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Everybody running a BlackBerry server does.

They could be running IBM Lotus Domino or Novell Groupwise.

Everybody running a BlackBerry server does.

They could be running IBM Lotus Domino or Novell Groupwise.

You make several good points. As I said, I'm not fully familiar with all of the advanced technical details of the system (I worked in Marketing). My guess is that this story is blown a wee bit out of proportion, or someone just got a bit sloppy on implementation or something along those lines. I would be genuniely surprised if someone seriously dropped the ball on this.. it just isn't how BlackBerry does business. (Although they do seem to be a bit more "push it out the door" than they may have been two years ago when I worked there.)

My original point (if you take out the negativity focussed at the parent) was that this stuff happens in software and I'm sure it will get fixed soon.

Just to follow up on your other point -- BlackBerry is held by governments and independent audiors as being ridiculously secure. It is one of if not the only wireless email solution that is FIPS-140 cerified, amongst its other security certifications.


http://www.blackberry.net/products/software/server /groupwise/security.shtml is my source and a good starting point to read more about BlackBerry security. This page is far too buried on the site if you ask me...

Have a good one.

If you do decide to look into the PDA option, don't forget the BlackBerry. You don't necessarily need to set up the email service with a cell provider, and you'll still get an electronic memopad without an additional keyboard.

However, If you decide to splurge a bit, you can get the email service to send messages to friends/family throughout your trip (assuming cell coverage is available) and can get one that also has phone capabilities so you don't need to bring an extra device.

Mini ITX is great... really... I mean, for $2000 I can build myself a Mini-PC that is kick ass (well, shitty video card, ac97 audio, integrated LAN), but if I spend $1000, I can have a kick ass PC, with the ability to expand it in the future!!!

It's a PC for crying out loud... you need something small and powerful, by a custom solution... what is it with constantly trying to adapt an x86 architecture to solve all the real world problems out there? Whether you agree or not, the x86 is a PC solution, stop putting them in pagers, phones, cars, and whatever else...

Mini ITX is crazy, it prevents you from customizing the PC the way most PCs can be. You have limited space for expansion slots, logistical problems with cooling, and adding storage/optical drives, and in the end the damn thing runs the same OS as your desktop, and is used the same way... WHY??? There is a reason for the need of a small computer, and damnit, there is always a better more economical and practical solution than stripping an x86 to fit the criteria.

Everyone wants to play at the carrier level and RIM is one of the few small companies that has gotten there.

WTF are you talking about? There are several carriers you can choose from if you want a RIM. At least around here (Vancouver). In fact, here are the different carrier networks that RIM Blackberries operate on. RIM doesn't own any of them.

RIM plays at the carrier level no more than anyone else who manufactures a Mobitex or DataTAC device. And there are lots of those, for in-car taxicab terminals, police cruisers, and other dispatch systems.

Uh, maybe I'm missing something here, but isn't the device they're describing the same as Research in Motion's Blackberry ?

Why in the world would they put the same freaking keyboard that's in the smallest model in the big 17" mamoo? You've got all this real estate and could put in a decent sized and spaced keyboard. I mean I understand the cost savings of using the same parts, but it's so rediculous in that huge area. Lighted keys would definitely be more useful, Research in Motion realized that when they brought out the new Blackberries

...on why, perhaps, folks get slashdotted:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 jdf jdf 57197 Dec 17 10:12 original.html
-rw-rw-r-- 1 jdf jdf 10425 Dec 17 10:28 text.html

Yes, that's 47 kilobytes of javacript, headers, footers, CSS, and associated crap for about 10K of real info. Sure, there's also pictures and such, but this is basically 4x the original in overhead alone. Anyhow, here's the text from the site:

Pick a toy--any toy--for holiday gift-giving.

By Joan Lynch, Maura Butler, and Matt Miller -- EDN, 12/12/2002

Holy spokes, Bikeman!
Attach Hokey Spokes to your bike, and you'll have not only the coolest ride in the hood, but also the safest. Inventor and MIT graduate Dave Hoch wanted to take the terror out of night bike riding and designed the transparent "blades" to wirelessly communicate patterns or words with each other. You can put up to six blades on each wheel; a computer on each strip controls 16 LEDs in a variety of colors. Each blade costs $29.95 at www.hokeyspokes.com. Illumination Design Works, 1-617-924-4014.

