I saw the the Nokia shop in most of the shopping malls are selling it for 16k, it could be find cheaper, but I guess that buying it from Nokia would be much safer.

[terdsak_12]

Can it be Synced with Outlook? Something's on the web about lack of Sync??

[grrr]

I paid around 14,000B in Chiang Mai from the Nokia shop in Airport Plaza. They had to order it from Bangkok because nobody wants it (not a sexy phone, etc.). It comes with Nokia PC suite that takes care of sync with Outlook, etc. I use a Mac though, and use a free iSync plugin as Apple has not released an "official" one yet. Syncs perfectly...

[terdsak_12]

I picked up an E61 the other day, apart from it's size it's a great phone, installed a bunch of new software, Profimail is a must, and Smartmovie is cool and this baby does everything I need it too.

[paulsworld]

I know this is an old thread...but I just picked up the Nokia e61..it's a no brainer...the wifi alone makes it so much more worth it than the other outdated designs...plus it comes with a little hotspot finder app so you know when you can use a free wifi...

I'm loving mine. The productivity apps are great...I've got a .pdf reader (only up to 6mb)...with all my contracts on it (I do photography) so I can email to clients when i'm out.

I have yet to sign up for Edge or whatever but probably will soon...it's just so easy to pop into places and use wifi right now...

I even have Doom loaded on this thing

Paul

[webworldly]

I know this is an old thread...but I just picked up the Nokia e61..it's a no brainer...the wifi alone makes it so much more worth it than the other outdated designs...plus it comes with a little hotspot finder app so you know when you can use a free wifi...

I'm loving mine. The productivity apps are great...I've got a .pdf reader (only up to 6mb)...with all my contracts on it (I do photography) so I can email to clients when i'm out.

I have yet to sign up for Edge or whatever but probably will soon...it's just so easy to pop into places and use wifi right now...

I even have Doom loaded on this thing

Paul

The reviews of the E61 seem to be consistent....and favorable. I still wonder, however, if the Blackberry was given thorough consideration prior to the E61 purchase?

Anyone?