Ten hot handhelds for the road warrior

Research In Motion BlackBerry 7100t
Forget those bulky, rounded PDAs you’ve seen clutched between the thumbs of die-hard road warriors. The new BlackBerry 7100 series from Canada’s RIM is more compact than any previous BlackBerry device.

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It’s a quad-band GSM world phone, shaped like a large candy bar, with green and red buttons for answering and disconnecting calls and a unique, 20-key touchpad that doubles as both a phone dial and a miniature QWERTY keyboard.

RIM makes up for the loss of the traditional BlackBerry keypad with a unique predictive text-entry method. If you’ve had bad experiences with T9 or other similar systems, you owe it to yourself to give this a try. With only two letters assigned to each key, the 7100’s text input may not be perfect, but it’s alarmingly accurate most of the time.

On the downside, the 7100’s battery

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life could be better, and RIM lacks the support from third-party developers that other PDA platforms enjoy. And although the 7100 has Bluetooth, it’s for headsets and car kits only and can’t be used to sync to a PC.

Still, the BlackBerry’s messaging UI and PDA applications are top-notch, and RIM’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server software offers the best connectivity to Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Domino servers of any handheld device (infoworld.com/1922). Throw in a gorgeous full-color screen, a clear-sounding speakerphone, and a low price point, and the 7100 may just be the new reigning smartphone to beat.
Price: $299.99; Research In Motion
-- Neil McAllister

Research In Motion BlackBerry 7250
The BlackBerry 7100t may woo potential customers put off by the traditional BlackBerry’s price and size. But current and prospective BlackBerry users, as well as those gravitating toward palmOne Treo handhelds, should be looking at the BlackBerry 7250.

A CDMA handheld branded for Verizon, the BlackBerry 7250 is a substantial enhancement to the 7230, with its standout features being Bluetooth and a much-improved color display.

Disappointingly, the 7250’s Bluetooth interface is limited to headset operation. It handles neither file transfers nor Internet gateway/modem functions. But the BlackBerry 4.0 OS links with BlackBerry Enterprise Server to provide secure, enterprise-controlled, over-the-air access to files, PIM data, and Internet-hosted services. Desktop sync works with USB. I had no trouble using PocketMac to sync the 7250 with the contacts, calendar, and tasks stored on my PowerBook using Mac OS X’s built-in applications.

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RIM finally got the display just right. High contrast makes it perfectly viewable in indoor lighting, and there are two levels of backlighting. I found it very readable in all conditions. Other enhancements include a sturdier case, a stiffer thumb-wheel, and better keyboard backlighting.

I’m a longtime BlackBerry user, and the 7250 feels like a different device, not just a fresh paint job on an old box. All the improvements considered, the 7250 -- or its counterpart from your favorite wireless operator, coming soon -- is a good reason to put down your current BlackBerry or to add the BlackBerry to your shopping list of converged handhelds.
Price: $349.99; Research In Motion
-- Tom Yager