Keyboard portability on a roll
Road warriors who prefer a full-sized keyboard with their laptops or PDAs will appreciate the Manhattan True-Touch Keyboard. When you're on the move, you can roll up the flexible, plastic unit and tuck it away. The keyboard features a QWERTY design and 104 raised keys that provide goodand quiettactile feedback, but using them will take some practice. Choose from PS/2 or USB connectivity. Units are dustproof and moistureproof and offer a lifetime of 15,000,000 keystrokes. Keyboards are available for around $27 from ThinkGeek, www.thinkgeek.com.

The "PC" PC
In an environmentally friendly move, NEC designed its PowerMate eco PC with 100% recyclable plastic and a 15-in. LCD flat-panel screen that contains no boron. The motherboard is made with lead-free solder, and the computer has no fan, which reduces the amount of dust dispersion for users with respiratory problems. The eco contains a 900-MHz Crusoe processor and a 20-Gbyte hard drive. And of course, it's Energy Star-compliant. The eco starts at $1599. NEC Corp, 1-800-338-9549, www.nec.com.

Free space
Combining a DVD player with a hard-disk-based PVR (personal video recorder), the Scenium Digital Media Recorder (DRS7000N) could be just the thing for overcrowded home-entertainment centers. The $599 unit features progressive-scan output for the clearest pictures and plays a variety of discs, including MP3 CDs and DVD+Rs/RWs. The PVR section handles the usual trick features, such as pausing live shows, and offers more than 30 hours of recording on its 40-Gbyte disk. Best of all, unlike PVRs such as TiVo, there's no fee for the EPG (electronic-program-guide) service. RCA/Thomson, 1-317-587-3000, www.rca.com.

The power of pictures
CyberLink's PowerProducer lets you produce your home movies and photos on DVD or CD for sharing with friends and family. If you're completely inexperienced, a step-by-step wizard-style program eases the way. It takes just three steps to import photo or video files from video-capture devices; you can then add special effects; adjust color; and trim, merge, and split video. The "QuickBurn" feature captures video from DV camcorders directly into DVDs in one click. Prices begin at $49.95. CyberLink USA, www.gocyberlink.com.

Mouse exterminator
Rid your desktop of mice with the iGesture Pad. The touchpad, which is just a bit smaller than a mouse pad, lets you use finger gestures to complete the same operations you would with a mouse. The $179 pad recognizes hundreds of hand gestures, including those that let you point, click, drag, and scroll. Twist your hand to open a file; spread your fingers to zoom. The USB-connected device is thin and small enough to travel and accepts commands from the right or left hand. Hmmm, wonder how it handles gestures you might make when your computer isn't behaving the way you'd like it to? FingerWorks, www.fingerworks.com.

Carry all
The multifunction Duex is an MP3/WMA player, voice recorder, and data-storage device in one portable package. Take off the bottom of the device to find a USB plug for attaching to the appropriate port on a computer. You can drag and drop music, image, video, and data files from the PC to the Duex and vice versa. The device features 128 Mbytes of memory for two hours of MP3 playback, four hours of WMA playback, and eight hours of voice playback; a backlit LCD shows song information in numerous languages. One AAA battery gives you more than 12 hours of music play. With a headphone/neckstrap, USB cable, software CD, manual, and one battery, the Duex mp302 costs $179. Innogear,
www.innogear.com.

Click it, stow it
The ultrasleek Pocket Digital is a handy, stylish way to capture favorite moments. The credit-card-sized digital camera captures and stores 52 high-resolution images at 1.3 megapixels. The lithium-polymer battery endures for hundreds of pictures and recharges through the USB connection. Image downloading is a snap. $129.95. Logitech, www.logitech.com.

