WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR

Like any book introducing a topic, I've tried not to assume anything when talking about the handheld. The handhelds must be connected to a PC at some point, however, so I assume that you have at least some basic PC experience. Specifically, you need to be able to install software on a PC, launch an application, and understand how to interact with that application. Also, since the handheld must be physically connected to the PC with a cable, I assume that you know how to make these connections without destroying the PC.

Overall, however, this book is focused on new users. Maybe you just got your first BlackBerry and need to learn how to use it quickly. Or maybe you have had a BlackBerry for some time, but know that you aren't using all of the features to their fullest. Whatever the case may be, this book is written and organized to help you get from the very first step of having a brand new handheld to learning in depth how the applications work.

If you are already familiar with your handheld and just want to learn about a particular aspect in more detail, you can jump ahead to a chapter to quickly learn about it.

There are also two appendices that you may be interested in. Appendix A is my honest review of the 7100v and how it compared to my 7280. Appendix B is a little "behind the scenes" look at how an email message actually gets from your server to your handheld. Of course, these aren't required to understand how to use your handheld; however, you might find this information helpful.