If you are wondering what the new breed of converged iA platforms combining wireless cell phone, email and PDA/handheld capabilities just now coming to market will look like, Research in Motion's Blackberry 6210 wireless handheld is a good example of the future of such devices.

And before you start grumbling about why you should learn how to use one of these new converged iAs just when you got the hang of that PDA or cell phone, don't worry. RIM has done a lot in its offering to make it a lot easier. If you try it, you'll like it. And if you are an Internet-connected knowledge worker, you will find it indispensable.

Rather than go the route of some cellular handset makers who have added PDA and email functions to a cell phone, handheld vendor RIM, logically enough, uses the familiar handheld form factors. But the company must have paid some attention to the cell phone stylists, because it has come up with a sleek 4.45 x 2.91 x 0.83 inch, 4.8 ounce unit that easy to manipulate with one hand, when necessary.

Along with the PDA/handheld look and feel, RIM has integrated cell phone, email and even web browsing rather well. It is, in essence, an always-on remote Internet access device with an embedded RIM wireless modem and internal high performance antenna.

When used as a handheld computer the 6210 features a "thumb-typing" based on the company's original keyboard design. The thumb-typing feature will be particularly useful to those knowledge workers, such as writers and editors, who first wrote on typewriters using index finger-based hunt-and-peck.  But this is even faster.

The way the cell phone voice capabilities and the email features have been integrated into the design also make it extraordinarily useful to knowledge workers who communicate mainly by email and use the phone as an adjunct to such contacts. First on all, there is no hassle getting access to the email since RIM uses a "push" architecture in the 6210 to automatically deliver email to the always-on device. You can read, compose, forward, reply, file or delete messages at your convenience and synchronize your inbox and folders between the handheld and PC.

It has all of the features you would expect in a standard GSM cell phone along with optional features such as call waiting, call answering, conference calling and call forwarding. Particularly convenient is the way RIM has integrated the speaker and microphone capabilities.

It can, of course, be held to the ear and used as a standard cell phone, with the earphone at the top above the screen and the microphone at the bottom, below the keyboard. The work RIM has done on the styling makes it reasonably convenient to hold in that way. But it includes a headset for hands-free conversation allowing you to read emails or organizer notes, type and retrieve information while you talk. A call management button also enables users to quickly access the phone application and turn on/off the mute feature.

And what is particularly useful is the ability with the 6210 to click on an email address, a telephone number or a URL in a message you have just received and link seamlessly to the function and immediately contact someone by phone.

A good job has also been done on integrating the traditional handheld/PDA calendar/organizer functions with what you would need for emails and for voice calls. A single integrated address book and inbox serves all email, voice and SMS applications, along with calendar, memo pad and task list applications.

Because of the screen layout of the handheld, viewing your emails is much easier than on an ordinary cell phone. Although the 6210 includes the wireless Short Messaging Service (SMS), you can read ordinary emails via a user selectable 8, 10, 12 or 15 line display.

Also useful if you are a knowledge worker with multiple email accounts, the 6210 has a Web-based application called Web Client that supports not only SMS, but ISP email accounts through the POP3 and IMAP4 protocols and allows you to access these multiple email address from the single handheld, including the default web mail account provided with each handheld.

And because of the more comfortable handheld computer screen layout, it is also easier to use the browser feature that has been built into the 6210. It is dual-purposed, allowing you to securely access corporate data as well as carrier WAP content services and gateways. The BlackBerry browser supports standard WML, HTML and XML based content and HTTP/HTTPS connectivity to BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Both the screen and keyboard are backlit for easy reading and typing during day or night.

Pricing and Availability
The 6210 is not available through retail channels, only through network carriers. So handheld/airtime pricing and roaming services are determined by them and will vary based on specific service plans. You will have to check with your wireless carrier for this. Right now, in the U.S., AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile are the only ones listed as offering it.

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