Among CrackBerry readers, I think it's safe to say we all have something we could say that we love about BlackBerry. Often times we read in the CrackBerry forums of users checking out other platforms available to them be it iPhone, Android or even webOS. Some of those users decide the other platforms are better. Some decide that BlackBerry is better and finally, others decide they want their cake and to be able to eat it too by opting to make use of both BlackBerry and whatever other platform they have chosen. The question here is simple, do you use other platforms or is BlackBerry your only device of choosing?  Whether you use only BlackBerry or have decided to use another platform, let us know in the comments why you have chosen whatever path you have.

Week 2 of the 2009 Smartphone Round Robin had me using two HTC-manufactured phones running on the Windows Mobile platform, specifically the AT&T Tilt 2 and the HTC HD2 (the HD2 is the unit in the photo above sporting the massive display). With the holidays happening, my time for the Round Robin this week was a bit on short supply, but since we're following up on my novel of a Droid Review I figure you all won't mind if I keep this one a little shorter. For in-depth technical reviews, be sure to follow the device links above and you'll jump over to WMExperts.com where you can learn about both the Tilt 2 and HD2 in detail. That said, it's time to reflect upon my time spent on both of these phones and assess how Microsoft is doing in the smartphone ecosystem with their mobile operating system.

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Week #2 of the 2009 Smartphone Round Robin has me sampling some Windows Phones, in the form of the AT&T Tilt 2 and the HTC HD2. You can check out the video below as I pick up these devices for the first time and get guided through what's going on in the land of Windows Phones by our expert Phil Nickinson of WMExperts. I gotta say, in this video I come across a little loopy and distracted.... the reason is the MASSIVE SCREEN on this HTC HD2. It's FRAKK'n RIDICULOUS.

To get some guidance on my Windows Phone experience, I've created a forum thread over at WMExperts.com. As for BlackBerry in the Round Robin this week, it's our old pal Rene Ritchie of TheiPhoneblog that's taking the Bold 9700 and Storm2 for a spin. He has created a forum thread in the CB forums to get some help from CrackBerry Nation. Be sure to post on these forum threads daily for your chance to win a new smartphone. Contest details here.

Enjoy the video and stay tuned for the full CrackBerry on Windows Phones later this week!

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We at CrackBerry love our BlackBerries and there is nothing better. We love all the features etc and are addicted to the functions. So, we are wed to our devices. But a man can look can’t he?

So, when this little device showed up our eyes wandered for a little bit. It might not be the BlackBerry but it is one sexy looking device.

Meet the “Opus Operis” from the Swiss company Zenum. It is a pocket PC that works on the Windows Mobile 5 platform, although that might be upgraded to version 6 by the time it is rolled out sometime this spring. No news on whether this will be available in North America.

But at least we gaze upon its picture.

The Opus has a QWERTY keyboard includes 128MB ROM, 64MB RAM, a two megapixel camera, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 1.2, and a tri-band GSM radio.

Probably the best looking thing to come out of Switzerland since Martina Hingis.

I got an early look at the new Motorola Q, affectionately known in some circles as the “RAZRBerry”. Available “any day now”, this fun little device sports a QWERTY keyboard in a light, slim package, advertised as the thinnest QWERTY device in the world.

From the Motorola website, here is a list of the key features:

• One of the first devices to run on Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0; Optimized for Microsoft Exchange 2003 and a variety of third party e-mail solutions that enable a broad set of corporate e-mail capabilities*
• Thinnest QWERTY device in the world - 11.5mm
• Full, ergonomic QWERTY keyboard, 5-way navigation button and thumb wheel
• Video clip capture and playback
• Connectivity via Bluetooth, IrDA and mini-USB; compatible with Motorola’s line of Bluetooth-enabled wireless headsets
• Multi-Media Messaging (MMS)
• Dual, stereo-quality speakers
• Audio formats supported: iMelody, MIDI, MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, WAX, QCELP
• Image formats supported: GIF87a, GIF89a, JPEG, WBMP, BMP, PNG
• Video formats supported: H.263, MPEG-4, GSM-AMR, AAC, WMV
• Mini-SD removable memory card slot
• Large, high-resolution display (320 x 240 pixels, 65K TFT
• 1.3 mega pixel camera with photo lighting
• PIM functionality with Picture Caller ID
• Advanced speech recognition and speakerphone

I was told that this device will also feature BlackBerry Connect, enabling it to take advantage of the BlackBerry push technology for e-mail. All those BlackBerry users out there clamoring for a camera on their BlackBerry might have a reason to jump over to Motorola.

