| Author |
Message |
    
eliz
Supporter
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 1285
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 9:00 pm: |     |
I currently have a rather complicated situation - I have a Mac (iBook) use Entourage as my mail software program. My company (in another state) is almost all PC and uses a Microsoft Exchange Server (from which I get most of my mail). I would like to get a handheld device for email for when I travel (i/o bringing my laptop). I like Blackberry's for their keyboard/thumb thingy. I've tried to research this online and it just gives me a headache. Can anyone explain to me in 100 words or less if this is possible or not?
Thanks |
eliz
Supporter
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 1286
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 9:02 pm: | |
Oh and no need for editorials on annoying Crackberry users ... I don't ride the train and I promise not to bring it to the pub, movies etc. |
monster
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 1862
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 1:30 am: | |
yes |
TarPit Coder
Citizen
Username: Tarpitcoder
Post Number: 15
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 8:02 am: | |
Think about a Treo 650 or 700w (If you feel like taking a risk).
You'll want to toss out the standard versamail email client on the treo and get one of the better email clients - Chatter email is popular. There are actually some that use IMAPI to give you a 'constant' push email connection to the mailserver.
You can also just have a regular client grab email every half hour ot hour. Depends on how fast you need notification. |
eliz
Supporter
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 1287
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 9:06 am: | |
I travel internationally and the 700w is only offered by Verizon and is not global. Also I looked at the Treo's and I doubt I could ever work the itsy bitsy keyboard.
Monster - ok that was succinct but can you elaborate a teeny bit? Thanks! |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2187
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 10:42 am: | |
There are three ways to get email on a blackberry type device.
Server - A component plugs in to Exchange, and handles forwarding mail to the device.
Client - The device actually pulls email from your exchange server directly
Forwarding - A piece of software on your company laptop or desktop essentially forwards your mail to the blackberry.
The most direct way is server-based, but it requires support from your IT department. If there are other blackberry users at your company, it should be simple for them to handle. If not...
You can probably get the information that you need from your IT department on how to configure a Blackberry device to work as a mail client for your mail system. See if they'll support you, even if it's not with the Exchange plugin. That way you don't have to do your own tech support.
As a last resort, you can forward your email to a different account that is accessible from the blackberry. It's not ideal, and you run into issues if you want to reply, but it can work.
I'm not a Blackberry user (though I used to be). So some of this might be out of date or inaccurate now. |
Gatica™
Citizen
Username: Katracho
Post Number: 233
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 2:13 pm: | |
OK, but doesn't a company need Blackberry licenses (Enterprise or small business) in order to have a Blackberry device pull email from Exchange? I may be mistaken, but... I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. |
monster
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 1864
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 6:53 pm: | |
Looks like others have elaborated more, I believe Gatica is right in that you will need "BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Exchange" (if you are using Exchange), I believe the license starts around $2200 or so for 20 users, I'm sure they have better deals as the amount of users go up.
For syncing with a Mac, PocetMac is the way to go, http://www.pocketmac.net/products/pmblackberry/index.html
I suppose it is possible to access your email via the Blackberry WebMail client, I found the following on that,
Quote:Requirements:
1. An understanding of Exchange - I am not in front of my server, so I cannot tell you step by step instructions - this will be vague.
2. Admin rights to exchange, or an "in" with your Exchange admin
3. You need to know your BlackBerry WebMail address.
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Why this is nice.
You can always open pop access to the mail server and add it as an account on the BB Webclient - but it will not be instant - the POP account are all polled accounts, the Webmail address is instant, no delay.
HOWEVER - there is no syncronization with exchange at all, just a generic forward of all the mail.
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1. From the ADUC console create a new "Contact"
2. Set it up with the external address you want to forward your mail to (your BB address)
3. On the exchange features page of the User properties setup forwarding to send a copy of all messages to the contact. (There are 3 buttons on that page, it is in one of the button sub-menu's)
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I hope this helps someone.
Contacts do not take up a license on the Exchange server, there is no additional licensing required for this type of mail delivery, and only lacks the contact/calendar integration with exchange - you can still sync with Outlook as usual though.
The only way you will be able to sync with the above setup is, I believe, by using a direct USB connection to a worstation that has the Desktop Redirector installed on it.
The Desktop Redirector is a program that runs on your pc, and when an email arrives in your email client program (Outlook, Outlook Express, etc), it passes it to the Desktop redirector, which then sends it on to your Blackberry. You need to have your PC on and you need to be logged into it in order for your BB to work.
The Blackberry Web Client (BWC or Blackberry Internet Service -BIS) is a web site that you go to and register an email address to, and the email then gets forwarded to your BB. See http://blackberry.net/support/client/index.shtml (http://blackberry.net/support/client/index.shtml) Disadvantages to this is that you are limited to a 10MB mailbox.
You could also have mail forwarded to another account, say a gmail account, and then forwarded to your BlackBerry, or forward a copy of your POP3 email to your BB address, you will have the same email on both the BlackBerry and other email clients (is that a bad thing?) and when you delete one the other won't be deleted (because there is no syncing). Also the webmail client is not instant, apparently it polls for new mail every 15 minutes or so.
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