Lots of people (like me) have been waiting for week for the new Blackberry 8530 to actually start going on sale.  Originally there was talk about it going on sale in late November but that turned out to be the release date for the Verizon version.  For people wondering what the attraction is for a phone like this, let me break it down for you.

1 – It has a real keyboard.  In a world full of touch screen feature phones, this phone has a keyboard which makes sending emails and text messages a breeze.  Some people may be very proficient with an onscreen keyboard but I’m old school and being able to feel where I’m typing is a must have.

2 – It has Wifi, and 3G.  I am a bandwidth hog so I need a phone that can let me connect where ever, how ever, when ever.  Based on where I go, this phone will do me just fine.

3 – It’s cheap.  I know that should be the last thing I worry about but it’s not.  Sprint is selling this phone for $49.99 after a $100 mail in rebate.  I’m not cool with the mailing in part but the final price is very attractive to me.  If Sprint markets this thing right this could be a quiet way for Sprint to attract a whole lot of customers back to it’s flock.

4 – It’s a Blackberry.  There are lots of inexpensive phones but you compromise something.  Just look at the Samsung Instinct, it was hyped up as the next coming for mobile devices and it’s nowhere near that.  By being a Blackberry you know what’s you’re going to get, just like when you buy a Windows netbook.

For anyone interested here are the specs from Sprint’s website:

1. Dell Working On Android Netbook?

2. 5 Reasons Why Faster Phones Won’t Replace Netbooks

3. The VIA Openbook

4. Taiwan Telecom Cos Bets Big On Netbooks With WiMax

5. Purple Blackberry 8530 On Sprint Now Available