Just like my cell phone camera lets me catch snapshots of the visual images I see around me — not as clear as a good digital camera, but it’s there with me — the BB lets me capture snapshots of thoughts I have when I’m not sitting at the computer. I’m not talking about quick email fire-offs, but blog thoughts like this one: in the taxi, in a waiting room, while nursing the baby. There’s a stress-reduction in not worrying that I’m going to “lose the thought” before getting it down. That’s my primary use of the Blackberry, as it turns out.

The secondary use is to ensure that I don’t miss important emails while on the road.