I’ve long held the opinion that it’s important to think long and hard before upgrading to new technologies. Often a single technology purchase causes a daisy-chain of purchases, as illustrated below:

Nintendo Wii > Big, giant, flat TV > Cable > Premium Channels (Total upgrade cost = $250 + $1,000 + $60/mo + $10/mo = More than $1,300, plus a contract with the cable company…)
or

Apple Macbook > New Case + Parallels + Windows Vista > Software for both operating systems (Total upgrade cost = $1,600 + $40 + $80 + $200 + $500 = ~$2,500)
and my current quandary:

Blackberry Pearl > Bluetooth headset (& other devices) + Mobile Internet Subscription + Media Card

The thing is, I’ve had my current phone for more than 3 years. It’s getting dated, but it still works well and does pretty much everything I need it to. Well, at least it does everything I’ve become accustomed to needing. Other than weighing pure costs, the most important thing I do before buying a new technology is ask this simple question:

How will this technology change my life?

It’s important that I understand this, because if I don’t think about it then I risk throwing money away on crappy, needless technology. It’s more than just thinking about the technology’s features, but about how those features will impact my daily life. So, let’s run through this question, applied to the Blackberry Pearl. So, how will the Blackberry Pearl change my life?

Positives:

• No need for a separate iPod or similar device.
• The Pearl’s media card holds music, and my headphones will fit in the phone itself.
• No need for a separate digital camera.
• Well, that’s not entirely true, but the Pearl does have a 2 megapixel camera…which is good enough for most point and shoot needs. The real question is, will Verizon lock these pictures on to my camera, or allow me to easily and freely transfer them to my (or others’) computers?
• Email from anywhere
• I’ll be able to get my Gmail from anywhere…on the train or walking down the street, or even at a client site that doesn’t allow me to check personal mail on their network.
• Chat from anywhere
• Same as with email, but I’ll be able to chat with people from anywhere.
• Internet capable
• This could be life changing. If I can use the internet from anywhere then I can do tons of other things. I can check competitive prices while I shop at target, or blog from the street corner. This could make life very interesting.
• GPS directions mean I’m less likely to be lost
• I’m using up to date technology
• This might seem like a minor detail, but I think it’s pretty important for someone whose job it is to design experiences based on technology. It’s important for me to know the potential of the current devices and tools, and I have to admit that my old phone doesn’t really allow me to do that anymore.

Negatives:

• Who wants or needs to get email all the time?
• I certainly won’t be hooking this up to all my email accounts. The last thing I want is some device to vibrate for each email I receive all day…
• “Crackberry” potential
• I also don’t want to get hooked to this device. I’ve already got my face in front of a computer screen for a majority of the day…the last thing I need is to be addicted to another screen.
• It’s not an iPhone (or Google Phone).
• ‘Nuff said.
• I’m not sure if it will play nice with my mac…
• Can it sync up with my web-based stuff like Google Calendar? I guess maybe I can just view gCal from the browser?
• Big one: Once I advance to this technology, will I ever be able to go back to living life without? This has a little to do with addiction, and a lot to do with how the phone will change the way I do things. What if I’m at a point in my life where I can no longer afford to pay $80/mo for phone+internet service? Will I be able to go back?
• Extra $40/mo for mobile internet is pretty steep… (though work will cover it)

I’m sure there’s more, but for now I want to put this out into the world and see what you all think. Should I make the upgrade? Take the leap? Jump into the abyss? Or not?

Please weigh in in the comments…