Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry PDAs are so popular that their name has become instantly recognizable by anyone with an ounce of tech savvy. These keyboard-equipped wireless handhelds have continued to improve over the years, adding more functionality and greater performance.

The BlackBerry 7250 serves as dual-band mobile phone (CDMA 800/1,900), an e-mail device, and a web browser. It might be available for a lower price if purchased with a mobile phone contract.

Not much larger than a deck of cards, the 7250 fits comfortably in the palm of one hand, leaving the other hand free for hunt-and-peck typing on the backlit QWERTY keyboard. Or, if you're more adept at the two-thumbs typing method, you can get a pretty good words-per-minute rate with the 7250 by cradling it in both hands.

The high-resolution 240X160 display is in full color and gives you lots of room for typing e-mail, viewing photos, or even playing a game or two. There's an integrated microphone and speaker, but the 7250 supports hands-free headsets, including Bluetooth models.

There's 32MB of Flash memory for storing contacts, messages, and other data, but unfortunately the 7250 lacks any memory expansion options. Battery life provides more than 3 hours of talk time and up to 8 days of standby time before the 7250 needs to be recharged. The battery is removable, so you can purchase a second battery and always have a charged battery on hand. RIM includes a carrying holster and a travel charger with the 7250.

Business users will appreciate that the 7250 provides secure wireless access to a Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise enterprise account. There's support for up to ten additional e-mail accounts, letting you check a variety of mail formats. You can also password-protect access to the 7250, in addition to locking the keyboard. A click-and-scroll wheel on the side of the 7250 makes it easy to navigate through Web pages when browsing wirelessly.

RIM's BlackBerry 7250 isn't the least expensive PDA on the market, but it just might be one of the most versatile. It's a great option for the corporate user who wants to stay in touch with the office from the road.

The listed price is an approximate retail price, as MSRP data was unavailable.

Pro:  Bluetooth, enterprise support, great list of features.
Con:  No memory expansion options.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Research In Motion
295 Phillip Street
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3W8
519-888-7465
http://www.rim.net

Warranty
1 year, limited