BlackBerry

From Free net encyclopedia

This article is about the wireless e-mail device. For the fruit, see blackberry. For other meanings, see blackberry (disambiguation).

Image:Bb7100.jpg

The BlackBerry is a wireless handheld device introduced in 1999 which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, web browsing and other wireless information services. It was developed by Research In Motion (RIM) and delivers information over the wireless data networks of cellular telephone companies. BlackBerry made headway in the marketplace by first concentrating on e-mail. RIM currently offers BlackBerry e-mail service to non-BlackBerry devices, such as Palm Treo, through BlackBerry Connect software.

Research In Motion was involved in a patent dispute with NTP, Inc., which could have potentially forced RIM to suspend service to most BlackBerry users in the United States. The dispute was settled out-of-court in March 2006. See NTP, Inc.

Contents

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Hardware

Image:Bb7510.jpg The devices are manufactured by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM) in Waterloo, Ontario, and are resold by cellular phone companies throughout the world. They fit in the palm of the hand and are operated using a trackwheel and buttons. The original BlackBerry device had a monochrome display, but all current models have colour displays.

While including the usual PDA applications (address book, calendar, to-do lists, etc.) as well as telephone capabilities on newer models, the BlackBerry is primarily known for its ability to send and receive e-mail anywhere it has access to an appropriate wireless network, as well as for its built-in keyboard optimized for "thumbing", or using only the thumbs to type. System navigation is primarily accomplished by the trackwheel (or "thumbwheel"), a scrolling wheel with a "click" function, located on the right side of the device. Some models (such as 7510 and 7520) also incorporate a two-way radio.

Modern BlackBerry handhelds incorporate an ARM 7 or 9 processor, however older BlackBerry 950 and 957 handhelds used Intel 80386 processors. The latest BlackBerry models (8700 series) operate with an Intel PXA901 at 312 MHz and 64 MB flash memory and 16 MB SDRAM.<ref>See BlackBerry 8700c Technical Specifications.</ref>

The devices are very popular with some businesses, where they are primarily used to provide e-mail delivery to roaming employees. To fully integrate the BlackBerry into a company, the installation of BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is required.

In November, 2004, RIM announced that the number of subscribers to the BlackBerry service had reached two million, having doubled within ten months.[1] Continuing their growth, RIM announced an additional one million subscribers in May, 2005, only six months after reaching two million.[2] On December 21, 2005, RIM announced that their subscriber base reached 4.3 million subscribers [3] and has surpassed 5 million by March 2006, despite slowing sales [4].

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Keyboard

Most BlackBerry devices come with a full, albeit tiny, QWERTY keyboard, using the "Alt" key to enter numbers and special characters. A self-configurable "Auto Text" feature can be used for frequent words or easier input of special characters like umlauts (point 13 at [5], German). The 7100 series models feature a reduced-key keyboard and use SureType technology to allow each key to represent multiple letters, numbers, and symbols.

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Operating system

RIM provides a proprietary operating system (OS) for the BlackBerry, which makes heavy use of the device's specialized input devices, particularly the thumbwheel. The OS provides support for MIDP 1.0 and WAP 1.2. Previous versions allowed wireless synchronization with Microsoft Exchange Server's e-mail and calendar, as well as with Lotus Domino's e-mail. The current OS 4 provides a subset of MIDP 2.0, and allows complete wireless activation and synchronization with Exchange's e-mail, calendar, tasks, notes and contacts, and adds support for Novell GroupWise and Lotus Notes.

Third-party developers can write software using these APIs, and proprietary BlackBerry APIs as well, but any application that makes use of certain restricted functionality must be digitally signed so that it can be associated to a developer account at RIM. This signing procedure guarantees the authorship of an application, but does not guarantee the quality or security of the code.

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Supporting software

BlackBerry handheld integration into an organization's e-mail system is provided through a software package called "BlackBerry Enterprise Server" (BES). Versions of BES are available for Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise.

Individual users can often use e-mail services provided by the wireless provider and therefore may not be required to install a BES server on their local network, but organizations that have multiple wireless users usually run BES on their own network.

BES can act as a sort of e-mail relay for corporate accounts so that users always have access to their e-mail. The software monitors the user's local "inbox", and when a new message comes in, it picks up the message and passes it to RIM's Network Operations Center (NOC). The messages are then relayed to the user's wireless provider, which in turn delivers them to the user's BlackBerry device. This is called Push procedure, where the mobile user doesn't have to synchronize the data by hand. All new e-mails, contacts and calendar entries are pushed to the BlackBerry device automatically. Device storage also enables the mobile user to access all data offline in areas without wireless service. As soon as the user connects again, the BES sends the latest data. This way the handheld is always up-to-date.

