REDFLY Comes to the BlackBerry, and Soon to the Manor
Smartphones are becoming more capable all the time, with features that are beginning to rival full mobile computers. I have been following a few people online recently that are making concerted efforts to leave the laptop at home and only travel with the smartphone. It’s an interesting proposition and while I think it can be done by some folks, there must be times when a larger screen and keyboard would fit the job at hand a little better. I keep thinking back to the Celio REDFLY that I looked at a while back, and it seems to be a decent compromise of mobility and functionality for these folks mostly using the smartphone while traveling.
The original REDFLY I looked at paired with Windows Mobile phones to simply extend the display and keyboard. My evaluation proved to me that it was perfect for those times when I needed to do more extensive data entry, such as long email responses. It was also a good tool for working with spreadsheets and Word documents, something I wouldn’t even try on a phone.
The folks at Celio, makers of the REDFLY, have produced a version of the little laptop that work with some BlackBerry phones. There is a good fit with this REDFLY, given the focus of the BlackBerry on strong messaging features. I can see how the ability to connect the BlackBerry to a notebook-like device could be a good tool for those trying to travel as light as possible. I’ll soon know for certain, as the folks at Celio are sending over a REDFLY for me to try with the BlackBerry. That means you’ll soon know for certain too, as I will share that whole experience with you. Until then, refresh your memory of the REDFLY with the video overview I shot of the original version.
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I have the original RedFly (C8) and love it. It has been very useful when travelling or just out of the office.
Our CEO does not use a PC, only his BlackBerry. He has described wanting a device like the RedFly. Unfortunately, Celio has decided not to provide this update for the C8 model which prevents our CEO from trying it out without purchasing a new unit.
Also, the new firmware and drivers on their website are now packaged together and you need to select your model. Since the C8 is not listed, I can only assume that they will never update the firmware for this model again, making it obsolete as new phones are supported.
You might want to check out this link…http://www.celiocorp.com/008 It may just fill the bill you are looking for to get the C8 working on the BB
ugh, wired really messed up their test of the ting:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/11/hands-on-redfly/
Yeah, if you’re using the original C8, you’re SOL, unfortunately. I have one of the C8s and the Blackberry support is not coming to them ever. Nor is official WinMo 6.5 support, although they claim to be working on an unofficial, unsupported build that “might” work on the C8s. But they hoped to have that ready a few weeks ago and haven’t, so we’ll see if it ever appears.
Sadly, those of us who were early adopters and purchased the C8 were really just subsidizing the creation of the C7 and C8N and have been left in the cold with a device that supported one single version of the OS and generation of devices. I compare that to my old Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard which I’ve had for YEARS and just keeps working from phone to phone and OS to OS. Celio really let us down here, and I’m not particularly willing to take my chances again with them on a newer device.