BlackBerry's Lustrous Pearl

	RIM's Cultured Pearl

Research In Motion (RIMM Quote) is now offering some sweet hand candy to hook all the kids on BlackBerry.

The half-inch-thick Pearl is the first truly stylish entry into the general market by RIM.

Measuring close to two inches wide by four inches tall, the itty-bitty Pearl bears almost no resemblance to the bulky BlackBerrys holstered on the belts of all those thoroughly addicted business types.

As devotees will tell you, BlackBerrys are marvels of mobile emailing machinery.

And the Pearl is the best yet -- not only is it charmingly small and equipped with a big screen, it provides a simple setup for everything from email and photo icons to downloading applications.

In fact, if it weren't for two demerits -- the compromised keypad and slow Internet speeds -- the Pearl might be at the top of the current smartphone class.

The phone retails for $150, after rebate, with a contract.

The Stats

RIM conquered the wireless email space by providing portable devices with mini keyboards that gave people access to their office computer's inbox. ...