A common misconception is that you can only use a PC for synching with and transferring data on and off a Blackberry device. This is not the case, although - depending on which operating system you use - you may have to do a bit of work to find the right software and drivers so your computer and Blackberry can talk to each other.
RIM provides a very good set of Windows drivers and application software with its Blackberry devices, and you will find the most up-to-date versions on its website, along with an application for the Mac.
RIM hasn't left Mac users high and dry when it comes to synching your computer with your handset like other platforms and manufacturers have, allowing users of Apple's OS to download BlackBerry for Mac (see p74).
Although it doesn't come in the box for most devices, it is available to download from the RIM website.
However, as Mac wasn't first supported by BlackBerry, a number of third-party developers have created Mac-compatible programs to use with your computer.
One of the more fun things you can do with a BlackBerry is to change its desktop theme by altering the wallpaper and customising the icons. This used to be the exclusive domain of Windows users, but not any more.
PocketMac MacThemes For BlackBerry lets you transfer a theme from your Mac on to your handset. It is available from www.pocketmac.com for $9.95 and most types of BlackBerry are supported - so, whether you use a Pearl, Bold, Storm or a Curve, you should be able to make the device match your Mac's desktop.
This is another application from the PocketMac team and one that most Windows users would love to see ported to the Microsoft platform.
RingtoneStudio, which costs $14.95 from www.pocAretmac.com, lets Mac-owning BlackBerry users compose, edit and export custom ringtones, in a similar way to the iTunes feature that produces ringtones for the iPhone.
The application allows you to create ringtones from practically any multimedia file, including QuickTime movies and unprotected music files such as MP3 tracks. PocketMac Ringtone Studio For BlackBerry automatically copies each ringtone to your device as you create it.
Ringtones must last for no more than 30 seconds, but the application provides a handy editing preview to let you choose the 30-second block you want from a longer sound file.
A Blackberry can be synchronised with pretty much any distribution of Linux, but the process is not simple and you will need to do a bit of command-line work to accomplish a successful first sync.
If all you want to do is move files between devices, life is a lot easier, as we explain later in this section when we talk about the Mass Storage Mode. For anything more complex, you need to tackle Linux sync software, so here goes.
Open-source projects Barry and OpenSync aim to provide more functionality than just moving data to and from a flash drive.
The Barry project {found at http://sourceforge.net/projects/barry/) is "a GPL C++ library for interfacing with Blackberry handhelds". it comes with a command-line tool for exploring the device and a graphical user interface (GUI) for making quick backups. Its goal is to create a fully functional synching mechanism on Linux. With Barry, you can explore, backup and restore, and sync databases. However, there is some assembly required, so take a deep breath.
OpenSync is platform and distribution independent, and provides the all-important interoperability between the Linux OS and the mobile device, in this case, a BlackBerry. OpenSync can be found at
http://opensync.gforge.punktart.de/repo/opensync-0.21/.
When you install OpenSync, make sure you are using version 0.22 or later and follow the order because you will need it to successfully compile Barry for Blackberry interoperability.
Once you have installed OpenSync, we will move on to installing Barry, which is more tricky, so read the instructions carefully.
Download the correct package for your system from Sourceforge (www.sourceforge.net) or the OpenSUSE Build Service (OBS) page (http:/download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/ndprojects/).
On Sourceforge, packages are available for multiple versions of Linux, the current supported versions of which include:
1 Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10
2 Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04
3 Fedora Core 7
4 Fedora Core 8
5 Fedora Core 9
6 OpenSUSE 10.2
7 Debian Stable 4.0
On the OBS website, packages are located in sub-directories based on each individual Linux distribution (we said this would be complicated). Be sure to select the correct platform - in particular, look out for whether you need the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the code.
Barry is divided into multiple binary packages. For example, if you want the GUI backup program, you will also need the Barry library. For non-development systems, you will need:
1 libbarryO
2 barry-util
3 barrybackup-gui
4 barry-opensync (libopensync-plugin-barry on Debian systems)
For development systems, you will also need libbarry-dev.On the Sourceforge download site, there is a separate section for debug packages. These are only necessary if you run into a bug that causes one of the above pieces of software to crash and you want to help the developers to track down the error. To avoid complicating this process further, it might be best to avoid using the debug versions.
Finally, before you compile Barry, be sure to specify 'enable-opensync-plug-in', otherwise the compiled application won't work. Once it is compiled, you can go about accessing your device.
The first time you connect your BlackBerry and Linux machine with a USB cable, you may see a warning on your handset about there being
The GUI backup application included with Barry is simple and effective. You get a small, but easy-to-use, display that shows the progress of the backup and which piece of information is being transferred.
The application will also show you the Blackberry handset's device PIN (not to be confused with the security PIN number for the SIM card). The device PIN is used for bonding a Blackberry to a BES or BIS server and for connecting Blackberrydevices together via the Blackberry Messenger application.
Type in 'barrybackup' at the command line, wait a second until it finds your device and displays its PIN number, and, when it does, click 'Save'. You can edit the list of databases that the application will either backup or restore by selecting Edit > Config from the Option menu.
Barry, along with OpenSync, is very much a work in progress. The software is crude and requires some basic knowledge of how to compile software for Linux, so it is unlikely to be to everyone's taste. However, the finished article works and will give you basic backup and restore capabilities.
This applies to Windows and non-Windows machines, but is particularly useful when it comes to Macs and Linux devices.
When you connect a modern Blackberry(one with an add-on flash-memory card) to a device with no compatible drivers, you will be prompted by the Blackberryt o decide whether you want to enter mass storage mode.
Mass storage mode will make your Blackberry appear to the operating system as nothing more than two USB hard drives. One is the built-in storage on the phone and the other is the flash drive, if you have one inserted on your BlackBerry.
None of the phone-specific features are accessible, but it means you can copy data to and from either of the storage drives, just as if they were a USB flash disk or external hard-drive. This is particularly useful for getting photos from the camera and transferring music and video sites to and from the device.
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