The end of e-mail angst?
Neo (Nelson Email Organizer) might be just the ticket for reducing the stress associated with your daily barrage of e-mail. This add-on for Microsoft Outlook lets you work alongside or outside Outlook. Neo automatically sorts and prioritizes messages into intuitive folders. Searches are quick, and complicated filters are not necessary. The program deals with spam and bulk mailings and manages groups of messages by the type of attachments they contain (for example, all Excel files or Word documents together). Neo costs $39.95 for one copy; site licenses are also available. Caelo Software Inc, 1-250-354-5580, www.caelo.com.

Power protection
As more and more electronic equipment finds its way into more and more households, UPS devices could become commodity items for the average home owner. Six UPS models from Energizer will help protect home offices, home theaters, and PCs from power surges, spikes, brownouts, and outages. They automatically save open files, safely power down systems, and protect hardware when threatening power irregularities arise. Features include visual and audio warning indicators and USB connectivity. Prices range from $59.99 to $279.99. Eveready Battery Co, www.energizerups.com.

Surreptitious snapper
Fitting into the palm of your hand, the Mini Pen Cam 1.3 offers a still-image resolution of 1248960 pixels. Using its 16 Mbytes of flash memory, the device can store as many as 50 full-resolution pictures or 160 snapshots snapped at VGA resolution (640480). The $79.99 gadget also gives you the ability to shoot AVI-format movies, although their quality tops out at 624480 pixels and a choppy 10 frames/sec. In addition, the device, which runs on two AAA batteries, connects to a PC via USB to function as a Webcam. Aiptek, 1-949-585-9600, www.aiptek.com.

In touch, on the go
BlackBerry now lets you make and receive phone calls. The palm-sized BlackBerry 5810 wireless handheld device operates on GSM/GPRS networks to allow communication via wireless e-mail, SMS (short messaging service), or integrated GSM phone services, including call waiting, call answering, conference calling, and call forwarding. It comes with an earpiece and microphone for hands-free operation. You can even click on a telephone number inside an email message to place a call. The $499 device incorporates Java 2 Micro Edition. Research in Motion, www.blackberry.net.

Dude, you're gettin' a PDA
Like the PC before it, the PocketPC platform continues to attract more and more manufacturers. PC powerhouse Dell recently joined the fray with an aggressively priced model called the Axim X5. The device features a 3.5-in. transflective TFT with 240320-pixel resolution, as well as both CompactFlash and Secure Digital expansion slots. Two variants are available. The $299 model has a 400-MHz XScale processor, 64 Mbytes of SDRAM, and 48 Mbytes of flash ROM. A $199 configuration steps down to a 300-MHz processor and 32 Mbytes of each type of memory. Dell Computer, 1-800-999-3355, www.dell.com.

Risk averse
If you carry your office in a pocket-sized device, you're asking for trouble. What if you leave it on a plane or in a cab? The iPAQ h5450 tries to reduce the danger with integrated biometric security. A thermal fingerprint reader means only you can access your priceless data, and you can even add a layer of safety by combining the fingerprint sensor with a password. The $699 pocket-sized PC also includes a 400-MHz XScale processor, built-in IEEE 802.11b and Bluetooth capabilities, and an SDIO (Secure Digital Input Output) expansion slot. Hewlett-Packard, 1-650-857-1501, www.hp.com.

Bragging rights
The Zaurus SL-5600 gives the gadget geek ample reason to crow. It not only features a cool physical design with a hideaway keyboard, but also runs a version of Linux. The PDA boasts a 400-MHz Intel XScale processor, CompactFlash and Secure Digital expansion slots, 64 Mbytes of flash, 32 Mbytes of SDRAM, and a juicy 1700-mAhr battery. The device is slated to appear early next year, and pricing hasn't been announced yet, but its predecessor, the SL-5500, currently goes for $375. Sharp Electronics, 1-201-529-8200, www.sharpelectronics.com.

Stop graffiti
Thumb-pecked keyboards have become so popular on handheld devices that even Palm, the originator of the Graffiti handwriting-input system, now offers them. The $549 Tungsten W, slated for the first quarter of next year, features a tri-band GSM/GPRS radio and supports phone calls (via a headset), Web browsing, e-mail, and messaging. Powered by a 33-MHz Motorola Dragon-ball VZ processor, the PDA includes a Secure Digital expansion slot, Bluetooth, and a 320320-pixel color display. Palm, 1-408-503-7000, www.palm.com.

