Thursday, November 18, 2010

10 things - Number 8: Download and Install the BlackBerry Desktop Software

You can use your BlackBerry quite happily without needing to install any software on your computer, especially in a corporate environment. In a consumer environment however, it is very beneficial to install the BlackBerry software onto a computer. It allows you to easily move audio and video files onto your BlackBerry (even converts them to the correct format automatically) and synchronizes your address book and calendar.





If you are using Windows, start by downloading and installing your Device Software. Your Device Software is essentially the BlackBerry operating system. You will find this software on your carrier's web site. Make sure you download and install the device software for your BlackBerry model. If you are unsure of the model, click on Options, About to see it.

Once you have the device software installed, download and install the latest Desktop Software from the BlackBerry web site. As of today, the latest version is 4.7. I recommend downloading the Desktop Software that includes the Media Manager.

If you are an Apple Mac user, you can either use Parallels to make use of the Windows software, or you can download and install the PocketMac software from the BlackBerry web site. Remember to download both PocketMac and the updated PocketMac drivers. Both downloads are here.

You can also get PocketMac for free from the vendor here.

If you are a Linux user, there is software that allows some limited synchronizing with the BlackBerry. This article explains where to get it and how to get it to work.