BES also provides handhelds with TCP/IP connectivity that is proxied through a component called "Mobile Data Service" (MDS). This allows for custom application development using data streams on BlackBerry devices based on the Sun Microsystems Java ME platform.

In addition, BES provides security, in the form of Triple DES or, more recently, AES encryption of all data (both e-mail and MDS traffic) that travels between the BlackBerry handheld and a BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

The universal and push-based connectivity of the BES/MDS infrastructure are among the most valuable aspects of Research In Motion's product. An organization can have devices on different carriers, and connected through different cellular network protocols, all functioning in an integrated fashion.

Most providers offer flat monthly pricing for unlimited data between BlackBerry units and BES, which also enhances the value of the MDS component. In addition to receiving e-mail, organizations can make intranets or custom internal applications with unmetered traffic.

With more recent versions of the BlackBerry platform, the MDS is no longer a requirement for wireless data access. Beginning with OS 3.8 or 4.0, BlackBerry handhelds can access the Internet (i.e. TCP/IP access) without an MDS - previously only e-mail and WAP access was possible without a BES/MDS. The BES/MDS is still required for secure e-mail, data access, and applications that require WAP from carriers that do not allow WAP access.

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Third party software

Thanks to the MDS component and universally supported Java, a growing number of third party commercial applications are available for BlackBerry. These include applications in sales force automation, customer relationship management, and remote IT administration.

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Social usage

Thanks to their gain in popularity, BlackBerry devices are also used in social scenarios for setting up dates or movie viewing times with friends and acquaintances. The ease of keying in and sending not only e-mails, but mobile "short messages" (SMS) as well, is particularly practical, e.g. to quickly answer a mail message to a sender with a mobile phone, even if they do not have a BlackBerry.

RIM is increasingly integrating instant messaging into their new devices and software. RIM offers it's own proprietary BlackBerry Instant Messenger, but also began offering a Yahoo Chat client in 2005 and introduced a Google Talk client in early 2006 [6]. There is speculation of an upcoming MSN Messenger client.

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Name origin

"Take the name BlackBerry. Whimsical as it may seem, RIM settled on it only after weeks of work by Lexicon Branding Inc., the Sausalito, California–based firm that named Intel Corp.’s Pentium microprocessor and Apple’s PowerBook. One of the naming experts at Lexicon thought the miniature buttons on RIM’s product looked like the tiny seeds in a strawberry, Lexicon founder David Placek says. A linguist at the firm thought straw was too slow sounding. Someone else suggested blackberry. RIM went for it." From a Bloomberg article by Anthony Effinger.

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Nicknames

The ability to read e-mail that is received in realtime, anywhere, has made the BlackBerry devices infamously addictive, earning them the nickname "CrackBerry". Smaller blue-coloured models of the BlackBerry are colloquially nicknamed "BlueBerrys". The devices were called RIMs by some early adopters after the abbreviated company name displayed prominently on early BlackBerry devices.

Within the company, various model families are named for subatomic particles; names used include Electron, Proton, Baryon, Quark and Charm.

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Problems

A musculoskeletal disorder has arisen from repeated Blackberry use. Dubbed BlackBerry Thumb, it causes pain and tenderness in the thumbs to a point where people have problems using them, thus minimizing dexterity.

A non-physical problem is the constant attachment to email. Most users get Blackberry devices in order to increase their productivity, but they tend to encourage multi-tasking which can make it difficult for users to concentrate on other tasks when out of the office.

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Models

Image:Blackberry850.gif

Early models:

  • RIM 850 small monochrome screen, operates on DataTAC network, e-mail and WAP services only
  • RIM 857 large monochrome screen, operates on DataTAC network, e-mail and WAP services only
  • RIM 950 small monochrome screen, operates on Mobitex network, e-mail and WAP services only
  • RIM 957 large monochrome screen, operates on Mobitex network, e-mail and WAP services only

Java-based models:

  • 5790 large 160x160 pixel monochrome screen, operates on 900 MHz Mobitex network, e-mail services only
  • 5810 large monochrome screen, operates on 1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, phone but headset required
  • 6210 medium 160x100 pixel monochrome screen, operates on 900/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone

