Reply speed & Blackberry remote email

[vrooje]

I know I'm repeating myself quite a bit here, but this is another advantage of Gmail (possibly other free e-mail services have this, I don't know).

My mobile provider (Verizon) allows e-mailing of text messages to my cell phone via an e-mail address. Gmail allows filtering of all incoming messages. So I filter all incoming inquiries and forward them to my cell phone -- much the same way Frank does, though I am sacrificing a bit of information for convenience (his way strips out useless text, mine doesn't, so I don't always get all the info in the text message).

It works brilliantly, and no need to buy a Blackberry!

[debk]

Brooke - This sounds great. I'm a google fan... and my husband thinks he needs a Blackberry, too. Though he insists on calling it a Raspberry.

One question: Can you email back from your cell? Does a copy go to Google, too, when you reply? Or is it a SMS?

(With the Blackberry, a copy of the reply is in Google... just as if you replied from there... so everything remains coordinated within their nifty subject groupings.)

What you are describing sounds like a very nice solution. It doesn't have the internet access, but one can live without that. I am surprised, though, at how much I use it for checking my availability calendar, train schedules, whatever.

Thanks for the info!

Deb Kleber
www.VisitingPortugal.com

[Alan Knighting]

I sometimes wonder how I get through my day.

I never "text" anyone, I put Blackberries into friut pies, my mobile phone doesn't have a camera built-in, I know where I am without GPS, I find my way around without Sat Nav, I don't pray at the altar of Google, I don't even read Hello or OK.

How is it possible?

Alan

[Christine Kenyon]

Sounds like your alarm clock works

[debk]

How is it possible?
Alan

You are just one of the lucky ones, I guess.

Stay pure!

[Alan Knighting]

I know plenty people who have no modern or trendie devices, not even a PC. They depend entirely on telephone, post and talking to others face-to-face and it doesn't appear to be life-threatening at all.

I'm on the middle ground. I stay informed of the latest developments and I would adopt any or all of them if I thought they would be of the slightest use to me. At he moment they are on other people's "must have" list but not on my "would use" list.

Each to his own.

Alan

[alexia s.]

"I sometimes wonder how I get through my day" - Alan, you'd probably get a migraine if you tried wondering how I got through mine. Neither of us has a mobile (or is it a cell?) phone. I don't use a calculator to add up, subtract, multiply or divide. I do percentages on paper. No degree in maths, but I hate the idea of needing something that is unnecessary. If I can do without it, I try to. (We do put some heating on when the cats start shivering. They're long haired and that creates draughts.)

[reddevil]

Of course you are all right! None of these things are essential, its just that they are nice to have and usually save time and sometimes save money.

I dread to think what my wife would say if I told her that the washing machine wasn't essential and to use the washboard(hoho). Or if she told me that the car wasn't essential and to use public transport (hoho). Or that I had to handwrite a letter take a walk to the post office, lick a stamp and manually put it in the post box instead of sending an email (hoho). But then again, if we chose not to use these essential things then we would all be a lot slimmer and healthier because we would have to walk to McDonald for our burgers!

[alexia s.]

"If I can do without it, I try to". I should have added "happily":
I can't happily do without a washing machine (although licking a stamp doesn't make me unhappy and walking actually makes me very happy).

[Alan Knighting]

Reddevil,

None of these things are essential, its just that they are nice to have

That's the whole point!

I don't buy things because they are nice to have. That's much the same as the must have syndrome as far as I am concerned.

I do buy things because they will be useful to me and because I will use them. Otherwise, they are simply useless ornaments and not very pretty at that.

Alan

[debk]

I stay informed of the latest developments and I would adopt any or all of them if I thought they would be of the slightest use to me.

Excellent, Alan. I agree completely.

Thus these derned rentals drove me to Blackberry. I travel a great deal and couldn't figure out an easier/cheaper way to respond to inquiries in a timely fashion.

Quick example: I was on a remote island for three days this past weekend -- no internet anywhere to be found, no roads, no cars, no appliances, not even a coffeepot, nothing, simply heaven -- but still booked 7 weeks while I was there. Took about 30 minutes of my time. (By design, I only get rental emails on the Blackberry. Personal emails and such can wait.)

My family actually gives me a lot of good-natured ribbing about the blackberry/gooseberry/crackberry as we are a rather simple folk: we often wash by hand, don't own a tv, nor a dishwasher, rarely drive our car... "happily", as Alexia wisely points out!

All in all, this forum provides a great space for those who are interested in learning about pros, cons, other options, etc. Whether, after reviewing other's experiences, they decide to implement something is another matter altogether. Ditto to the sentiment: To each their own.

So, once again, congrats to laymyhat for providing such a great service to rental owners.

[Alan Knighting]

Debk,

That's what I would call a real live experience of what modern technology has to offer.

You chose it because it fits your circumstances exactly, not because it was nice to have. If I was in your situation I would have one too.

Your comments about the forum precisely match my view.

Alan

[Fraise]

Yes,long live diversity! I have quite a few gadgets cos they make me or my husband happy.Others I don't understand thus I won't use them,ergo,I don't buy them.It's not necessarily about being afraid to embrace new technology-sometimes this really can help daily "getting on with stuff",so I do it.What helps to create and maintain a civilised society is the ability to discuss things and then make a free choice-maybe for or against,or maybe you're just not interested.That's fine too.We all have valid opinions and boy do they vary!

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[Fraise]

Ah- Fluffy got his reply in before mine,so really-yes, I agree with what you've just written

[mario]

I would like to revive this post and ask what is available now that matches Blackberry for keeping in touch with your e-mails whilst on the move.
Would something like this do the job

http://phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_payg_de ... 42462#nogo