Barack Obama might have known winning the Presidency would entail sacrifices, but he might not have been prepared for the prospect of ditching his most cherished gadget.
Gadget addiction has become widespread - but Obama may have to kick his habit
Experts have warned that the US President-elect may have to kick the habit of checking email on his beloved BlackBerry for reasons of privacy and security.
Mr Obama's BlackBerry faces a battle for survival on more than one front.
First, his email can be subpoenaed by Congress and courts and may be subject to public records laws.
And second, there may be security issues about carrying around trackable cell phones.
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Obama transition officials have not made a decision on what the new president will or will not carry.
But former administration insiders say it is unlikely he will carry the gadget and he may be in for some withdrawal pains.
"Definitely he's going to feel an electronic detoxing," said Reed Dickens, former assistant press secretary to President George W Bush.
President-elect Obama has often been seen avidly checking his email on his handheld equipment.
This past summer, news cameras recorded him checking his BlackBerry while watching his daughter's football game - only to have wife Michelle slap at his hands.
Actress Scarlett Johansson said she has had frequent email exchanges with him during his campaign travels - something the Obama campaign downplayed.
"This is a decision President-elect Obama will have to face," said Mr Bush's former press secretary Scott McClellan, who added that Mr Obama's legal advisers will probably recommend against an emailing president.
"While he has pledged an open and transparent government, I doubt the President-elect is interested in subjecting his own personal communications to that standard," Mr McClellan added.
There is presidential precedent for an email blackout. Presidents Bush and Bill Clinton did not email while in office.
A few days before Mr Bush took office in 2001, he sent a message to a few dozen close friends saying he would no longer use email.
It read: "Since I do not want my private conversations looked at by those out to embarrass, the only course of action is not to correspond in cyberspace.
"This saddens me."