I'm a current Windows Mobile user but I'm growing tired of the constant instability of the OS. I've had a Palm Treo before and while it is more stable than Windows Mobile, it still left me wanting more. So now I'm down to BlackBerry.

I know the most ideal way to use a BlackBerry is with a BES server but I'm not going to run it that way. I run my own mail server on a Linux machine that supports IMAP (with the IDLE extension). It looks to me that the mail client in the BlackBerry doesn't support mail protocols like IMAP on its own so I would have to use T-Mobile's BIS service that would pull my e-mail from my server. Is this correct? I'd prefer to manage the e-mail on my IMAP server directly so that if I delete an e-mail from the BlackBerry that it is also deleted from my server so that I don't have to delete it twice. It looks like BIS doesn't support this two-way synchronization. Also the 15-minute interval that BIS polls for mail doesn't excite me. Ideally I'd like to use the IMAP IDLE capabilities of my mail server or at a minimum have two-way synchronization between the BlackBerry and my mail server.

I try to keep my calendar and contacts in open formats for easy portability. I know I'm using the iCal format for my calendar on my Linux server. How is the BlackBerry at handling these formats? Does it use it's own format for things like calendar or will the iCal format work natively on it? What if someone sends me an iCal-formatted meeting request in e-mail, will it recognize that and add it to the calendar right on the device?

I'd also like to synchronize among a Linux and Mac system. In my initial searching through the FAQ and fourms here it looks to be possible.

I tried to be good about looking through the FAQ before asking my questions here but if there's anything I missed feel free to point me to it.

Just look at how many movie/music stars have BlackBerry, you can't go wrong.

http://crackberry.com/crack-team/cra...erry-sightings

Jon - welcome to BB Forums.

You can also forward your e-mail directly to the BB and bypass BIS totally. That may work for you.

I would suggest looking in the "Mac Users Corner" to get some more specific information on syncing with the Mac platform.

Good luck.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8100/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

I have used WM and Palm platforms. Hands down (in my opinion) BB is the most reliable. Just got my dietician to make the switch and she couldn't be happier. With all the new models out (and coming), gone are the days of the simple messaging device of old. I have been out of the office attending various EOC meetings in prep for June 1st and haven't missed a beat with this little mobile wonder!

I think that if I forward mail directly to the device bypassing the BIS that I will lose the ability to manage my mailbox directly from the BlackBerry.

Is my assumption about the BIS and how it would work with an IMAP e-mail account correct? When I think about it some more it would have to communicate the changes back and forth so maybe I could manage my inbox from the BlackBerry.