It certainly doesn’t take long for information to start pouring out of RIM as soon as one of its NDAs springs a leak. A host of details emerged today about the BlackBerry Application Suite which allows a Windows Mobile device to run the BlackBerry OS as an application. The Application Suite is approximately 32 MB in size and is currently based on OS 4.2.1 which can be programmed to boot up as soon as Windows Mobile boots up. BlackBerry email, PIN messaging (important to many is the fact that BlackBerry Messenger works), calendar, tasks, address book and memos function in the same way as they do on a real BlackBerry, including BES synchronization. IT policies are supported and Windows Mobile and BlackBerry can simultaneously through their separate APNs. Also of note is the fact that Windows Mobile and the Application Suite can each be tied into a separate Exchange accounts without complication. But with all that work having been done, there are quite a few key features of any good smartphone that will not work. Features like GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi cannot work as the Application Suite does not have access to them. Phone calls cannot be made through the Application Suite so it routes all calls through Windows Mobile. Video playback is not supported and some applications may not work properly on devices with VGA resolution. Sounds like RIM would have been better served if it had decided to work with an open OS… *cough* Android *cough* Symbian
So there you have it – BlackBerry Application Suite in a nutshell. Do we like or dislike? Either way, hit the jump for a horribly blurry video of the Suite in action.
