BlackBerry Desktop Manager coming to Mac in September

Mac users, rejoice -- well, the BlackBerry users in the lot of you, anyway. RIM's been infamous over the years for all but ignoring Mac support for its devices, throwing out the occasional bone like Media Sync, but they're now going big with a full-fledged Desktop Manager supporting Mac OS 10.5.5 and above when it launches... sometime. The big sticking point right now is that RIM isn't talking about an availability date, all we know is that it'll happen some time in September -- but when that date comes, you'll have a suite that's able to sync iTunes, add and remove apps, perform firmware updates, create backups and restore from them, and manage multiple BlackBerrys at the same time. Nokia, maybe you guys want to take note here?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:23PM]

http://europe.nokia.com/get-support-and-software/product-support/isync

[Chris Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:25PM]

Nokia's Mac support is a hodgepodge. NSU is the big problem.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:27PM]

Well then, it must be hodgepodge because you say so, sir. :)

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:26PM]

Chris, the last sentence in your post makes me wonder if you're at all aware of what Nokia already has available for Mac users?

There is Nokia Multimedia Transfer for Mac, which lets you transfer and sync iTunes music and playlists, iPhoto content, and videos - it can also take care of converting videos to the right format for the Nokia device. I've used it for long with my Nseries devices and it works very well.

There's also iSync support, which lets you sync calendar and contacts, and Nokia Map Loader for Mac, which lets you download and transfer maps to Ovi Maps Mobile from your Mac.

Multimedia Transfer has in fact been available for years, as well as iSync plugins. The only thing missing at the moment, really, is firmware updates and backups. Those are still only possible on Ovi Suite (formerly PC Suite) on Windows (or FW updates over the air), not Mac.

[Chris Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:37PM]

I can't remember the last time Nokia had iSync support for a phone on day one of its release -- usually takes a few weeks. The point is, Nokia views Mac as an also-ran platform and doesn't invest the same amount of time or energy into its Mac support as it does Windows -- so for Mac users, it's an inconvenience.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 4:05PM]

I hate to say this, but Mac IS an also-ran platform. I'm not putting it down, it's a great OS, but it has nowhere near the market penetration that Windows does. I say this as a Linux user, so I know something about being on an also-ran OS. The reality is that as long as Windows has 90+% of the OS market, most companies don't lose that much by delaying or outright ignoring support for the alternatives. And since Blackberries are primarily known as business phones, and businesses and business people almost always use Windows, they especially lose little by treating Macs as also-rans. If you don't want to deal with that inconvenience, buy a PC and trade for a whole different set of inconveniences.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 4:22PM]

With that I agree, Chris - Nokia doesn't put the _same_ time or energy into its Mac support as it does into Windows - and it should do more. But it's not that Mac support for Nokia is non-existent or that there aren't ways to get things done.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 6:06PM]

yea. i too really wished that they would have a full on suite for mac as they do for pc.

my nokia phones were the sole reason i have been using parallels and now bootcamp.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:43PM]

Will it allow USB tethering?

pleasesayyespleasesayyespleasesayyespleasesayyes

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:49PM]

makes it sooooo much easier to help our customers instead of that whack ass pocket mac, RIM thanks from a Bilingual Technical Support Coordinator at VZW

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 3:23PM]

WTFFF FINA-EFFING-LLY

[shinbunboi Posted Jul 20th 2009 11:38PM]

my sentiments exactly...

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 3:35PM]

After all these years with basically no Mac support, this couldn't have come at a better time, since the Wireless Update option was removed from the Tour 9630 (or at least from Verizon's model). We needed something to get OS updates because God knows the Tour is sure going to need one with all the problems it has. Thanks again for letting us know.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 3:42PM]

It's about effing time. Welcome to the game RIM!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 3:45PM]

Also... I don't know if I'm the only one, but I HATE missing sync. I'm just not a fan. I'm really looking forward to this!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 21st 2009 4:12AM]

uuuh, supporting mac os 10.5.5 in september?

...um, they do know mac os 10.6 is out supposedly sometime in september riiiiight?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 21st 2009 4:13AM]

....never mind...i read the "and above" bit...

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 21st 2009 9:33AM]

Probably not the place but looks like RIM is trying to buy Nortel...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/rim-calls-on-ottawa-to-review-nortel-bid/article1225443/

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 24th 2009 6:42PM]

That part about syncing with iTunes has me wondering if RIM will be fighting the same battle Palm is over the Pre syncing in iTunes...