Could you live without your BlackBerry?

You are probably as addicted to your BlackBerry as the person sitting next to you. So is President-elect Barack Obama, and he's going to have to learn to adjust to life without his handy, can't-do-without device.

With security being a major issue, it's important that the president is protected from any hacking attacks. And any communication on his BlackBerry or his computer is subject to Presidential Records Act and must be retained. At some point, it could become open to public scrutiny or subject to the threat of subpoenas.

We report on an article in the New York Times this week about the likelihood that Obama will have to wean himself from his BlackBerry and stop using e-mail. So just how will he communicate with his wife and two daughters, not to mention his staff?

During the presidential campaign, Obama's memos and briefing books were sent to his BlackBerry for his review. If a document was too long, he would read and respond from his laptop computer. He also often sent crisp, to the point messages to advisers and friends via his BlackBerry, sometimes as late as 3 a.m.

The adjustment will be tough for the man who moved the presidential race into the 21st century with extensive use of the Internet to communicate and connect his supporters as he campaigned across 50 states for 21 months. But unless there is some major security technological breakthrough, Obama will have to take a step backward, park his BlackBerry at the White House front door, disconnect his email for the duration of his presidential term, and communicate by other means. - Judi