Blackberry: Pearl vs. Curve

I acquired my first Smartphone – a Blackberry Pearl – 2 years ago, in an encounter that went something like this:

My dad: I just got something called a Blackberry Pearl.
Me: Wow, that’s awesome.
My dad: It’s missing ½ the keys.
Me: I’m sure you get used to it pretty quickly.
My dad: I already ordered one with a full keyboard.
Me: What about the Pearl, then?
My dad: I guess this is your lucky day.

Since that fateful day, I’ve been a dedicated Pearl user. It took me about a week to get used to the functionality – after all, it was my first Smartphone. I’d always been a Motorola cell phone user before that. It’s a touch-type system, and it takes some getting used to. I’d say it took me 2 weeks to really get a hang of the keys. But before long, I had become a staunch Pearl advocate. It’s got a lot going for it – after all, it has all the functionality of a full sized Blackberry, but it’s the size of a small cell phone. The best of both worlds.

Over the next two years, I continued to love my Pearl. When my rollerball broke and Rogers agreed to give me a new phone, I asked for the same model. When I got drunk and left my Pearl in a taxi cab, I once again, replaced it with the same model. Little things changed – My black Pearl was exchanged for a red one. I tried a few different protective covers. But the phone model itself remained consistent. I became one of those people who raved about their Blackberry model. “There isn’t anything better than the Pearl,” I’d say. “It’s small and convenient, but has all the functionality you could ever want.” And, it was true.

When my birthday came around in January, my dad surprised me with something completely unexpected: A new Blackberry Curve. “But Dad,” I said, “There isn’t anything wrong with my Pearl!”
“True,” he replied, “but you’re a writer, and I thought you’d enjoy having a full keyboard.” That stopped me in my tracks. It’s true – in all my years embracing the Pearl, I’d never really felt comfortable writing a blog post on it.

For two weeks, the Curve box sat unopened on my kitchen table. I made excuses about why I hadn’t opened it. I needed to buy a protective cover first. Then I needed to have time to transfer my data. But really, I just couldn’t let go of my Pearl. If you’re not into Smartphones, you may think I’m nuts, but anyone who’s got one knows how attached you can become to it. My friends refer to it, quite aptly, as the crackberry.

Last week, after much hemming and hawing, I finally made the switch from Pearl to Curve. I figure I at least have to compare the two before I can make an informed decision. Despite having a full keyboard, I can’t say that I find the Curve any easier to use. The keys are tiny, and at this point, I still type faster on the double-lettered Pearl keyboard. But, like anything else, I think this may just be a matter of time. I’m certainly enjoying the larger screen, but that also means the device itself is larger, and chunkier. It’s easier to find at the bottom of my purse, but doesn’t fit –as the Pearl did- in a lot of pockets.

So, I’m still in the process of figuring out which one I prefer. What’s your favorite Smartphone?