AIM and Yahoo on BlackBerry; BlackBerry on Windows Mobile

More BlackBerry news than you can shake a stick at today. First up, RIM is going to be supporting both AIM, ICQ, and AOL Mail on the BlackBerry. RIM is also getting all buddy-buddy with Yahoo to provide Yahoo Messenger service functionality. So the BlackBerry is getting some new features — but we've also got some news in the opposite direction: the BlackBerry Connect service is going to be rolling out to Windows Mobile devices developed by HTC, makers of many smartphones and Pocket PC Phones (that usually end up with someone else's name on them, which is why their actual moniker isn't always up in lights). BlackBerry Connect will roll out to both current HTC keyboard-based devices and shortly thereafter will be offered on a wide range of Windows Mobile-based HTC devices. Soon, users of those devices can have their crack and eat it, too.

[Thanks, Mauricio!]

[Gillian White @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

It's about time, there are 3rd party IM programs like Verichat and Webmessenger but a built-in IM solution that's completely free has been a long time coming.

Blackberry Cool

[crsh @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

there is built-in IM (aim, icq and y! if i recall) on some of t-mobile US' blackberry devices

[b @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

But you can use IM on any phone enabled blackberry. I use it all the time. People IM me on my blackberry by using my phone number [phone] (just an example). The message is delivered instantly through SMS. You can chat with the person on a computer that way. I have only tried this with AOL IM though.

[b @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

To IM an AOL user use the SMS number 265010 and in the message type username: text.

[Carmi @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

As interesting as the IM announcements are - and don't get me wrong, they ARE significant - the tectonic shift here is the BlackBerry Connect/Mobile PC licensing deal.

RIM has long been married to the old hardware-is-paramount ethos that relegated Apple to a niche player in the broader PC market. Announcements like these signal that it is finally chiming into the reality that the license is the key to exponential market penetration. Selling boxes is so 1980s.

Carmi
http://writteninc.blogspot.com

[Buzzcut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Yeah, but...

I just rid of an ipaq because the god damn thing did not work. Wi-fi doesn't work. Bluetooth doesn't work. The software sucks. The hardware sucks.

I don't hear too many crackberry enthusiasts saying that they have to reboot the device very often. I rebooted my ipaq all the time, sometimes I had to do a hard reboot!

The reason that Apple is successful (to the extent that it is) is exactly because they control the hardware. That is the only way to ensure that the fucking stuff WORKS. (not that I own a Mac, and not that my PC gives me trouble in any way. If only WM was as good as XP).

People who move from a real crackberry to crackberry on WM are going to be some really pissed off customers, I guarantee you.

[Joey Geraci @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

What have you done to your poor ipaq to cause it those problems? Most normal people have had no problems with the outstanding series of ipaq handhelds. My new blackberry, on the other hand, has given me nothing but trouble. Having instant email access is nice, but the general os interface is crap and the phone integration is horrible. Just a brief example that exemplifies the horrors of malusage that exemplify this product: If is try to dial a phone number from any other screen other than the phone screen, I have to dial the first number, wait a couple of seconds for the phone screen to pop up, and then dial the rest of the numbers. If I just dial normally, it is bound to drop 1 to 2 digits.

Proud owner of a blackberry 7100t

[SD @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Basic Yahoo messenger service has been working on Blackberry for over a year now - I use it regularly on both the verizon and the AT&T/Cingular networks. The syntax is very simple - you send a SMS to "92466" (YAHOO) with the message "in ID pass" to sign in. Ok, so I do not get the fancy icons etc., but i guess i don't care about that stuff.

[Virtuous @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I rarely have to reset my Toshiba e800 PPC. Blackberry Connect is the real Treo killer.

[Buzzcut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Welp, you guys obviously don't have 5450s. WM 2003 can't do Wi-fi.

Wi-fi is what usually crashed the thing, although it crashed for other reasons as well.

The last straw for me was while driving, trying to bluetooth a phone number to my cell. The thing would not connect with the cell, and then it knocked my bluetooth headset out! I had to dial manually and talk on the phone.

I don't doubt that people who don't use wi-fi or bluetooth on their PPCs don't have trouble with it. But if you do use those features, which are advanced features similar to what will be needed for crackberry on WM, you know what a POS it is.

I can't comment on the crackberry interface, other than the fact that I have many crackhead friends. It can't be that bad with so many crackheads out there.

BTW, I replaced the 5450 with a Palm Zire 31. I'm not exactly happy with Zire either. The PPC interface is better (could be better than the crackberry too, for all I know).

[Eion Murdock @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

No problems at all with the interface on my T-Mobile 7100t - I just checked for the phone number dialling thing, and mine doesn't do that. I'd recommend upgrading to OS4.0 if you haven't already (T-Mo should have sent you a message about it a few days ago).

The biggest problem I have with my iPaq (2210) is the way it loses if you let the battery run down, plus the battery doesn't last that long. Then there's the keyboard you need to carry around if you want to do any real typing... now I've got the Blackberry, I don't use it any more.

On to the IM thing - the T-Mo IM program is ot the best (and that's putting it mildly) and I'm too cheap to pay $35 a year for an IM program, so I can't wait for RIM to release this.

[Luke @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

It's worth noting though that IM programs like Y! work in a massively different way to SMS.

Here in the UK, on most phone contracts we'll pay about 17 cents to send a SMS. Using a proper IM package, I would hope that messages would be sent via GPRS (our mobile "broadband" - it's still not that fast), so messages would be charged by data used (normally paid for by the meg), rather then as 160 character messages at 17 cents a throw.

[Regulator @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Dont mean to spam, but we need blackberry apps on this forum!!!! Thanks
http://s10.invisionfree.com/Project_BlackBerry/index.php?

[BaAllah23 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I think with the added IM feature it will exponentially increase the more user friendly, and new age of side of the blackberry. Now all Blackberry has to do is add a Mp3 player (like the samsung), a camera, and speakerphone. And then Blackberry would have a product that would be in high demand on today's technology crazy market.

I just hope it comes out soon because SMSing is starting to become expensive on my wireless bill

[Keith Welch @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I need help with setting up the IM mode of my Motorola e398. I use Cingular as my service provider and I also subscribe to Cingular MEdia Net services. Here is what the Set up area looks like...
ISP settings..under the im option in main menu

GPRS APN: [might be 'wap.cingular']
USER NAME: [might be '[e-mail]]
PASSWORD: [CINGULAR1]
IM SERVER: ??????????
IM PORT: ?????????
POST URL: ????????
SECURE LOGIN: YES? / NO?

Any suggestions??
Contact: Keith Welch [[e-mail]]

[Keith Welch @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I need help with setting up the IM mode of my Motorola e398. I use Cingular as my service provider and I also subscribe to Cingular MEdia Net services. Here is what the Set up area looks like...
ISP settings..under the im option in main menu

GPRS APN: [might be 'wap.cingular']
USER NAME: [might be '[e-mail]]
PASSWORD: [CINGULAR1]
IM SERVER: ??????????
IM PORT: ?????????
POST URL: ????????
SECURE LOGIN: YES? / NO?

Any suggestions??
Contact: Keith Welch [[e-mail]]

[Brandon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

could anyone please tell me exactly how to download a 3rd party aim program into my blackberry. i'm not computer savvy. do i have to download it from my cingular browser on my blackberry, because i can never get that far; or can i do it a different way? i appreciate anyone who can help me. brandon.