So you just activated a shiny new BlackBerry and voila, roaring and ready to go. Your BES server is set up, email is coming through, and you’ve already called five people. The glory of BlackBerry is now waiting for you. The only thing left is to figure out how to download apps.
Basically, there are two ways to download apps. One is an OTA (over the air) download and the second is a side upload. The OTA download option allows you to download directly to your BlackBerry. In a device-centric download experience, the app is downloaded and installed on your BlackBerry without the need for a computer or cables. It all happens through a series of clicks on your BlackBerry and it looks like the easiest and most direct download option. For those new to BlackBerry or downloading apps, this is the download experience of choice.
The second way to download apps is through sideloading. Basically, this means that you will download an application to your computer and then use the software on your computer to load the application onto your BlackBerry. To perform this process, you will need to have BlackBerry Desktop Manager installed on your computer. Once installed, download the application’s setup file to a destination you can find on your computer. This will often be downloaded as a zipped file. To access the contents you will need to unzip or unzip the file. Next, you will need to connect your BlackBerry to your computer with a USB cable. Once your BlackBerry is connected to your computer, you can open the BlackBerry Desktop Manager, open the “Application Loader” option, and click the Add button. Once selected, use the dialog to point to the downloaded, uncompressed application folder where you will see an .alx file. (If you don’t see this type of file, you’ll need to contact the app developer or app store you downloaded the software from, as they didn’t provide you with the complete and necessary files.) After choosing the .alx file, press “OK” and the software will install. Once complete, the application will appear in your list of loaded applications and you will be able to disconnect the BlackBerry from your computer and use the application.