I must have missed the reality TV show where the team at Research In Motion (RIM) underwent an extreme makeover.

My first couple of days using the soon to be available BlackBerry Bold has seen me check my hands many times for that invisible glue that does not want me to put it down.

Are there subliminal messages shooting out of the screen commanding me:
”Check your email”...
”Surf the Web”…
”Use the GPS”?

On a recent business trip to Sydney, I was amazed to see just how many people on the flight were addicted to their BlackBerry. How they managed to last the hour and fifteen minutes without checking their email is beyond me, but thankfully the flight was not delayed. I hate to think how they would have gone an extra few minutes without their fix.

It has been said that the BlackBerry is intrusive, invasive and many other “in” words. It can be – if you let it. But as with all devices – you DO have the power to switch it off.

The BlackBerry Bold will however, make the decision just that little bit harder.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed was the new look. The Bold sports a very sleek looking keyboard and screen, surrounded by a silver band, and black faux leather back.

Turn it on, and the true beauty of the Bold is displayed.

The display is a 65,000 colour display, half VGA (480 x 320 pixels) gives you (to quote the folk at RIM) “razor-sharp display that is designed to deliver clarity and colour that exceeds expectations”. A pretty strong statement – one that certainly needed to be put to the test.

RIM have cranked up their screen performance by fusing the LCD to the under surface of the lens. After viewing several video clips, reading a Word Document, reviewing a PowerPoint presentation, then playing a quick game, I can definitely give RIM a 10/10 for their display!

Personalise your home screen

The on screen widgets have been also undergone a makeover. You now have the ability to customise your front screen to display your six most used activities. My screen has email, address book, calendar, My Place, Whereis Navigator and Media available for instant access.

To move a widget:

1. Push the Application key
2. Use the Trackball to locate the widget
3. Push the Application button for the pop down menu and select Move. The widget will then be highlighted with a four-way directional arrow.
4. Use the Trackball to reposition the widget to its desired place (note that the top row will be displayed on your home screen
5. Push the Trackball again and the widget is now locked to its new location

It’s that simple.

GPS

Having the ability to get lost inside my front door, I am always keen to try out an inbuilt GPS system with a phone. First I tried Google Maps – and tracked my progress from the Rialto Towers, along Collins Street to Victoria Markets. I enjoyed the experience, but found it a little dangerous to be constantly checking my location whilst walking. Well dangerous for the other pedestrians anyway. For some reason “product testing” was not an acceptable excuse when I bumped into them!

I next downloaded WhereIs Navigator and took the Bold through its paces. Again starting at the Rialto, I ventured down Collins Street towards Southern Cross Station, then up Latrobe Street to King Street. The Australian accented voice was a nice touch – something I am not used to (previous GPS voices have either been UK or US English accents). Clear and concise, this time I avoided oncoming pedestrians and still managed to get to my destination. Hopefully I will give this a proper drive test soon. (Note that the Turn by Turn voice directions may incur a subscription fee).

A hint – make sure you exit the GPS application properly – otherwise you just might hear the “lost satellite connection” warning whist sitting in a meeting… (yes it has happened to me on more than one occasion…)

Media Sync

Who would have thought that a BlackBerry would sync with Apple’s iTunes? Especially now, given the recent release of the iPhone. Using Media Sync, you can load up the Bold with your favourite iTunes songs and videos. This sounded too good to be true – so once again I had to put my doubts to rest.

From the BlackBerry Desktop Manager on my PC, I selected Media and was taken to a new screen that had Media Manager and BlackBerry Media Sync as options. Selecting Media Sync, I was instructed to attach my Bold to the computer (via the USB cable). Click on Start, and a new screen pops up on your desktop – showing your Bold’s memory size, play lists and free space. It also shows your iTunes playlists. Simply check the ones you want synchronised and press Sync. Once synchronisation is completed, you are ready to enjoy your favourite tracks on the Bold.

Don’t forget you can do the same with photos and videos!

Ease of use

The Bold has a new operating system – something that makes it easy to use. I can see a whole new generation of BlackBerry users taking up this product – its gone from being the “must have” device for up and coming lawyers and finance people to the “definitely must have” organiser/smart phone for both business and personal use.

Facebook for BlackBerry

Facebook is the all the rage with the youth of today – and would have continued to be their secret information exchange medium had the adults not cottoned on to it! Personally I don’t get excited by it, but millions around the world do – and BlackBerry have done well to add it to their suite of downloadable options.

Games

I’ll be the first to admit it – I love games on a phone. A lot of people go through life denying that they even knew their phone had a game. (I guess they are the same people who buy certain magazines “just for the articles…”). But not me. I am proud to say there are many games that I have tried and enjoyed over the years.

Games on the Bold have progressed from Brickbreaker (yes it is still there), to now include Word Mole, Texas Hold’Em King 2, Sudoku and Klondike. Each of these games will help you get through that tedious meeting or long public transport journey home.

WiFi and Next G as well!

The Bold supports the 802.11 a/b/g WiFi standards – something that can be useful if you have a wireless network at home or in a coffee lounge.

On top of everything, you get the benefits of the Next G network as well.

I should mention that the Bold is also a good phone! As a rule I am not a huge fan of this form factor for phone use – I tend to keep my data and cell phones separate – but the Bold is definitely a strong candidate for single device consideration.

RIM have added some classy features to the Bold, including voice activated dialling, Bluetooth 2.0 supporting stereo Bluetooth headsets and car kits (including Bluetooth Remote SIM Access Profile kits). A nice inclusion the noise cancellation technology that can offset background noise – perfect for a noisy office environment or outdoor use.

Specifications:

• Network Support:
  UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz
  GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
  GPRS, EDGE and HSDPA
• Size: 114 x 66 14mm
• Weight: 133g
• Memory: 1GB on board + 128MB Flash
• Battery Life:
  13 Days standby (Manufacturer’s Claim)
  5 Hours talk time (Manufacturer’s Claim)
• WiFi: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g enabled
• Display:
  Half VGA 480 x 320 pixel colour display
  Transmissive TFT LCD, supports over 65K Colours
• Keyboard: Full QWERTY keyboard with trackball navigation
• Camera: 2 Megapixel camera, Flash, 5x Digital Zoom
• Ringtones: 32 Polyphonic – MIDI, SP-MIDI, MP3, WAV
• GPS: GPS capable
• Smartphone Security: Password protection and keyboard lock

Final Word:

One final word about the Bold… Wow!

Thanks for reading – I look forward to your comments and feedback