BlackBerry for Not Yet Techies

BlackBerry is a handheld computer PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) from Research in Motion (RIM). This market is already well served by all the latest versions of the PalmPilot (now just Palm), which was the original model handheld computer, plus Visio from the originator of them all, plus Microsoft's Pocket PC -- so why BlackBerry?

BlackBerry is especially powerful for the market and application which RIM's research showed was most in-demand -- email. They aimed their PDA primarily at the corporate and small business marketplace because they learned that most businesspeople who travel with their laptops do so for only one reason -- to receive, write and send email.

Carrying around a laptop is a lot of work just for email, but that's what most business travelers were doing -- not to mention the hassle and risk of sending your laptop through x-ray machines, the possibility of theft etc.

That is, when you're sent an email, it goes directly to your BlackBerry. You don't have to "access" your email - as long as you're within wireless access to the Net, you get it. If you're not, such as when you're flying 39,000 feet above sea level, you get it as soon as your handheld comes back into range.

The same is true of sending email. You can compose your emails while in the sky, in between eating pretzels, and your BlackBerry will send them as soon as you come within wireless access of the Internet. It comes with an actual keyboard you can use with your thumbs, so you don't have to learn a new handwriting alphabet.

You can also use the RIM Wallet to go shopping with your BlackBerry on the Internet, in case you don't see what you want during the Duty Free exhibition.

It will use Intellsync to update your personal contact information in Outlook and Notes. It is designed to work in a Microsoft Exchange Server or Lotus Notes environment. It contains an Address Book, Calendar, Tasks and Alarms organizer, Calculator and Memo Pad for composing text files.

The BlackBerry comes in handheld and pager models. You use a Trackwheel in place of a mouse. The Desktop Manager software is installed over your operating system.

As a BlackBerry owner, you get free help from OracleMobile just by sending an email to Ask@OracleMobile.com.

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