Blackberry Desktop coming to the Mac in September

Sunday night on the Talkcast we were talking about sync apps for mobile devices -- the latest iTunes update blocked the Palm Pre from identifying as an iPod in iTunes, and we were lamenting the fact that Pre users would have to go back to using Palm's app again. Blackberry users are likewise forced to sync with one hand tied behind their backs: the Blackberry Desktop app up until now has only been available for Windows, and users on OS X have been recommended PocketMac for Blackberry, a third-party product. But now RIM has finally announced that they're bringing the Blackberry Desktop app to the Mac -- it'll be available this September, and will offer all of the functionality you'd expect: syncing of calendars, contacts, and notes and tasks, app management, and the usual device updating and so on.

There are screenshots on the official blog, and boy does that thing look like iTunes, all the way down to the sidebar menu, memory usage bar, and even the Music syncing screen. But then again, as we said last night, iTunes is basically the gold standard for syncing apps -- every other proprietary app we've used, from the Palm Desktop app all the way back to the proprietary Sony app I used to use with my old minidisc player, is more or less rubbish. It's great that Crackberry users will finally get to sync directly with their Mac using an official program, but it is funny that that program looks almost exactly like iTunes.

[via Ars]

View Tags

Source: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/07/blackberry-desktop…

Categories

Analysis / Opinion OS Software Odds and ends Developer

Sunday night on the Talkcast we were talking about sync apps for mobile devices -- the latest iTunes update blocked the Palm Pre from...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

13 Comments

Filter by:

laden

Nice coming to balckberry ..I am also a blackberry Mobile user ..it's an unlocked Mobile i got it unlocked using the site
http://www.unlocking4u.com/

August 07 2009 at 4:58 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

verboze

"but it is funny that that program looks almost exactly like iTunes"
There is nothing funny about this. As a user accustomized to Apple's elegant user interface, why would I want to learn yet another interface? RIM is well aware of this, and designed as such. Opening this app and feeling right at home with it from day one is definitely an upsell! Of course, Apple may not like the idea very much, but that is another story ;)

July 22 2009 at 6:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Andrew

Good to hear. Now I won't have to use Fusion to do the syncing/updating OS's. Is it just me or are you trying to throw a jab in the last paragraph in saying that RIM is trying to mimic iTunes and it's syncing abilities? LOL I think if you're working with resources for OS X, it's going to look like everything else in OS X. I think it's funny that Word looks like Pages with the grey bar at the top and icons running horizontally.

July 22 2009 at 5:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

huampoyotl

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!, what a nightmare!!!!!

July 21 2009 at 11:32 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

SimpleLeap Software

It's about time. Wonder what took them so long. It doesn't appear to be a complicated app.

July 21 2009 at 10:54 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

macmd

RIM clearly has heard the growing chorus of MAC users who WANT a BlackBerry even more than an iPhone. I bailed so fast from AT&T I was glad to pay the three ETF to get out of that crappy network. Once iPhone 1.0 was launched the network dropped to its knees and continues to fail over and over.

RIM is making the smart move because this will give Mac users who choose a BlackBerry either for corporate or personal reasons a way to ditch the crappy 3rd party sync options that fail, and are over priced.

Also take note that Desktop Manager for Windows uses a 3rd party sync app to link your iTunes library so Apple and threaten all they want, but they can't stop 3rd party developers from syncing up.

July 21 2009 at 9:01 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Michael Kallweitt

Glad to hear this, since "Missing Sync" never worked right for me.

July 21 2009 at 4:47 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Tim_Netherlands

Could you tell me which app you are referring to here; "...all the way back to the proprietary Sony app I used to use with my old minidisc player, is..."

Still lacking an iPod, so I would love to sync my MiniDisc. I'm the proud owner of both a regular and a NetMD.

July 21 2009 at 4:10 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Allen S.

It's about time they came out with their own app (besides PocketMac). Hopefully this one won't crash as much, and actually sync data each time the "sync" button is pressed.

July 21 2009 at 1:48 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Philipe

What a GUI disaster, Helvetica in the sidebar? RIM!

July 21 2009 at 1:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply