[zeeple]

I am a mac/linux user who has a 8830 BB. I'd like to upgrade to OS 4.5 but I am not sure what my options are. Can I upgrade my BB as a non-Windows user?

[Heavy Fluid]

If you can boot up Parallels or something that allows you to install Windows on your Mac. If you can't, you need to find a friend or family member that will let you use theirs.

[zeeple]

Installing windows on a Mac just to upgrade my phone is SO out of the question. As far as I am concerned, if Windows is ABSOLUTELY required to upgrade the BB's, then BB's are Windows-Only devices. Which means that Mac users like me are actively encouraged by RIM to buy an iPhone or something else we can fully interact with.

[Heavy Fluid]

Not necessarily. I just use my wifes laptop to do it, and still use my Mac.

[aburamu]

Originally Posted by zeeple

Installing windows on a Mac just to upgrade my phone is SO out of the question. As far as I am concerned, if Windows is ABSOLUTELY required to upgrade the BB's, then BB's are Windows-Only devices. Which means that Mac users like me are actively encouraged by RIM to buy an iPhone or something else we can fully interact with.

I know! I also felt that way when I found out about this. But as soon as I realized all the features Iphone lacks I got rid of the whole idea.

Upgrading is the only thing you need a windows pc for. I just use another an old pc for it. (I've just upgraded twice in 5 yrs of blackberrying)

[Erjavec]

Originally Posted by zeeple

Installing windows on a Mac just to upgrade my phone is SO out of the question. As far as I am concerned, if Windows is ABSOLUTELY required to upgrade the BB's, then BB's are Windows-Only devices. Which means that Mac users like me are actively encouraged by RIM to buy an iPhone or something else we can fully interact with.

Well, you're kinda right, but what do you do... For now, I use VMware Fusion Windows XP partition that I have to upgrade my BOLD, and apparently full MAC desktop manager is on the way... Some patience ... on the other hand BB and MAC are a great combo even now, using Missing Sync... I just retired my iPod as there's no need to carry it around anymore. I fill 16GB memory cards on my BB BOLD easily and elegantly with playlists and videos from my iTunes

[rambo47]

Boot Camp - works
VMware - works
Parallels - fail

Something about lack of hardware acceleration of something like that prevents using Parallels to run the Blackberry Desktop Software in Windows.

[426-Hemi]

I updated my BB curve 8330 using Windows 7 beta running in boot camp on my son's MacBook. Worked fine.

Before I tried boot camp, I tried updating it on windows 7 beta running in Sun's VirtualBox on my MacBook Pro. No luck. I could only back up and restore my BB with the DM but ran into problems when it came to updating the software.

I would try bootcamp with the windows 7 beta. You should be able to snag a copy of it from the web.

[rambo47]

I keep an old IBM ThinkPad around the house for just this kind of thing. Any and all phone updating is handled by the old X31 running WinXP. I sync to my Mac but update with the pc.

Blackberry Cool has a good article summing up the solutions for using a Blackberry with your Mac: Mac and BlackBerry solutions guide | BlackBerry Cool