Among the many issues the new president faced, the tug-of-war with his security team on continuing to use his portable device received more than its share of attention. But, in the post-partisan manner favored by the 44th president, a compromise was announced on Thursday.

'Use Will Be Limited'

Under the arrangement, a super-encryption package will be added to Obama's BlackBerry, giving the most powerful person on the planet on-the-go access to e-mail. According to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, "use will be limited." Obama will only be able to e-mail senior staff, Gibbs told reporters, as well as "a small group of personal friends."

The highest level of encryption for BlackBerrys currently used by top-level government officers is Secret, and -- as the most visible target for hackers -- Obama's security needs are higher. For instance, a BlackBerry can become a homing device broadcasting its user's location, or it can be hacked to act as a remote microphone, in addition to more standard e-mail and voice-communication prying.

Obama has said his BlackBerry allows him to more easily get around the bubble that presidents find themselves in. "They're going to pry it out of my hands," he told one interviewer before the compromise was reached.

But e-mail, which appears to be Obama's main interest, can be a two-edged sword. The Freedom of Information Act and the Presidential Records Act of 1978 require that e-mails relating to official business be preserved as public records. The informal nature of such e-mails can lead to embarrassment or worse.

Oh, the Irony

In fact, former President George W. Bush dropped e-mailing altogether because of the public-record laws, and his predecessor, Bill Clinton, reportedly still doesn't e-mail.

Last fall, The Onion, a satirical online publication, speculated on how embarrassing Obama's Gmail in-box could be. In The Onion's visualization, the subject line of an e-mail from wife Michelle Obama asked him to pick up some eggs "on your way back from the Middle East," and one from Sen. John McCain requested that the then-Sen. Obama "apologize to Sarah (Palin) for calling her a pig." The public-records laws exempt e-mail communications of a purely personal nature.

Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, estimated the marketing value of the standoff to BlackBerry maker Research in Motion was at least $50 million. He also pointed to the irony that the attention was on the BlackBerry's e-mail capabilities, while RIM has increasingly been focusing on the device's personal-productivity tools.

While the First E-mailer can still e-mail, within limits, being president does have its costs. Instant messaging will not be allowed.