BlackBerry Messenger 5 now available, we go hands-on
By Jacob Schulman 
posted Oct 8th 2009 4:20PM
posted Oct 8th 2009 4:20PM
Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
Only reason I haven't ditched BB for the iPhone.
Only reason indeed...
RIM... Fix your damn email app to support IMAP!
Even my normal phone (Sony Ericsson C510) does IMAP and Push.
This really annoys me when I'm reading/deleting mails on my PC and have to do the same thing again on the BlackBerry Bold.
@ RDM
why not delete from the Blackberry and select to delete from both mailbox and handheld?
I ditched my BlackBerry for an iPhone about a year ago. Terrible decision if you send and receive a lot of emails or texts. The iPhone is just plain sluggish.
Switched back to a BlackBerry 3 months later and am happy again.
Dumped my BB and switched to iPhone. I'm very happy and I
now know why iPhone tops the J.D. Power survey again!
http://seekingalpha.com/article/165621-j-d-powers-apple-best-among-consumer-business-smartphones?source=yahoo
@ Mark
How does it feel to be such a tool?
Cool to know!
Pardon my French, excusez-moi mon anglais, but, this is a Messegner to only chat with other BB users? Somehow like iChat for Mac? Is it possible to add extension or something like that to chat with @live @hotmail @aim @yahoo ?
Blackberry Messenger only let's you talk to other blackberries with THAT application, but RIM also has apps for windows live, yahoo, aim, gtalk, etc. They work great.
BBM5, when running on BB OS 5.x will control SMS messages as well, in a threaded manner no less.
iChat for the Mac is not only for Mac users, it uses the AIM network.
im dying for the iphone but cant part from the messenger.
I am dyeing an iPhone with Loreal Windows Mobile Féria Natural Match Edition.... 'cuz I am worth it.
How does this differ from just sending an SMS text message which can be done across platforms? Is it just advantageous because it uses the data plan and there are no messaging fees?
I'm a BB user and I've never used BBM.
Use it, then see if you still have that question.
yes
Its an Instant Messaging platform, not an SMS text.
the difference is that instead of being able to talk to any phone on the planet, you can only talk to other blackberry users. another difference is that instead of giving someone your phone number, you have to give them some strange cryptic PIN. another difference is that SMS is non-snob, whereas BBM is for blackberry snobs only.
im with dr. spaceman, bbm is dumb imho, but bb users swear by it, i have no idea why... i have a bb tour and an iphone and i prefer to use sms or any number of IM clients on my iphone over that proprietary gimmick
Delivery and read confirmation.
Thing is on my storm I get delivery and read confirmation on my sms texts also--as long as they are to other Verizon customers.
Still waiting for them to give us the option to NOT let others know if we have read their message. Unless you can do this already...let me know if you can.
I have a Bold and I haven't found a way that works....the only way i know of is that whether you are in an active conversation someone or not and you get a message, so long as the indicator light is still blinking, they have no idea whether you checked the message or not...all they know if that it was delivered...
If your talkin to someone and someone else messages you, you can copy the text from the one line notification bar below the actual chat box and paste it back into any field and read without actually opening the newessage.
I hope u got what i meant.
What does this do that google talk on android doesn't do?
I went to the BB site, and read through the features list, and I can't figure out what the big deal is. Can a BB user enlighten me on this point?
Don't know much bout google talk since I don't use it that much but with BBM it will not count as txt msg. It is included in the data you pay for.
You can:
-Create chat rooms with all your friends
-Send/Receive files up to 6Mb now with 5.0
-Send your location, Voice Note.
-Chat with anyone across the world as long as they have a BB Pin
-Use special characters that you can't on regular txt messages.
-limits you to only being able to talk to people with blackberries and data plans
+ you can still talk to everyone else using SMS
I really miss BBM, it's one of those things you don't appreciate until you don't have equivalent functionality. I am honestly thinking of breaking the iPhone contract (for a vast array of reasons mind you) and returning to the RIMM fold.
I agree...there is something to be said for being able to type a complete sentence with words spelled out in BBM and not having to worry about being charged per message...
umm, anyone with a bb can get gchat or aim or any other instant messenger, and your iphone certainly can (look at bee jive with push) - just use that and don't worry about characters or per txt charges
Not only do you have to worry about fitting something into 160 bytes, but the thing I love about bbm is that it's 'free' to send messages to friends all over the world. The real benefit of BBM is when you have a lot of friends with blackberry's which I do.
As far other IM apps (to which BBM is closer in functionality to than SMS), hardly anyone every has them running on their phone due to batter drain, which BBM doesn't do thanks to BB Server push functionality.
I apologize for my previous post, should have read through it first. Re-posting.
Not only do you not have to worry about fitting something into 160 bytes like SMS, but the real thing I love about bbm is that it's 'free' to send messages to friends all over the world, and near instantaneous regardless of their carrier or technology (GSM vs CDMA). You really see the benefit of BBM when you have a lot of friends with blackberry's, which I do.
As far as other IM apps go (to which BBM is closer in functionality to than SMS), hardly anyone ever has them running on their phone due to battery drain, which BBM isn't victim to thanks to BB Server push functionality.
One of the advantages of the BBM over SMS is it doesn't count against voice minutes or txt msgs. It runs on the BIS network using your data plan
Why do all the apps and tools for Blackberries, always look so bland?
well, it's not as bland as that pictures makes it out to be. In this version of BBM, instead of having to use that generic avatar, you can actually select your own, whether it be a preloaded one or your own actually picture from your media gallery. same for the users in your contacts, you can choose an avatar for them or they can set one for themselves. In the actual conversation window, you can also select from a nice selection of smileys you can throw in there...pretty neat.
does the release of this show singes of an OS upgrade to 5.0 any time soon?
The Onyx and Storm 2 are supposed to launch with it so it'll be out by the time they are at the latest.
I'm using leaked 5.0.0.230 on my Tour and it's feels finished, just a blip here and there, so they have to be really close. I would expect it sooner rather than later.
have they put out an official release date for the onyx or storm 2? i have a tour as well but i dont want to use the leaked version, im not that trustworthy of it with its bugs...
Revolutionary RIM. I mean wow. Stunning. Maybe next they will have a usable web browser (no not Opera or Bold, they suck too) or IMAP that works, or more than 256 MB of memory for applications.
I'm just not sure what I would do without the dozen or so creeps that have to list each of the BlackBerry's cons in the comments of every single Engadget post related to BlackBerry.
so, why cant you just view pictures. Instead you have to download them?
i had this a week ago
I want to know if there is another messenger service that gives delivery and read receipts, that's what I really miss about BBM, otherwise, its just the same as any other messenger service.
This article makes me realise it's bedtime.
Where did you guys get OS v 5? can someone point me in the right direction?
they got the leaked version.... it has some bugs so im hoping that with the release of the 5.0 bb messenger that the official os 5.0 will be coming soon....
That graphic is awesome. I'd be proud to have that on my phone. It's 1998, right?
Just installed it on my bold and it seems to work great.. !! way to go RIM!..