What's better than a BlackBerry? Not much!

COMMENTARY--If you're a city dweller who doesn't mind frequent stops to recharge your PDA, and you've been waiting for the world's best wireless handheld to be married to a cell phone, then Research In Motion's BlackBerry 5810 can put you where you need to be--on the bleeding edge. But keep a paper clip handy.

The 5810's predecessor, the 957, was by far the best PDA that I've ever worked with (and I've worked with most of them). With its 24/7 wireless access to e-mail, it moved the needle on my productivity in ways that were reminiscent of the spreadsheet (read my review of the 957).

On the outside, the BlackBerry 5810 looks, feels, and smells like a 957, with the exception of the extra jack needed for a hands-free headset. On the inside, the cell phone functionality has been well integrated into most of the BlackBerry's already well-done applications. For example, whether I am receiving or initiating e-mails, phone calls, or Short Message Service (SMS) messages, the BlackBerry's inbox application tracks all inbound and outbound communications in chronological order.

Using the data collected from message headers and Caller ID, I was able to act in any number of ways on any one of those correspondences. I could reply to a phone call with an e-mail, for example, as long as the Caller ID number corresponded to an entry in my contact manager that had an e-mail address associated with it. Likewise, I could reply to an e-mail with a phone call or even an SMS message.

However, life on the bleeding edge of phone/PDA convergence could end up being a step backward for some people--especially for satisfied 957 users. Three reasons for this stick out for me. First, the type of wireless network that the 5810 currently relies on--General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)--doesn't have the range of coverage comparable to that offered by other digital networks, such as AT&T Wireless, Cingular, Sprint PCS, and Verizon.

The 5810 I used relied on VoiceStream's wireless service, probably the most prevalent GPRS network in the United States. While VoiceStream has good coverage in major metropolitan areas, VoiceStream's coverage around Boston's north shore area is spotty. It wasn't long before I switched back to my old faithful 957.

Venturing out of coverage will not only render the phone inoperable, it will also render the wireless e-mail inoperable, since both rely on the same wireless network. (Once you have 24/7 access to your e-mail, it's hard to live without it.)

Before buying any device that relies on any wireless network, check the wireless provider's coverage maps to make sure you'll be "in touch" when and where you need to be. For example, if you live anywhere in California or travel there regularly, you will need to wait until later this year when VoiceStream's services become available through Cingular's GPRS infrastructure already in place in that state.

Another reason the 5810 may be a slight step back is because, compared to the 957, it guzzles battery power. My 957 is much like a Palm device--it lasts forever on a single charge or fresh set of batteries. Adding cell phone functionality requires sacrificing some of that battery life.

The 5810's battery life matched that of the Motorola i85 digital phone I carry around. It's just that it pales in comparison with the 957. This means that 5810 users who switched from one of RIM's other BlackBerries may find themselves looking to refuel a bit more frequently than they're accustomed to.

Finally, the more you pack into a small package like this, the more complicated the device becomes. This became apparent while I happened to be on the phone (not the 5810) with representatives from RIM. The 5810 froze. I was told to insert a paper clip into a small hole in the back of the device to reset it, but I was in a bagel store and there were no paper clips to be found. Fortunately, I found a document with a staple in it, and, after prying the staple loose, I was able to reset the BlackBerry. No data was lost.

Useful bells and whistles
As with its other BlackBerry models, RIM has included some useful bells and whistles. The 5810 uses a SIM card that makes it possible to move your "digital personality" to other, similarly equipped devices. One reason you might need to do this is if you intend to keep the same phone number when you travel to Europe, where a GPRS/GSM network that operates on the same frequency as those found in the U.S. is not available. (They use a different frequency that requires a different.) So far, no BlackBerry supports multiple radio types, but RIM officials say that's a "natural path" for the company to take.

One interesting feature of the BlackBerry is that you can save your address book to the SIM card. If you move the SIM card to another device, your address book should get moved as well. Unfortunately, the SIM card is pretty much a placeholder for now. If you travel to Europe, you will be able to insert it into a BlackBerry 5820 (the GSM version of the 5810) for phone calls, but you won't be able to get your wireless e-mail. VoiceStream has yet to work out those roaming details with its European sisters in the U.K., Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria.

The 5810 also comes with a WAP-enabled wireless browser. Of the WAP-browsers I've used (mostly on cell phones), this one is the best. Navigating WAP-enabled sites was a piece of cake thanks to the wheel that makes the BlackBerry the best PDA out there for single-handed operation. (All BlackBerries have a clickable wheel that is used for scrolling through menus and text, and selecting options.) The browser incorporates all WAP navigation into the browser's normal menuing system. Performance of the 5810's browser blows away other wireless Web access methods that are based on slower, CDMA-based networks.

No VPN client
Another shortcoming of the 5810 is lack of a basic PPTP VPN client-- something that I've come to appreciate in my PocketPC-based iPaq. I can imagine a scenario where 5810 users might want to duck behind the corporate firewall to access corporate applications or maybe even access a POP3-based e-mail server that RIM doesn't yet support with its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). RIM's BES is the intermediary that funnels e-mail between Exchange or Notes-based inboxes and corporate users out in the field. According to RIM officials, this problem will be solved later this year when the company releases its Mobile Data Services. MDS will directly connect BlackBerries to corporate networks for other applications (including Java-based ones) using Triple DES encryption and without having to poke a new hole through the firewall.

Also alleviating that problem to some extent is RIM's Web-based mail client, which accesses a service that RIM runs, and that can pick up mail from other POP3-based e-mail servers on the Internet (but not behind corporate firewalls). I was able to send and receive e-mail through it, but I was not able to take e-mail that arrived via the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (the aforementioned funnel to my corporate email server), and redirect it through the Web mail client. The e-mail client on my iPaq --- Pocket Outlook --- can take mail that comes from any server, and redirect to any other server to which Pocket Outlook has access.

Lastly, the cost of buying and using a 5810 is comparable to similarly equipped PDAs and phones, and the services they connect to. RIM's MSRP for a 5810 is $499. VoiceStream's voice plans appear on the pricey side when compared to something like the 8,000 minutes that Sprint PCS gives you for $79.99. But when you read the fine print (for example, how those 8,000 minutes are divided and when evening time begins), VoiceStream voice plans turn out to be a good bargain. On the data side (mostly for wireless e-mail and Web access), expect to pay about $45 per month, a price that's on par with what I pay Earthlink to wirelessly connect my iPaq to the Internet.

Does the BlackBerry 5810 sound like convergence heaven? Do you have a favorite PDA/phone hybrid? TalkBack to me below or e-mail me at david.berlind@cnet.com.

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