[Ferrarispeed28]

Occupation: Student/Sales Assistant For a High End Car Dealership
Moodel: 8700g
Age: 19
Location: Westchester County, NY

[BryanHarig]

Occupation: Store Manager for a major US wireless retailer.
Model: 8703e (Sprint)
Age: 26
Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

[Perfect Storm]

Occupation: Student / Web Developer
Model: 8700g with 8700v housing
Connectivity: BIS
Carrier: Rogers (I like paying out of my ass)
Age: 21

Definitely don't need it, but I was unable to adjust to a normal phone after having one at work for some time.

[forevergreen]

31yo Own a landscape maintenance company
8703e w/vzw
No BES
Had various bb's over 3 years. Has radically changed my life. I can't imagine going back. I have 2,400 contacts in it. Recently I got rid of my landline and had my main business phone number ported to my bb. Lovin' it.

[Minister Stanley]

Occupation: Minister, Business Owner, MBA Student
BIS: yes
Age 38
Originally started with the 7100t, got rid of it, and went through 2 other phones before I admitted that I was hooked and finally got an 8700g. With so much on my plate, I love being able to keep up with everything, and get my emails quickly.

[chev-hell]

Occupation: courier by day, buyer/seller all other hours
BIS' yes
Age 35
it's internet browser made me 20k extra last year on deals that i wouldn't have got without it and the email that i can do immiately!! started with 7100t, but after my eyes hurt, i went with the 8700g...

[sixtyfoxtrot]

Occupation: Regional Manager for flooring distributor
BB Model: 8700g
BIS
TMO
Age: 35


Does what my Garmin Streetpilot won't do.

[jwerges]

Occupation-Retail Representative for a major US tobacco company
Model-8700c
BIS
Age-32

I really would have a hard time making it w/o my BB. I love being able to open my contact list and call/e-mail/text anyone with a click of the trackwheel. It is also my only link to e-mail/internet right now. My desktop crashed a couple days after I got my BB. I will be a BB customer until I'm pushing up daisies.

Still waiting for my first PIN. (Hint, Hint) The first person who can tell me what movie the quote in my sig is from, wins a prize.

[mjalkut]

Occupation: Independent Dev after 25 years as Compiler Developer
BB Model: 8703e for Sprint
BES: Yes
Age: 56

It's the internet; it's an iPod; it's a phone!

After Steve Jobs uttered these words at this years Apple show about the iPhone vaporware, I realized they already had more evolved devices on the market, and determined to give one to my wife for Valentines Day. But my research proved that the industry was still dangling carrots in front of consumers. The only one doing it right was RIM. As RIM's CEO stated (paraphrased), "Apple is going to learn that it is a lot harder to build an iPOD with fully functional phone and email capabilities, than it is to add sound and movies to a blackberry."

So it came a little late but my wife now has an 8800 on Cingular and I have an 8703e on Sprint. We lose the familiy plans and the free intraservice calling, but we gain the best of both worlds. Cingular gets the best new phones; but I'll probably croak before i'll ever see HSDPA. And Sprint's all-inclusive BB plan is a breath of fresh air after the repeated calls to Cingular to pay yet more nickle-and-dime add on fees for basic services. Who knew that Cingular's definition of "web access" meant a non-secure hardwired connect to wap.cingular.com/ads and the rest of the "web", and tethering, and BES, and VPN would cost 5 times the original $20 "unlimited internet" price.

[mai_t_thumbs]

Occupation: Sign Language Interpreter
Model: 8700g
BES: No
Age: 28

Some of my friends had their Blackberrys for a while before I got mine and I thought it was a boring device. At the time I was in love with my Sidekick 2 and couldn't imagine anything making me happier. Then I started working for a new company and they required that I have a Blackberry. I was so insulted and tried to pass off my Sidekick instead, thinking surely it can do anything that corny BB can! Aha! Can you imagine!? Needless to say that was short-lived...before I knew it, I had a BB in my hand. A 7250 at that! It was bulky and un-cute...and had a (gasp!) black and white screen! But in spite of all of that...before the week was out I needed it like i need my 2nd lung. I was amazed at how much it could do: e-mails, calendar, text...and it wasnt long before I added a couple of cool 3rd party apps to make it fun too!! (by that time I had purchsed the 8700). HOOKED!!! I loved my Sidekick, but at 28, I have to admit carrying it around somehow made me feel a little immature. But with the BB, I can totally look professional (no one has to know I'm on messenger chatting with friends about plans for the weekend) And i can get a lot accomplished when it's time to work.

