About BlackBerry

BlackBerry Hardware

A BlackBerry can do everything that a cell phone can do, including sending text messages via SMS. It’s also an organizer, a calendar, an e-mail client, a Web browser, a two-way pager and a palm-top computer. Although it can do some of the same things a computer can, it doesn’t have to be in a WiFi hot spot to work — it uses the cell phone network as well as 802.11b WLAN. To do all this, it combines the components of a cell phone and a PDA.

Some BlackBerry models have the same form factor and components as a smart phone. Others look more like PDAs or palmtop computers. Specific components can vary from one model to another, but in general the visible parts of a BlackBerry are:
LCD display
QWERTY keyboard
Click wheel
On/off, escape and other keys
Headset jack
USB charger connection
Antenna (interior on some models)
Indicator light to advise users of new messages or data
From the outside of the unit, you can also see where the microphone and speaker are located as well as where to access the rechargeable lithium ion battery.

A printed circuit board connects everything inside the case, including:
Light source for the LCD screen
32-bit microprocessor
Memory (usually flash and RAM)
Bluetooth transmitter (in some models)
Wireless modem (in some models)

 

 

The internal parts of the BlackBerry.

 

       The underside of the BlackBerry keyboard.

Unlike many earlier PDAs, which used touch screens as a user interface, the BlackBerry has a keyboard designed for use with the thumbs. This keyboard operates much like the keyboard of your computer, with one notable difference. Most computer keyboards use dome switches, and each key lies over one switch. Pressing the key activates the switch. In a BlackBerry, however, rows of dome switches lie between the rows of keys. Each key has actuators that press one or more of the switches adjacent to it.

 

The BlackBerry’s software uses a lookup table to match each letter with a specific combination of dome switches. This layout uses fewer switches, allowing a smaller keyboard.

BlackBerry smart phones have even less space for a keyboard, so each key corresponds to more than one letter. Predictive text software called SureType lets a person type normally and determines the right word as the person types. People can also use multiple taps on each key to select different letters as most people currently do to send text messages on their cell phones.

BlackBerry Software

A BlackBerry 8700C

In addition to the push technology discussed earlier, a BlackBerry requires a variety of software on the handheld unit itself and on servers and desktops. The devices are part of a network that includes handhelds, handheld software, desktop software and server software.

The BlackBerry unit uses a proprietary BlackBerry operating system and usually includes e-mail, Web browsing, instant messaging and personal information management (PIM) software. Third-party developers have created a wide variety of other programs for the BlackBerry, like games and productivity applications.

Other third-party programs are customized applications that let people get data and updates from proprietary sales, data collection and other business software. Many of these use a browser interface and e-mail messages for data retrieval. Users get an e-mail message with a link they can click to make a phone call, view data or log in to a service. SSL and TLS encryption protect information and data.

Since a BlackBerry has less memory and processing power than a computer, each of these programs has to be relatively small and efficient. Web pages have to be simple and not rely on frames or applets, and they’re most effective when they use minimal colors. BlackBerry developers use a Java development environment that lets them simulate a BlackBerry and make sure their programs are compatible.

Businesses that employ multiple BlackBerry users often use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software to manage each BlackBerry’s connection with the corporate network. The software runs behind the corporate firewall, and pushes information to the handheld units. System administrators can also use the server-side software to update BlackBerry units wirelessly.

Individual users can run BlackBerry Desktop Redirector software on their computers, which plays the same role as the Enterprise Server but on a smaller scale. The Desktop Redirector sends information in small pieces so it doesn’t overload the person’s connection or deliver unnecessary information to the BlackBerry. The computer has to be on and running in order for the redirector to work.