BlackBerry
The BlackBerry is
a wireless
handheld device introduced in 1999 which
supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, internet faxing,
web browsing and other wireless information services. Developed by
the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM),
the BlackBerry delivers information over the wireless
data networks of mobile phone service companies. BlackBerry first made headway in the marketplace by concentrating on e-mail. RIM
currently offers BlackBerry e-mail service to non-BlackBerry
devices,
such as the
Palm
Treo, through the BlackBerry Connect software. The original BlackBerry
device had a monochrome display, but all current models have color
displays.
While including the usual PDA
applications (address book, calendar,
to-do lists, etc.) as well as telephone capabilities on newer models,
the BlackBerry is primarily known for its ability to send and receive e-mail wherever
it can access an atmosphere wireless network of certain cellular
phone carriers. It has a built-in keyboard, optimized for "thumbing",
the use of only the thumbs to type. System navigation is primarily
accomplished by the trackwheel (or "thumbwheel"), a scrolling
wheel with a "click" function,
located on the right side of the device. Newer BlackBerry models are
now utilizing a trackball in the middle of the device as Research
In Motion has moved
from the trackwheel to the trackball. Some models (currently, those
manufactured for use with Nextel, TELUS, AT&T, and other
iDEN networks)
also incorporate a two-way radio. Some BlackBerry devices don't
depend on mobile phone
service coverage and are Wi-Fi compatible like similar
handheld devices that are
on the marketplace.
Modern BlackBerry handhelds incorporate an ARM 7 or 9 processor,
while older BlackBerry 950 and 957 handhelds used Intel 80386
processors. The
latest GSM BlackBerry models (8100 and 8700 series) have an Intel
PXA901 312 MHz processor, 64 MB flash memory and 16 MB SDRAM.[2]
The devices are very popular with some businesses, where they are
primarily used to provide e-mail access to roaming employees. To
fully integrate
the BlackBerry into a company's systems, the installation of BlackBerry
Enterprise Server (BES) is required.
In
November 2004, RIM announced that the number of subscribers
to the BlackBerry
service had reached two million, having doubled
within ten months.[3] Continuing
their growth, RIM announced an additional one
million subscribers in May, 2005, only six months after reaching
two million.[4] On
December 21, 2005,
RIM announced that their subscriber base reached
4.3 million subscribers[5] and had surpassed 5 million by March
2006, despite slowing sales.[6]
In October 2006, RIM announced that the number
of subscribers had reached
6.2 million. On April 11, 2007, RIM announced
a jump up to 8 million BlackBerry
subscribers, partially due to their new BlackBerry
8800 model.[7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry