I read the other day that President-elect Barack Obama will probably have to give up his BlackBerry when he becomes president -- perhaps even earlier. Talk about a shock to the system.

Here he is, after two full years on the road, moving quickly from campaign stop to campaign stop, using his BlackBerry as one of his primary communications mechanisms (primary, that is, unless you compare the number of people he touched with it with the number of people he addressed during his massive rallies or on his various TV appearances).

Mr. Obama has a demeanor that never seems to get ruffled. But I can imagine him getting ruffled when learning he'd have to trash his BlackBerry. I can imagine him playing passive-aggressive on the date that he needs to return it. "Sure. I'll be happy to hand it over to you. Just wait a minute, please. Er... now where did I put that BlackBerry? I can't seem to find it. Can I give it to you next week? Better yet, how about in four or eight years."

I know I'd have a hard time giving up my favorite mobile device. And I suspect many people would do the same. The third screen, as the cell phone has come to be known, is fast becoming the most important screen in our lives -- more important than TV, desktop PC or laptop. Many households have given up their traditional landline phones for it.

Yet, few people have really relied on their mobile devices as a lifeline as much as Mr. Obama. He has run his campaign on it, read daily headlines on it and of course, communicated with his family on it. He also has received calls from heads of state -- and doubtless other dignitaries -- on the BlackBerry.

Perhaps we should stop calling it "Crackberry" due to its addictive nature. Maybe we should call it "Barackberry."

Mr. Obama is the most tech-savvy chief this country has ever had. He's an avid e-mail user -- and consistent laptop user. And unlike most of us who have had the audacity to change our e-mail addresses over the years, he is still using his AOL e-mail address.

But not for long. These types of devices in the office of the commander in chief of the United States are considered security risks. His cell phone might be traced, thereby giving enemies his position, placing him in harm's way. His cell phone line might be tapped by a number of technologies that are available off-the-shelf to spies who could then have access to government secrets or otherwise sensitive information.

If you want to get further into the threat, he might even send an errant e-mail message that is forwarded by the recipient around the office -- much like your e-mails that embarrass you by being sent around your company -- or even forwarded around the world, where he could be embarrassed in front of world leaders.

In most organizations, a CEO who can use a laptop effectively is considered efficient. But with a huge White House staff, the president doesn't need to take the time to compose his own missives. All he needs to do is rattle a few words to a member of his team, and it finds its way into the public consciousness. That's the ultimate in efficiency. So take away that laptop. It slows down the president.

Sure, it will be a culture shock. But I'm betting that Mr. Obama figures out a way to keep his tech tools and enhance the office of the president while he's at it -- even if it does mean dependency on foreign technology -- such as the Canadian-bred BlackBerry.