Blog: RIM BlackBerry Tip: Create New Word, Excel, PowerPoint Files in Documents to Go for FREE

While experimenting with the Standard Edition of Documents to Go that came along with BlackBerry handheld operating system (OS) v4.5, I discovered a way to create new Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files on my BlackBerry—even though this functionality is supposed to be restricted to the Premium Edition of the software.

Documents to Go from DataViz is an application that lets users of various smartphones—not just BlackBerrys—view, create and edit documents in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats, though much of the program's full functionality is available only to Premium Edition users.

Business users have long complained about the inability to create and edit documents via BlackBerry. Many other high-end smartphones from companies like Palm have come with software that can create and edit such files for years. But RIM finally addressed the complaints in v4.5 of its BlackBerry OS, which isn't officially available yet, though beta versions for various device models have been bouncing around the Web for months.

The new OS comes with the Standard Edition of Documents to Go, which can be used to edit Word and PowerPoint files, though it doesn't "officially" allow for document creation, advanced character and paragraph formatting, word count, table/list editing or creation in Word, and more.

We can't help you with all that other stuff unless you want to pay the US$70 DataViz is charging per license—not yet at least—but Word-file creation is probably the Documents-to-Go feature folks would use most, and we can assist you there.

Trying to create new files in Documents to Go Standard Edition the official way—by clicking your BlackBerry Menu key and selecting New while within the program—will only get you a dialogue box asking if you want to upgrade to the Premium Edition. However, creating new Word or PowerPoint files "unofficially" really couldn't be easier.

Simply send a Word or PowerPoint file to the e-mail address associated with your device—or transfer one to your media card using RIM's Desktop Manager software—and save it. Next, open Documents to Go on your BlackBerry, choose whether you want to open Word to Go or Slideshow to Go, navigate to the file location and open it. From there you should erase all the contents of the document, rename it and save it as something like "New_PowerPoint_Template."

Then whenever you want to create a new file all you need to do is open the blank template, create your file, save it as a new name and you're good to go.

For more on how to upgrade your OS to v4.5 and get Documents to Go Standard Edition, check out CrackBerry.com BlackBerry OS Upgrade Tutorial.