One of the sleekest and most compact Blackberry phones yet, the BlackBerry Pearl has everything you need.Instead of looking like a 'brick' as many people often say about the BlackBerry lineup, the BlackBerry Pearl is anything but that. About the size of a candy bar, the design is easy to slip in your pocket, and easy to talk into. Though not a full sized keyboard, the keyboard allows for a smaller phone, yet still manages to make typing easier than your standard keypad. The trackball is an amazing feature that one should not over look. When you're typing e-mail, playing a game, or just surfing the net, you'll find that the trackball will save you a lot of time and frustration. The screen is your typical screen, slightly bigger than a normal phone, but nothing special that makes it stand out. The casing of the phone is of a fairly strong material and could probably take a few drops on carpet. However if you drop it on concrete or some other hard ground, I don't think it would work again.The BlackBerry Pearl software isn't as hard as many think. I'm pretty good when it comes to computers, yet I had never played around with the BlackBerry OS until the day I got this phone. I will admit that the first time I played with the OS in the store, that I found it slightly confusing. However, by the end of the day I had already learned everything there is to know. The OS has your typical text messaging, e-mail, Internet, and one game.Never again will you have to pay for ring tones or wallpaper. The phone lets you import pictures and music straight from your computer. I do recommend that you buy a 1gig SD card for additional memory. After buying the memory stick I was able to import an entire movie without a problem. I have found problems with the 2gig memory from working though.My biggest, and only issue is the signal quality. There's been many times where I've only had two bars and other times been disconnected. Despite being in a major city, I still run into problems trying to find a strong signal. The signal is good the majority of time, however I don't find the signal to be any better than my previous phone which was just a tracfone.Many people think of BlackBerry as a phone made for the businessman, but the Blackberry Pearl changes that thought by offering a stylish phone with a low learning curve. If you want to have the hottest phone on the market, and avoid spending hundreds on a phone with the same features, this phone is for you.