Pros and Cons of a Blackberry

To address the question of how I use a mobile device I thought I would reflect on a typical day and the benefits I receive having a Blackberry in my pocket.

As a fan of Google applications it goes without saying how many apps link seamlessly to my phone. Google mail, reader and calendar are the main tools. All conferences that I subscribe to as both a Learner and Tutor post messages to my phone. This is an easy method of both tracking and reading messages without going oinline. I could link into the conferences from my phone but rarely do.

At work I syncronise my calendar and teaching appointments to Google Calendar and my phone automatically. Appointment's added on the phone also sync to my online calendar.

All sites and RSS feeds that link to my reader are available I usually catch up on this activity whilst having a tea or coffee break.

Personal emails also pop up in a different mailbox on my phone ans of course SMS mainly from the family.
I have loged into Moodle to read course notes but prefer to do this at my PC but it is useful when on public transport. This is one area that I think an Ipad would excel. I download and read some course readings in PDF format but again screen size is a problem here.

Capturing ideas in note form or a quick voice message helps to prevent loosing ideas. Capturing photos is also seamless a few clicks and any photo can be available online through Picasso. Blogging is possible but again the keyboard size is a problem its ok for short messages but anything with detail is not worth the effort.

Pros
You are more accessible (also a con depends how you look at it)
Ability to keep track of conference activity
Emails activity is efficient I rarely check mail at a pc.
You can capture thought as and when.

Cons
Moodle conferences are slow and cumbersome to deal with.
It can be difficult to ignore activity and switch off, relaxing with the phone vibrating nearby  can be a nuisance.
It helps to contribute to information overload but it just needs will power and managing.
You are more accessible
Screen at times is too small

Conclusion 
I think it is safe to say that my main use of a mobile is for the email and conference activity as both a learner and tutor. This is a considerable saving on time makes me more accessible and much more efficient when it comes to both activities.