If you have ever tried to access email on a handheld computer by connecting to the internet via a mobile phone, you will know how painful the process can be. A far simpler solution is to buy the BlackBerry 7230.

The BlackBerry is around the same size as the palm of your hand. It looks like a standard handheld computer but with a smaller screen and mini keyboard, and in many respects, that's exactly what the BlackBerry is. It comes with software and a USB cable so that you can synchronise its calendar, contacts and emails with those stored on your PC.

Dig a little deeper into the BlackBerry's capabilities, however, and it quickly becomes apparent that it's capable of much more. It comes loaded with a T-Mobile mobile phone SIM card, which gives the handheld the connection it needs to wirelessly send and receive emails. You will have to buy a suitable data contract and sign up for the email service, which is another £10 a month on top of the regular line rental for a voice contract, but the BlackBerry will happily act as a regular (if chunky) mobile phone.

Once you've paid up, getting the BlackBerry to work is significantly easier than a typical handheld computer. Just turn it on and sit back as the correct settings are automatically downloaded. Your only job then is to type in some registration details to configure the email service.

Once this is done, you are ready to get communicating. The BlackBerry is really simple to use and has the advantage that new emails are automatically pushed to the device, so you don't have to remember to manually check for new mail.

It's more akin to using text messages, which the BlackBerry can also deal with.The rest of the system is also simple to use, thanks to the combination of the clear screen, simple interface and the wheel used to scroll through it. Our only real complaint is that making phone calls is a lot trickier than on a regular mobile and the pricing is difficult to work out.

Contact: RIM 01784 477465
www.t-mobile.co.uk