Doing the BlackBerry [10 tips]

Ever since a known mobile operator here in Slovenia started offering CrackBerries at affordable price (along with a 2-year contract and 20€/100Mb data plan), these toys started to become more and more popular among my friends and my blogger colleagues. And then questions showed up.. How to do this and how to do that, where to find this and where to find that, can I do this and can I do that,..? Let me try and be of some help here, starting with basic questions and answers:

1. What software do I need to sync my Berry with Outlook and iTunes on Windows?

• Use BlackBerry Desktop Software. It will also allow you to update your BlackBerry OS.

2. And what if I’m a Mac user?

• Then you can use PocketMac for BlackBerry. It’s not an RIM app, but it’s free and — what is most important — it works! Using it you can sync your Berry with iTunes, Mail.app, iPhoto, Entourage, et cetera.

3. How to make Berry compatible with Slovenian national code and cross-compatible your phonebook?

• Jan already wrote about this, so just follow instructions in his post.

4. Are there any RSS readers available for Berry?

• Yes, I know three of them: Viigo, Berry Bloglines and NewsGator Go!. NewsGator Go! uses Newsgator subscrition system and is therefore my RSS reader of choice because it allows me to sync feeds between different Newsgator branded readers on office PC, home Mac and of course my Berry. Viigo, which is at the moment still in beta phase, already has some nice features, including full integration with My Viigo system. I never tried Berry Bloglines but, hence the name, it uses Bloglines service for RSS subscription and therefore also promises full PC & Mac integration.

5. How to make screenshots of my Berry?

• You can buy SnapScreen, — a standalone Berry app — for ~7$, or you can use Optitronic‘s BBScreenShotter app, which is Windows dependant – so no go for Mac users.

6. Are there any free file-managers available for my Berry?

• Rove Mobile File Manager enables you to manage files in your Berry’s memory and on memory card. It also lets you access FTP files and supports windows file sharing and has built in notepad. Their web site states that the product is now discontinued, but the last version was available for free (before you had to pay for it) and is still available for download (here!).

7. How about a standalone text editor?

• BBNotePad does the job.

8. I don’t like BlackBerry Media Player!

• You can try xPlayer. Free version supports various video and audio formats, but I you want to listen to streaming radio, you will have to pay the license.

9. Are there any other BlackBerry apps you would suggest?

• Well, you probably already know Flickr Photo Uploader, Windows Live Messenger, Facebook , Google Talk, Google Maps and Opera Mini, right?

10. Are there any Blackberry resources on the web, that you would suggest to us?

• Crackberry.com – #1 site for BlackBerry users (and abusers)
• BB Geeks – Blackberry news, reviews and information
• RIMarkable blog – the official, unofficial BlackBerry blog
• Blackberry Forums – Blackberry user community
• BlackBerry Freeware blog – free Blackberry apps
• BlackBerry Freeware on Squido – also a nice reosurce on free Berry apps

I hope some of you will find your questions answers up here. If you have more questions, feel free to ask.

— Regards, Milan