Audio

Being targeted towards business consumers, the BlackBerry 7100g lacks fun audio features, such as an MP3 player or FM radio, found on some high-end phones. But supporting up to 32 simultaneous chords, the 7100g is still capable of reproducing melodic sounding ringtones.

Convenient handsfree functionality can be accessed through one of several ways: by headphones through the 2.5 mm audio jack, by a Bluetooth wireless headset, or by speakerphone through the grill on the back.

Messaging

Using a compact 20-key QWERTY keypad, most keys contain up to two letters and one number. For example, the same key is used for the letters 'Q' and 'W.' Differentiating between the inputs depend on the sequence of keys pressed and matching it a 35,000 word dictionary. So even though each key represents multiple letters, the English language has a finite number of acceptable combinations.

SureType predictive text technology makes typing on the BlackBerry 7100g like typing on a full QWERTY keyboard. It even allows users to perform common tasks such as opening websites and applications, and typing commonly used text, just by typing a regular word.

For example, users can open Microsoft Word by typing "word\" anywhere. Similarly, type "address\" and have the full address be typed on the screen. Only when the special expansion key is typed after a word (by default, backslash) will SureType take effect.

Entertainment

Powered by BlackBerry OS, the 7100g comes preinstalled with many common PIM (Personal Information Management) tools. Call, email, SMS, or schedule a meeting from one centralized Address Book. Every contact can hold up to eight phone numbers, an email address, and two postal addresses, and stored in groups; with the capacity limited only by the available memory left.

With the Calendar, users can view meetings in one of four views. Day, Week, and Month views show all appointments for the selected timeframe, while Agenda view shows the schedule in a list. Other common software packaged includes Alarm Clock and Calculator, and Memo Pad and Tasks to organize busy lives.

Also supporting Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME), users can download and install 3rd party Java games and applications on the BlackBerry 7100g. Being the most popular platform for Java MIDlets, there are an abundance of applications and games already out on the market.

Having the ability to open and view email attachments, the BlackBerry 7100g supports formats such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, Adobe PDF, Zip Archives, HTML, and ASCII documents.

But perhaps the greatest strength of the BlackBerry 7100g is its ability to connect with Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes servers through Enterprise Server. Managing email accounts in one location, the 7100g supports email delivery in real time using "push" technology. From a user's desktop, email is "pushed" to the BlackBerry 7100g without needing to prompted.

However, if users don't work for a company with BlackBerry Enterprise Server installed, an alternative option is the BlackBerry Web Client. With the web client, email messages are wirelessly forwarded to the 7100g from up to 10 POP3 or IMAP4 accounts in 3 to 15 minute intervals.

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