This group go for the 7100 series and consider themselves up-to-date with the latest technology. Some 54 per cent of those surveyed were women; with 25-to-34-year olds forming the largest group of 7100 users. Popular with entrepreneurs and people in the media spotlight.The Fasts (Flexible, active, self-sufficient, travellers). It's got me, hook, line, sinker.What type are you?There are now three series of BlackBerry and, according to the manufacturers, each appeals to a different type of person.The Styles (Sociable, trendy, young, leading, early-adopters). And BlackBerry's ability to worm its way into every corner of modern life means that it's only a matter of time before one is cited in a divorce case. Now that I've seen the light, as it were, relinquishing mine would be like replacing my telephone for two tin cans and a length of string, and while I'd not go as far as RIM and suggest that they are actually good for us - five portions of fruit a day is good for us - it does make 21st-century life seem considerably easier.When I first took delivery of it, the BlackBerry sat squarely in the palm of my hand Now, our positions have been reversed. We'll become a nation of RSI sufferers before long (the American Society of Hand Therapists has already issued a "consumer education alert" in anticipatory warning).
My 7200 series, for example, suggests that I think for myself and make quick decisions. But do I? Do I really?Unlike many mobiles, a BlackBerry does not have a camera. The reason for this, one enthusiast tells me, is that they are "not toys".Not a toy, then, but as hideously compulsive as any computer game. Indeed, one of the reasons for the BlackBerry's popularity is its proper Qwerty keyboard that lets you type with relatively graceful ease - no more fussy phone texting.I also read a report that suggests the par- ticular model individuals choose (and there are several versions) says much about the user's character and personality traits. Music PR Julie Dean warns me to resist the temptation to respond to messages as one would a text, as research has shown that this can offend a client or employer expecting a more fulsome - and, in an ideal world, grammatically correct - answer.
Because it's not waterproof, I can't take it swimming with me, but otherwise the thing never leaves my pocket.My learning curve, meanwhile, is illuminating. Consequently, whenever I'm away from my desk, I crave inbox update the way a drug user does his next fix. Which, it seems, is an entirely apt comparison."In America," Williams tells me, "they call them CrackBerrys. Instantly addictive." He's not wrong, and the sense of freedom and mobility it bestows on me is heady. No longer do I need to feel guilty for my daily coffee break, nor the illicit affair I may or may not be conducting every other Thursday.
