Blackberry Passport Challenge

My goal is to use my Blackberry Passport in substitute for my laptop in everyday use as a student and entrepreneur.

TL;DR: It was surprisingly easy to use for making notes and I now use my Passport for all my note taking.

During a lecture

I walked into my lecture a few minutes late and need to quickly write down what was being discussed. Instead of opening my laptop I used my phone to take a picture of the board then continue writing notes of what the professor was discussing.

I find the camera to be very effective for getting details at long distances. In all cases I could even take legible photos from the back rows during Math lectures — a class that especially requires readable notes.

Evernote is on all platforms, but what makes it unique on the Passport is I’m able to type notes while watching the professor, without having to glance at my keyboard — something that’s only possible using a physical keyboard.

I tend to prefer to use my phone over my laptop to make notes — there’s something about having the notes between my hands that makes it feel easier.. and better yet I tend to pay attention more and brows Facebook and the web less during lectures.

Especially handy, is Blackberry Blend — I used it to transfer photos from my phone to my Macbook in order to write this on my laptop. There is no Medium app for BB10 sadly, but I’d prefer to write the article on my laptop either way.

And if I really need to, I can access my emails and text messages (which I shouldn’t be during a lecture, but is faster to do on blend then having to pull up my phone).

Downloading PDFs and Powerpoints online

Lecture slides and notes that are online are never out of grasp for me when on the go. I can easily access all my lecture notes that get posted online and find notes no matter what website their on and how they’re stored. Desktop mode browsing ensures there’s no loss in web content and the file manager allows me to easily download MP3s, PDFs, various video formats, office documents, ZIP files, etc. all done natively without having to use a third party app.

At play

Nightlife

The phone lasts all day at work, then a full night of partying, and during brunch.

Two words: Battery Life

Having the feeling of my phone not dying on my while out at the bar trumps every other feature on a phone — others may weigh their priorities differently, but once you feel what it’s like, I’m sure you’d agree.

Fun apps?

I’m not big into mobile gaming, even on my iPad and Android (so no it’s not because I have a Blackberry). I have played Trivia Crack and Total Conquest on my Blackberry.

9Gag works well and so does Reddit.

Multitasking

This needs its own section as this is something on other platforms that bugs me a lot. True multitasking should be the standard on other platforms.

I love love love the ability to listen to a youtube video/song while using other apps.

Why on earth can’t I multitask on other platforms like on the Blackberry? I can start a youtube video (let alone mostly any embedded video), minimize the app then continue using any other app on the phone all while the video or song is still playing.

Security

Honestly security isn’t something on my mind when I use my phone… but it is when I travel overseas.

Things I’m missing (kind of)

Google drive — correction; native Google drive integration. There is always the browser option:

Google Now is awesome for automatically tracking shipments, flights, departure times in order to be on time for meetings, stock prices, hockey games (I watch the odd game of the Jets (I know the Jets?)), and relevant news.

Latest android apps: I can Tinder, Uber, Lyft (I know that one surprised me too), Netflix, Slack chat, Glip, and even run Yumr — an application me and my startup team are building for Android and surprisingly it runs pretty well.

Native apps do feel much nicer.

I tend to whip out my iPad or Android for some apps such as Google maps or Spotify if I’m looking to shave of 5 seconds by using the native app, but more time than not I leave my iPad and Android at home.

Native Facebook is much better (but the browser version is the better than the app on any platform in my opinion).