Blackberry Pearl (8100 and subsequent models)

The Blackberry 8100 was RIM ‘s first consumer-oriented GPRS device, sporting a 2Mpixel camera and the SureType keyboard layout. It was originally available in either black or white, depending on the operator, and was immensely popular (although, truth be told, only in a few markets, and it took a while for RIM to refresh the model).

Here’s a nice little icon for the 8100, if you’re so inclined:

Pluses:

• Able to send entire phonebook as Phonebook.vcf to a Mac from Bluetooth preferences (nice).
• Does OBEX transfer of camera images (even nicer, even if it can’t do a batch transfer).
• USB storage mode (complete with option to encrypt contents of memory card, which turns it into a very nice “pendrive” for carrying documents around securely).

Minuses:

• Battery won’t last more than 2 days (whereas older models lasted up to a week).
• Won’t let you e-mail photos (only MMS them), which is kind of silly.
• Does not support browsing through Bluetooth File Exchange.

table(compact).