Image:Blackberry1.jpg

  • 6230 medium 160x100 pixel monochrome screen, operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone (blue case)
  • 6280 medium 160x100 pixel monochrome screen, operates on 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone
  • 6510 medium monochrome screen, operates on iDEN network, integrated phone, integrated two-way radio
  • 6710 large monochrome screen, operates on 900/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone
  • 6750 large monochrome screen, operates on 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1xRTT network, integrated phone
  • 7100 large 240x260 colour screen, operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone with speakerphone, Bluetooth, (internal codename: "Charm" )
    • 7100t T-Mobile version of the 7100
      • 7105t T-Mobile updated version of the 7100 and features beveled rows of keys, similar to Nokia's 668X series, for easier touch typing. It also features larger send and end keys. The screen has been improved as well. It is now more legible outdoors, uses less power and is less susceptible to scratches.
    • 7100r Rogers version of the 7100
    • 7100v Vodafone version of the 7100
    • 7100g Hong Kong/Cingular version of the 7100
    • 7100x O2 version of the 7100
    • 7100i Nextel version of the 7100, with Push-to-talk,GPS
  • 7130 large 240x260 colour screen, operates on 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1x and EV-DO network, integrated phone with speakerphone, Bluetooth
    • 7130e Verizon version of the 7130
  • 7210 medium 240x160 pixel colour screen, operates on 900/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone
  • 7230 medium 240x160 pixel colour screen, operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone
  • 7250 medium 240x160 pixel colour screen, operates on 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1x network, integrated phone, Bluetooth
  • 7270 medium 240x160 pixel colour screen, operates on corporate Wi-Fi 802.11b networks for data and VOIP. This model is unusual as it does not work on any cell networks.
  • 7280 medium 240x160 pixel colour screen, operates on 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone
  • 7290 medium 240x160 pixel colour screen, operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone with Bluetooth
  • 7510 medium 240x160 pixel colour screen, operates on iDEN network, integrated phone with speakerphone, integrated two-way radio
  • 7520 medium 240x160 pixel colour screen, operates on iDEN network, integrated phone with speakerphone, integrated two-way radio, GPS and Bluetooth
  • 7730 large 240x240 pixel colour screen, operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone
  • 7750 large 240x240 pixel colour screen, operates on 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1x network, integrated phone
  • 7780 large 240x240 pixel colour screen, operates on 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS network, integrated phone
  • 8700 large 320x240 pixels and 65K colour depth, operates on 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE network, integrated phone with speakerphone, Bluetooth
    • 8700c Cingular version of the 8700
    • 8700r Rogers version of the 8700
    • 8700f Orange version of the 8700
    • 8700g T-Mobile and Telefonica Moviles version of the 8700
    • 8707v Vodafone UK 3G version of the 8700 [7]
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Phones with BlackBerry e-mail client

Several ordinary mobile phones have been released featuring the BlackBerry e-mail client which connects to BlackBerry servers. All these phones have full QWERTY keyboards.

  • Siemens SK65, Operates on 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM network, 132x176 pixel screen
  • Nokia 6810 Operates on 900/1800/1900MHz GSM network, 128x128 pixel screen
  • Nokia 6820 Operates on 900/1800/1900MHz GSM network, American variant on 850/1800/1900 GSM network, 128x128 pixel screen
  • Nokia 9300 Operates on 900/1800/1900MHz GSM network, 128x128 and 640x200 pixel screen
  • Nokia 9500 Operates on 900/1800/1900MHz GSM network, 128x128 and 640x200 pixel screen
  • Sony Ericsson P910 Operates on 900/1800/1900MHz GSM network, American and Chinese variants on 850/1800/1900, 208x320 pixel screen
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Popular culture

Terry Pratchett's 30th Discworld novel, Thud!, features a "Gooseberry model" imp, which is used by Samuel Vimes to transmit messages (through the clacks) and find files in his office.

Mike Novick uses a BlackBerry on Fox's 24 to communicate with Jack Bauer about a nerve gas threat.

In UPN's cult hit TV show Veronica Mars, Lynn Echolls leaves her suicide note on a BlackBerry.

In FOX's animated political satire American Dad!, Steve picks up a BlackBerry after Dick Cheney was shocked many times. Steve starts to prank all countries which leads them into a small trouble.

In the Control episode of Fox's medical drama House, workaholic businesswoman Carly uses (with a touch of addiction) a BlackBerry.

In the 2005 romantic comedy Hitch (film), Albert Brennaman receives a warning on his BlackBerry from Alex Hitchens that his beloved Allegra Cole is on her way into his office.

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References and notes

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External links

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