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 I’ve been a Blackberry guy for about a dozen years. Originally, I was a Nextel customer, but after Sprint purchased Nextel, I noticed the service was not as good as it had been. I was traveling a lot on business in those days, and the Blackberry was the one way I could always have access to business emails. I left Sprint and went over to the Dark Side, becoming a Verizon Wireless customer and getting excellent coverage everywhere I traveled.

I was not tempted by the advent of the iPhone and the various Android phones to desert the ‘Berry. I was accustomed to its keyboard, and it did the few things I really needed really well: I could make and receive calls, do text messaging and manage multiple email accounts. Since I carry a laptop or netbook with me most places, I never saw the need to go online using the phone. If I were in a place without a network jack or WiFi, I could tether the computer to the Blackberry and get online that way. It worked for me.

Meanwhile, my beloved companion, The Princess of Passion and Pain, has had a continuing love affair with her iPhone and its myriad apps. Again, my Blackberry Bold (which I had for the past two years) had a few bells and whistles which satisfied my simple needs: It took very acceptable digital photos, and it stored lots of music. It could even capture video, so I was satisfied. Yes, it did have an annoying tendency to freeze about once a week, especially if engaged in accessing media such as music: I would have to remove the battery and let it re-boot in order to restore regular operation. Unlike the iPhone, its battery life was good, usually lasting a full day of moderate use. Also, unlike the iPhone, there were no issues with Adobe file formats such as pdf or flash video; I could watch youTube videos on the Bold’s smallish screen.

Technology is insidious in that it inseminates us with the need for the newest. I had been very impressed with a Samsung Galaxy that a client of mine showed me last year. It had a large screen, much more watchable than the display of my out-of-date Bold. He was showing me the surveillance cameras in his office: We were watching one his technicians enter the warehouse to pull parts for an emergency service call. He had received a alert on the phone that someone had entered the facility and was able to log into the camera system from the phone. Neat. My appetite for the newest was whetted. Gee, I thought, I could access clients’ networks from my phone if the need arose.

Recently, I became eligible for a discounted phone upgrade from Verizon. I mulled this over. I was not tempted by the new Blackberry smart phone, the Z-10, an all touch screen model that apes the iPhone and various Android phones. The Q-10, which offered the Z-10’s features but retained the traditional Blackberry keyboard, seemed like the better choice for me. Either that, or change completely and go for a Samsung Galaxy.

I made the wrong choice.

I’ve had the Q-10 for several weeks now and can honestly say I am not very impressed. First of all, the few apps that I had on my previous Blackberry do not seem to exist for the new operating system: No app for the bank I use, none for the airlines I use most frequently. Searching through files- music, for instance- is not as direct a procedure as it used to be on the Bold. The touch screen alternates between being ultra-sensitive to non-responsive. It has mysterious rebooted itself at least once a day.I am not enjoying the leap forward I thought I would by obtaining the latest and greatest.

Now for the final affront:

Verizon offered a very serviceable GPS app, VZ Navigator, for my Blackberry Bold. In the extractive scheme of itemized billing Verizon and the other carriers use, I was charged $4.99 a month for the app. After getting the Q-10, I flew to Atlanta to visit my daughter and grandchildren. From there, we were driving to the Gulf Coast of Florida to hang at my condo for a few days, visit Sanibel Island, and just relax. I searched the Blackberry for the VZ Navigator app so we could keep track of time and distance on our drive south. Could not find it. When we arrived, I went online on my laptop and found 1) there was no update of VZ Navigator available for the new Blackberry OS; 2) Verizon was still charging me $4.99 per month for the app. They had somehow neglected to mention this when I upgraded the phone.

I will report back on my efforts to return the Q-10 and replace it with a Galaxy. I simply must have the latest and greatest.