Saying Good-Bye to my BlackJack

[Mike Temporale]

<p><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20070219-AmazonBlackJack.jpg" alt="" /></p><p>Almost one year ago, Samsung and Cingular released the BlackJack. As all of you are aware, this thin, quad-band device quickly became one of the hottest Windows Mobile devices on the market and my device of choice. Until now, that is. My BlackJack wasn't broken or somehow flawed. There are a number of reasons why I switched devices, not the least of which being Windows Mobile 6. I know there are leaked versions floating around the Internet, but I need more stability than leaked ROMs can offer. It&rsquo;s not the end of the road for the BlackJack however: I&rsquo;ve handed it off to a family member, so it&rsquo;s still getting used on a daily basis. For me, I&rsquo;m using a HTC s710 during the day and a HTC s620 for nights and weekends, but that&rsquo;s not my main solution going forward. I&rsquo;m thinking of going with a BlackJack II, Samsung i640, T-Mobile Shadow, or maybe even the Pantech Duo slider. The new devices coming in the next couple months are really appealing. It&rsquo;s not going to be an easy choice this year. What&rsquo;s everyone else planning on picking up?</p>

[timkn]

I would have thought that 3G on the BlackJack would have prevented you from switching to a non 3G device like the s710 even if it does have WM6. Or is the 3G coverage not all that great with Fido/Rogers.

[heavyduty]

....with all its [rather] limited RAM and everything.

But I guess you could see that coming :)

[macattack]

Actually, I should be passing my Blackjack off to my wife this week. My run with WM "Smartphone" is done for the time being. I gave the Cingy 3125 and the Blackjack a shot.

The Blackjack is a great phone, but it just couldn't replace everything I used to do with my prior PPC-PE ("Professional") devices. I enjoyed the greater simplicity of the Smartphone OS, but it just doesn't have nearly as much software available to it as it's bigger brother. Additionally, I do a lot of editing of Word and Excel files on my Blackjack, which can be painful (even with Docs to Go installed) when you have to try to scroll a 15 page Word document to find a certain paragraph or just move up five lines and over 25 characters. The touch screen of the Professional devices makes this kind of navigation much quicker.

As I said. I really think the Blackjack is a great device. I've had nary a problem with it since I got it 6 months ago. In 11 years of palm-sized PCs, PPCs, PPC-PEs, and Smartphones, there's not a lot of devices I've owned that I can say that about.

I also have been awaiting WM6 for the Blackjack, but it wasn't really a factor in my setting it aside.

I found a new AT&T 8525 on eBay and picked it up for less than half of retail. Here's to hoping its just as reliable as my Blackjack.

[zoom2020]

I have grown tired of waiting for WM6 for Blackjack. At this point I am not even sure that ATT is going to actually release it. I too have put my Blackjack aside. I have been using HTC Touch while I wait for Moto Q9.

[chucky.egg]

Funnily enough just yesterday I made the same choice - dropped the I600 (UK version of the Blackjack) and dug out the S710, which had been stuffed at the back of my drawer for 3-4 months.

For me it was battery life that killed it. I got tired of having to recharge when I got home (not the end of the day by a long shot) and having to restrict my use to ensure that the battery would be there if I really needed it.

I could have used the extended battery on it, which would have given me a couple more hours (probably) but that makes it the size of a PocketPC. If I'd wanted that I would have bought one!

In every other respect the Blackjack suited me perfectly.

The S710 (which only got a weeks use last time out) with WM6 does have some nice features that I'd forgotten - searching emails is nice, and I actually like the left-softkey being Delete.

Feeling sad about it though, which probably is as pathetic as it sounds!

[Damion Chaplin]

You know, I was quite happy with my BlackJack until I read this thread.
Now you guys are making me wonder if I shouldn't be using something else.

But I love my BlackJack!
But some people are already giving it up!
But I don't need anything else!
But other people think they're missing out! What if I am too?!
...Oh dear...

[Rocco Augusto]

I love my Blackjack but it's time for a change here as well. While my Blackjack hasn't caused me any grief in the near year that I have had it, I have grown bored with it. :(

A year is to long to have a phone, thats like wearing the same pair of socks for a week straight (which I have never done), while you could do it, it just doesn't feel very fresh and new. :D

[joefuture]

There's a nice 83-page thread on the AT&T forums about the WM6 release(or not?) for the Blackjack. While you're waiting, it's a fun read ;)

http://forums.wireless.att.com/cng/board/message?board.id=samsung&thread.id=39281&view=by_date_ascending&page=83

[laakness]

I actually got rid of the BJ last week for the ATT Tilt/Kaiser. I loved the BlackJack but the looming WM6 upgrade was not enough to keep me as an owner.

The Tilt fits me better and there are about 1.5 million more programs ;)

[afiorillo]

Hi Mike,

Wm6 is indeed my main concern now that it's officially loaded up into my SGH-i600 (the EU counterpart for the Blackjack). I've got all the WM6 goodies but I've got a big cut in available storage space too.
Now it's clear why Samsung left off Office Mobile from this WM6 implementation: simply, there's not enough room to accomodate it.
Also. some slight overall slowdown came with this one-way upgrade (there's no chance to revert back to WM5; not officially, at least): now the poor 200 MHz CPU really shows how such low-end processors should be dropped from 3G and feature-packed devices like this.

Overall, I wish I could revert to WM5, loosing that fantastic Pocket Outlook but regaining a speedy and usable device. And yes: I'm seriously thinking about dropping my i600 for a brand new HTC S730.

[Mark Larson]

When I got tired of my Q, I got a dumbphone! Try that.

[Mike Temporale]

I would have thought that 3G on the BlackJack would have prevented you from switching to a non 3G device like the s710 even if it does have WM6. Or is the 3G coverage not all that great with Fido/Rogers.

Yeah, I miss the 3G - BADLY. The coverage around here is pretty good, and everytime I try and use the s710 or Dash, I'm reminded at just how slow and painful EDGE can be. :(

[Mike Temporale]

There's a nice 83-page thread on the AT&T forums about the WM6 release(or not?) for the Blackjack. While you're waiting, it's a fun read ;)

http://forums.wireless.att.com/cng/board/message?board.id=samsung&thread.id=39281&view=by_date_ascending&page=83

Yeah, I've been following that thread for a while. Painful, isn't it. :(

[Mike Temporale]

You know, I was quite happy with my BlackJack until I read this thread.
Now you guys are making me wonder if I shouldn't be using something else.

But I love my BlackJack!
But some people are already giving it up!
But I don't need anything else!
But other people think they're missing out! What if I am too?!
...Oh dear...

The BlackJack is a great phone - It just hasn't moved forward, and I need to get on to newer and better things. (I'm really liking the Samsung i640 and the BlackJack II :D)

Don't give up your phone just because of me. You should at least be waiting until the new devices hit the streets. ;)

[ARW]

My BJ 1 is the best smartphone I've owned and I'm certainly not tired of it, so it's replacement will need to offer significant improvements. I'm intrigued by both BJ 2 and the i640. Either might be a good replacement, but it depends upon how they're outfitted.

I'd like to see wi-fi, better power management, built-in missed event reminders and worldwide data roaming abilities.

It doesn't seem that the side scroll wheel is to be carried forward and I'd really miss this. Not so much for use in navigating, but as a media player control when the phone is in it's holster on my belt. I can pause, start and adjust volume levels without having to remove the phone or look at it.

[Jerry Raia]

I think I'm going to stop all this insanity of getting new Smartphones and just hang on to what I have for now... :D


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