# I pit Blackberries and the children who "need" them **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 28, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103 "2005-11-28T20:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/41 "2005-11-29T10:34:44Z")
sheesh, if all you want is a fancy pager…I’m just saying. i take business trips and see customers AND keep up with my day job. blackbery users should check out an i-mate or similar device gprs or 3G device that’s actally also a phone and pda. heck, they’re all made by HTC in taiwan anyway ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/42 "2005-11-29T10:47:08Z")
I was ready to wade in and decry this pitting of childhood memories, picking the berries in the bushes behind our old house, Mum baking them in an apple and blackberry pie etc etc Then I read BIT-BIT-BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-BIT-BIT-BIT… ---
**Author:** ![eyoung123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@eyoung123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eyoung123)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/43 "2005-11-29T13:38:05Z")
> [@mks57](#): > > All it means is that your radio is a typical “made in Drekistan” piece-of-shit, designed to be cheap to produce, with lots of shiny bits to appeal to the unwashed masses, who wouldn’t recognize a well-designed radio if it was dropped on their head from 20,000 feet. you’d think that but you’d be WRONG! 🙂 this phenomenon (men-a-min-at do dooo do do do) is not confined to my radio (a very nice Tivoli PAL) but also my powered speakers (JBL, and also nice)… a powered subwoofer (that happens to be at home… that I happen to know gets the interference because a BB wielder was in my home with the filth on his belt) and my car radio (said same BB wielder) ---
**Author:** ![eyoung123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@eyoung123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eyoung123)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/44 "2005-11-29T13:49:46Z")
The GSM bit is quite true (and I do have a GSM phone)… It is more a quantity issue with the BB’s… the phones might push out a small amount of noise… but the (comparatively) huge amount of data being piped into/out of the BB is quite another beast. 90% of the people who have these things at my place of “work” do not need them… in any way… other than as trophies. As I am on the team that developed the in-house solution and now deploys the little buggers I would know the caliber (or lack there of) of the typical user. as for envy… nope. I have one… it is currently sitting in a desk drawer, OFF. I use it for testing and diagnosing the myriad issues these little bastards have with our already retarded mail system (Notes). I have a cellphone, that is more then enough for anyone working here. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/45 "2005-11-29T14:01:56Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > I don’t know **UrbanChic** , I can’t tell you what her profession is, I’m not in a position to judge her specifically, so I’ve always left the door open that they were appropriate for any individual person. Why, I’m a firefighter, silly. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/46 "2005-11-29T14:48:38Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > Oh, so your a firefighter? That puts out fires through e-mail. From your Blackberry. Brilliant. Can I use that on the sales guys at work? ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/47 "2005-11-29T15:07:31Z")
> [@eyoung123](#): > > this phenomenon (men-a-min-at do dooo do do do) is not confined to my radio (a very nice Tivoli PAL) but also my powered speakers (JBL, and also nice)… a powered subwoofer (that happens to be at home… that I happen to know gets the interference because a BB wielder was in my home with the filth on his belt) and my car radio (said same BB wielder) I’ve had that happen with GSM phones and the powered speakers attached to my computer. The audio cable acts as an antenna. The GSM signal is detected and amplified by the audio amplifiers in the speakers, sort of like a primitive AM radio. If any of you have built a crystal radio when you were a kid, it’s doing the same thing. It’s an unintentional AM radio receiver. It can be prevented by shielding the audio amplifier and adding RF filters to any external cables. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/48 "2005-11-29T15:24:51Z")
I hate the little seeds between my teeth. I don’t have a cellphone, certainly not a PDA or any of that. I get by with my stone axe and bear skin very well, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/49 "2005-11-29T15:55:43Z")
> [@eyoung123](#): > > … our already retarded mail system (Notes). . The most correct statment in this whole thread. God I hate Notes. I never thought I’d see an application that made Outlook good by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/50 "2005-11-29T17:10:23Z")
> [@black455](#): > > Brilliant. > > Can I use that on the sales guys at work? Yeah, go right ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/51 "2005-12-01T20:18:10Z")
I’m surprised no one linked to an article describing the recent problems with the Blackberry. They are getting nailed hard by NTP that is saying the Blackberry infringed on a wireless email patent they own: [http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Aug/bpd20030807021220.htm](http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Aug/bpd20030807021220.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/52 "2005-12-01T22:53:34Z")
