| The Juice on the BlackBerry
You may have seen them in restaurants or airports; people busily clicking away on some device -
thumbs flying around a tiny little keyboard. No, it’s not some new video game - it's a BlackBerry,
and I am one of those people.
So what's a BlackBerry? Well, it is not a computer. It is an all-in-one cell phone, email device,
web browser, and organizer. I got my BlackBerry a couple of months ago. I have to admit that I was
a skeptic at first. I had never made the switch to an electronic organizer and didn’t really see
how this new device was going to enhance my work communications. However, I was sold on my first
day out of the office. With my BlackBerry, I could see my calendar, task list, address book, and
email - just as if I were sitting at my desk. I didn’t waste any time searching for an Internet
café or a place to fire up the laptop. If I thought of something I needed to do when I got back
to the office, I just added it to my task list. When is that meeting tomorrow? Not to worry, I
just opened up my electronic calendar to find out. If I received an urgent email, I could respond
or delegate immediately.
I was starting to think that returning to the office might be optional. But while there's a certain
sense of freedom you quickly learn to appreciate, there is also a sense of entrapment I’ll warn you
about. After a few weeks, I found myself constantly checking email out of habit and responding to
issues that could have waited until the next day. When I started to get frightening glares from my
wife every time I popped out my new friend the BlackBerry, I realized that I was becoming a
BlackBerry addict! Fortunately, I caught this syndrome in the early stages (the fierce looks
certainly helped), and I am slowly on my way to a full recovery. With that said, here’s a word of
caution: make sure you manage your BlackBerry and not the other way around.
I found the BlackBerry to be a very powerful little gadget, and the basic navigation and operational
tools were very easy to learn. It’s durable and reliable. Along with the most notable functions such
as email, calendar, tasks, address book, and phone, a very useful Internet browser is also available.
It came in especially handy as I sat on a mall bench for 45 minutes waiting for my wife, who apparently
"lost track of time," to emerge from one of many stores. Rather than patiently waiting impatiently, I
was able to check the weather, sports highlights, and the top news stories. Have I mentioned that this
BlackBerry thing is very cool?
I hesitate to be too critical of some of the limitations since I am still learning the tricks and
shortcuts. But like most handheld devices, there are just some things it can’t replace. I’ve learned
typing up an email that’s more than a few sentences can be very frustrating. Your thumbs can only move
so fast, and it’s nowhere near the speed you are accustomed to on a regular keyboard. And I don't know
about you, but myy thumb typung accurracy leabes a lot to bee des8red, especially when I’m trying to
juggle my 6-month-old and the BlackBerry at the same time. In addition, reading a long email or reviewing
longer word documents and spreadsheets can be a strain on your eyes. But these are all challenges you
would expect from trying to work on a computer device the size of a calculator. Overall, it’s a great
product that gives you the freedom to easily manage your email, schedule, and tasks while you are on
the go.
About the Author
James Stork is the vice president of tax development at Drake Software. His team is responsible for
the development, testing, and support of all federal and state tax products. He graduated from Mars Hill
College with a degree in business administration and has been with Drake since 1996. James played an
integral role in establishing and directing Drake's customer support and education divisions before
beginning his work with the development team. Contact James at
james@taxingsubjects.com.
From April 2006
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