Here’s how it went down:

After my Gadget Disease post I saw Mike Orren’s comments and suddenly I thought – hey, there’s a guy who’s happy with is choice and is saving a bundle of Washingtons. That, my friends, was compelling. Upon further research and investigation, about 6 hours worth, I quickly deduced that Verizon is ridiculously expensive. But here’s the kicker: I called Verizon. Explained how long I’ve been a customer (umm… Bell Atlantic Mobile anyone? Circa 1997?). I told them how shocked I am at the competitions rates and selection of phones. I went on about a few other details that I shall forgo here, and their answer (twice) was “I’m sorry sir, I wish there was something we could do.” Now, keep this in mind too: this is a corporate account, with a few lines on it, not just me. So they basically told me I’m free to leave and they won’t try to stop me. Wow!

So, I did. After looking into T-Mobile’s packages and pricing, and going online to read what the masses had to say about EDGE, about the BlackBerry Pearl, etc etc, I contacted a local T-Mobile store, in Cambridge (at the Galleria Mall – ask for Ralph or Christina). Ralph spoke to me on the phone, and put up with my fast talking, my fumbling of plan configurations, and my many call backs. He was patient, kind, easy-going, and most of all – no b/s. He gave me the best possible price for our new account, and gave me an unbelievable deal on the phones. I was very very pleased. That evening Chris and I went there, and spent a good hour with Christina, who took very very good care of us.

Long story short, I’m now about 20 hours into my T-Mobile contract (as are Chris and Bob) and not only are we paying less with T-Mobile, but we’re paying less money per month for a whole bunch more! Unlimited this, unlimited that, MyFaves, great deal on the phones, no activation fees, a credit on our account, yada yada yada. Just a no-brainer!

Onto the Pearl – I’m thrilled. I can’t believe all the emotional abuse I put up with using Windows Mobile for so long. All three of us have the Pearl now, and we’re like kids on Halloween. I couldn’t be more pleased with the performance of the phone and the availability of software, information, tips, etc. However, two things I’m annoyed by right now:

1. User Interface. I rather like the Windows Mobile UI. BlackBerry is nice… it’s lightweight – I like that a lot. But for messaging, the UI is a little clunky. Sort of like looking at lines of code or something. Takes getting used to, that’s for sure. Not too clean, at first anyway.
2. Email syncing. This is, after all, BlackBerry’s thing isn’t it? Yes, well, it’s a piece of cake if you have BlackBerry Enterprise Server running. But come on! We’re a small company, we can’t shell out $1500 for that baby. We have Exchange, but we use that for mailbox redundancy and for basic calendar and contact sharing. We actually POP our emails into our Exchange mailbox. I like that approach. But without BES, you’re left with three options:
   1. Just use your BB to pop your email. Problem: Must have outlook closed, or not popping at the same time (sure sure, have Outlook leave mail on the server – no thanks.) Plus, I want emailed PUSHED to me, not popped. That’s the point!
   2. Use BlackBerry Desktop Redirector. Well, I would if I could – it won’t work for me. I’ve spent too much time reading forums and reading whitepapers and still can’t get it to work. Keeps saying “Disabled” and “Verifying forwarding address” Ay yay yay.
   3. Use Mail Connector. Got that working nicely. Very nicely. Got it going through the T-Mobile website (which, by the way, is amazingly sophisticated. Very impressed with my.t-mobile.com. It was working last night, then it stopped. I restart it and it works for a little bit, then stops.So, I arrived at the following solution:

      We use webmail.us for our hosted email, for many reasons. Anyway, I just have a copy of each email forwarding to my blackberry email address. So, it comes to my Outlook InBox, and my BB. That’s fine. Works fine. Minor concerns about that, but so far, whatever – it’s doing just that.

Oh, and one last thing – EDGE? Highly under-rated. I’m quite impressed. Sure it’s only 144 kb/s, but ya know what? EVDO is very VERY fast – but what does it matter if you can’t use it? Any Windows Mobile phone I had, whether I was using IE or Opera Mini, it would either crash my phone, freeze it, or just take too damn long. The BlackBerry browser and Opera Mini work exceptionally well with the EDGE network. I’m both shocked and in awe!

All things considered – very pleased. A smart choice. Mike, if you read this – thank you!