I didn’t provide a link but I did mention the lawsuit, back in post 21. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/53 "2005-12-01T22:56:07Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > There’s apparently already a technical workaround of some sort. Do you have any details? This hasn’t been mentioned in any of the press coverage I’ve seen. The conclusion seems to be for RIM to either win the suit or pay out a billion dollars. There may be a technical workaround for the future, but as far as I can tell, NTP’s infringement claims have held up to scrutiny. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/54 "2005-12-02T14:01:50Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > Do you have any details? This hasn’t been mentioned in any of the press coverage I’ve seen. The conclusion seems to be for RIM to either win the suit or pay out a billion dollars. There may be a technical workaround for the future, but as far as I can tell, NTP’s infringement claims have held up to scrutiny. Didn’t RIM already technically lose the suit? If I recall correctly, the other firm was awarded a little over 5% of RIM’s sales. That amount was later increased to just under 9%, I think. I could be wrong, but a judge already found RIM to have infringed on NTP’s patent. I’m remembering all this from something I read earlier this year, so I could be completely off base here. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/55 "2005-12-02T20:33:46Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > Useless? It’s not useless. It’s more useful to me than you are. Let’s see, while I’m commuting to and from work I can put out 3 maybe 4 fires all by using my Blackberry device. I doubt you’d **a)** rest in my hand comfortably, **b)** fit nicely in my purse or briefcase or **c)** send and receive email fairly efficiently without me having to initiate a connection to my email server. /hijack/ Out of curiosity, and I am not being facetious nor denigrating, what business do you work in where you can put out fires (which i am defining as MAJOR work problems) over email? I could see getting tasks accomplished, but I have rarely been able to put out a “fire” via email, since most of them are personnel related. Is your work techologically based? Is so, that might explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/56 "2005-12-02T21:11:14Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > Didn’t RIM already technically lose the suit? If I recall correctly, the other firm was awarded a little over 5% of RIM’s sales. That amount was later increased to just under 9%, I think. > > I could be wrong, but a judge already found RIM to have infringed on NTP’s patent. I’m remembering all this from something I read earlier this year, so I could be completely off base here. On the CBC yesterday they were saying a judge is revisiting NTP’s patent. There are some arguing that NTP shouldn’t have gotten a patent in the first place as the technology was already common knowledge or not sufficiently novel to grant one. Sorry, no cite. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/57 "2005-12-02T21:27:08Z")
Yeah I read that one of their 5 patents was just shot down. All I know is Rim’s stock went up a little, so it must be good news. /or not, the stock market is crazy like that. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/58 "2005-12-03T04:46:00Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > Oh, so your a firefighter? That puts out fires through e-mail. From your Blackberry. > > I’ll be honest, I don’t understand this obsession with constantly being accessible by e-mail. It rather sounds like hell to me. And I’m relatively confident that this constant e-mail banter surrounding modern offices and professionals doesn’t increase productivity, but hey, it’s your choice. The fact that it interupts others is kind of annoying. Only if you aren’t important enough to turn it off and return people’s calls at your leisure. It’s really nice to be able to do business whenever you want to. I’ve done a fairly good job of organizing myself about like that, I went to West Virginia in July, Nevada in August, and I’m going to Puerto Rico in two weeks. Erek ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/59 "2005-12-03T17:27:52Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > /hijack/Is your work techologically based? Yep. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103/60 "2005-12-04T05:03:48Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > First off, not a girl. Second off, loosen up babe, it’s the Pit. I didn’t even call you a flaming fucktard, hamster felcher, or anything. I thanked you for your rather obvious comment. I didn’t take any swings at **Urban Chic** , I was using her metaphor to point out that, well, she isn’t a firefighter and her ability to access e-mail is likely not overly time sensitive. If she really wants a Blackberry, she’s welcome to her Blackberry, but I get the distinct impression from my own interaction with similar devices is that people don’t tend to use them that effectively. (glad you’re not a girl!!! You wouldn’t get any dates at all with that attitude…and if you act like that with no provocation off the net, I can’t imagine you have the greatest luck with we girl-types either). If you aren’t like that in real life “whew!!!” But why so angry on here? Are you one of those who thinks they have to because “it’s the pit”? The reason I said anything to you at all was twfold, first off our immediate snottiness to **Urban Chic** was completely uncalled for. She hadn’t made any statements to you to deserve said “sarcasm” on your part. FTR, I have no problem with sarcastic posts, especially in the pit. But unprovoked ones? You were being snotty for no good reason. Second, sorry if I misunderstood you, though BELIEVE me it’s crystal clear now, but your post appeared to me, to be of more of a wondering tone, since you stated “I just don’t get it…”. Trust me, I won’t make that mistake with you again. > [@](#): > > Good for you. I’m glad you aren’t one of those annoying people, and like I’ve said in every post so far, it’s your decision, so I’m glad you’re happy with it. > > **galt,** I think that the former far outnumber the latter, but for people that really do get some benefit out of them, well good for them. You’re confused. _I_ don’t rock at email (I’m a lousy typist, too slow)…I just find that email makes things so much easier. But whatever, as I said, I won’t make the mistake of thinking you’re honestly curious if and when you make comments on things in the future and trying to reply to them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-blackberries-and-the-children-who-need-them/333103.md?page=4)