Life and Dots of Daniel

Curve is the new cool

It's so HAWT! As curvy as a lady's body, I have to say that the Curve is the new cool. Since its announcement last October, I have been eyeing on this thing. Only recently I decided to get my hands on one, in other words, I now own a BlackBerry! The BlackBerry Curve 8520 has been dubbed el cheapo BlackBerry being an entry-level BlackBerry.

I got the smartphone, do you hear me it's a smartphone, on Monday. Despite it being el cheapo, it is still a BlackBerry, equipped with most of the functions for social networking, instant messaging, push emails and web browsing. Having said that, to fully utilize a BlackBerry, a BlackBerry user has to subscribe to the BlackBerry Internet Service aka BIS. As such, I signed up for DG Smart Plan.

Maxis and Celcom were the first to announced their BlackBerry plans. Reluctance I was at first considering that the BIS plans are rather pricey. I leaped in joy when DiGi announced its DG Smart Plan. After a detailed comparison on what is good and what not, I jumped on the band wagon.

DiGi Smart Plan's Zero Commitment on calls and SMS is truly amazing - pay for what you use! Apart from the RM58/month BlackBerry Unlimited, it's 15sen/min for call, 10sen/SMS and 20sen/MMS. Damn cheapo with no monthly commitment on call plan, this is just what I need as I anticipate that with 24/7 internet connectivity I definitely will spend less on calls and sms.

For those uninitiated, a BlackBerry can do wonders. Unlike most of the smartphones available, I love the BlackBerry for its "push" technology and tactile QWERTY keypad. The very instance you send me an email or comment on my Facebook status, my BlackBerry vibrates and lights up. Normal phones can only do that when a SMS is received.

Neatly fitting in my hand, the QWERTY keypad truly amazes me. Typing and sending messages are so easy and comfortable. The screen display is bright enough for a great viewing experience. Unlike the previous versions of BlackBerry which uses the trackball, this phone as a trackpad navigation. Like the one on your laptop, the trackpad lets me scroll through menus and icons by gliding my fingers over it. I just need to press and click to confirm my selection.

With an organizer and a calendar, I can now better make use of my time setting reminders and jot down important tasks. That's what an Assistant Director have to do - time management and executing tasks.

The only drawback is the 2.0 megapixel crappy camera and lack of 3G connectivity. Who cares? I've already have a 3G modem and a Canon camera. A phone is a phone, that's all it has to do. Crackberry wrote an extensive review on this phone, which is worth reading if you are interested.

Who inspired me to get a BlackBerry? Barack Obama of course! Even our very own Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan is hook to a BlackBerry, mainly for his important tasks. For RM1199 (RRP), I do think this low entry BlackBerry is a good buy, some more my smartphone is covered by DiGi's one year warranty.