BlackBerry 7280 by Research in Motion
Price: $399.99 plus service
www.blackberry.com

Aug/Sep '04 Issue

It’s a fast-paced world, and in this era of instant connection, it’s even faster. Trying to keep pace can seem daunting, but with the plethora of gadgets out there, two attorneys find it is possible. Grace Suarez and Jeffrey Allen take us on the road for a month while they test drive what might be the ultimate in connectivity — the BlackBerry 7280.

Grace L. Suarez’ BlackBerry Journal
Grace Suarez is a sole practitioner and knowledge management consultant based in San Francisco.

April 19
The BlackBerry 7280 arrived at my door. It’s a deep blue color, with a faintly metallic finish, and it feels good in my hand. It comes with documentation, a docking station and universal serial bus cable, a travel charger, an earbud headset and a belt clip. Somehow I don’t think the belt clip is me. Besides, it’s hard to pull the unit out. I probably will carry it in my purse, although I am a bit worried about the exposed face (no clamshell cover).

The e-mail and wireless telephone service is through AT&T Wireless, and the e-mail costs between $39.99 and $49.99 a month more than the wireless telephone charges.

After a mad dash to the post office to meet a filing deadline, I went back to my office and started playing with the unit. The first thing I noticed was the color screen. It’s not as dazzling as a Pocket PC’s, but it’s certainly bright enough. After a couple of years of the dim monochrome of my Personal Digital Assistant, it’s pretty dazzling to me.

I placed the unit on its docking cradle, and realized it’s not a true charging and connecting docking cradle. It’s basically just a stand. The unit communicates and gets its charge from the USB cable, which connects to the side. The unit is locked and the password I was provided didn’t work. I will have to call the public relations folks for BlackBerry who sent me the unit and get the correct password tomorrow, since they are in New York. I was frustrated, so I installed the desktop software just to pass the time. The install was smooth.

April 20
I called New York and got the right password. Now I can see the unit’s options, even though I don’t have my Microsoft Outlook data in it yet. It’s not set up to receive e-mail from my service provider either. I made a couple of calls to the unit just to test it. The problem was I kept trying to tap the screen because I am so used to my current PDA and phone combo. Using the scrolling wheel and pushing it to choose options seemed awkward, although I liked the large keys on the thumb keyboard. The unit is a little wider than my PDA, but is still compact.

My computer had problems detecting the BlackBerry unit, but it was already having problems with the hard drive crashing anyway. I kept trying, until I realized I forgot to connect the USB cable to the unit, being so used to the drop-in docking station. Duh! As soon as I plugged it in, Windows XP found the BlackBerry, although it warned me it had not passed compatibility tests. So what has? The Desktop Manager software I installed on my PC yesterday found the handheld, and I was in business. I could not find any information on how to integrate with Outlook, so I ran the Intellisync option on the Desktop Manager and found the option for Outlook integration. I synchronized (after backing up my Outlook database, of course), and all my Outlook information was packed into the BlackBerry.

I notice the handheld doesn’t have a button to instantly sync with my computer, but the desktop software can be configured to automatically sync upon connecting.

Using BlackBerry’s Web-based e-mail configuration (called the Web Client), I set up the unit to receive e-mails from my second service provider. I needed to check if there was a spam filter on the BlackBerry Web site before I could set up my main e-mail address.

At this point, the hard drive on my nearly new desktop died. I don’t think it had anything to do with the BlackBerry. It had been starting to go for days. Fortunately, I had all my contacts and calendar in the BlackBerry and in my PDA, and I had all my data backed up. I called the manufacturer and they arranged to send a new drive and a technician to replace the old one.

In the meantime, I set up my laptop, installed the BlackBerry software and synced from the BlackBerry to the laptop. This moved all the Outlook data into the laptop. Because I have a wireless network, my laptop has Internet access, so I was almost back in business while I waited for the desktop hard drive.

