RIM have released version 5 of the Blackberry Messenger software. This application allows Blackberry devices to Instant Message each other directly without bothering with PIN messages. Below is a list of improvements over the 4.x app.
- Avatars for yourself and your contacts
- Backup of settings to Blackberry servers (remote) or using the Blackberry Desktop Manager (local)
- Improved UI to improve the applications looks
- Setting subjects for conversations
- Barcodes – generate one for your device and scan others barcode to add them
- Displaying time zone information
- Displaying What I am listening to
- Displaying Status updates
Apart from those differences it seems to work pretty much the same as the previous version. This is a useful free app, if you know anyone with a Blackberry, it is definitely worth downloading from the Blackberry App World.
Now, hopefully RIM produce similar improvements, for the Browser and other core apps, in version 5 of the Blackberry OS.