Mac BlackBerry users rejoice: RIM promises new Mac tools

Macintosh users and BlackBerry users have much in common; they can be fanatical about their favored hardware (and we do mean that in a good way). But it has been difficult to be a devotee of both, because the Mac support from Research in Motion (RIM) has been lackluster. For years, RIM BlackBerry users with Macintosh computers have complained about the lack of Mac-compatible BlackBerry tools. But that's all going to change within the coming year.

RIM plans to release a set of new tools within the first half of 2009 which will address a number of longstanding complaints from Mac users, according to a source within RIM who asked to remain nameless because the company's not yet ready to officially announce details or release dates.

It can't happen too soon, as the existing limitations can be annoying, to say the least. Currently, BlackBerry owners with Macs cannot perform a number of important functions which are built-in to users running Microsoft Windows with RIM's BlackBerry Desktop Manager software, shipped with every BlackBerry device. The Desktop Manager utility (which, we're told, does run in Parallels) enables Windows users to update their BlackBerry operating systems; to back up and restore data on their BlackBerrys; and to manage BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) corporate e-mail settings, as well as other features.

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