COMPARING THE DEVICES AS PHONES

Chances are that you have a 7200, 7500, or 7700 model handheld. There are a lot of different specific models in each of these series of handhelds, but generally the differences are on the inside in terms of the wireless networks that they support.

These devices were designed to be like a PDA that happens to also have a phone in it. As a result, they are wide, have a larger screen, and have a keypad with keys for every letter of the alphabet. Because of this, however, using the phone is awkward at first. You generally get used to it, but if you have ever passed your handheld to someone else to use the phone, you've seen their puzzled looks as they try to figure out how to place a call or even how to end a call.

The 7100 models take the opposite approach. They look and feel like phones that also happen to have PDA functionality. Using the phone is much more intuitive and doesn't feel as awkward when you hold it to your ear. It has a few more keys than a traditional cell phone, but these don't confuse a new user and the use of the common Begin Call and End Call buttons make it much easier for a new user to use. Of course, as a person used to the older style, I still find myself pushing the ESC button to end the call instead of pressing the End Call button.

Of course, it is also worth noting that the 7100 series handhelds are the only handhelds that support all four mobile phone bands used commonly in the world. If you need a BlackBerry that can work in this way, then the 7100 is the only real choice.