The BlackBerry is a keyboard device. There are numerous keyboard shortcuts. Use them and the device seems to work a lot faster - it actually doesn't, but you do as keystrokes are faster than rolling around and clicking. They are listed at the end of each chapter in the BlackBerry manual. Memorize them. up
Alt-Cap-V or Alt-Cap-B give you detailed device status information. You can then roller-click over some of the lines to get even more information. I particularly like the "Battery" line, which when roller-clicked gives the temperature! up
Alt-Cap-s gets you a list of running tasks. I didn't seem much use for this myself. up
Sometimes there can be a lot of lag, so if you're waiting for a page to load from Go.Web, you can "close" the browser and go do something else. The page will still load and you can come back to it later.
If you are viewing a WAP page in the GoAmerica browser and nothing seems to happen when you enter a field and click "OK," scroll so the pointer is not highlighting a field, then hit enter.
You can go to see all the homepages of various customizations of Go.Web at http://www.mygoweb.net/homepages. It is neat how they look on a "regular" browser. up
If the device freezes and the RESET message comes up, type the letters i n f o (without the spaces) to get more detailed information. The display will also tell you what is most likely the guilty application.
Keep a paper clip handy. I taped a business card to my holster and slipped a paper clip underneath. Resetting the device with no paper clip can be a challenge. (Do YOU have a paper clip handy at an airport or hotel lobby payphone?) In a pinch, yank a staple out of something and un-bend it a bit. A ballpoint pen is too wide. up
Set the security timeout on (in options, security), and put a message in owner information (in options, owner) giving a telephone number to call if found, reward offered, etc. I also have my cell phone number taped to the back. up
If you're roaming between Canada and the US, confirm your access is turned on before you leave, or else you will spend hours in airport and hotel lobby payphones talking to tech support in both countries and continually resetting your device trying to switch networks. For Mobitex, the numbers to call for confirmation you are on their network are: Cingularity Wireless Data 1.800.304.3044; and Rogers AT&T 1.877.226.7243. up
I was told not to use NiCad (rechargeable) batteries, but I was going through two or three AA alkaline batteries a week. The manual gives battery-saving tips, most of them obvious or not useful to me. ("Turn off wireless" - in a pager?) After going through a dozen AA's, I thought there had to be a better way. RIM provides a NiMH rechargeable with the 850. However, I had some NiCads around, so I tried them. The NiCads last about a day, and require more care to use. The voltage is never as high as an alkaline. When the device says to "Replace battery now," you replace the battery - NOW. NiMH rechargeables are hard to find (except on the Internet, of course). However, the large number of digital camera users will make NiMH's more widely available - and the price has been falling, too! I would buy NiMH today, not NiCad. If you buy a new charger, make sure to get one that supports charging only one AA. up
Last update March 2, 2001. Copyright 2001 Craig Seko All rights reserved.