Greetings from a CrackBerry Addict!

[John Crist]

Hello everyone!

I'm John and I'm a CrackBerry user primarily. I'm branching over into iMore as I'm picking up a 6+ and would obviously like to participate in discussions and debates over on this side of the world.

I'm a tad confused why I can't post in the feedback forum as my global post count is well over 10, but I suppose that's because it only recognizes my iMore post count

Things I'm looking forward to include a best-in-class camera as well as finally having a Note-sized iPhone!

I still intend on being a BlackBerry user but mostly for following changes and updates as well as developing apps. I recognize I could do better developing on other platforms but I simply haven't these past years. I do have Xcode set up and will be looking into iOS and Mac development, though

That said, what kind of gear do I have? I have a 2011 Macbook Pro 13" w/ 16GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. I enjoy photography and have been loyally using my Canon 600D for many years, though it's my hopes to replace that with the 6+ for my daily moment shots. I've a Moto360 but that's a holdover from my Android days where I used a Note 3 and a G3 for a while to stay versed in each of the ecosystems. It's my hope to pick up the 6+ and Apple Watch, in tandem with my already possessed Apple TV and Hue lightbulbs. Presently I carry a BlackBerry Z30 and was a BlackBerry loyalist until the iPhone came out. I was then a loyalist towards Apple until the 5S. I didn't upgrade to it and went back with BlackBerry phones for a while.

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell! Hope to chat with you all more!

 

[Just_Me_D]

Welcome to iMore, and thank you for introducing yourself. Also I'd like to congratulate you on getting your new iPhone 6 Plus. Having said that, you stated that you still will be using a Blackberry device so I *assume* you frequent the Crackberry forums. If so, please know that, although iMore is a part of Mobile Nations, the culture here is a little different. We tend to be a bit more laid back, but vocal. In other words, we won't shy away from expressing our opinions and views, and "we" include moderators and Ambassadors. Anyway, we look forward to sharing our opinions with you and being helpful whenever we can. In the meantime, please feel free to join any discussion you find interesting. Again, welcome to iMore, and take care.

 

[pr1nce]

Welcome to iMore!

 

[taz323]

Welcome to iMore.

 

[John Crist]

Welcome to iMore, and thank you for introducing yourself. Also I'd like to congratulate you on getting your new iPhone 6 Plus. Having said that, you stated that you still will be using a Blackberry device so I *assume* you frequent the Crackberry forums. If so, please know that, although iMore is a part of Mobile Nations, the culture here is a little different. We tend to be a bit more laid back, but vocal. In other words, we won't shy away from expressing our opinions and views, and "we" include moderators and Ambassadors. Anyway, we look forward to sharing our opinions with you and being helpful whenever we can. In the meantime, please feel free to join any discussion you find interesting. Again, welcome to iMore, and take care.

Thank you for the warm welcome!

I haven't received it yet, but it's on it's way. I'm very excited to be coming back to the Apple world. I was a long-time loyalist from the original iPhone to the 5. I didn't upgrade to the 5S as the value wasn't there for me at the time, and prior to being an Apple loyalist I was a BlackBerry user. Between the 5 and now I've of course been using BlackBerries.

I'm going to be keeping my Z30 but it isn't going to be used much beyond app maintenance and checking out the latest leaked firmware. I'd like to keep tabs on the progress BlackBerry is making, slowly but surely. I do actively participate over at CrackBerry and have definitely found the culture is different over here. In fact I wrote a feedback post about it, though I'm sure that's where a lot of your info about me has come from It wasn't ever published, I'm not entirely sure why, but such is life.

I definitely look forward to discussing things with you guys and hearing what all you have to say! I'm looking forward to checking out Continuity specifically as well as being able to take decent on-the-fly videos again. Trying to do so on my Z30 is... not worth the time, to put it mildly

 

[Just_Me_D]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

I haven't received it yet, but it's on it's way. I'm very excited to be coming back to the Apple world. I was a long-time loyalist from the original iPhone to the 5. I didn't upgrade to the 5S as the value wasn't there for me at the time, and prior to being an Apple loyalist I was a BlackBerry user. Between the 5 and now I've of course been using BlackBerries.

