[srfoot]

This is a great site and I have questions which I have researched here but still somewhat confused. Would appreciate some help with making correct decisions. Thank you in advance.

I currently have a Treo 700p with Verizon. Have a family share plan with 4 phones on it. Have another family member with Verizon but their own contract.

I want to buy the Storm and this will be my first experience with a BB.

1) Trying to figure how to handle the phone plan with Verizon. I want to be able to IM other members in my family on the Fam. plan and the other member that is separate. Internet use,e-mail (hotmail & g-mail)etc. Do I need to keep the current family plan, add the $29.99 fee for BB internet,etc. and also add $10.00 unlimited Text/pics,etc.? Best/most cost effective way to do this?

Does the windows (vista) desktop software for the BB work similar to the Palm desktop? I assume that syncing is just as easy?

I am able to make a text file from my SQL server database at work and import all my contacts, etc. to my 700p. Will I also be able to do this with the Storm.

Can you have different ringtones for different individual contacts or groups of contacts?

I get resets/crashes on my 700p at least every day. Does this happen on the BB?

Will you be able to write on the touch screen with a stylus as I use mobilewrite on the 700p or only type?

Is there a button on the phone to activate voice dialing so you won't have to look directly on the screen while driving?

Thank you for any help. I know there will be a learning curve but that will be the challenge.

[Branta]

The plan question is something you will have to work out yourself. Email from a BB is usually included in the data plan so that should handle email out and picking up email. Whether you need 'unlimited' tect messaginjg is your decision but for $10 its probably not worth thinking too long.

Desktop sync (or backup) in Blackberry is very easy. Plug, a few clicks, wait, finished. I can't compare with Palm, its years since I used one but it can't get much easier than the BB scheme.

I see no reason why you can't rip a SQL Server database to some compatible format. Worst case you could go to CSV, which can be imported into Outlook (or express) and then sync from there.

Ringtones - yes in existing models. Expect the Storm to be similar when it releases.

Crashes - unable to answer, but expected to be reasonably stable but it depends on the quality of software when it is approved for release. The very first release on the Bold had a few problems but 6 weeks later its pretty damned stable. I think I could go weeks with the Bold without reboot but my work environment requires safety shutdowns (explosive atmospheres) so I can't prove it longer than about 4 days yet.

Stylus - No, no native support for handwriting recognition.

Voice dial - I expect the usual BB convenience keys to be available, and if you have Bluetooth headset or car-handsfree it will also operate the VAD.

[srfoot]

Thank you very much for your reply.
That would be great if the Storm will accept commands via my bluetooth headset(as the palm won't).
I'm looking forward to learning and the challenge of it.