But with so much time spent thumbing away on a QWERTY device, form factor is pretty important. How does this one feel? As I picked it up, I was reminded of my old Scientific Calculator that I (thankfully) haven’t touched in years. It was solid and thin. And a little blockish. It lacked that sort of smooth rounded back the makes a BlackBerry nestle so snugly into your palm.

It is light. Oh my is it light. I briefly slipped it into my shirt pocket and it was so slender that I barely felt it. Very nice. Current BlackBerry users might miss the familiar rounded edges and comforting heft of their traditional Berries. Or they might not. But with a camera, memory card slot, Bluetooth, and BlackBerry Connect all crammed into the thinnest and lightest QWERTY device on the market, this is a very compelling product for some.

I whipped out my camera to take a few pictures, and the Moto Q was quickly squirreled away. Here’s what I managed to get.

## This Article Was Originally Published on AllBlackBerry.com on May 19, 2006.

If you are a gadget junkie you should have been in Barcelona, Spain this week at the 3GSM Convention. RIM rolled out its new Blackberry 8800 there and their European partner of sorts, HTC , rolled out their new smartphone. The HTC S710 smartphone (previously known as the Vox), comes with a nifty little slide out Qwerty keyboard. It's HTC's first phone to be based on Windows Mobile 6, although its S620 is upgradeable from Windows Mobile 5.0.

European provider Orange will be bringing out the S710 in Europe in the next couple of months, although there is no date for a UK rollout. Yves Maitre, Orange's vice president of devices, called the S710 the "Ferrari of the mobile phone". The device comes with stereo Bluetooth, 2MP camera, Wi-Fi and Windows Mobile 6's handy integration of Hotmail and Live Messenger. Might be more of a Nissan 350Z.

Research In Motion announced this week at the 3GSM World Congress plans to offer BlackBerry Connect software on five new Microsoft Windows Mobile-based devices from HTC to carriers around the world, including the HTC S710 launched at the 3GSM World Congress 2007 in Barcelona, Spain.

BlackBerry Connect on HTC handsets supports push-based wireless email access, wireless email reconciliation and attachment viewing in conjunction with both BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service.

Additional features supported through BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Connect v4.0 include:
Enhanced attachment handling capabilities, enabling users to view images, footnotes and tracked changes;
Remote look-up of corporate email address directory; Triple DES or AES wireless encryption; Internet and corporate intranet access via the BlackBerry Mobile Data System; Wireless device provisioning to allow devices to be activated wirelessly;
Remote control of email settings to allow users to wirelessly configure out-of-office replies, email filters, and auto-signatures directly from their device; and
Wireless IT policy enforcement and commands.

The HTC S710 is a versatile, compact handset that looks like a phone, but includes a concealed semi auto-sliding keyboard to allow for email and data input. Users are able to view their email, Word and Excel documents on the 2.4 inch screen with landscape view option. The HTC 710 operates on GPRS/EDGE networks and supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0.

Florian Seiche, Vice President HTC Europe, commented: “BlackBerry Connect is a great example of our continual drive to add more value for our customers. We have experienced strong demand for BlackBerry Connect from some of our key operator clients and therefore consider it important that our devices support the popular BlackBerry service.”

“HTC is the world’s leading provider of Windows Mobile-based devices and a strategic partner for RIM. We’re pleased to be extending our relationship to bring BlackBerry Connect to a range of new HTC devices this year,” said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion. “Together, HTC devices and BlackBerry Connect provide an innovative and powerful solution that meets the distinct needs of both mobile users and IT departments.”

For corporate customers, BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate data.

For individuals and smaller businesses, BlackBerry Internet Service allows users to access multiple supported email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts) from a single device.

About HTC

Founded in 1997, High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) designs, manufactures and markets innovative, feature rich smartphone and PDA phone devices.
Since its establishment, HTC has developed strong R&D capabilities, pioneered many new designs and product innovations, and launched state-of-the-art PDA Phones and Smartphones for mobile operators and distributors in Europe, the US, and Asia. These machines are available as HTC devices and as products individually customized for operator and device partners.
HTC is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile device market. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com