I'm going to be keeping my Z30 but it isn't going to be used much beyond app maintenance and checking out the latest leaked firmware. I'd like to keep tabs on the progress BlackBerry is making, slowly but surely. I do actively participate over at CrackBerry and have definitely found the culture is different over here. In fact I wrote a feedback post about it, though I'm sure that's where a lot of your info about me has come from It wasn't ever published, I'm not entirely sure why, but such is life.

I definitely look forward to discussing things with you guys and hearing what all you have to say! I'm looking forward to checking out Continuity specifically as well as being able to take decent on-the-fly videos again. Trying to do so on my Z30 is... not worth the time, to put it mildly

It's all good, and thank you for the reply. Anyway, from the Blackberry 7290 until the original Blackberry Bold (9000), I was a REAL fanboy and wouldn't even consider using anything but a Blackberry device. But as you can see, situations change, and now I'm a happy iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple TV owner. Apple fanboy? No. I'm just a happy and content customer. Now in regard to your feedback post, I found it to be arrogant because you haven't hung out here long enough to even get a feel for the culture, at least in my opinion. Having said that, by no means do I think you're a bad guy or troll or anything like that. In fact, I've found your posts to be quite informative and well-written thus far. Thank you for that.......Anyway, just know that Mods and Ambassadors here at iMore don't just sit on the sidelines and read. We are active participants and will discuss almost anything.... Anyway, keep on doing what you're doing and have a great day, sir.

 

[John Yester]

Hello! Welcome to iMore.com. As Team Leader I hope all your questions are answered in the forums.

We have a tremendous user-base that is very helpful and knowledgeable. If you need anything, please reach out to me.


Thanks and again glad to have you here

 

[John Crist]

...from the Blackberry 7290 until the original Blackberry Bold (9000), I was a REAL fanboy and wouldn't even consider using anything but a Blackberry device. But as you can see, situations change, and now I'm a happy iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple TV owner.

I completely understand where you're coming from. Posted above is a screen cap of my signature over at CrackBerry. Granted it's more BlackBerry centric because of the community I'm posting in over there, but the idea is still the same: I, too, lived and died by BlackBerry devices. When the iPhone came around that changed, mostly after the 4S.

In fact, just recently I challenged myself to use the Bold 99x0 again for a month to prove a point on the boards: The old Bold still offers the same functionality as my Z30 and does so just as efficiently -- and that's not entirely a good thing. A 4 year old device on a legacy OS is able to meet my usage scenario just as efficiently as a brand-newish BlackBerry 10 phone, offering improvements only in areas that don't matter to me. While I use Android apps on my Z30, it isn't a focus and for 30 days I certainly lived without and did so just fine. That's NOT a good sign.

During my iPhone era I worked at BestBuy and was hired on by Apple as a product evangelist in retail locations. Those were some of my best jobbing days and long after I've still kept my old badges and certificates. I'll have to take some photos when I get home. There was always something to be excited about and it was so easy to get people amped up about Apple products. I remember setting up an AppleTV one big screens set up for sale at stores and when someone would walk up to it, I'd walk up, too, like a customer and talk about the TV. I'd start playing videos recorded on my iPhone and tie them into an Apple TV and iPhone discussion. Eventually more and more people would gather around and I'd get group sales all at once. I achieved boss-status at a lot of stores for smoking their own sales associates at entertainment and mobile sales

I look forward to going back to that life again; not as an evangelist as my present government job is all that and a bag of chips, but the world where things work and are simple.