What ones have you seen? As I said, I've never seen a Java-based phone that prevents developers from loading their own apps.

You can get the LG 5350, Samsung SPH-A500, Samsung SPH-N400, Sanyo 4900, and Sanyo 5300 through Sprint PCS. There's a developer program at developer.sprintpcs.com.

You can get the Motorola i85s, i50sx, i55sr, i80s, i90c, and i95cl through Nextel. There are developer programs from Nextel and Motorola.

You can get the RIM BlackBerry 5810 from AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile. RIM has a developer's site with an SDK and simulator.

How about the Blackberry 5810? It runs J2ME and you can download an emulator and SDK from their developer's web site.

The Tungsten W has the *exact* form factor as the new BlackBerry 6710, so either Palm is very, very stupid or it's a fake.

The handheld shape, buttons, screensize, everything is identical except different colours.

For comparision, the 6710

The Blackberry from RIM is a most impressive Java based handheld, although I suspect that the reasons for Java being used on this handheld were to reduce the time and cost of developing the UI, and not particularly to allow other developers to add extra code and features to it.

In fact, I would suspect that the main reason for Java being suported by handhelds at the moment is to allow rapid development to robust components for the device as opposed to enabling every man and his dog to roll their own applets/applications for the device - something that could lead to broken devices and support nightmare if not carefully though about.

The new RIM Blackberry already does this (ie, has java built in)... they tout it as Java-Based BlackBerry Handheld With Integrated Phone for GSM/GPRS Networks in North America, which is great because Nokia usually starts a launch of products in Europe/Asia, and living in North America I can get my hand on one of these java-based babies sooner.

Try: http://www.blackberry.net/products/blackberry5810/ index.shtml
And go through the interactive demo... Under Introduction:Overview... it reads: "Includes powerful wireless handheld with Intel386 processor....."

BS... Anyone who is interested in the truth can look through the security white paper(http://www.blackberry.net/support/pdfs/bb_se curity_technical_wp_exchange_21.pdf). Apparently encrypted text look like clear text and frog51 is more paranoid than the government...

U.S. Army to Reap Benefits of Research In Motion's BlackBerry Wireless Email Solution (Dec 5, 2000)
"Government customers need secure wireless email. RIM's BlackBerry solution is the only complete solution that adheres to the government's strict security standards, filling a void in the handheld arena for government customers," said Zaman Khan, Sr. Director of Corporate Development for Intelligent Decisions. "Unlike other wireless solutions, the BlackBerry product offers unlimited email access for a single monthly rate, regardless of the amount of data transmitted. RIM's technology, combined with our integration expertise and innovative services, delivers a secure wireless email solution that allows Army users to keep a constant pulse on the day's activities and respond immediately."


Kasten Chase and Research In Motion to Provide BlackBerry Wireless Email Solution for U.S. Government's Defense Message System (February 8, 2001)
...today announced an agreement focused on providing secure wireless access to the U.S. Government's Defense Message System (DMS) via RIM's BlackBerry(TM) wireless email solution.

...

"We are very pleased to be working with RIM to introduce, for the first time, secure wireless access to the DMS application," said Paul Hyde, chief executive officer at Kasten Chase. "Our RASP Data Security and message handling software integrated with RIM's popular BlackBerry wireless email solution is a very compelling proposition for the existing 300,000 plus DMS users within the U.S. Department of Defense [DoD] and allied countries."

...

DMS is a global messaging system for military and intelligence communities. The system was initially designed for use by the allied countries and has been implemented by governments in the United States, Great Britain and Canada. Within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Defense Information System Agency (DISA), began implementing DMS in 1988. DISA's objective is to provide some 2,000,000 defense personnel around the globe with DMS services based on commercial products such as BlackBerry with RASP Data Security and RASP Secure Access.


BlackBerry Wireless Handhelds Meet Important Security Standard for Government Customers (March 20, 2001)
...today announced that the BlackBerry Wireless Handheld(TM) has been awarded the FIPS 140-1Validation for its embedded encryption technology by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

...

Under the Information Technology Management Reform Act, the Secretary of Commerce approves standards and guidelines that are developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for U.S. Federal computer systems. NIST collaborates with national and international standards committees, users, industry groups, consortia, and research and trade organizations to get needed standards developed. These standards and guidelines are issued by NIST as Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) for use government-wide. NIST develops FIPS when there are compelling Federal government requirements such as for security and privacy of sensitive information in Federal computer systems.

The Treo matches this RIM feature for feature and surpasses it in a few important areas: Unlike this new Blackberry, the design is such that it is actually useful as a phone--it looks like a phone, talks like a phone, etc. Always-on email is coming with GPRS later this year, and the available Qwerty thumboard is also just as good.

The Treo is smaller (RIM: 4.6 x 3.1 x 0.7 inches, Treo: 4.3" x 2.7" x 0.7"), it has a touchscreen, runs PalmOS, has 16 megs of ram (RIM: 8 + 1 sdram). There may be more. I can't tell, but it looks as though you may need to use the headset to use the voice capabilities. Treo offers you all three: handset, headset, speakerphone.

It looks as though the RIM uses GRPS [blackberry.net] instad of the Mobitex network. This should mean faster download times than the treo. However, as soon as Handspring gets the firmware update out, it will also be using the same network.

It says here "GPRS upgradeable upon availability" - that rather implies it's not GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) at launch. That makes this rather less desirable - it's not "always on", and you're charged by time rather than by data. The fact it says "upon availability" makes this sound like a rushed out product. Compare this with the RIM Blackberry, which has been out for ages and has GPRS.

While I agree with the "But Microsoft often gets it right on the third try." (look at ActiveSync), I don't agree that Palm got it right on the first try. It's just that their first try was good enough to catch a lot of interest and gave them the resources to focus on what the Palm does best. Microsoft is obviously aiming for the "gee wizz" category that will still not fit the largest target, but will undoubtably garner a following because of the neat features.

As for me, my iPaq sits in a drawer, while my Blackberry 957 goes with me everywhere because it's a business tool, instead of just a toy. :)

The biggest problem I have with most handhelds is the UI. My handwriting has been unfavorably compared to Sanskrit,(why do you think I got into computers in the first place?) and Graffiti is even worse (I tried.) I have a RIM Blackberry 957, and I can touchtype (with my thumbs, would you believe) around 20-30 wpm. Plus it syncs with my email, calendar, etc... and it's got an always-on, wireless modem, and rechargable batteries (that's the big one. Little one runs off of AA's.) I've never run the battery down yet (and I've gone a couple weeks between recharges at times). And you can write your own Java programs for them, or download from Tucows or Handango. Downers: They're expensive. Figger around $500 US for the unit (I think the smaller, pager-sized ones are about 20% less expensive), and then there's the monthly wireless service costs, which tend to vary with the ISP. Oh, yeah- get the Internet Edition. Enterprise edition is for corporate emails; and is way beyond what's needed for home use. Wireless service area is currently US/Canada only (and if you can't use a cellphone where you're at, you probably won't get reception on this, either.) Also, the screen's black-and-white only, and it's not touch-sensitive (since you have the keyboard.) And I can't telnet with it (yet), daggone it. But I can netsurf, get email, send email, and check my contacts/notes/tasks, generally faster than people can look it up in Daytimers or PC's. And no, I'm not a RIM employee. :)

