It’s hard to believe that the BlackBerry first came into our lives a decade ago. Initially, the wireless handheld device was merely used as a pager until the smartphone BlackBerry – the BlackBerry that we have come so accustomed to seeing in the palms of all businessmen’s hands – was released in 2002. As if from nowhere, the BlackBerry started to take the business – and now it seems personal – world by storm, with its impressive and ever-emerging capabilities perfectly suited to business (and pleasure) on the move. It’s practical, it’s multi-functional and it’s small enough to fit in your pocket. So what could possibly be wrong with the BlackBerry?

The answer lies simply in the nickname ‘CrackBerry.’ Referencing the addictive qualities of crack cocaine, the term is popular among users and non-users alike, acknowledging the prominence of a BlackBerry in someone’s life. Sad? Yes. But very, very true. In fact, Webster’s dictionary even gave ‘CrackBerry’ the title of ‘New word of the year’ in 2006. Surely that has to mean the nickname has some relevance, and first-hand experience with a CrackBerry – sorry, BlackBerry – forces me to agree.

The Guardian recently reported that US President Barack Obama is even famous for his love for his BlackBerry, ‘suggesting that someone should pry it from his hands before he would give it up.’ Well, if it’s good enough for Obama…

The beauty of the BlackBerry lies in its email capabilities and this is what attracts businesses to their models instead of the competition. The smartphones contain a software package called BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) which monitors your email inbox, passing any incoming messages to your network centre before they reach your Blackberry message inbox. This ‘Push Email’ is the phone’s focus and what really makes it stand out from others such as Apple’s iPhone.

While one would think that 24/7 access to work emails might be enough to make anyone run a mile, somehow this is not the case. Of course, many users do not have the option to avoid the bombardment of junk mail and business messages – having been given the device as a work phone – but what about all the other addicts? What’s their excuse?

The market for BlackBerries appears to have grown significantly, with networks around the world offering competitive contract price plans next to other mobile phones on the shelves. The BlackBerry is available to anyone and the email attributes really make this phone an attractive option for a culture so heavily reliant upon the World Wide Web. As well as featuring Push Email, BlackBerry offers a reliable internet browser and Wi-Fi capabilities, making net navigation easy. Furthermore, BlackBerry applications downloadable from the device ensure that the Tweeters and Facebookers among us are kept happy and informed without having to go through the often tedious log-on process via the internet browser on your phone.

Furthermore, the internet capabilities on the device allow you to access maps through the use of Trilateration. BlackBerry’s track wherever you are in the world and can zoom in to detailed maps to assist in route planning. The phone can also be used for satellite navigation – perfect for busy, working individuals that are used to continuous travel.

While featured internet components are significant to the BlackBerry’s success, other features help set it apart and explain further why people just can’t seem to get enough. Use of your assigned BlackBerry pin allows fellow BlackBerry abusers to communicate with you in a one-on-one text chat conversation. Feeling almost as part of a private clique in which BlackBerry addicts will communicate only with people of their own kind; an extra platform for communication invites users to appreciate the diverse levels of interaction on offer.

The BlackBerry was undoubtedly released as a business-orientated device, but with the unique email capabilities that make the phone so addictive, combined with the prominent use of email among technologically savvy individuals as a preferred means of communication, The BlackBerry has attracted a much larger demographic. With mobile Word, XLS and Powerpoint, documents can be easily created, downloaded and transferred from PC to BlackBerry and vice versa. Life really has never been so easy and the future only looks brighter for the people at BlackBerry. Frequent releases give consumers the opportunity to upgrade to different models, suitable for their tastes and needs, While the Bold comes with 3G, making download time much shorter, the Storm has a sleek touch screen and the Pear is a smaller regular-phone-sized Berry. Furthermore, President Obama – the first US President to use email – is set to continue his love affair with his BlackBerry, with talks of an all-new spy-proof smartphone for the most powerful man in the world.

The fact is that a BlackBerry does get in the way of everyday life. They are all you need in a mobile device and more, but at the same time they offer a relentless, inescapable work platform that blurs the line between business and pleasure beyond recognition. There will always be people who are opposed to BlackBerry use – namely those in the company of individuals avidly attached to their device – but BlackBerry is getting more and more common, as the market expands and the internet is continually used as a swift means of communication: business or otherwise.