OS 4.5 Upgrade List!

BlackBerry owners rejoice! The upcoming BlackBerry 4.5 software will vault your Pearls and Curves into the top ranks of multimedia devices. We got RIM to explain, model by model and server by server, what the new software will give existing BlackBerry owners.

There's a lot of awesome stuff here, with multimedia streaming support, Microsoft Office document editing and HTML e-mail support at the fore.

Some of the new features are handheld-only; some require server upgrades. If you're on BlackBerry Enterprise Server, your IT department will need to upgrade; if you're on BlackBerry Internet Service, you'll need to wait a few months for your carrier to upgrade. I've marked server features with an (S), and handheld features with an (H) to show what you'll be able to do immediately.

Here's the scoop by model number.

8100 and 8800

• Spell check (H) • BlackBerry Maps with Points of Interest (H) • Improved media player with playlist support and automatic playlist generation (H) • Voice note recording (H) • Streaming support for YouTube and Sling Player (H) • Bluetooth stereo music (H) • Microsoft Office document editing with DocumentsToGo (H) • Native format attachment downloading (S) • HTML e-mails (S) • Over-the-air device upgrades (S) • Free/busy calendar lookup (S) • Searching the server for old e-mail messages (S)

8130 Pearl:

• Automatic playlist generation in the media player (H) • Microsoft Office document editing with DocumentsToGo (H) • Native format attachment downloading (S) • HTML e-mails (S) • Over-the-air device upgrades (S) • Free/busy calendar lookup (S) • Searching the server for old e-mail messages (S)

8320/8830/8820

• BlackBerry Maps with Points of Interest (H) • Improved media player with playlist support and automatic playlist generation (H) • Voice note recording (H) • Video recording on Curve models (H) • Streaming support for YouTube and Sling Player (H) • Microsoft Office document editing with DocumentsToGo (H) • Native format attachment downloading (S) • HTML e-mails (S) • Over-the-air device upgrades (S) • Free/busy calendar lookup (S) • Searching the server for old e-mail messages (S)

8700/8703/8705

• Spell check (H) • BlackBerry Maps with Points of Interest (H) • New pictures and ringtones applications (H) • Voice note recording (H) • Microsoft Office document editing with DocumentsToGo (H) • Native format attachment downloading (S) • HTML e-mails (S) • Over-the-air device upgrades (S) • Free/busy calendar lookup (S) • Searching the server for old e-mail messages (S)

*Information Provided Via PC Magazine