In today's BlackBerry world I have to chase the leaks, and every leak involves wiping my phone clean every single time. Then I have to install modified Android APKs to get app stores working, hoping to God that whatever Android apps I'm using right now still work and hoping they never update them in case they break my ability to use them. As a messaging platform it's stellar and I dare say next to none, so long as the platform you want to use to communicate with is supported by BlackBerry 10 or the Android app doesn't use Google Play Services. It's a dance and a juggle every day, and one that I'm happy to leave behind.

As you said, usage cases change, and that's definitely true and something that true fanboi'ism doesn't allow for. Fortunately I'm seeing less and less of that mentality these days; yes, there are diehard users, but the lines have blurred tremendously over the last few years. In fact, usage scenarios is something that I discussed heavily over on CrackBerry. An argument was made that BlackBerry 10 is the best and nobody should use legacy devices anymore, and that simply isn't the case for folks only making calls and using email, or using email, text, and BBM exclusively. The same applies here: I'm a blogger and YouTuber. Nolonger will my BlackBerry help me be a better blogger or YouTuber; the app compatibility problem is rearing it's head and the camera is just simply inadequate even for on-the-go shots. Who wouldn't want to use the tool that's best for them?

My only real concern with returning is the fact that I haven't heard to the contrary that email has improved in any significant way -- such that I do send multiple attachments per email and won't be able to do so any longer, so far as I know. I also do remotely manage files via my BlackBerry and I don't know what solutions are available on iOS to still be able to do so. That isn't a knock towards iOS, simply confessing to my own ignorance of the ecosystem as it stands right now. More specifically, with BlackBerry Link installed on my desktop and my laptop, I can remotely access files on both systems directly and move them to my phone or move them among each other. It's only really useful in pinch situations and I can just as easily push everything to DropBox... and in fact, that's likely what I'll do.

Hello! Welcome to iMore.com. As Team Leader I hope all your questions are answered in the forums.

We have a tremendous user-base that is very helpful and knowledgeable. If you need anything, please reach out to me.


Thanks and again glad to have you here

Thanks, I'm really stoked to see lead moderators and whatnot greeting me as well! Having mods in touch with the users to the degree you guys are is a very welcome sight and something that I don't see a lot of... well, anywhere else. Hopefully I can bring the same level of helpfulness that I try to exude over at CrackBerry here as well.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Thank you, sir. Anyway, I'm literally about to walk inside my workplace. Take care and have a great day...

 

[Ledsteplin]

Welcome to iMore! This is a great forum to learn, share, and have fun. Make yourself at home here!


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5. ☮

 

[pkcable]

Would it blow your mind if the CrackBerry Mod Team Leader greeted you over here too? . I'm an active iMore poster also. Pretty platform agnostic these days, having a Note 4 and BB Passport as my phones and an iPad as my main tablet. I too have an AppleTV (heck I have all the streaming boxes) and a MacBook Pro. (And a few PCs)

 

[kataran]

Welcome to iMore

That was a long read

Enjoy and Post Often

 

[gdgtmom]

Welcome to the iMore forums.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[John Crist]

Would it blow your mind if the CrackBerry Mod Team Leader greeted you over here too? . I'm an active iMore poster also. Pretty platform agnostic these days, having a Note 4 and BB Passport as my phones and an iPad as my main tablet. I too have an AppleTV (heck I have all the streaming boxes) and a MacBook Pro. (And a few PCs)

Hah! Hey pk I am a little floored, to be honest. I'm pretty agnostic as well, staying on top of Windows Phone and whatnot as well as the other mobile OS's. For a little bit there it was a toss up between an iPhone 6+ and a Passport. At the end of the day, I can chase leaks and whatnot on my Z30 and keep my main phone as the phone that doesn't need that kind of maintenance.

I'm eyeballing the new MacBook Pro 13". I may have to find my current MBP a new home and dive into some of that force-touch stuff.

 

[Evilguppy]

I'll always have a soft spot for my old Q10... But alas, I do not like the direction Blackberry is headed in.
No more native apps totally killed it for me.
Then I heard through the grapevine that Blackberry is now making out with... Samsung, of all things.
The very people who vandalized my Note 3.
So...
Goodbye fabulous keyboard, hub and BBM. You will be sorely missed.

