I’ve documented the configuration procedure, as a reference for anyone who might find it useful.

Prepare BlackBerry Pearl

To allow Mac OS X to find your device, ensure that Bluetooth is enabled on the BlackBerry Pearl and that it is set to be discoverable. These settings are available under Bluetooth in the Options screen.

Download Modem Scripts

Mac OS X 10.5 does not provide support for BlackBerry devices out-of-the-box. However, Grant Goodale has been kind enough to provide modem scripts that enable the missing functionality. I’ve mirrored his scripts here: BlackBerry.ccl.zip

Download BlackBerry.ccl.zip to your Downloads folder, and extract the archive. A new BlackBerry.ccl folder should appear.

Copy the BlackBerry.ccl folder to the Macintosh HD:Library:Modem Scripts folder.

Set Up BlackBerry Pearl on Mac OS X

Open System Preferences and go to the Bluetooth pane. Click “Set Up New Device…” which will bring up Bluetooth Setup Assistant.

Click “Continue” to move past the Introduction screen.

Select “Mobile phone” as the device type.

Mac OS X should find a BlackBerry 8100. Select it and continue. If your phone is not discovered, check that Bluetooth is enabled and the device is set to be discoverable. Once those settings are verified, go back and repeat this step.

In order to pair the computer and the phone, enter the given passkey on the phone.

With the devices paired, the BlackBerry Pearl can now be configured as a Bluetooth modem. Check the box next to “Access the Internet with your phone’s data connection” and continue.

Select Research in Motion and BlackBerry 8100 as the phone vendor and model, respectively. If wireless service is provided by AT&T (formerly Cingular), use the following settings.

Username: WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM
Password: CINGULAR1
Phone Number: wap.cingular

If not using AT&T, contact your wireless provider for connection settings.

If Research in Motion does not appear in the Phone Vendor menu, the modem scripts were not properly installed. Repeat this procedure after fixing the installation.

Congratulations! The device has been configured.

Connect to the Internet

Open the Network pane in System Preferences. Select the Bluetooth service and click “Connect.”

If everything is correct, you should now be connected to the Internet using your BlackBerry Pearl!

With iPhones in hands, people can now properly address its impact on the future. Umair Haque, writing at Bubblegeneration, offers his perspective on Apple’s strategy:

1) Pick an industry which sucks (ie, imposes significant nuisance costs/menu costs/externalities on consumers)
2) Redress the imbalance by making something consumers love
3) …Which disrupts the long-standing industry equilibrium, and shifts market power
4) Use said market power to redesign (a hyperefficient) value chain

It is eerily similar to the strategy Apple is using to dominate the music retailing industry with iPod + iTunes. I think things are even more interesting when looked at in the broader context of Apple and its products.

“Three screens” is a common term in the vernacular of the technology industry. It refers to the unique types of displays present on desktop computers, televisions, and mobile devices. These comprise the three devices a typical person interacts with every day.

Each screen presents an interface tailored to the situations it is used in. For example, a computer is actively controlled from within a couple feet, using a keyboard and mouse. Meanwhile, a television is more passive, controlled with a few buttons on a remote control while relaxing on couch.

Apple has now put roots down in each of the categories represented within the three screens. Mac computers are mature and respected. The promising iPhone has now been introduced. Meanwhile, the experimental Apple TV continues to improve.

Apple’s focus on user experience, coupled with their control of both hardware and software, gives them a unique advantage and incredible leverage. With technology’s ever increasing pervasiveness in our lives, Apple’s potential seems almost limitless.