This article is the first in a series to showcase just what CrackBerry.com can do. In this article, we'll show you how to quickly find just the stories you want to read. You'll also become familiar with our superpages; pages that provide an easy way to access a wide array of information about a single product. For example, our BlackBerry OS Superpage lists all of the newest official and leaked OS's for all the latest BlackBerry smartphones.
Back at the end of 2010, CrackBerry.com got a remodel. It was on November 22 that we announced our completely redesigned website. On the surface, we added many visual improvements; larger headers, easier-to-spot titles, and a much more legible comment system.
Yet we changed more than just the way the site looks; we updated the way the site works. The other day, Kevin showed me this page about the BlackBerry Torch. Impressed, I asked him when he'd put that page on the site. Apparently, it's been there since the redesign.
There are a whole host of site improvements that we've made but haven't discussed. Today that changes. Whether you're new to the site or CrackBerry guru, here's how to get the most out of your CrackBerry.com.
Ultra Navigation Bar 4000
Okay, it's not really called that, but maybe it should. Located at the top of each page here at CrackBerry, it really is your instant link to every part of the site. Clicking on any part of the navbar will take you somewhere. Clicking on the CrackBerry logo will take you back to the main page. The other buttons do more.
News
Like most of the buttons on the navbar, this one takes you to a variety of articles. Unlike the home page, this one will present you with news and only news articles. You won't see BlackBerry 101 articles; you won't see product reviews. If you have a hankerin' for BlackBerry News only, this is the link for you.
Getting even more specific results is just another click away. After clicking News, the navbar expands to include several categories. Want to look at news articles about BlackBerry operating systems? Click the link. Are contests more your cup of tea? We got you covered. Don't see the type of news article you want? Click "View All Categories" to get an even more expanded list of News topics.
To the right of the expanded list are several other links of interest, including all of our podcasts and our international content - covering Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Reviews
Next on the list on our Tour of CrackBerry is our Reviews section. Like the News section, this will give you all of the articles tagged as Reviews. Using the expanded list, you can drill down further into the available reviews. Looking through , you'll see our reviews can be broken down into device, app, and even member reviews.
Forums
The CrackBerry.com Forums are some of the world's most visited for BlackBerry help. With such a wide variety of topics to discuss, the navbar makes it's usefulness known. Each of those words up there is a link to somewhere useful in our vast repository of nearly half a million discussions.
BlackBerry Help
Ah, now this is a section near and dear to my heart. BlackBerry users of all levels will find something useful on this, the first of many superpages that we'll look at in this article. From the BlackBerry Help Superpage, you can explore a variety of topics - from downloading an app to reloading your operating system, it's all in here.
The navbar expands to provide links to several of our key help areas, 101 Articles, Tips & Tricks, and how-to videos are but a click away.
Downloads
Moving on to the second superpage, the Downloads page provides you with quick access to all of our site downloads. We've got links to free themes; we've got links to free wallpaper. We've even got links to free ringtones and the most downloaded content on CrackBerry.com. If it's digital, you can find it on the CrackBerry Downloads superpage.
Videos
Guess what you get when you click the Videos link? Videos, videos, and even more videos. First on the list is our most recent video posted to our YouTube channel, but wait. There's more! We've listed all of our videos by category. Want to see some BlackBerry accessory videos? We've got a link in the navbar and if you scroll down the page, you'll see some of the articles tagged with accessory videos. The same is true of other categories.
Devices & Latest OS
This is my favorite of all superpages. If you have a BlackBerry, you want to check out this page. Here, we've listed all of the latest BlackBerry devices, from the newest BlackBerry Pearl to the latest BlackBerry Bold. Just click on one, and you'll be taken the to that smartphone's superpage. For example, let's take a look at the Torch 9800 superpage.
To the left, you'll notice an image of the smartphone in question, but to the right of that are tons of useful links, statistics, and articles. The last link, "Latest BlackBerry Torch News" will link to all of our articles tagged as being about the particular BlackBerry. The same is true of the last link on the other device superpages.
Scroll down a bit, and you'll find quick links to the BlackBerry's CrackBerry review, image links, specifications, and forums. Scrolling down more, you'll see some of the latest videos for the smartphone as well as popular articles on CrackBerry.com, featuring that phone.
At the bottom of the page, you'll find what's available for the device in our Shop CrackBerry store. Best selling accessories, cases, and applications; games; and themes are all listed and compatible with the superpage's particular BlackBerry.
Trying to find the latest official or leaked OS for your BlackBerry smartphone? Don't scour the internet looking for it. Come to the CrackBerry OS Superpage. All the latest BlackBerry's are listed here, along with their associated official (at the top) and leaked (towards the bottom) operating systems. Not sure what to do with that OS once you've downloaded it? Keep scrolling down to find links and advice on how to tackle this small challenge.
Search
See that small box on the right? It sits at the bottom of the navbar and is perhaps the most powerful tool we have here at CrackBerry.com. Just type in what you're looking for and hit enter. You'll get results from our blogs, our forums, and heck, even our free ringtones. If it's to be found on CrackBerry, search will find it for you.
En conclusion
We of CrackBerry have put in a great deal of time and effort to build a site that you - our CrackBerry Nation - will find useful, informative, and helpful. We'll continue to add to our superpages, keeping them updated with all the latest information. We'll continue to bring you the latest news, the best app and device reviews, and helpful guides. We'll bring the content, you bring the comments.
This concludes your guided tour of CrackBerry.com. The captain has turned off the fasten seat belt sign; please feel free to move about the site.
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