Me and My Blackberry... A Slobbering Love Affair

I did it. I moved the dark side. I crossed over into the land to techies and “text-ies.” I bought a smart phone. More specifically, my new best friend is now a Blackberry Curve. It slices. It dices. It will even wipe my nose. We are, quite literally, joined at the hip….with this really neat belt loop black leather carrying case for $19.99!!!!

How did I live without it? Seriously, folks, I use my computer all the time for just about everything. I bought a net book to take on vacations, and it is a tad on the slow side. But I have always been behind in the mobile device area. I had this five year old LG flip phone which I had difficulty hearing while talking on it. It was a bit frayed around the ages. And to be honest, it was humiliating to pull it out.

My son, who is on our family plan, had the identical phone and seemed to get by with it fine. He could text on the number key pad, a skill I that was way beyond me. He could hear. He could talk on in it. And he told me he would never get a smart phone. They are evil and represents what is wrong with the world today.

But things got so bad I had to do something. Three weeks ago, before my trip to D.C., I went to the Verizon store and did the dirty deed. The very nice but very techy salesman dazzled me with the wizardry of various smart phones at various price points, and I picked out one just right for me. This little ebony marvel is not top of the line, but it does much more than I am actually able to do with the thing, and I am now a true believer.

A short three weeks later, I am texting with the best of them. I am constantly connected to the internet. I can surf the web. I am connected to my Facebook account. My email accounts are now attached to my smart phone account so I can read my emails on the phone. And it has apps. I have always wanted apps. I can now talk about my new apps and download new apps. It is mobile phone (note: not cell phone) heaven. It even has maps. I can get GPS if I want it, but I still like using maps…and it got me out of jam on our way into Washington when I 480 was completely closed down. And I have contacts. I always wanted contacts. Isn’t it great having contacts?

In all seriousness, I am pleasantly surprised by how useful a device this smart phone is. It isn’t near as difficult to use as I thought it would be. It is sufficiently intuitive that I have been able to pick things up quickly. The email thing is terrific because I communicate a lot by email, and it saves me trips to the computer. The calendar feature is helping me organize my disorganized life. And it has enough connectivity that I don’t have to haul around my laptop on a short trip. Even my son, who went kicking and screaming to the Verizon store to get his phone under the 2 for 1 deal, says it’s “okay.”

Sometimes progress is good. Next stop…a reader. Kindle looks interesting, and so does the Nook. But that I-pad looks primo. Hail to me, the technology conqueror. It’s a whole new brave world out there.

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