BlackBerry App Must Haves - Part 1 of 4

If you are a BlackBerry user, you are already aware that BlackBerry is the best smartphone for multi-tasking, running several apps at once and of course it has a longer battery life than any other smartphone. This 4 part article is designed to discuss the applications needed for your BlackBerry smartphone to work at its peak performance. Each application is a program designed for each desired task. I have compiled a list of what I think are the most important and the most entertaining apps you will want for your BlackBerry. Part 1 will discuss the program 'boosters' for optimum BlackBerry usage. Part 2 discusses shopping and communication apps. For part 3, social networking and music, and finally the 4th part talks about information and GPS applications.

BlackBerry Boosters

Bolt Beta - This free app is a browser booster. It helps to load pages quickly and accurately. It uses similar shortcuts to the OperaMini to scroll, zoom and navigate web pages.

Data Viz Documents to Go Premium - This app's price is $69.99. It is a full version of Documents to Go, which lets you create and edit office documents. You can follow up on changes in Word files, add comments and info to spreadsheets, and use the always useful spell check and fonts.

BlackBerry Messenger - This is a free proprietary Instant Messenger application included on most new model BlackBerry smart phones. If you have an older BlackBerry you may want to download this app to stay in contact with your other BlackBerry friends without being charged for text messaging from your provider. BlackBerry Messenger uses a Blackberry OS PIN to send messages.

Palringo - This is a free muti-platform instant messenger service app. This app will allow you to chat with all of your social networking sites such as Facebook, IChat, Myspace, etc. A bonus with this application is you can find the location of the person you are chatting with in real-time.

Web Messenger - This is an instant messenger service application which helps you to chat with friends whether they are on AOL, Google, ICQ, Jabber, Skype, Yahoo and MSN. It also imports your contact list from any of those IM customers, you can set your status, and chat as long as you like.

Vlingo - If you haven't heard of this one you will surely thank me, because this is the most popular voice activation application in the world. You can control everything on your BlackBerry from the power of your voice. Speak into your Smartphone to send an email or text message, search the web, call a friend, update your social sites, all this without lifting a finger.

Viigo - Viigo is touted as the best mobile RSS reader application ever. It allows you to add any web site with a RSS feed, or even choose from many feeds offered by Viigo. Categories include popular blogs, entertainment, news and financial feeds. Feeds are updated every thirty minutes, and if you want you can refresh the channel manually to get the very latest news.

Grid Magic/Community Edition - This was formerly Maniacal. This free app is an advanced spreadsheet application which is designed and developed to optimize specifically for BlackBerry smart phones. You can run complex calculations; organize information into tables and graphs, as well as the usual spreadsheet functions such as select row or column and copy and paste.

BBNotePad - This a free app for BlackBerry used for editing and creating text files on your SD card or memory.

BBScreenShooter - This is a very useful free app. It is a small tool which will capture the current screen on your BlackBerry. You won't know the value of this app until you need it, it may prove priceless.

Pocket Mac for BlackBerry - This free app lets you sync up your Mac and BlackBerry smartphone. You can sync up your addresses, calendar, notes and email.