RIM BlackBerry 7230 Smartphone

Pros: keyboard, solid construction, Java-based app development
Cons: poor OS design and syncing, very dim screen, essentially no support from manufacturer

My Handspring Visor finally gave out, so I looked for a replacement PDA. If you've looked at PDAs lately, you probably noticed that the field has deteriorated over the last few years. Sony was a promising contender, but they've bailed out entirely. ...

Pros: Color Screen, Battery, E-Mail/Web . All-in-one unit Phone/PDA. Rugged. 16MB. IM capable
Cons: Not a great Phone. Learning Curve. No Bluetooth. 16mb not 32mb.

I recently purchased the Blackberry 7230 model as an upgrade to my 6230. The one BIG difference is that the 7230 model uses a 16 bit color screen to display fantastic images on its 240x160 screen. If you want Bluetooth, there are many new models ...

Pros: Nice functionality, good phone, world phone.
Cons: no speakerphone, too sensitive microphone.

Alright, I am the first to admit I don't a thing about technology. I can't operate a DVD player, GPS thingy, or anything else complicated. If you look at my other reviews I am a simple conservative guy that knows how to do two things really well, make ...

Pros: Great integrated phone and pda, full internet access, decent mail utility
Cons: Weak pda functions, not as much freeware available as for Palm-based systems

I purchased this Blackberry 7230 to avoid carrying around both a mobile phone and my Palm Treo 90 pda. As a phone and pda, the 7230 is great, and I got the added bonus of email and full internet access. I have had it for 2 months now. As a phone ...

Pros: Single handed e-mail reads, synchronization with corporate mail system is seamless.
Cons: No bluetooth, rate plans can be spendy, backlight weak, bulky as a phone.

I've used several different PDA's from time to time, none of them really had me captivated until I used the BlackBerry 7230.

The RIM design team has to be given a lot of credit for designing a PDA that is so user friendly. Some examples: Rules for alerting are easy to use, sleep time can shut the system off at a certain time and turn it back on automatically at another time, and my favorite: you can actually read your e-mail single handed. The thumb scrolling is pure genius. The keyboard is the easiest interface for entering text (Palm and Microsoft both learned this the hard way when RIM entered the market!).

That said, the 7230 has a few drawbacks: the screen is a bit dim, no (built-in) IM support, and it's definitely clunky as a cell phone.

I have now traded up to the 7290 with the brighter screen, IM support, and BlueTooth support to mitigate the bulkiness as a cell phone. If you're looking for a new device, be sure to pay the extra few bucks for the 7290, it's definitely worth-while.

Pros: Great size, unbeatable email functionality, excellent battery life, decent voice quality, nice user interface.
Cons: No Bluetooth or camera, not usable as modem for laptop,

I went to the Blackberry 7230 from a Nokia 3650. It has excelled at its primary goal of delivering email on the road. Attached photos can be downloaded and viewed, too. I've found the keyboard surprisingly easy to use for its size - I'd say I can type about 20 words per minute on it.

Battery life is much better than the Nokia - under normal usage I often go 3-4 days before recharging.

Internet access is functional, however it is quite slow and really only practical for WAP (wireless access protocol) designed websites. Unfortunately, it will not act as a modem for the laptop, as the Nokia phones do.

Pros: Good for email
Cons: Very poor service

Note that it is impossible to get these things repaired in the UK. BT wont repair them and RIM (the manufacturer) wont either. Accidents happen so bear this in mind when going for this rather than other email devices.