But...
Dude, the iPhone 6 and 6 plus make it easy to get over the Q10, no doubt there.
I had the 6 for 6 months, I loved it.
Just got the Plus, and it's My Preciousssssssss...

Congrats and enjoy it, it will not disappoint.

 

[mikeo007]

Well I must say that your introduction here has been much more reasonable than most of the rabble that crawls over from crackberry. You seem to be genuinely interested in the community, and for that I say welcome!

 

[pkcable]

Well I must say that your introduction here has been much more reasonable than most of the rabble that crawls over from crackberry. You seem to be genuinely interested in the community, and for that I say welcome!

And just where did you crawl from mister!!!!!! lol

 

[mikeo007]

And just where did you crawl from mister!!!!!! lol

The exact same place as the OP , also because of genuine interest in Apple products. Not everyone that comes over has bad intentions, there's just a pile of them that do.

 

[John Crist]

I'll always have a soft spot for my old Q10... But alas, I do not like the direction Blackberry is headed in.
No more native apps totally killed it for me.
Then I heard through the grapevine that Blackberry is now making out with... Samsung, of all things.
The very people who vandalized my Note 3.
So...
Goodbye fabulous keyboard, hub and BBM. You will be sorely missed.

But...
Dude, the iPhone 6 and 6 plus make it easy to get over the Q10, no doubt there.
I had the 6 for 6 months, I loved it.
Just got the Plus, and it's My Preciousssssssss...

Congrats and enjoy it, it will not disappoint.

Most definitely will be enjoying it I agree that the direction BlackBerry has been heading down, while having some high spots, isn't the direction I agree with. I feel BlackBerry 10 will eventually be Android with a BlackBerry Skin, and their device roadmap is lackluster at best as it's filled with all low- and mid-grade devices. Do I feel 10.3.1 was a positive step towards their goal? Yes. Do I feel that goal is a good step in the right direction? Certainly not.

Do you use any of the BlackBerry suite components on your iPhone? I know that part of that suite has hub coming to iOS and Android (if it hasn't already; I haven't exactly been following it) and then there's BBM that's already multiplatform.

I'll tell you what, though. Taking selfies won't be nearly as much of a struggle anymore now that I won't be producing grain-filled screens.

Well I must say that your introduction here has been much more reasonable than most of the rabble that crawls over from crackberry. You seem to be genuinely interested in the community, and for that I say welcome!

Haha, thank you! I appreciate that. I like to think I'm brand agnostic in that I appreciate and keep up with all four major platforms, and WebOS when there's actually something worthy of staying on top of. At the end of the day we all love our mobile devices regardless of what they are, and that makes us mighty.

 

[Evilguppy]

Most definitely will be enjoying it I agree that the direction BlackBerry has been heading down, while having some high spots, isn't the direction I agree with. I feel BlackBerry 10 will eventually be Android with a BlackBerry Skin, and their device roadmap is lackluster at best as it's filled with all low- and mid-grade devices. Do I feel 10.3.1 was a positive step towards their goal? Yes. Do I feel that goal is a good step in the right direction? Certainly not.

Do you use any of the BlackBerry suite components on your iPhone? I know that part of that suite has hub coming to iOS and Android (if it hasn't already; I haven't exactly been following it) and then there's BBM that's already multiplatform.

I'll tell you what, though. Taking selfies won't be nearly as much of a struggle anymore now that I won't be producing grain-filled screens.



Haha, thank you! I appreciate that. I like to think I'm brand agnostic in that I appreciate and keep up with all four major platforms, and WebOS when there's actually something worthy of staying on top of. At the end of the day we all love our mobile devices regardless of what they are, and that makes us mighty.

No I went full on straight Apple.
I must say I am very pleased, but I did discover that with IOS, it is best to set up your device the way Apple meant for it to work.
And then it's really, really sleek.