Can I afford to give my dad a Blackberry?

[wakemewhenitsover]

He wants one for his combined Father's Day/Birthday present, and I have just spent an hour surfing the net but still can't figure out the least expensive true cost (I'll pay the monthly fee too) for the most simple model which is capable of getting on the net. My Dad is handicapped, so it would be great for him to have something this portable to surf the net, but the actual annual cost for a basic model appears to be a state secret. I'd appreciate any advice re. how much a blackberry costs, and whether an inexpensive laptop is much for cost efficient. Thanks.

[ThomCat]

1. An unlimited data plan

that would allow unlimited surfing (but it would be very slow) is around $40 per month. Voice (around 600 minutes) and data together would be around $80 per month.

Depending on what model blackberry you buy, and where you buy it, expect to pay between $150 and $500 for the device itself.

(How do I know this? I pay for 900 of these beasts every month.)

[wakemewhenitsover]

3. Can you surf the net with $150 device? Does "voice" mean phone?

This is totally new to me, so any further elucidation would be much appreciated. I could pick up an inexpensive laptop for $400, so if the annual cost would be much more than double that, I'll have to pass. My father is very frugal, so he'd just use it for essentials.

[wakemewhenitsover]

4. Any idea what the annual cost would be?

Just for basic net surfing. Thanks.

[ThomCat]

6. I would budget for $90 per month

so that would be $1080 per year.

[ThomCat]

5. That depends.

If it's a new(er) device, then yes, you can surf with a $150 device. You can upgrade the software on the old devices but they still don't work as well.

I personally don't use the very latest devices that are out right now. I have an 8700 and it's fine but I wouldn't go much lower than that. A CURVE, PEARL or 8800 would probably be a better device for web surfing though.

Make sure you pick a carrier that works well whereever your Dad is going to be most of the time, then see what devices they support.

Yes, voice does mean phone service.

:)

[wakemewhenitsover]

7. Thanks! Know where I can find consumer info that's unbiased?

Everything I read seems to be an ad for Blackberries. With all the different models and phone plans, it's harder than buying a new mattress.

[ThomCat]

10. Not really.

I'm not even sure that there is an unbiased source out there. Almost everything comes from the carriers or trade publications.

Feel free to PM me with specific questions though. If I can't answer them, I've got two wireless support guys here who can. They road-test all the models from all the carriers.

[wakemewhenitsover]

14. Thanks. I'll try to read a bit more first, so that my questions are well-

informed. This is a big expenditure for me, so I really appreciate the advice. Generally speaking, is it like having a mini-laptop which doubles as a phone, and may or may not have GPS? For example, can you post on DU with a Blackberry?

[ThomCat]

15. A blackberry

is first and foremost and e-mail and calendar device. It is designed to send and receive e-mail, and keep your appointments and contacts. It can do other things too, but not as well.

I've never surfed DU on my blackberry so I just tried it. I was not able to log in, but I was able to browse. Browsing is awkward, but manageable. Instead of a formatted page you get a list of links and you have to scroll down, and down, and down until you find what you want. The amount of stuff on each page here at DU makes for a long list.

So, the short answer is no, a blackberry is not a substitute for a computer. It's a communication device that can be used as a web browser if necessary.

[wakemewhenitsover]

16. Thanks so much for explaining, ThomCat!

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[wakemewhenitsover]

17. After more price research, I think a laptop I found on sale might be best...

It's a Toshiba A135S2356 Satellite notebook with 512MB DDR2 memory, 80GB hard drive, on sale for 400 bucks. Someone told me to beware of a notebook with less than 1GB memory, but then I'd have to spend $729 according to SalesCircular. Would you know whether 512MB will suffice for someone who doesn't plan to do anything that complex? My other option would be an off-brand laptop, but I'm assuming a Toshiba is preferable. Do you think my Dad would be happy with a 512MB Toshiba, or is it better to save up for 1GB? Thanks!

[Midlodemocrat]

2. I have two blackberries that I am looking to sell.

Barely used, work on the Nextel network.

Both of our companies gave us ones on the Sprint network, so we didn't need these anymore.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=213x3366

[wakemewhenitsover]

8. Any idea what one would cost to run per year?

[Midlodemocrat]

12. I was paying $100 a month for the two of them through Nextel.

We only used them to access work emails while on the road, though, because we could both respond immediately without booting up a laptop.

[wakemewhenitsover]

13. Can you do banking on-line? Surf the net? Like a mini-laptop?

Please tell me what they are capable of doing web-wise. Thanks.

[EstimatedProphet]

9. Jeez dude, they're only $4 a pound! What a tightwad!

[ThomCat]

11. LOL!

That's awesome. :rofl: