No such sacrifices are required with the Pearl. It's the most elegant, usable cell phone I've ever tried. The usability is due largely to the brilliant user interface design decisions made by RIM. For example, the default screen is the recent call log (most people are more likely to call those who they have called recently). Selecting a recently contacted person -- say, "Janet," from the recently called list brings up a menu with all the ways to call Janet (call home, call mobile, e-mail Janet, SMS Text Janet, MMS Janet) with the most recently used selected. If you don't want that menu, just press the phone button instead of the trackball, and the phone is dialing the default (recently used) number already.

If you call someone, and they don't answer, trying them at another number is breathtakingly simple. Press down on the Pearl's trackball to bring up the caller's menu, move the thumb a smidge to select another number (say, "mobile," rather than "office"), then press down again and the phone is dialing. Press, scoot, press. You can do it in half a second. The only thing quicker and easier would be thought-controlled dialing.

The Pearl's keyboard makes a huge differentiation between keys used as numeric keypad, and those that aren't -- the phone keys are white, the others, black. Plus, they're much bigger than, say, the Treo's buttons. The result is that when you're using the device in "phone mode," you forget it's a QWERTY keyboard. You just dial and call just like a regular cell phone.

The Pearl isn't perfect

Don't get me wrong: If you're looking for a mature, ultrasolid, well-integrated device for business, newer Treos and older BlackBerries are still your best bet. The Pearl is great for early adopters and rabid gadget freaks, but it's not for everyone. The surfaces are a little too slippery, including the keys. It can't record video. Some don't like the fact that the MicroSD card is buried under the battery and hard to remove. The camera is low quality. It has an LED flash, but one so dim to be nearly useless. The "Maps" application is inferior in every way to Google's mobile Maps application. In short, the Pearl is a 1.0 device.