I kept playing with the BlackBerry, annoying all my friends and colleagues with calls and e-mails. Typing e-mails actually was pretty easy, though I still kept reaching for a stylus that wasn’t there and trying to tap the screen. I also kept forgetting to hook up the USB cable when I dropped the unit into the docking station. The e-mail program has shortcuts called AutoText, such as putting in a period when I press the spacebar twice, which sped up typing. I sent myself an e-mail with an attachment, and I could see the attachment.

April 21
I continued to play with the BlackBerry. My law practice is going to the dogs in the meantime, but I am having fun. I like having a common integrated Inbox, which shows e-mails and phone messages together in one list. I wish it also showed appointments. A press of the jog track wheel, which I am getting used to, gives me a menu to open, forward, delete or reply to voice or e-mail messages. When I scroll over to my contacts, the same jog track wheel press lets me call or e-mail the contact.

While reinstalling software in my desktop’s new hard drive, I tested the speed of e-mails to and from the BlackBerry. Sending an e-mail to the address supplied by BlackBerry resulted in almost immediate receipt. Not surprisingly, e-mail routed through my SBC account took a few minutes longer.

April 23
Today, I rode in my 1971 Fiat, with the top down, on the way to my weekend place. It was a beautiful, very sunny day. I could see the BlackBerry screen quite well, even in the glare. Listening to messages was a little difficult, as the unit’s flat design makes it harder to get the microphone right up to my ear. I find a clamshell design a little easier to use. Because it doesn’t have the protective clamshell, the BlackBerry’s screen and keyboard are exposed. Once or twice, when I pulled it out of my purse, I saw buttons had been pushed accidentally.

I found that to protect my Outlook data (I have my world in Outlook) I have to set a password for the whole device. The BlackBerry doesn’t allow me to individually password-protect entries, which I like much better. Unlocking the BlackBerry all the time to make calls and send e-mails is a pain.

The BlackBerry is truly addictive — I want to hold it all the time. I e-mailed my RIM contact some questions and she answered almost immediately. There is something very cool about doing that while riding in a 30-year-old sports car. The reception all the way up the interstate was excellent. I figured out how to set a timer to turn the unit on and off. I can set different times for weekdays and weekends. That should save on battery life, although so far the battery life has been fine.

April 24
I tested reception while running errands around Nevada City. The reception seemed better than the coverage supplied by my regular wireless provider, but there were still plenty of dead spots. But hey, that is how it is in the country.

April 27
I noticed for the first time the BlackBerry has no visible antenna, which gives it a sleek look. I played with the Web Client, which has the annoying habit of opening up with a “timed out” message, and needs to be refreshed to let me view my home page. I wanted to see if I could set up some sort of spam protection. The best I could do was set up filters by hand for individual senders. That will not do for my regular e-mail address, which receives dozens of legitimate e-mails a day, and also hundreds of spam messages. In my office, I survive thanks to Cloudmark SpamNet, which filters 90 percent of them. If I used my regular e-mail address with the BlackBerry, I would be overwhelmed by spam. To use the unit in my business, I would have to give all my business and personal contacts a different address. That isn’t practical. If BlackBerry is going to allow users to receive mail from their regular e-mail addresses, it will have to set up some sort of spam filter on the Web Client.

As I sat in my living room (50 feet from my home office), I found myself e-mailing myself to remind me of a task for the next day. OK, what is next? A webcam trained on the coffeemaker? I have started to carry the unit everywhere and check it obsessively. People are starting to ask if I am at the computer all day because I respond to their e-mails so quickly.

April 30
I headed down the coast highway to Santa Cruz, Calif., and checked the reception from time to time. It was pretty good, particularly in an area notorious for bad reception. I answered a couple of calls and sent some e-mails. Very cool.

May 2
The reception at the Chaminade Conference Center in Santa Cruz was excellent. I wrote down some reminders for my upcoming vacation to Roatan, Honduras, using the memo feature. It synchronizes right into Outlook’s “Notes” folder.

May 9
While talking to my daughter, I tried to look up a phone number in the address book and ended up hanging up on her. The manual said it can be done, but I think I just didn’t do it right. I found it easy to set the handheld’s sound levels, so I could be notified of messages either with a loud or soft tone, or with vibration.

I played around with the Web browser on the BlackBerry, but I could not view real HTML sites. Apparently, customers using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server can and RIM said it will provide this service for BlackBerry Web Client users later this year. The unit also can send short text messages, but that is one addiction I have steered clear of.

May 12
Well, it’s time to say goodbye to my little BlackBerry. As I placed it in its box, I wondered for a moment whether the RIM folks would come all the way out to San Francisco to snatch it from my cold, dead fingers if I refused to return it. Probably so.

OK, I didn’t actually kiss it, but I did kind of stroke it against my cheek. It reminded me of saying goodbye to a particularly cute boyfriend at the end of my 15th summer.

The bottom line with the BlackBerry is if the Web Client had solid spam filtering in place so I could use my regular e-mail address, I would buy one in a heartbeat. I love this thing.

Jeffrey Allen’s BlackBerry Journal
Jeffrey Allen is a general practice attorney with an emphasis in real estate, business transactions and litigation based in Oakland, Calif.

April 20
I received the BlackBerry device for review and testing. After unpacking the device, I assembled the AC charger and plugged it in to charge while I looked it over and scanned the instructions. It charges through an electrical connection to an AC outlet or to a computer’s universal serial bus port using the same connection to synchronize with the computer.

I have used RIM devices in the past, notably the 957, a monochrome predecessor of the 7200 series and the 950. I noticed the visual advances between the 7280 and the older versions. The color immediately caught my attention. The old versions were all charcoal gray-black. I found the light navy color of the 7280 much more appealing, especially with the silver-gray trim and keys contrasting the blue plastic case. I also noticed the outer lines of the 7280 appeared more rounded than on the earlier versions. When I picked it up, I noticed the rounded back and the tapered construction made it fit more comfortably in my hand in comparison to the older models. It also has a slightly smaller footprint than earlier versions.

After the unit charged, I turned it on, set some preferences and then sent a few test messages. While the color display lacks the vivid sharpness of other Personal Digital Assistants, such as the Palm Tungsten series or the Sony Clié, it’s a substantial improvement over the monochrome displays of the older models. In sending and receiving some test messages, I noted the characteristic sharpness and clarity of the characters on the screen. RIM’s use of a transreflective screen makes it easier to read the text under overhead lighting. The user can adjust the size of the letters and numbers on the display. Unfortunately, they only go from small to smaller to miniscule. The largest type size is nine points. Unlike most PDAs, you can’t shift the display characters to bold to make reading a bit easier.

The 7280 retains the same thumb board style keyboard common to all RIM devices in recent years. I have been a fan of the RIM thumb board for some time as I always have perceived it as well-made, solid, rugged and quite usable with a little practice.

April 21
Today, I set up and installed the desktop software on my computer. I reviewed the options for connecting to my e-mail account using the BlackBerry Web Client or the Enterprise Server. Because I don’t use Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Domino, I ruled out the Enterprise Server option. I set up an account using the BlackBerry Web Client (an Internet-based e-mail interface program that allows access to most private and business e-mail accounts). I confirmed access to the account and set it up with an account I created primarily to use in connection with the American Bar Association’s Solosez listserv. Since that account receives about 125 to 150 e-mails a day, it would give me a good opportunity to test the device. That account runs through America Online. I ran into a technical problem setting it up. The Server kept reporting it could not access the account. After several tries, I notified RIM technical support and received some suggestions to solve the problem.

April 22
I traveled to Phoenix for the ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section’s Spring Meeting. I didn’t have my e-mail account set up on the server yet, but decided to take the 7280 with me anyway. I wanted to become more familiar with its capabilities and to use its other features. I tried out the telephone functions. The telephone worked on the Global System for Mobile communications. The phone functioned well, and I have no complaints about the reception or clarity as compared to a standard cell phone. The ability to dial from the phone book or from a phone number contained in an e-mail adds a certain convenience to the system. You also can use the phone management button at the top of the handheld.

