Research In Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry 7230 is a tri-band (900/1,800/1,900MHz) wireless handheld device with a colour display. Designed primarily for business travellers or those who need constant access to their e-mail accounts, the BlackBerry 7230 is very much based around the 'keep it simple' ethos - there's no fancy hardware or software, just a suite of almost utilitarian applications, There's no support for external data storage either, with just 16MB of built-in RAM and 2MB SRAM.

The 11.3x7.4x2.0cm, 136g, BlackBerry 7230 doesn't compete with most multimedia-rich PDAs currently on the market. Instead, it's pitched head-to-head with the easiest to use, most communications-friendly devices. With this in mind, RIM and its new UK communications partner T-Mobile, reckon the BlackBerry is all the pocket computer a professional in a small enterprise, or a home user, needs to keep themselves organised and informed.

The device, and its less expensive mono-screened sister, the BlackBerry 6230, are likely to lodge themselves firmly in the corporate sector, where they have previously scored quite a hit because of their ability to collect e-mail from anywhere a GPRS signal can be found. Corporate users achieve this by pushing e-mail out of their networks to the device. The new consumer service offered by T-Mobile, called InstantEmail (which is also available on several other e-mail devices) works by diverting e-mail sent to your desktop PC to the BlackBerry.

You don't need to install any software to achieve this, but you do need to input a few details about your e-mail services. The service works with up to 10 corporate or personal POP3- or IMAP-compliant e-mail accounts, including AOL and Hotmail. Messages sent from the handheld can be sent via your existing e-mail addresses too, making the process appear seamless. Internet browsing is permitted via the WAP browser, so there are some limitations, but pages are generally downloaded at speeds equivalent to a 56Kbit/s modem.

Similar to most PDAs, the BlackBerry 7230 comes with a range of built-in software. This includes an Address book, Calendar and To-do list manager. You also get a version of IntelliSync data sharing software to synchronise with a number of popular desktop applications, including Outlook, Lotus Notes, Lotus Organiser and ACT. The device has voice communications facilities, of course, and you can hold it to your ear to make voice calls or use the supplied headset. Support for Java comes as standard and a small, but growing army of third-party software is available which you can install via a desktop connection.

On-device controls are minimal. You navigate between and through applications using a scroll wheel and selection button. The screen is not touch sensitive. There is a back-lit QWERTY keyboard however, which makes life easier when sending SMSs and e-mails.

There's a bit of an issue with e-mail attachments mind due. Rather than download these to the device automatically, you're first informed about attachments before the BlackBerry attempts to download them, or bits of them if they're large. Word files download okay and the few relatively basic Excel sheets we received were legible. PowerPoint slides are reduced to their textual content however, which is poor considering the device's target market. PDFs fared worst in our tests and were very much a hit and miss affair.

The BlackBerry 7230 itself is easy to configure, though the instructions don't warn you that you have to change the frequency with which your desktop e-mail software automatically sends and retrieves messages. This is because the BlackBerry's software checks for messages every 15 minutes. If your e-mail software is setup to download mail more frequently than 15 minutes, the BlackBerry won't retrieve any mail whatsoever because messages will most likely have been deleted from the mail server. This is a small price to pay for having access to e-mail on the move. There's more good news too, which is that the life of the removable Lithium-Ion battery is excellent - we used it constantly for over three days on a single charge.

The BlackBerry 7230 will appeal most to business travellers who fancy the idea of using the same device for wireless voice and e-mail connectivity whilst travelling globally. Consumers who also need to access e-mail throughout the day may also find the device useful. Bear in mind that you have to buy a phone contract, as well as pay a £10 per-month supplement for 100MB of data.

Specifications:
Size: 11.3x7.4x2.0cm
Weight: 136g
Memory: 16MB Flash, 2MB SRAM
Display: 240x160-pixel TFT (65,000 colours)
Modem: Embedded RIM wireless modem
Battery life: 4hrs talk time, 10 hours standby
Keyboard: Backlit QWERTY
Other: Mono speaker, microphone, trackwheel
Networks: Tri-band (900/1,800/1,900MHz), GSM, GPRS

Links:
RIM BlackBerry 7230 Web site

BIOS, Aug 22, 03 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In PDA