I am also a serious gadget-head btw...

[elmoco]

Occupation: QA Manager (Day job); Small business owner; IT Consultant
Model:8700
Carrier: AT&T, no wait, Cingular, no wait, at&t (that's it)
BES: No
BIS: Yes
Age: 30M (freaking 30 already...sheesh)

Don't really need it, but it's nice to have email w/o being at PC. Plus, there's an air of credibility given to those who carry BBs (right?). And BB messenger rocks, specially during long meetings (and short ones too).

[mvincelli]

BB Model: 8700g
Age: Liked a fine wine.
Occupation: Emergency Manager - Bioterrorism & Pandemic Flu Prepardeness & Response.
PIN: 23E17A9E
BES: No

My link to everything including emergency communcations with all the options of a BB, SMS, MMS,E-Mail, Telephone,BB IM, Yahoo,Aol, ICQ IM.

In an emergency when you can't get through on landlines or cellular, use text messaging!!
Thanks!!

[Kilted Brad]

Occupation: Laboratory Manager
Model: 8703e (Sprint)
BES: No
Age: 27

Do I "need" my bb? No, probably not. But, it is certainly handy and keeps me off my computer checking my email so often. The bb msngr service has proven very convenient with coworkers here who also carry a bb.

I'm a gadget-junky like most of the rest of you. I've had one other smart phone before the bb: a Palm Treo 600. Ugh. I sure hope for the Treo fan's sake that the 700 is much better. Though I have seen and handled the WM version and was not impressed. I've carried various Palm PDAs. Actually I still have a Palm TX in my bag, that goes everywhere with me and does get occasional use.

[AnthroMatt]

Occupation: Lab Director/Archaeologist
Model: 8703e (Sprint)
BES: Yes
Age: almost 30 ;)

Don't really need it...I would argue no one does. Things got done before BB's were on this planet. That said, it sure makes my life easier.

[mudbug]

8700c

I could live without it, but have had it for two years. I also lug a laptop around but that will probably cease whenever BB is made more web compatible, Mp3, video etc. And a cam where I can upload images direct to blogger.

Currently driving a tanker truck in the Texas, New Mexico, OK and Colorado areas. Just came back from Iraq and yes it worked fine there and in Kuwait, it was just too expensive.

age 46
PIN:203880E4

saintzfan1.blogspot

[mirateck]

Occupation: Senior Interactive Media Planner/Strategist at Deep-focus.net
Model: 8700g (TMobile)
BES: No
Age: 25
Location: Brooklyn, NY

I can't live without this thing. I had one stolen from me a month ago at the gym and it felt like I lost an arm. Paid the deductible and got a replacement... now I'm complete again.

[325i]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/8.01 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/3.1.7196/1662; en; U; ssr))

I'm 21, went from sidekick2 to 8700 on tmo, then a month later sold the bb for the sidekick3. I still have my sidekick 3 (and use it everyday), but my job now supplies me with an 8703e and it gets a lot of use. SK3 has pop3 capabilities but it wasn't reliable or fast enough for business use.

My one complaint is I wish it had a camera, not all of us are corporate desk jockeys and it would really be nice to be able to snap pics at as jobsite and send them off immediately.

[geofftech]

Occupation: Technical Support
Model: 8700c
BES:no
Age: 24
Location: Philadelphia. PA

I can't live without mine either. Just wish it had HSDPA and a camera.

[jrz4shore]

Hello;

Occupation: Area Manager, Hospitality Management Co.
Model: Just Upgraded from 7250 to 8703e
BES: No
Age: 47
Location: Between Philly and the Jersey Shore

Owned a BB for over 2 years now...I imagine I could live without mine, but it saves me a full work day per week managing e-mails, contacts, tasks and the ever-expanding calendar so why would I?!?

jwerges, no prize necessary - it's from one of the greatest movies ever...OK maybe not the greatest, but close..."Anchorman". To that I say, "Drink it in, it always goes down smooth!"

[ironike]

Occupation: Teacher
Model: 8703e (Sprint)
BIS
Age: 36

I've only had this machine for one month, and am already deeply hooked on this crack. I could live without it, similar to the way the junkie lives without his stuff- in 10 minute cycles between taking hits off that pipe.
I use it to coordinate my calendar/appointments/tasks, centralize communication & contacts, receive work email in real time, stay abreast of news as it happens, and search/compile information from the vast sea of data on the web! I love how I can combine all this functionality in a single device that is reliable and secure. In many ways it has replaced my home computer (laptop), but then again, I'm not an industry guy.