BlackBerry comes of age

InfoWorld - E-mail and text messaging features are now built into virtually all cellular-equipped mobile devices. That reflects businesses' need to provide employees with both synchronous and asynchronous methods of communication. The granddaddy of all mobile messaging devices is the BlackBerry from Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM). The original hip-side messaging companion quickly became a status symbol -- then became part of the lives of all who carried it.
Faced with competition from sleek and silvery Palm and Pocket PC devices, and messaging-equipped smart phones, RIM couldn't stick with its staid design. The 7200 series was born to bring the BlackBerry into the modern age. The 7230, reviewed here, represents more of an aesthetic upgrade than a functional one, but there are a few new features worth noting, especially over-the-air synchronization with desktop mailboxes and the capability to view Office and PDF documents.
Getting online
During a two-month period, I tested the 7230 and T-Mobile USA Inc.'s service in several cities. My primary desktop machine was an Apple Computer Inc. PowerBook G4 with Windows XP running under Microsoft Corp.'s Virtual PC.
The process of setting up the 7230 varies depending on your company's server configuration. RIM sells optional Enterprise Server plug-ins for Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino. I found RIM's Web client service more useful, partly because my personal IT infrastructure is powered entirely by Apple Xserve machines, but also because the Web client is so easy to administer. The Web client still performs over-the-air reconciliation with your in-box, and it will also forward messages to you from other Post Office Protocol mail servers.
The 7230 isn't a Web browsing device. It's limited to Wireless Access Protocol and Wireless Markup Language sites, of which there are few. You can get news, weather and maps through the 7230. Beyond that, you can do no surfing.

A BlackBerry in hand
On the 7230, the position of the thumbwheel and escape-button controls is more awkward than on previous BlackBerries, and they both require more pressure to push. I found that I often had to use two hands to operate the wheel: one to press the wheel and one to steady the left side of the device. The 7230's keyboard is excellent. The keys are brightly backlit and are set to a perfect pressure for quick typing with both thumbs. The numeric keys, once across the top, are now arranged in a phonelike array on the left side.
In bright artificial light and ordinary daylight, the color display is very easy to read. But I had