RIM BlackBerry 8830 (silver, Verizon Wireless)

Pros: Call Clarity; Design; Batt Life; Very Fast EVDO Speeds; User Interface; Tactile Keyboard; Auto-Lighting; Attachment Handling; Conversational/Threaded TXT Msgs; Security; Visual Themes; Call Management

Cons: Non-BES Limitations for Wireless Sync; No PIX or FLIX messaging (send or receive); No GPS use; Poorly backlit keyboard; No ability to set sync intervals; Ring/Alarm/Call Volume not very loud at max

Summary: I've had a hosted Exchange/Outlook account for years, and have been using the MotoQ for about 6 months - I love it. Before that, I had been using BlackBerries for about six years, but it was as part of my last job which had a BES.

I decided to give this new BlackBerry a go because I spilled soy sauce on my MotoQ and needed a new phone. The first thing that struck me was the design and how slim this BB was; very unlike previous BB's I've had.

The lack of a trackwheel and escape key on the right side took some getting used to, but I was pleased with the clean user interface and the more advanced integration features and use of 'Themes'.

Trying to get product use or setup guide info was a nightmare. The Verizon website had next to nothing and the discoverblackberry.com website was a navigation nightmare, and would leave any sane Information Architect committing suicide after five minutes - and I would consider myself an advanced user.

While the device did find my Outlook Web Access information, and is able to send/receive email; I'm disappointed to see the additional lack of integration for wireless syncing my contacts, calendar items, etc. While I know that this syncing is possible with a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES), it's disappointing to see that my Q could perform more tasks without the need for a $5000 piece of server software. From my research, there are hosted BES accounts you can sign-up for; but this is an additional monthly cost.

My second greatest disappointment is with MMS/Picture messaging. While I love how the device threads and organizes/sorts your SMS messages (by day, conversation by person, etc) I'm very disappointed to see that when someone sends a picture message, all you receive is a message teling you to go to the Verizon website to get it. Also, other than emailing it, there's no way to send video or pictures and additionally, there's no included camera (which is actually very typical for BlackBerry - they're primarily government devices)

Contrary to the reviews from CNET; I love the keyboard. I was a little worries at first after reading several complaints, but compared to the MotoQ it's great. The tactile click and the curved design of the keys have not caused me any difficulties; while the keys are close together with little spacing I've not found any difficulties with use - I have average male sized hands/fingers.

As would be expected with this device; the email management is hands-down the best. If you have a work, mixed with personal and other email accounts, the BB will show them all in one box, or break them out into individual accounts that you can show or hide on the 'desktop' or menu page - handled very well.

Other Pros: The convenience keys, voice dialing feature, mute key, power/light key are welcome additions. I also love (like all previous models) that the device knows when it's holstered and can automaticaly change call and sounds configurations. Call clarity is GREAT, even when using speakerphone - this is a huge win. Also, the web-browser can be placed in 'desktop' mode; which allows a true browsing experience including a mouse that's controlled by the trackball - very nice. The Verizon EV-DO speed on this device IS GREAT. I tethered by MotoQ to my laptop a lot and loved the speed, but I have noticed a SIGNIFICANT improvement on both my laptop (tethered) and on the device. The battery lasts significantly longer than on the MotoQ, and has been a consistent experience with my previous BB use. The auto-correct features while typing (such as automatically inserting apostrophes, periods, etc) is great - no motoQ lost in this department. I also love the Yahoo! Messenger integration; it's free and it works GREAT.

Other Cons: PIX/FLIX messaging - again, I'm so not over this issue. The inability to control sync control (from either device or web-console) is a big negative in addition to the poor 'BlackBerry' experience as compared to using a full BES setup (you could always get a hosted BES account though). Also, there's a lack of software for this device when compared against a Windows Smartphone or Windows Mobile device - many of the application sets for BB are focused toward productivity/business function.

OVERALL - If you're a consumer who has basic email needs (or you've got an MSN account, simple POP3/IMAP compatible email) but love to text, MMS and video msg, the MotoQ is for you.

Ultimately I believe I will keep the BB 8830 - the battery is MUCH better, design far superior, and keyboard is much more friendly.