[parenthetical guy]

As a previous 10-year Palm OS/Treo user, I'm still learning the keyboard shortcuts on my BB 8700g. ("M" for Message is weird to me, I think E-Mail, not Message. "D" for Memopad is not intuitive. And "F" for Profiles and not "P", huh?). So, my 40-year old brain needs the help.

Also, I'm continually frustrated when I'm asked on a phone call to input text that requires the use of the phone keypad alpha characters. You know, "Spell the name of the person you are trying to reach", or addressing voicemails by last name...

So, I sat down and made up this .xls file to use as a memory aid. I printed these bits and shrunk them down small on label paper and stuck on my BB case as a reference. Elegant, no. Accessible, yes.

You'll find two bits in this file:

1. A QWERTYish list of Home screen keyboard shortcuts.
2. A touch-tone keypad map that has the digits and corresponding alpha characters on it.

A few notes: first, I use Mark Rejhon's cool QuickNote and QuickCompose (great freeware!) so you'll see these on the shortcut diagram. Second, this file is nothing special. Feel free to correct it, modify it, change it, love it or hate it. I did this to help me with my T-Mo 8700g, I hope it helps someone else. (Hell, someone probably did something like it already...)

Final note: I couldn't the upload the .xls file, so I pasted the cells into Word as an Excel Object. Just open the Word file and double-click on the Object and it will open the spreadsheet. It's easy to make changes and print from there...

Enjoy, (pg)

[DiRN]

Originally Posted by parenthetical guy

2. A touch-tone keypad map that has the digits and corresponding alpha characters on it.

For this, if you hold down the Alt key and type the letter you wish to dial, it will translate it for you. For example, entering 800GOFEDEX will actually dial 8004633339.

[parenthetical guy]

Originally Posted by DiRN

For this, if you hold down the Alt key and type the letter you wish to dial, it will translate it for you. For example, entering 800GOFEDEX will actually dial 8004633339.

Yeah, thanks, I got this tip already.

My problem is a bit different. Actually, it's the reverse. On automated answering systems or voicemail systems sometimes you're prompted to type in names using the alpha characters on the traditional "touchpad". Hence, my memory aid...

(pg)

[Crupp]

You may want to try the corporate ext. dialing feature. This may help.

[DiRN]

Originally Posted by parenthetical guy

Yeah, thanks, I got this tip already.

My problem is a bit different. Actually, it's the reverse. On automated answering systems or voicemail systems sometimes you're prompted to type in names using the alpha characters on the traditional "touchpad". Hence, my memory aid...

(pg)

I'm sorry, I don't follow. If you are in a system and want to type the name John, typing JOHN or 5646 results in 5646 being sent out from the phone. Or do you mean the system wants you to do 5 for J, 666 of O, 44 for H, and 66 for N?

[parenthetical guy]

Reasons to need to know the numbers/alphanumerics DURING a call.

Scenario 1:
Me: (Dialing Company X on my BB 8700g)
Company X: (Automated System) "Thank you for calling Company X. If you know the extension of the person you are trying to reach, please enter it now. If you don't know the extension, please press 1."
Me: (Pressing 1)
Company X: Please spell the last name of the person you are trying to reach using your touch tone keypad.
Me: Ummmm. (Not remembering the alpha keypad and wishing I some handy diagram of the numbers and corresponding letters...)

Scenario 2:
Me: (Using my company voicemail system and just completing an outgoing message)
Company Voicemail system: Please enter the mailbox number. To enter a name, please press "pound".
Me: (Press pound)
Company Voicemail system: Enter the last name first
Me: Ummmm. (Not remembering the alpha keypad and wishing I some handy diagram of the numbers and corresponding letters...)

[pkey]

Originally Posted by parenthetical guy

Reasons to need to know the numbers/alphanumerics DURING a call.

Scenario 1:
Me: (Dialing Company X on my BB 8700g)
Company X: (Automated System) "Thank you for calling Company X. If you know the extension of the person you are trying to reach, please enter it now. If you don't know the extension, please press 1."
Me: (Pressing 1)
Company X: Please spell the last name of the person you are trying to reach using your touch tone keypad.
Me: Ummmm. (Not remembering the alpha keypad and wishing I some handy diagram of the numbers and corresponding letters...)

YOU: Hold alt and type the last name of the person you're trying to reach.

Originally Posted by parenthetical guy

Scenario 2:
Me: (Using my company voicemail system and just completing an outgoing message)
Company Voicemail system: Please enter the mailbox number. To enter a name, please press "pound".
Me: (Press pound)
Company Voicemail system: Enter the last name first
Me: Ummmm. (Not remembering the alpha keypad and wishing I some handy diagram of the numbers and corresponding letters...)

YOU: Hold alt and type the last name.

[parenthetical guy]

Oh, I get it now. Thanks for setting me straight.

I didn't realize the Alt-letter feature worked during call, too.

(pg)

[jtdarden]

Hey pg, another way to do it is use the extension dialing capability built into the bb:

In the phone number field for the person you are calling type the number like this:
1-800-555-1212,x2000

This will first dial the number, pause, and then a popup screen will appear asking if you want to dial then extension, skip, or end the call.

You could very well enter it as follows:

1-800-555-1212,xLARRY

Just another way to skin the cat. Unfortunately, this will not allow you to dial multiple extensions (ex: 1-800-555-1212,1,xLARRY)

[tifosiv122]

Originally Posted by parenthetical guy

Oh, I get it now. Thanks for setting me straight.

I didn't realize the Alt-letter feature worked during call, too.

(pg)

Don't feel bad, today is the first day I called a company like you described without my Treo...I look at the keypad saying how the hell do I spell LUKE? I had to hang up and use another phone. Thanks to this thread I know how to do it.

Erik