The biggest problem I have with most handhelds is the UI. My handwriting has been unfavorably compared to Sanskrit,(why do you think I got into computers in the first place?) and Graffiti is even worse (I tried.) I have a RIM Blackberry 957, and I can touchtype (with my thumbs, would you believe) around 20-30 wpm. Plus it syncs with my email, calendar, etc... and it's got an always-on, wireless modem, and rechargable batteries (that's the big one. Little one runs off of AA's.) I've never run the battery down yet (and I've gone a couple weeks between recharges at times). And you can write your own Java programs for them, or download from Tucows or Handango. Downers: They're expensive. Figger around $500 US for the unit (I think the smaller, pager-sized ones are about 20% less expensive), and then there's the monthly wireless service costs, which tend to vary with the ISP. Oh, yeah- get the Internet Edition. Enterprise edition is for corporate emails; and is way beyond what's needed for home use. Wireless service area is currently US/Canada only (and if you can't use a cellphone where you're at, you probably won't get reception on this, either.) Also, the screen's black-and-white only, and it's not touch-sensitive (since you have the keyboard.) And I can't telnet with it (yet), daggone it. But I can netsurf, get email, send email, and check my contacts/notes/tasks, generally faster than people can look it up in Daytimers or PC's. And no, I'm not a RIM employee. :)

Sure this is going to take time, what doesn't? we have seen what a rush does with all the .coms crashing. But with divices such as Blackberry we are getting there. Before you ask no I'm not a user I have a Visor Edge.

I used a SkyTel pager for a few years. The technology was fine, but the customer service sucked so hard that you could just call their 800 number, put the phone handset in a bell jar, and create a laboratory-grade vacuum in under a minute. I may have received a bill that was correct once, but if so, it was by accident.

I eventually just got a PCS cellphone, and pretty much ignore the cellphone part. It's cheaper and it seems to work just as well.

I also hear good things about the blackberry but I haven't had a chance to try it myself yet.

The Blackberry is awesome! I had mine for a year and a half (until I gave in to my friends and got a Palm VII). Check out either one -- I still prefer the blackberry, but since most everyone else I work and interact with either has a Palm or Handspring, I can't go back. gl -- John

My sentiment's exactly. I'm in a similar situation such as yourself. Currently, I don't own or carry a phone, though my company wants me to carry a blackberry pager. While it is cool to be able to read my email on the train, I find that the unit itself is usless for anything else. (The paging service doesn't even work!) And now my visor doesn't get as much use as a result. I do plan to get the visorphone although I am troubled somewhat by the fact that the phone won't work in europe. Handspring does imply that later generation phones may be able to work in the EU as well as the US. I may get the phone regardless depending on what people have to say about the service

What about those personal organizers ? There are the Franklins, the Sharps, and what else ? Anybody play around with those cybikos ?

I'm thinking of building a prototype for a product, which will be a small organizer or two way pager like device with a key board and small 4 line screen. I know nothing about ergonomics, so I'd like to examine the best example.

http://www.blackberry.net
*shrug* I've got the old school one that doesn't have web (only email) and I dig the chicklet "thumb" keys & scrollie wheel interface...

If I could afford a more feature rich version with web access, I'd jump on it. (okay feature rich probably means "tetris" so sue me =P)

there's something about having the equivalent of a 386 on yer belt.

Is anyone designing cool apps for these?

YMMV

E.

personally i'm quite a big fan of the small QWERTY keyboard on the RIM Blackberry Pager. this keyboard looks ludicriously small and awkward until you realize that you're meant to use it with your thumbs it makes a lot of sense. i see no reason why thumb keyboards couldn't work for these very small devices. it beats graffiti too as you can use it with just one hand if necessary.

- j

Blackberry PDA

This is the device to get the geek on your list. I'll take the keyboard+wheel combo over a stylus any day, and the 9600kbps radio modem inside these things rocks! Wireless email that WORKS (unfortunately it requires windows at this time) and web browsing (seperate services offered through GoAmerica.) Kinda steep ($500 for the big-screen version), but it's the ultimate wireless PDA right now, IMO.

paulb

p.s. Plus it looks like the Guide with all those buttons on it. ;-)

Why would I want to use an AIM program where I had to type each letter on an onscreen keyboard?

You don't need an onscreen keyboard. Useful handhelds have real keyboards; check out Blackberry, which users claim is easier and faster to enter input on than a Palm Pilot.

Why would I use a web browser that had a maximum screenres of 180x100 (or thereabouts)?

Because maybe you want information instead of some Web designer's idea of the pixel-perfect layout. You don't need much resolution to check stock quotes, check the weather, buy a book, or read news. Other than pr0n, there's nothing wrong with a small resolution.

