Palm, RIM Struggle for Smartphone Formula

The 8820 has the fastest wireless connection of the two, thanks to a WiFi receiver that makes up for the slower cell-network connection. The 8820 and other BlackBerrys also feel faster, since they let you do other things while a Web page or e-mail message streams in.

The Centro, meanwhile, doesn't complement its Sprint wireless broadband access with any WiFi, and the obsolete underpinnings of its software force you to sit and watch as things download.

But the Centro was less annoying to use, once it connected to the Internet. The Centro has presets for many widely used Internet services; I had only to type in an e-mail address and password to get going. On the 8820, I had to visit a slow-to-load AT&T Web page to store a user name, password and other settings. This BlackBerry's mail software also ignored any formatting in messages, displaying all of them in the same plain type.

Things went about the same in Web browsing. Neither of these devices is in any danger of being mistaken for Apple's sleeker iPhone. But Palm's browser made Web pages, even some full-size ones, notably more legible than the 8820 did.

Most recent smartphones have taken on yet another job, substituting for an iPod. In this area, Palm soundly beats RIM. The Centro's Pocket Tunes program is more elegant and capable than the 8820's crude media-playback software, and the Centro's microSD memory-card slot is easier to get at than the 8820's.

Either of these devices can serve effectively. But when the iPhone and a growing selection of Windows Mobile devices exhibit more creativity and capability, neither the Centro nor the 8820 can fulfill one last smartphone obligation: drawing the occasional envious glance from passersby.

Living with technology, or trying to? E-mail Rob Pegoraro atrobp@washpost.com. Read more athttp://blog.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward