Nobody wants their desktop computer and mobile phone to be at odds. They want them to be singing from the same hymn sheet and synchronising key information.While data such as email will happily download to your BlackBerry over the air - via Wi-Fi or the mobile network -a significant chunk of information requires conventional synching with your desktop or laptop machine.
You can synchronise tasks, memos, contacts and calendar entries so they appear in the same way on your handheld as in your desktop email client. If your device is integrated with an email account using BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) version 4.0 or higher - and wireless PIM (Personal Information Manager) synchronisation is enabled - PIM items will automatically be synchronised over the wireless network.
However, this feature is not available for consumers using a BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) provided by their mobile phone network operator, so we have produced a step-by-step guide to using RIM's BlackBerry Desktop software for synchronising your information. The required software is either bundled with your handset or easily downloaded from the BlackBerry website.
BLACKBERRY DESKTOP MANAGER
RIM's Desktop software is divided into five parts, all of which are accessed from the main menu of the Desktop Manager client:
Application loader - Allows you to load third-party software onto your BlackBerry. Most additional applications can be downloaded to the device over the air and installed from there. Some applications - in particular large ones with support files such as Sat nav packages - need to be installed via a desktop PC using this feature. This is also where complete firmware refreshes of more recent Blackberry models can be done.
Media - Lets you manage the transfer and conversion of audio and video files to and from your BlackBerry. This includes photos or videos you capture on the device, as well as voice memos.
Backup and Restore - Lets you perform complete system backups and recovery of data; particularly useful if you are planning a firmware update.
Synchronise - You can decide which information, such as contacts, calendar entries, memos and To Do lists, you want transferred on and off your BlackBerry. You can also synchronise Yead' and 'unread' email on your desktop email client with your handset for reply and review - but why would you want to given the over-the-air email capabilities of the Blackberry device?
Device Switch Wizard - Allows wholesale data migration from one Blackberrydevice to another. You are only likely to use this feature if you lose or upgrade your handset and want to pick up from where you left off in terms of the stored information and settings on it.
APPLICATION LOADER
We will start with how to install applications and system updates. All of the instructions in this section assume you have installed the BlackberryDesktop software and that your Blackberryis connected to your computer.
Select Application Loader' and you will be presented with two options: Add/Remove Applications or Update Software. The former scans your handset and presents a list of applications currently installed on it, as well as giving an option to install an application.
Update Software also scans your device to confirm which version of the BlackberryOS and firmware your handset is using. It then asks RIM if there are system updates available and, if there are, it offers to install these. To be on the safe side, we suggest doing a full backup before attempting major system updates.
MEDIA MANAGER
Working in conjunction with Roxio's Media Manager software, Media Manager lets you organise your video and music fiies, and put them on your BlackBerry in a format and size it can handle.
Media Manager is split into two sections. One is for transferring your images and music between the BlackBerry device and your computer. It also lets you keep a desktop copy of the photos and videos you create with the handset's camera, if you have one. Clicking 'Start' begins a scan of your device, revealing a list of what is on it, as well as providing options to transfer additional content on or off the device.
The second part of Media Manager applies to users of Apple's iTunes software. If you own an iPod and manage the majority of your music and video via iTunes to make synching easier, there is good news. BlackBerry Media Sync - a plug-in provided with the Desktop Manager software - lets you sync music directly from iTunes to your handset.
Although DRM-protected music bought through the iTunes store can't be synced, if you opt in to buy the DRM-free version of any track which you will be able to sync. Your CD collection or tracks bought elsewhere will automatically transfer to and play on your BlackBerry.
BACKUP AND RESTORE
In case you do have system updates available, we'll
go through the three backup options,
'Backup' is fairly obvious; it allows you to capture a copy of everything on the device - or you can tailor it to only backup specific aspects, such as system files and your contacts. This is useful if you use a BES connection as things such as your calendar are pushed over the air to your phone.
'Restore' is also vety straightforward; simply point the software at an existing backup file and it will feed the contents back on to your BlackBerry.
'Advanced' gives you much more control over what gets backed up and when, and allows you to maintain desktop and mobile versions of specific databases.
Certain items will be greyed out depending on whether you have enabled wireless synching of information with a BES.
SYNCHRONISE
This f?nction lets you decide what gets automatically synced between the desktop and Blackberrywhenever you plug it in.
Some items, in particular email features, will be greyed out and will not be available to choose if your Blackberryis connected to a BES, because these are controlled by your IT department.
You can opt to sync contact and calendar data, and to run synchronisations with third-party applications and services not supplied by RIM, such as Google Sync.
Finally, you can customise the settings for updating the date and time on your Blackberrydevice to ensure it is always adjusted to the correct time by synching with your desktop.
This feature is useful if you travel across time zones a lot and want your handset to mirror the time and time zone changes on your computer.
DEVICE SWITCH WIZARD
BlackBerry handsets are lost, stolen and, very occasionally, they break. More commonly, though, users upgrade to a newer model to get the latest features, handset styles and a phone that doesn't show the scars of heavy use.
The Device Switch Wizard is what you need if you want your new BlackBerry to behave just like your old one, right down to the custom words you have added to the dictionary.
This feature is also split into two sections; one for migrating data between BlackBerry handsets, the other for migrating information from non-Black Berry devices to a BlackBerry. For the latter, Palm and Windows Mobile devices are supported.
Pressing 'Start' will initiate a wizard that lets you choose what you want to transfer and then begins the transfer process, prompting you to swap devices as needed, it is ail very straightforward.
BlackBerry Desktop Manager offers a reasonable degree of customisation and also ensures many key features - such as backup - can be performed with a minimal amount of clicks and decisions. This reduces the room for error and minimises the risk of losing valuable data.
If you need to adjust the key settings, there are two options, accessible in the top-right corner of the menu, under 'Options'. 'Connection Options' lets you adjust the settings for making the physical connection between your BlackBerry and computer. Modern BlackBerry handsets use a USB cable. However, there is an option for synching via Bluetooth if your laptop supports it. For large file transfers, USB is the better, and faster, option.
Under 'Data Folder Options', you can choose where the BlackBerry Desktop Manager saves the data it backs up from your device and to where it downloads software updates.
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You can synchronise tasks, memos, contacts and calendar entries so they appear in the same way on your handheld as in your desktop email client. If your device is integrated with an email account using BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) version 4.0 or higher - and wireless PIM (Personal Information Manager) synchronisation is enabled - PIM items will automatically be synchronised over the wireless network.
However, this feature is not available for consumers using a BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) provided by their mobile phone network operator, so we have produced a step-by-step guide to using RIM's BlackBerry Desktop software for synchronising your information. The required software is either bundled with your handset or easily downloaded from the BlackBerry website.
RIM's Desktop software is divided into five parts, all of which are accessed from the main menu of the Desktop Manager client:
Application loader - Allows you to load third-party software onto your BlackBerry. Most additional applications can be downloaded to the device over the air and installed from there. Some applications - in particular large ones with support files such as Sat nav packages - need to be installed via a desktop PC using this feature. This is also where complete firmware refreshes of more recent Blackberry models can be done.
Media - Lets you manage the transfer and conversion of audio and video files to and from your BlackBerry. This includes photos or videos you capture on the device, as well as voice memos.
Backup and Restore - Lets you perform complete system backups and recovery of data; particularly useful if you are planning a firmware update.
Synchronise - You can decide which information, such as contacts, calendar entries, memos and To Do lists, you want transferred on and off your BlackBerry. You can also synchronise Yead' and 'unread' email on your desktop email client with your handset for reply and review - but why would you want to given the over-the-air email capabilities of the Blackberry device?
Device Switch Wizard - Allows wholesale data migration from one Blackberrydevice to another. You are only likely to use this feature if you lose or upgrade your handset and want to pick up from where you left off in terms of the stored information and settings on it.
