Ramblings from the Blackberry Edge

I've been a Blackberry user for a little better than a year now. While I originally wanted a Palm Treo, I purchased a Blackberry after I developed a serious case of Berry envy when my husband bought a Blackberry 8830 World Edition. After holding the slick, new device in my hands and fiddling with its various functions like email, the web browser, GPS, etc., I couldn't even recall why I wanted a Treo to begin with. Less than 48 hours later, I'd talked myself into a good deal on a new Blackberry 8830 and was well on my way to being the official Crackberry addict I am today.

However, just when I thought that I couldn't love owning a Blackberry any more than I already do, I recently discovered and switched to the Blackberry 8330 Curve. While the Blackberry 8830 World Edition is a great device, it's best selling feature, besides its email function, is that it is an international phone-- meaning that voice and data are both fully functional while traveling in other countries. While I do travel internationally from time to time, I don't have to do so for business and I don't travel internationally enough to really "need" such a device, so I opted to switch to the Blackberry Curve instead. The Curve is slightly smaller (which I like), offers a camera as well as a video camera, has more internal memory and is compatible with more applications I like (such as Sprint TV) and offers more media capabilities. I'm also a bit of a YouTube fanatic and was disappointed when I couldn't view YouTube on my 8830's browser. Now that I'm using the 8330, I can actually enjoy all of my YouTube favorites right from my Berry. My Curve is also a sassy red color, which has absolutely nothing to do with its functionality, but the girl in me immediately went ga-ga for its cuteness factor.

In having used two different Blackberry devices, I can truly say that I've found the Blackberry to be the perfect laptop extension for me. For starters, it offers unbeatable email access and security. This is what the Blackberry was originally designed for and it is truly second to none in this arena. I have multiple email accounts and am able to keep track of every last one on my Berry at the touch of a button. My customers are always surprised at the speed in which I'm able to receive and reply to their email concerns. I feel like I'm constantly connected to my business, and my customers, even when I'm away from my home office. See, with Blackberry, emails arrive almost instantly much like text (SMS) messages. In fact, I get all of my messages in one place, so there's no navigating to different applications to read email, text messages, PIN messages, instant messages, etc. They all come through at the same message center, which I have set to a smart key, so after receiving an alert for a new message, I literally hit one button and they're all neatly displayed before my eyes.

I can also open attachments with incredible ease, including PDF documents, which sometimes open slowly on my laptop or desktop. On my Blackberry, however, these open in just a few brief seconds. I've also found that pictures load better on my Blackberry than they do on either of my computers. Recently, I received a ton of pictures someone sent me in a series of emails. Instead of opening the emails and photo attachments on my laptop, I opened and viewed them on my Blackberry in a fraction of the time normally spent on such a task.

The Blackberry's browser is fast, easy to use and gives me full access to the internet when I'm away from my computer. I've downloaded an additional browser, called Opera, for the rare sites that aren't so easy to access on Blackberry's browser. Literally, however, there are only one or two sites (mainly message forums) that I've even found the need to use the Opera browser as the Blackberry browser works so well for my needs. Still, it's nice to have Opera's browser installed as I can use it as an additional window should I want to keep a site in view on the Blackberry browser, but check out a second search or website on the side. Since neither browser offers an option of opening additional tabs or windows, having two browsers installed is especially helpful for such tasks.

The Blackberry is also excellent for keeping track of my schedule. Setting appointments, reminders, alarms and tasks couldn't be easier. I also have the option of immediately inviting other Berry users to attend appointments as I set them on my devices calendar. For instance, with the click of my trackball, I can schedule an appointment or event and have it instantly also sent to another user's calendar on their Blackberry.

While only certain Blackberry models feature a full, QWERTY keyboard, both of the devices I've used have come with this feature which makes typing an absolute breeze. While some Berry users opt for other models featuring Suretype (where your device learns your vocabulary, recognizes and completes the word you're trying to convey with just a few letter prompts), I personally have found the QWERTY keyboard an invaluable tool. It is especially helpful if you plan to do a lot of emailing, mobile blogging, messaging or note taking.

I can brag for days on the various features and applications I'm able to use on my Berry, but one of the final ones I'll note here is that I'm able to download all of my favorite songs, pictures and videos on a removable memory card neatly hidden underneath my phone's battery. Some users have even stored full-length movies on their memory cards, which have been formatted to fit the Blackberry's screen. While I haven't yet mastered the art of downloading movies, I do enjoy the hours of music I have stored on mine, making my Blackberry the one device that's never too far from my reach and that I probably spend the most time with. From sitting down with it as I sip my morning coffee while reading a few bible chapters (on a mobile bible site using the Blackberry browser); to afterwards reading the morning headlines using the Viigo application; to keeping track of my daily to-do-list and calendar; to taking a break in my day to listen to a few songs or to watch a few videos; to using the browser to search for quick information online, my Blackberry has proven to be the one device that I don't even want to imagine being without.