Blackberry capabilities without BIS

Blackberry capabilities without BIS
This is based on my experience in Singapore. The facts will likely cover other countries as well, but I can't say for sure. Do your homework. A fairly common question that gets asked is what can be done on a Blackberry without a Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) plan. If you begin your search at crackberry.com, or other such forums, you'll tend to get discouraged. However, how much is truth, and how much is just people overprotective of their way of life?


Things you'll hear, and I can tell you are 100% not correct:
"Starhub/Singtel/xxx telco insists that Blackberrys can only be activated with the addition of a data plan."

or

"You can only buy a Blackberry with a BIS plan/Data plan."

Not true. Find another Customer Service Operator. You CAN buy a Blackberry without any such plans. The question is what do they mean by activated? I haven't a clue. But it definitely doesn't mean the phone won't work at all.

"A Blackberry without BIS/Data Plan is as good as a paperweight"

This gives the impression that the Blackberry is a special device that can only work if you sign up for it's special plan. Wrong. At the very least you can still make phone calls and send text messages. That's a pretty impressive paperweight. Paperweight.5 perhaps? iPaperweight?

"A Blackberry without BIS/Data Plan is a dumbphone"

Really depends on your definition of dumbphone. My dumbphones could never edit word, excel and powerpoint documents. iDumbphone?

"Why get a Blackberry if you don't want push email? You're buying the wrong phone. I can do the same things on my $50 PDA."

Why get a Tag Heuer when you don't do intensive activities? You're buying the wrong watch. I can tell the time on my $20 Casio.
Why get a Ferrari when you don't drive at 300km/hr? You're buying the wrong car. I can drive at the same speed on my Honda.
Why get a Gucci bag? I can carry the same things in my plastic bag.

Why indeed.

You'll find many people misleading you to think the following chart is true.


Which is blatantly wrong.

Here, I did up a chart that is much more reflective of the truth.


Note: I'm not keen on getting into any arguments about how someone should use their Blackberry. I believe that is totally up to each individual, and that people have good reasons for doing things the way they want to. This is a purely informative post.