I find it very intersting that they say WAP is failing in the U.K. and Germany. This is where there ought to be the greatest demand for the services since cell devices are more ubiquitous and there has been strong industry support for it.

Everyone wants to wail about the patents and the proprietary cloning of web protocols -- which is valid. But the larger issue is the corporate cultural disonnect between telcos and web ventures. Telcos want control over everything on their networks. WAP pretty much gives it to them -- witness the limited service that they complain about in Australia. Also note that some french carrier recently lost a suit related to their attempt to limit web access to "approved" URLs! Clearly the telcos do not get it.

Except for NTT DoCoMo. They built out their network to support TCP and true web delivery. And it has been a complete, stunning success.

DoCoMo, and the relative lack of success of WAP services, underscore the severe limitations of serving web content to a cell phone. To me, the mobile web will have to wait for better cell nets, and for better mobile devices. (Go EPOC + Bluetooth!) Most of us will simply never need the web on our phones. In that respect, the freeprotocol.org folks have it right about the relative merit of simple messaging technologies in lieo of web services. The kinds of things that work in WAP can be done better with lighter weight messaging protocols -- as in Blackberry devices.

I got one of these about 2 or 3 months ago, and it is the ideal accessory for Webheads on the go. I wanted it because I do most of my work on client sites, and I need a means to get to my e-mail when I am enroute to a client or in-between two offices.

BellSouth Wireless Data provides service in the United States. Cantel provides service in Canada. Service is quite good in large cities and along major highways. YMMV, but it works in about 90% of the metropolitan areas in the USA.

You can get service for US$24.95 per month and up. The only thing I think most people will find upsetting is that service is metered unless you want to pay around $100 per month.

I use it for wireless e-mail, but it can also be used for some sort of wireless Internet access. I think the provider of that service is GoAmerica.

FWIW, I looked at the market and decided that the Blackberry pager was more practical than the Palm VII, and then I took the plunge. It would be a cool gift, but it is definitely for the CEO type or the geek who has everything.

--

Dave Aiello

I had often wondered about security issues with wireless devices. On one such instance a fight between my autoresponder and another left my blackberry dead in no time flat. I also wondered what kind of security wireless could provide considering todays and yesterdays "snooping" technology such as "TEMPEST". Kinda broadens the scope of the rumored ECHELON. Boy has the NSA got a lot to snoop now.

SL33ZE, MCSD
em: joedipshit@hotmail.com

What bugs me about all this blessed praise for Handspring's Razor is how off-base the product (and its overpriced Big Daddy) is. While it's less overpriced, it's still incredibly cumbersome to use, and more importantly, it doesn't give universal wireless email access (unless your universe is New York).

Matter of fact, I recently spent a day messing with RIM's new Blackberry device and ended up feeling downright disgusted with Palm/Spring. Specifically, I loved that Blackberry a) had keyboard entry; b) a perfect form factor; and c) and ubiquitous, wireless email.

It was insanely addictive, like the early days of cell phones when it was fun to call someone from the car (or the roller blades) Just Because You Could, it is totally cool to send emails from the neighbor's couch, Just Because You Can.

At the same time, as Mark Anderson points out in a recent column, any device that has united Michael Dell, Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen has got big buzz. After all, Allen just paid $1.65B for RCN which is getting ready to roll out Blackberry service.

P.
http://www.groksoup.com

The technically interesting stuff on the BlackBerry is to be found here. (Needs Acrobat Reader).

It uses BellSouth Wireless Data's "Intelligent Wireless Network" to "serve 93% of the urban U.S. business population, which covers 266 metropolitan statistical areas across the country, as well as major transportation corridors and more than 130 of the nation's top airports." Gosh.

But it looks like it's completely tied in to M$ Exchange/Outlook so Slashdotters should probably look elsewhere. (Or start doing some reverse engineering?)

Regards, Ralph.

Bellsouth support is also kind of spotty -- the "A" key on mine sometimes works, sometimes doesn't and I've sent BS a couple of emails asking if they'll replace it. Nada responses.

The Blackberry looks interesting but it only works with Exchange. How about one that works with Linux?!

Say 'hi' to Thahn (sp?)!