Blackberry 8830 and Linux

English Open Chat
1

I just got a Blackberry 8830 (Verizon) which somebody threw away.

My current plan does not have a data package, and I’d rather not have to pay for one. So what I am wondering is

  1. Can I set up the phone function to still make/send calls (without having to sign up for the data package)?
  2. Can I use the USB connector to install applications and update things like calendar and contacts using a computer (instead of having it use the 3G network)?
    I know this means I will not get updates until it is plugged into the computer again, but email would be used less than if I can sync with my calendar and contacts (phone numbers).
  3. Could I do #2 using Linux?

The $30 per month data package is a bit steep for me now, but I am thinking that if I can install apps and update/sync calendar and contacts from the computer then this would be like an old Palm-style PDA that also makes calls.