APPLICATION LOADER
We will start with how to install applications and system updates. All of the instructions in this section assume you have installed the BlackberryDesktop software and that your Blackberryis connected to your computer.
Select Application Loader' and you will be presented with two options: Add/Remove Applications or Update Software. The former scans your handset and presents a list of applications currently installed on it, as well as giving an option to install an application.
Update Software also scans your device to confirm which version of the BlackberryOS and firmware your handset is using. It then asks RIM if there are system updates available and, if there are, it offers to install these. To be on the safe side, we suggest doing a full backup before attempting major system updates.
Working in conjunction with Roxio's Media Manager software, Media Manager lets you organise your video and music fiies, and put them on your BlackBerry in a format and size it can handle.
Media Manager is split into two sections. One is for transferring your images and music between the BlackBerry device and your computer. It also lets you keep a desktop copy of the photos and videos you create with the handset's camera, if you have one. Clicking 'Start' begins a scan of your device, revealing a list of what is on it, as well as providing options to transfer additional content on or off the device.
The second part of Media Manager applies to users of Apple's iTunes software. If you own an iPod and manage the majority of your music and video via iTunes to make synching easier, there is good news. BlackBerry Media Sync - a plug-in provided with the Desktop Manager software - lets you sync music directly from iTunes to your handset.
Although DRM-protected music bought through the iTunes store can't be synced, if you opt in to buy the DRM-free version of any track which you will be able to sync. Your CD collection or tracks bought elsewhere will automatically transfer to and play on your BlackBerry.
In case you do have system updates available, we'll
go through the three backup options,
'Backup' is fairly obvious; it allows you to capture a copy of everything on the device - or you can tailor it to only backup specific aspects, such as system files and your contacts. This is useful if you use a BES connection as things such as your calendar are pushed over the air to your phone.
'Restore' is also vety straightforward; simply point the software at an existing backup file and it will feed the contents back on to your BlackBerry.
'Advanced' gives you much more control over what gets backed up and when, and allows you to maintain desktop and mobile versions of specific databases.
Certain items will be greyed out depending on whether you have enabled wireless synching of information with a BES.
SYNCHRONISE
This f?nction lets you decide what gets automatically synced between the desktop and Blackberrywhenever you plug it in.
Some items, in particular email features, will be greyed out and will not be available to choose if your Blackberryis connected to a BES, because these are controlled by your IT department.
You can opt to sync contact and calendar data, and to run synchronisations with third-party applications and services not supplied by RIM, such as Google Sync.
Finally, you can customise the settings for updating the date and time on your Blackberrydevice to ensure it is always adjusted to the correct time by synching with your desktop.
This feature is useful if you travel across time zones a lot and want your handset to mirror the time and time zone changes on your computer.
DEVICE SWITCH WIZARD
BlackBerry handsets are lost, stolen and, very occasionally, they break. More commonly, though, users upgrade to a newer model to get the latest features, handset styles and a phone that doesn't show the scars of heavy use.
The Device Switch Wizard is what you need if you want your new BlackBerry to behave just like your old one, right down to the custom words you have added to the dictionary.
This feature is also split into two sections; one for migrating data between BlackBerry handsets, the other for migrating information from non-Black Berry devices to a BlackBerry. For the latter, Palm and Windows Mobile devices are supported.
Pressing 'Start' will initiate a wizard that lets you choose what you want to transfer and then begins the transfer process, prompting you to swap devices as needed, it is ail very straightforward.
BlackBerry Desktop Manager offers a reasonable degree of customisation and also ensures many key features - such as backup - can be performed with a minimal amount of clicks and decisions. This reduces the room for error and minimises the risk of losing valuable data.
If you need to adjust the key settings, there are two options, accessible in the top-right corner of the menu, under 'Options'. 'Connection Options' lets you adjust the settings for making the physical connection between your BlackBerry and computer. Modern BlackBerry handsets use a USB cable. However, there is an option for synching via Bluetooth if your laptop supports it. For large file transfers, USB is the better, and faster, option.
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