The ongoing smart phone battle is largely waged between Palm and Research In Motion. For a few years, both companies have offered a range of heavy, flat, wide, large-screen, full-keyboard phone-handheld devices. RIM has also sold a line of phone-like devices, but with limited functionality.

The current crop of devices reveals a sudden differentiation between RIM and Palm. RIM's new offering features bold innovation. Palm's represents more of the same old thing.

The newest Palm Treos are great devices, with a host of "tweaks" that fix minor problems and annoyances with older models. But they're neither taking any risks nor breaking new ground. They're all the same old Treo, with small improvements.

That's not the case with the Pearl. I believe three features made BlackBerries famous: 1) pager-like e-mail that notifies you when you've got a message, 2) RIM's patented QWERTY keyboard design and 3) scroll-wheel navigation.

The Pearl is radical because the phone completely abandons two of these three features. That's very bold.