Second thoughts on the Blackberry 8800

Driving over the Pennines at the weekend I used a free utility that threw mobile-phone/GPS combos such as RIM's Blackberry 8800 into sharp relief. I spent some time with a Blackberry 8800, and liked its sleek design and interface. I wasn't so sure about the buit-in GPS which, while sounding great, relies on downloadable maps. Now, my experience driving over the Pennines and guided by nothing but the mobile version of Google Maps on my Java mobile phone has brought me to the conclusion that RIM has produced a bit of a dud here.
I asked Google maps for directions from manchester to the small market town of Hebden Bridge, and there they were, slightly slicker on my old Nokia N70 than on the sleek new Blackberry, even though my Nokia screen is somewhat smaller. As I drove into the hills and away from GPRS reception the maps stopped downloading just as they would on a Blackberry, but I still had directions to follow. Did it matter that I didn't have GPS to pinpoint my progress on the map? Well, no. Not even on tiny Yorkshire roads with faded names.
OK, it doesn't quite compare with a dedicated GPS with nice 3D graphics that you can stick on your dashboard or windscreen. But would I pay extra for the Blackberry solution? Nay, I can't rightly say I would.

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