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PDAs Get a BlackBerry Flavor

Next model of pager-like PDA offers wireless Web browser and looks a lot like a Palm.

By James Niccolai, IDG News   

Research In Motion (RIM), which makes the popular BlackBerry wireless e-mail device, is now taking aim at the personal digital assistant market. The company is preparing a new PDA that resembles a Palm computer and comes equipped with a wireless Web browser. The BlackBerry 957 got its first public airing during a keynote speech by an Intel executive here at Internet World.

The BlackBerry 957 features a larger screen, a more powerful antenna, and more memory than the first BlackBerry. It also adds support for Lotus Notes, so you can sync data in the device with Notes data on your PC, according to Jim Balsillie, RIM's chair and chief executive officer.

The BlackBerry 957 is scheduled to ship in the United States on May 1 with a suggested retail price of $499, Balsillie says. The wireless service will cost $39.99 monthly for unlimited use, with no roaming or long distance charges, he says.

The device bears a strong resemblance to Palm Computing's handheld devices and is likely to put RIM in direct competition with Palm and other PDA makers. The 957 is slightly smaller than the Palm and includes a miniature keyboard characteristic of the existing BlackBerry. Like a pager, the BlackBerry 957 is "always on" and ready to receive messages, Balsillie notes.

RIM will also announce next week an upgrade to its existing BlackBerry that will feature, among other things, more memory and a better-quality display, according to Balsillie.