Datasheet

With the growing popularity of the device, software developers

outside RIM are taking advantage of this growing market — which

means literally hundreds of applications are now out there for you

to download.

Download? Absolutely! BlackBerry supports the downloading of

applications and games through the BlackBerry Browser. And of

course, it’s wireless. For example, you can download more produc-

tivity tools such as spreadsheet applications or an exciting game of

Texas-Hold ’em. The number of BlackBerry applications and games

is growing — and growing fast.

To be honest, there’s no way to foresee how many applications will

be on the market when this book is published. And the price of an

application varies, depending on how sophisticated the program

is, so we can’t give firm numbers. But if you’re curious, check out

Part V, where we describe some of the best applications and games

out there.

Intrigued? Your questions about how your Pearl can take advan-

tage of the Web and wireless download are answered in due time

(in Chapter 9, to be precise).

Me and my great personal assistant

You might be saying, “But I’m really a busy person, and I don’t have

time to browse the Web. What I do need is an assistant to help me

better organize my day-to-day tasks.” If you can afford one, by all

means go ahead and hire a personal assistant. If not, the next best

thing is a personal digital assistant (PDA). Many PDAs are on the

market today; the most popular ones are marketed by Palm and

WinCE. Getting a PDA can be a big help — and much less expensive

than hiring a secretary.

So, are we telling you to go out and buy a PDA? No way! Put away

that credit card because you don’t need to go that route.

Whip out your Pearl and take a closer look. That’s right, your Pearl

is also a full-fledged PDA, able to help you remember all your

acquaintances (see Chapter 4), manage your appointments

(Chapter 5), keep a to-do list (Chapter 6), and much more.

Me and my chatty self

With all the features just described above, your Pearl is also a full-

featured phone. With voice dialing, and the ability to carry out

Chapter 1: Your BlackBerry Is Not an Edible Fruit

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