Staring at the Curve

FedEx just stopped by the home office, to drop off a new BlackBerry Curve. It’s actually my second RIM device, but the first one has just gathered dust since a similar delivery four years ago. I didn’t even open the box.

I am what one might call a late adopter. First cell phone in late 2001, after leaving (what was then) payphone-aplenty New York City. Current one is an old Nokia that can’t read email, take pictures or anything much beyond transmit voice. It’s usually uncharged, which is among the reasons why readers/colleagues complain I’m difficult to get in touch with. It’s a complaint I sometimes wear as a Luddite badge of honor.

But I figured I needed a better mobile tool, given that peHUB Across America begins in two weeks. So here sits this shiny box, whose chief content will help deprive me of any remaining solitude. It’s like inviting an enemy to become a roomate.

So here’s my question: Am I the only one out there (as of this moment) to not have a “smart” mobile device? Not among the general population, but among the reporters and investors who read this blog. Can you do your job without one, or is it just the price you pay for getting paid? Idle thoughts, while dreading my own pending synchronization.