# How much does it cost to use a Blackberry?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-use-a-blackberry/331162>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 15, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-use-a-blackberry/331162 "2005-11-15T15:15:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-use-a-blackberry/331162/1 "2005-11-15T15:15:58Z")

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Suppose I had a Blackberry and I wanted to visit the SDMB. What is a reasonable rate I can expect to pay?

Thanks!

(You can do that on Blackberries, can’t you?)

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**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-use-a-blackberry/331162/2 "2005-11-15T15:27:28Z")

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Off to GQ.

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**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-use-a-blackberry/331162/3 "2005-11-15T16:56:20Z")

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> [@js\_africanus](#):
>
> Suppose I had a Blackberry and I wanted to visit the SDMB. What is a reasonable rate I can expect to pay?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> (You can do that on Blackberries, can’t you?)

Well my office pays for my Blackberry–but I assumed the charge is part of the base fee. I have to pay for my own private phone calls I know, but as far as the internet browsing part I don’t think I pay anything, or they haven’t asked me to separate my personal browsing from work related items.

My email is always updated, etc., so I am assuming it is always connected, but I will admit I am not sure how that aspect really works.

And yes you can visit the SDMB. It is slower (which to some might seem impossible!), but it is doable. I occasionally do come here via the Blackberry. Mainly I use it to find addresses of a business, etc.

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**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-use-a-blackberry/331162/4 "2005-11-15T21:21:00Z")

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Tangentially, reading the Straight Dope on a Sony Playstation Pocket works really well. Sure, you can’t reply - but otherwise it seems that the whole forum experience was designed to be used on it. The high resolution wide screen is a definite factor – no need for scrolling across. This could mark the decline of the paperback as format of choice for my bedtime reading!

The downside is that you need a wireless router in your house - though these seem to be becoming more common.