If you only could travel with one electronic device, what would it be?

by Karen Fawcett on February 5, 2009

I’d be lost without my computer, camera and cell phone. But having recently splurged for a Blackberry Bold 9000, I can see that life is changing.

I’ve finally found a quad-band world phone that works in more than 200 countries for phone calls and more than 150 countries for data. I’m no longer unreachable in South Korea and Japan.

The camera actually functions and I can zap photos to my Facebook page. The phone also supports instant messaging services such as AIM and functions wherever there’s Wi-Fi. If only I’d had it during my last trip to Laos, I would have been a happy camper.

I’m able to surf the Internet, conduct online transactions, download documents and listen to music.

Being a technical neophyte, I must admit I spent many many hours on a support line with an employee of Blackberry’s manufacturer, Research in Motion. He was based in Singapore, was from Manila and had a Spanish last name and the patience of Job. It’s a whole new world of communications.

I’ve found my electronic soul mate even though I was lobbying Santa for an iPhone. The iPhone has so many applications and reading the New York Times online was a pleasure. But when push came to shove, I had trouble with the keyboard when it came to typing. Perhaps its because I’m a member of the older generation.

So many people I know are converts and wouldn’t live without theirs. They love the functionality and being able to download iTunes and the stability of the Unix-based operating system no matter where they are.

The iPhone’s travel kit allows people to charge their phones anywhere in the world and you can share your phone photos on Flickr and, naturally, Facebook. This is the world of social networking and all of this new and improved technology enables people to have instant gratification.

Again, I am so far from being an electronics expert that I suspect there are still people performing inside my television screen. Please enlighten me and tell me which mobile technology you’re opting for and why?

Who knows – I may spring for another cell phone in the  next decade?

Karen Fawcett is president of <a href=”http://www.bonjourparis.com”>BonjourParis</a>.

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Tagged as: cell phones, electronics, travel, world wide

  • http://www.tripso.com/author/dunhampotter Anita Dunham-Potter

    Hi Karen,
    Why not get the best of both worlds? Have the BlackBerry for communicating and an iPod Touch for music and fun — that’s what I do. I never leave home without either one.

    I really love the iPhone, but texting/typing on the thing is next to impossible (for me anyway). With the BlackBerry I can feel the keys, which makes it easier to reply to emails and texts very quickly. I”ve traveled in some remote areas in Africa and South America with folks who have both phones. I can tell you the BlackBerries had had an easier time with network access than the iPhone.

    That’s my two cents!

    Best,
    Anita

  • http://www.singleparenttravel.net John F

    I didn’t think there were 200 countries IN the world, much less ones that had cellular capability!

  • Carrie Charney

    Before I retired, I rarely thought of home when at work and rarely thought of work when at home. I take my digital SLR camera and a cell phone for emergencies when I travel. Although I’ve left my itinerary for emergencies at home, I am incommunicado until I’m close to home. What peace!

  • John

    OK, I’m sold. But how do you afford exorbitant roaming charges for voice and data outside the US? Or do you change SIM cards in each country you visit? And if you bought your BB Bold in the US, how did you unlock it to accommodate these SIM cards? Worldwide communication yes, economical…umm…I think not.

  • http://www.tripso.com/author/hawkins Nick Hawkins

    I use T-Mobile on a Blackberry Curve 8900, that I would wager is a better device than the Blackberry Bold (seriously, I love it) and pay $20/mo for international email (pro-rated, and I can add it when I go out of town so it’s not always being paid for.)

    The voice package is what I have a problem with. I know it’s pricy. For T-Mobile, I pay $1/min in Western Europe. If I’m only in town for a weekend and only need to touch base with home – as quick as possible, I’ll eat the charge of a $1/min.

    T-Mobile’s Blackberry devices have something called UMA – which is basically routing of cellular phone calls over Wi-Fi. So if you’re at a WiFi hotspot overseas, you can fire up your Blackberry, connect to the WiFi hotspot, and talk to your heart’s content. The time will come out of your bucket of minutes, but it will be free (US to US calling, that is). I’ve used it in roughly a dozen countries.

    I’m going to Russia next month, where it’s $5/minute roaming charge. In situations like that, I just threaten bodily violence.

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