Last week I described my experiences using a BlackBerry 7520 as a notebook alternative, focusing on e-mail and typing. This week I'll pick up where I left off, with a look at how the BlackBerry handles creating and editing Microsoft Office files and browsing the Web, and what it's like to do those tasks on its small color screen.
In my opinion, to qualify as a viable notebook alternative, a device must enable you to create and edit documents that are compatible with Microsoft Office.
Out of the box, a BlackBerry doesn't offer that capability, unlike a Windows Mobile-based handheld or a Palm Treo 650, which comes with DataViz's Documents to Go Office-compatible suite. However, you can use DynoPlex's eOffice suite to add those features.
The professional edition of eOffice ($200) includes eWord, for working with Word files; eCell, for Excel files; eWorks, which lets you compose and edit formatted e-mail messages and transfer your Outlook inbox to your BlackBerry, among other things; eSpell, a spelling checker; and eFile, a Windows Explorer-like utility for managing and organizing files.
In my tests, the eOffice suite worked well. Navigation can be frustrating, however. Because BlackBerrys don't have touch screens, as do Treo 650s and many other PDAs, you must navigate by scrolling around the screen using the BlackBerry's track wheel, which can be cumbersome. Also, in order to replicate a desktop-like experience on the BlackBerry screen, eOffice menus and documents are tiny and difficult to read. If you're over 40, beware: You'll need your bifocals.
One final caveat: Though there are multiple Office-compatible programs for Palm and Windows Mobile devices, I've found only one for BlackBerrys: eOffice. So if you don't like this suite of programs, and you want to edit Office docs on your BlackBerry, you're out of options.
For more information about eOffice, or to download a free trial, go to the DynoPlex site.
BlackBerrys come with a Web browser that lets you access even Web sites that aren't optimized for handhelds. In my tests using the Sprint/Nextel network, Web pages loaded a bit sluggishly on the BlackBerry 7520, and non-optimized pages were sometimes a challenge to navigate, with their content in disarray. In other words: Expect the usual frustrating PDA Web browsing experience.
If you're impatient, consider the BlackBerry 7130e, which can jump onto Verizon Wireless's new EvDO broadband-like data network, or the BlackBerry 8700c, which runs on Cingular's new EDGE high-speed network. With either device, you're likely to see improvements in Web browsing speeds--provided you're in an area where the high-speed network is available. I haven't tested either of these devices, but I'm getting good reports on both.
So would I take a BlackBerry on a business trip and leave my laptop at home? As in my other tests of handheld devices as notebook alternatives, the answer is a qualified "maybe."
For a two- or three-day trip, in which I had no heavy work to do on Office documents, I'd probably ditch the notebook in lieu of a BlackBerry. For a longer trip, or one in which I needed to work on Office documents extensively, I'd bring my notebook in addition to the BlackBerry. Viewing documents on a BlackBerry's small screen is simply too difficult for any length of time.
Ultimately, a BlackBerry--or any other PDA or smart phone I've tested--has considerable limitations when compared to a notebook. For example, the BlackBerry 7520 wasn't able to open an e-mail containing five Office file attachments. Without access to a computer, I wouldn't have been able to review those attachments. And in that particular case, I would have been prevented from starting a new, tight-deadline project. That's a compromise I'm unwilling to make.
For more on notebook alternatives, browse some of my earlier articles:
Dell is recalling about 35,000 Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, and XPS notebooks sold between October 5, 2004, and October 13, 2005. The reason: Some faulty notebook batteries sold during that period may pose a fire hazard. Dell will replace all the affected batteries without charge.
Schlepping your gear through airports is wearisome. You can reduce what you pack, of course. But another option is to invest in lightweight briefcases and baggage. A number of manufacturers, including Briggs & Riley and Travelpro, offer bags that are designed to be durable, yet lighter in weight than traditional suitcases and laptop briefs. Check out what's available at PackingLight, an online retailer dedicated to lightening your load.
New GPS devices are easier to use and less expensive than earlier models. For instance, the StreetPilot i3 for Bluetooth-enabled Palms is only $250 and includes a kit that charges both the GPS receiver and your PDA. Read "GPS Devices: Cruise Controllers" for our reviews.
Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it. However, I regret that I'm unable to respond to tech-support questions, due to the volume of e-mail I receive.
James A. Martin
