23. About Email and the BlackBerry Web ClientSEE ALSO 24 Create a BlackBerry Web Client Account There is often confusion among users new to BlackBerry devices regarding email. It seems as if there are a dozen options for how to access and integrate email with your device, and it's hard to tell which options overlap and which ones are really necessary. So let me cut to the chase and attempt to explain the whole email scenario. I'll also point out where the BlackBerry Web Client fits into the email picture because it is an important component of BlackBerry email access. There are four fundamental approaches to accessing email from your BlackBerry device. Let's take a quick look at each of them:
NOTE Another email option I neglected to mention involves third-party mobile email applications. You can download and install these email clients on your device in lieu of the default Messages application, which is covered in Chapter 6, "Digging Deeper into Email and Text Messages." These applications are typically designed to tie into an existing POP or IMAP email account. For overall usability, I've found the built-in Messages application to be as good as most third-party options, except in the case of dealing with email attachments; see 35 View an Email Attachment . To sum up the various email approaches, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server is by far the best option if you work at a company that offers it or you don't mind shelling out the money to buy and run your own email server. If the BlackBerry Enterprise Server is not an option but you use a corporate email account that isn't easily accessed using POP or IMAP, you will probably need to use the BlackBerry Redirector application to redirect messages to your device. And finally, the BlackBerry Web Client is for everyone else, whether you choose to use only the Web Client account, integrate your email accounts into the Web Client, or forward other email to your Web Client account. Just because I mention it last in this discussion doesn't mean it doesn't do a good jobyou'll likely find that the BlackBerry Web Client solves most of your mobile email needs. TIP If you have multiple email accounts and want to use more than one of them with your BlackBerry device, it's worth pointing out that you can use any combination of the email solutions mentioned here. This flexibility is ultimately what makes BlackBerry such a powerful platform for mobile email. |