Carrying a BlackBerry used to speak volumes about a person. When you saw someone tapping at that wide keyboard with both thumbs, you could safely assume that the owner was a businessperson, and that the person’s time was so valuable that he or she couldn’t afford to be out of touch from the office for even a moment. Today, you can no longer make that assumption.

BlackBerry 6 and other recent releases have played up the devices’ power, connectivity, and media capabilities. Now these devices are carried by teenagers, surfers, knitters—seemingly everyone. Anyone who has experienced that large screen, that expansive keyboard, and that

powerful processor will not contentedly return to a crammed phone with a multi-tap dial pad. The explosion in the number of BlackBerry devices has raised people’s expectations, and also created a tempting marketplace for programmers everywhere. BlackBerry 6 applications offer a rich and expressive interface for a mobile device, and people will pay for the best apps available.

Developers sell their applications on BlackBerry App World, through off-deck stores like Handango, and through wireless carrier stores. Many more people program for fun and load their applications on their own devices or those of friends. And, because BlackBerry still has dominated the enterprise marketplace, many programmers write applications particularly for their internal business customers.

This book will show you how to make the most of your BlackBerry applications. It focuses on the most fun, the most impressive, and the most rewarding aspects of development. By the time you finish, you should be able to write professional-quality applications that run on the latest devices.