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[Carlos del Vaca]

So, the missus and I have cell phones with Verizon through my company's discount plan.  We are at the end of two years with our current phones, and are therefore eligible for sizeable discounts on new phones if we re-up for two years.  We are not unhappy with the phones we have now (LG VX8300), but technology marches on, and we're looking in to upgrading.

I am not particularly interested in paying money for the phone itself, nor do I want to shell out a lot of extra dough for a data services plan, so as neat-o as 3G phones are these days, I don't necessarily want to go down that road.  I went to the Verizon corporate partner site, and said "Show me phones I can get on the New Every Two deal," and I got an ENORMOUS list of phones.  When I took only those that were free, either flat-out with the renewal or with a rebate, that got me down to SIXTY phones.  Then I started throwing things out--needed bluetooth, at least 1.3 MP camera, didn't count color variations, didn't want the Batman phone--and I got down to 17 models.  Seventeen frickin' phones that I need to research!  What am I, a goddamned cell phone expert?

But anyway, after reading reviews on CNet and Engadget, I am down to about five possibilities, with the two front-runners being the LG EnV2 and the BlackBerry Curve 8330.  Anybody have these?  What I'm most interested in:  do you pay significantly more for the ability to access e-mail and crap?  Do they have workable productivity tools, such as a calendar, address book (a real one, not just phone numbers), and to-do lists?  If so, can you sync these with Outlook or another desktop app?  I carry a Palm Tungsten E2 right now and love the shit out of it, somewhat irrationally, and I know I could just as well combine the PDA and phone into one unit.  But I live and die by the GTD-style to-do list, and don't want to lose out on that.

[Arachno-capitalist]

. . . the BlackBerry Curve 8330.  Anybody have these?  What I'm most interested in:  do you pay significantly more for the ability to access e-mail and crap?  Do they have workable productivity tools, such as a calendar, address book (a real one, not just phone numbers), and to-do lists?  If so, can you sync these with Outlook or another desktop app?  I carry a Palm Tungsten E2 right now and love the shit out of it, somewhat irrationally, and I know I could just as well combine the PDA and phone into one unit.  But I live and die by the GTD-style to-do list, and don't want to lose out on that.

I have the blackberry curve 8330 and also got it through the 'new in 2' vz deal. I have yet to find something I want to do that I cant do. The calendar/addressbook/to do list applications all sync pretty seamlessly with my computer, and I have a mac so the sync software isn't as feature rich as the windoze version. Verizon has a really sweet data package that is only for blackberry users. I get unlimited e-mail/data/everything for like $50. The internet is very zippy and it is push-email which has saved me from ever having to check my email. If my old phone hadnt died as suddenly as it did, I would have waited for the Storm(touchscreen blackberry) or the Bold(the upgraded Curve) - but I haven't found anything I don't like about the Curve the way it is.

[CortJstr]

I've heard lots of bad things about the Storm. But then, I'm using a 3-year-old Razr on a plan that costs $10/year so I'm not really a cell phone guy.

[Carlos del Vaca]

Verizon has a really sweet data package that is only for blackberry users. I get unlimited e-mail/data/everything for like $50.

But this is on top of what you pay for the phone itself, right?

We pay $68 a month right now for two cell phones.  I am not all that keen on heaping another $100 on top of that for data plans.  It's not like I'm ever that far from a computer.  It might benefit my wife a little more, but not incredibly so.  She mostly wants the calendar and address book.

Would you find the Curve useful even if you didn't have the data package?

[AugustWest]

Exactly.  What phones will do today is cooler'n than all hell.  But I basically have no need for the technology.  Carrying the internet around with me has very limited appeal.  I leave home (and my computer) in the morning, drive to my office where I sit down and spend the day in front of another computer.  I leave there and come home, go to yoga class (where I don't want or need a computer) then return home.  Not that it might be more useful for somebody with a more exciting/active lifestyle than that which I enjoy.

Music player --- I use my computers or listen to recorded books in the car.
Camera -- why would I use a crappy phone camera if I had an option?
GPS -- might be nice, but I travel so little it would have only novelty value.  Also, I can read a map.

Don't get me wrong, I think this stuff is hell of cool.  I just don't have much use for it.

[Ruta Bagas]

The camera on my phone is much better than my actual camera.

It's quite upsetting.

[theinevitable]

I like my iphone.

I don't have a plan where I have 3g or whatever... but there is wifi practically everywhere, and it is incredibly nice to have gps because I have no sense of direction.

[JorgeFabregas]

Would you find the Curve useful even if you didn't have the data package?

My guess is that they only give you the Curve for free if you sign up for the data plan.

[Arachno-capitalist]

I got the data plan to try it out, but it wasn't required to get the phone. I guess it would still be useful as a phone/pda without the data, but I've gotten addicted to it. I love being able to communicate in all forms at all times, and being able to get an email with a date/phone number/whatever and instantly integrating that into my calendar and address book on the same device. Also, maybe it is a generational thing, but I really appreciate being able to look things up on the internet with my phone when something comes up in conversation or whatever. It has also helped me quit smoking because I smoked when I was bored, and now I just take out my phone and bounce around the internet or play a game.
As a student, I'm away from a computer during most of the day while going from class to class, but if I was living the AugustWest lifestyle, it might be less necessary, yeah.

[jaydub]

It has also helped me quit smoking because I smoked when I was bored, and now I just take out my phone and bounce around the internet or play a game.

Congratulations!

[miles]

I've heard lots of bad things about the Storm. But then, I'm using a 3-year-old Razr on a plan that costs $10/year so I'm not really a cell phone guy.

Right there with you. I fuck*ng hate cell phones.

[littlefallsmets]

My cellphone was chosen on the merits of "what would have the lowest chance of breaking if dropped by an obese man".

I don't like having a cell phone but at least I own an incredibly unimpressive one.

That counts for something, dammit.

[miles]

Oh man see that's my problem. I've been getting phones made for skinny people!

Seriously though. Why do carriers sign you for 2 year contracts and then sell you a phone that lasts a year? OH YEAH, because they exist to fuck you in the ass!

[Choop]

My Razr lasted me 2.5 years. Now I have a G1 and it's so great but I don't use the data plan very much for two reasons: when I'm at home it connects through my wifi, and I have no cell phone service under the 4 stories of concrete above me; and my office is on the side of the building that gets a cell signal but not a data signal. Surprises the hell out of me that the data network uses different towers.

[jaydub]

I have decided that cell phones are like sunglasses.  The less you spend on them, the longer they last.