im looking to pick up the 8700 g tomorrow. im basically using it for webbrowser and AIM.

how is AIM? i heard IM+ is good but you pay $50 for it. also will it load all my contacts? i have over 250 people on AIM and i heard some only load 20 ppl.

is web browsing fast? how is tmobiles internet service?

also unlimited webbrowsing surfing for blackberry is $30 a month right? and does it work wherever you have reception? i live in nyc so im guessing it wouldnt be a problem.. i commute an hour a day each way to work so i wouldnt mind using a blackberry to surf the net and chat with my friends. any answers will be greatly appreciated. thank you

for AIM try Ramble, its free and works very well.

The web browsing on EDGE is pretty fast and should suffice any needs you have on a mobile device.

I personally find T-Mobile very good, with coverage.

as for pricing, its $30 unlimited as a standalone plan, $20 as a voice add on. Now if you plan on using a BES its an add of $10 per month to either plan.

i thought Tmobile's BB plan was $20?

whats BES? curious

$20 is cheap as hell for unlimited internet anywhere i get reception. i live in nyc so ill probably have very little to no dead zones. also the train i take is overground and not underground, so ill definitely have reception. great plan. can an unlocked 8700g work with tmobiles $20 voice add on plan? or should i pick it up from tmobile.

BES = BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Lots of threads here about BES. Do a search you'll find lots of informative info.

If you're thinking of the following things:

- T-Mobile
- AIM
- Web Browsing

I recommend a Sidekick II. While BBs are awesome, they're only average when it comes to Instant Messaging. Whereas, an SKII is designed for exactly what you're looking for.

Just a suggestion...

not a big fan of SKIII.

But you're not looking for a BlackBerry - you are looking for a more consumer/AIM friendly device! You may be very disappointed with the BlackBerry.