The Pearl's keyboard is better than you think

Almost all the reviews I've read on the Pearl slam the keyboard as a necessary evil. Its unconventional format is a little hard to use at first, and it relies on a RIM software application called SureType.

RIM first introduced its predictive-typing technology SureType in the 7100 line. The Pearl sports an improved version of SureType.

The Pearl keyboard is a QWERTY keyboard, of sorts. The letters are arranged in the same order as a regular QWERTY keyboard, but two letters per key (plus in most cases a symbol access by typing the ALT key).

SureType predicts what you want to type in five ways: