[Nick123]

Hi, I've just switched from a Pocket PC to a Blackberry 7290 so I'm a newbie to the RIM World. The thing is really growing on me, and I like the sort of "retro" look it has and its solid feel & performance. But I am having some problems when connecting from some countries; can someone please point me in the right direction to find some software so I can access/reply to a pop3 email (or even my BES) account when there's no GPRS around (only GSM)? This will of course require a regular dial-up connection. Yes, I know it'll be very slow, but I often find myself in countries where there is no GPRS or my provider doesn't have a roaming agreement with the local networks except for GSM (example: Kazakhstan). Pocket PC gives you the choice of using GPRS or GSM for data connection: the Blackberry is disappointingly useless without GPRS - with some GSM dial-up software installed at least I'll still be able to send/receive some emails even when there's no GPRS connection. Does such a piece of software exist?

[andrebsd]

No can do... The blackberry's wont dial any normal isp over GSM (CSD is the protocol and blackberry's don't do it)

This is also the reason why when tethering to a laptop for example; you have to dial using the blackberry's GPRS... Trying to dialup a normal isp won't work.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_Switched_Data for more information on CSD; though that page doesn't have anything concerning Blackberry's, so it's just general info if your curious.

[Nick123]

Thanks for the info...it looks like I must hang on to my Pocket PC as an 'emergency CSD back-up connection'. I understood that Blackberries are much more limited than Pocket Pc's in functionality but "what they do, they do very well".......seems like this isn't entirely true if the definition of "do" is to connect to email.

[Soapm]

Even if it could, CSD is only 9.6k. You are better off using GPRS.

[emsdavid]

I just unlocked my Blackberry so I can use it on the Orange netowrk where I live. I was told by Bongowireless that the data piece of my Blackberry won't work if Orange doesn't support Blackberry. So far I can't connect as they said. I called Kevin at Bongowireless and he said there may be a third party solution out there that will allow my to access my emails using POP3 and the Orange network. Does anyone know of a solution like this?

[Nick123]

I know, but if GPRS isn't available in the area in which I'm roaming then GSM is better than nothing.

[andrebsd]

Originally Posted by Nick123

Thanks for the info...it looks like I must hang on to my Pocket PC as an 'emergency CSD back-up connection'. I understood that Blackberries are much more limited than Pocket Pc's in functionality but "what they do, they do very well".......seems like this isn't entirely true if the definition of "do" is to connect to email.

Well if they do something they do it well... CSD is hardly good, as it's slow and it won't provide even close to an always on connection. They could have added it, but it's one more thing that could go wrong; I had a PocketPC & SE T610 before my Blackberry and sometimes the PDA or my phone (both which could do csd and gprs) would just deside to use csd even if there was gprs access. Then i'd notice after some time and be like what!? i've been using voice minutes and there was no need since I got a data plan! (so, it kinda would tick me off)

Personaly the simplicity works for me, but I also don't generaly travel outside the United States or Europe; so finding a GPRS signal isn't all that hard to come by... thats probibly why I don't see CSD as much of a needed feature but more of a hastle. For some, like yourself, it's important but I guess RIM didn't see the need to add it.

[Nick123]

It sounds like you were suffering from the whims of your Pocket PC's 'Connection Manager' - often referred to as the 'Connection Mangler'. No, the Pocket PC isn't your simple solution and you have to let it know who's boss - I always make the decision manually on when and how to connect with my Pocket PC PDA for the reasons you state above.
I agree, the Blackberry has a certain simplicity that is absent in Pocket Pc's: my 7290 either works 100% or doesn't work at all; it never ever 'half' works.
I'm currently have no GPRS coverage so my Blackberry is in useless-brick mode. I hope someone from Orange Mobile reads these forums because the cell near my house has been faulty all weekend - no GPRS. I'm not exactly in the back of beyond, here in the Paris suburbs, and Orange is one of the major telecoms companies I complained to them this afternoon and they said 'wait until Monday' and 'why don't I drive to the next cell if it's urgent?'. I'm sure the providers are more service-minded in the US, but it's another reason why RIM have to -unfortunately- give at least their European Blackberries a non-GPRS lifeline. Judging from the software RIM have already created, I'm sure they could do a much better job than the Microsoft Pocket PC's Connection Mangler.