Question: I am confused. Is there a BlackBerry Device Manager and BlackBerry Desktop Manager? I have always used the BB Desktop Manager when I cant get a client device to properly sync by wireless activation. So what's the difference and where do i Get the Device Manager?
BlackBerry Device Manager and BlackBerry Desktop Manager are different products … but if you install BlackBerry Desktop Manager you also get BlackBerry Device Manager as it is required for BlackBerry Desktop Manager.
That said, with the BlackBerry Device Manager, you can do the following:
1) Charge the BlackBerry via USB (the BlackBerry won't charge without the software installed, you do not need to actually start the software, the device driver loads automatically when you plug the BlackBerry)
2) Use Application Loader to install/change software on the device (that can also be done over the air in most cases, if your wireless data access is fast enough, but the wired option is nice if you do not have a data plan or if you have a plan with limited transfer capacity). For instance, with AT&T, it was a pain for me to install software over the air because of crappy speed, but with Verizon, it's a breeze.
3) Tether the BlackBerry and connect my laptop to the Internet via that connection (please note that this requires a separate tethering option, which is around $20 to $30 depending on the wireless company you have your BlackBerry with)
BlackBerry Device Manager doesn't allow me to sync/backup data; that is where BlackBerry Desktop Manager comes in.