All things considered, I’m happy with my choice.

So what’s going on here you ask? Aside from my neurotic must-have-new-gadget syndrome? Nothing. I’m simply neurotic and I must have a new gadget. I could just as easily be in the market for a new Luxury PC or this flat screen monitor, or an Infinity M. But at this very moment in time, I’m totally and utterly fed up with my Treo.

Ok, I’ll get totally real for a moment – it’s not that I hate my Treo, it’s just that I really dislike it. Ultimately, I’m really sick and tired of Microsoft’s mobile software. I first experienced Microsoft on a mobile device back in like 1997 when I had my first iPaq. At the time it was a really great calculator on steroids and it displayed Word documents, Excel spreadsheets on a really tiny screen which was like, so cool. But then I said to myself, holy moly – this will be integrated with a phone some day! Well, cell phones were still the size of tug boats then, but sure enough I soon had a … a SMARTPHONE. And WOW was it cool. Yes, I could finally make calls AND sync my calendar and Outlook contacts. But then I said, wait, I want to surf the web too. Oh, Verizon offers that? Oh I gotta have that. So $40/month later and I had my smartphone browser surfing Verizon’s limited selection of websites (cuz others would not work on this device – but at least I could check Sox scores in the middle of a wedding). Money very well spent of course. Well, as time went on, and EVDO came to Boston, and smartphones kept coming, and Microsoft kept updating their UI, I kept upgrading. I last had a Samsung i730 – I hated it with a passion. What a clunky piece of hardware. Who needs a phone that has a processor that rivals some small laptops, with an expanding keyboard that’s more like a kitchen drawer in your pocket? You look like you have a brick in your pocket with this ridiculous monster! So, 6 months later I had the Treo. My first Palm in several years, and I loved it – but it runs Windows Mobile. Like all my other Windows Mobile devices, it freezes at least once per day, and right when I need it most – like when I need to answer a call. Or like, when I need to make a call. Or when I’m driving and need to read an email. There’s nothing like having to pull the back cover off this sexy looking, but poor performing, device, pull out it’s, eh hem, stylus, and insert it into the, um, reset button. Yes, a hard reset is what it needs, often in fact. Oh but I can write Word documents on it! I can take pictures! Review Excel files! Watch videos! I can surf the web – wait no, that freezes my phone too. I sound like this device is evil, it’s not. It’s much much better than the Samsung, but still – what’s with all these bugs man? I mean come on! Every single time I have to reset this baby I curse Microsoft. Finally – I’ve had it. I’m done with it. I WANT THE PEARL AND I WANT IT NOW! Because I can do all those things without the stress – right? I will be able to do all those things without the stress right? And it’s a cool device, right? (cool people should not answer that)

Ah, but alas, I will have to wait. Apparently Verizon is not talking about the Pearl, but rumors say it’ll be just a little while longer (sorry, no link – took me an hour just find something online that gave me hope). And when that happens, I’ll find something else to fall in love with. But if the Pearl was available today in CDMA, I’d buy it right this second. I would not even be here typing – I’d be on my couch reading every word of fine print in the various documents and wondering why it took me so long to become enlightened and becoming amazed by the backlight settings that are some how better than any other backlight I’ve ever seen. Then I’d be customizing my theme, and wallpaper, and then I’d be looking for new ways to enhance the device like buying software I don’t need and will never really use, and installing blackjack or tetris, and then I’ll screw the device up and have to reset it and start all over. Ah, you see – but now I’ve learned it’s weaknesses. AH HAH! It was strategy! I learned, now I start anew and better – and soon I will be in control of my life again.

But, now I must wait, in frustration and sadness, while Verizon takes it’s time figuring out how best to release the Pearl – and surely with some limitations that will leave me salivating for the next new phone that can tell me when my milk is expiring (cuz my fridge can’t yet). Hey, it’s nice having a new toy to look forward to.

Lastly, mark my words right now friends and observers: I will never – NEVER – buy the iPhone. I won’t, I simply won’t. Why? So I can experience the proprietary purgatory that is Apple, Inc.? (watch, they’ll probably sue me now for saying disparaging things about them. But hey, it’s not like I’m creating an iPhone theme for my Treo or something! I mean sheesh!)

Ok, I’m done. Maybe I can find some cool accessories while I wait for Verizon.