The device has a built-in speaker and microphone allowing you to hold it to your ear as you might with any other cell phone, but the size and shape makes it somewhat awkward to use held up to your ear. Plus, that position makes it almost impossible to use the device to take notes or check information during the call. It doesn’t have a speakerphone. It does, however, come with a standard earphone jack for a wired earphone. The earphone lets you hold the device in a more comfortable position, or leave it in your pocket or wear it on a belt while you talk. It also allows you to use the device to take notes or get information while on the phone. I normally use a Bluetooth powered telephone and a wireless Bluetooth headset and find it more comfortable and convenient than the hard wired variety. I would consider adding Bluetooth to the device a significant improvement.

April 23
Still in Phoenix for the ABA meeting, I attended various meetings throughout the day. Although the hotel promised Internet access during the meeting, they were not able to provide it due to an equipment malfunction. I still didn’t have my e-mail accounts connected to the RIM Web site, but I discovered I could access my e-mail accounts directly through the device’s Web browser or by adding additional addresses to my Web Client account. I reviewed and responded to a number of e-mails relating to a variety of client matters.

April 24
I discovered I could use Yahoo Instant Messenger on the Internet using the 7280. I chatted with some friends. It’s slow by comparison to using the instant messaging feature on my computer, but it’s much better than not having the connection at all.

April 26
I am still getting reports of problems with the server and can’t set up e-mail accounts. I referred the setup problems to RIM technical support and they agreed to troubleshoot it for me.

April 30
I have been in my office for four days now. With computer and DSL Internet access both at the office and at home, I had little reason to use the BlackBerry device. I did, however, check out the backlighting features. The device has a backlight that lights up the text. The thumb board also has a backlight feature that turns on concurrently with the screen backlighting. The backlight works brilliantly with the thumb board. You easily can see and distinguish the keys in a darkened room. The backlight is adequate respecting the text, but it’s not as bright as the one on the keyboard. You easily can see the keyboard at night or in a darkened environment. It would have helped if the backlight were a little brighter.

May 3
I checked the device and discovered RIM’s Tech Support had set up my e-mail account on the RIM server. I accessed some of the e-mails and verified e-mails sent to RIM remained active so my computer could archive them. I compared the arrival times for messages in my mail server and the delivery to the device to check the lag time or delay — there was none. Mail posting to the e-mail account itself as of 12:40 p.m. appeared on the BlackBerry as of 2:29 p.m. Mail posted on mail client as of 1:38 p.m. posted on the device as of 2:30 p.m.

May 10
These past few days, I have experimented with e-mail attachments. I discovered it accepts and downloads Microsoft Word and Portable Document Format files with little difficulty. Longer documents came in segments, but without any real problems. The documents appear in a read-only format, so you can review them but not edit them. It’s possible to make changes and transmit them by copying portions of the attachment and pasting them into an outgoing message. There also are many applications from third-party software vendors that allow lawyers to edit documents, enter time and billing, access document management systems and more.

May 11
I drove to Santa Rosa, Calif., for a scheduled two days of depositions. I took the BlackBerry with me and used it to keep in touch and respond to some of my e-mail.

May 18
I drove to Carmichael, Calif., for two days of depositions. I took the device with me and used it to check and respond to e-mail. I also took the opportunity to browse the Internet in my spare time. While the Internet browser has limiting capabilities respecting text and works much slower than a normal computer connection, it does create the option of being online when it would not otherwise be possible.

The 7280 definitely has its place in the tool collection of attorneys that spend a substantial amount of time working outside of the office. It sends e-mail extremely well and it does a reasonable job as a low-level Web browser. I have considered the BlackBerry solution for e-mail an outstanding choice for several years. If you don’t mind that the device doesn’t have a speakerphone and are reasonably satisfied with the contact and calendar programs, this could be your all-in-one device.

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Updated 07/23/04
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