[TallPaul86]

I had a BlackBerry Bold 9000 when it was first released (august '08 if i recall correctly) and it was an amazing device compared to my 8700g!! And throughout my years ownership before switching to other models listed in my sig, it was a very jekyl and hyde phone - one day it would be the definition of perfect (f*** fast, 3G downloads, general performance etc) and other days it would be hellish (phone would reboot for no good reason, bluetooth music streaming to my car's headunit was hit and miss unless i paused then resumed the track again)

With the above in mind i would like to put all my bad experience with the device down to a faulty unit (as several software updates made no blind bit of difference) so as the end of this month is my upgrade opportunity with my carrier i have the above two models as an option... I am discounting the Storm as i prefer the QWERTY keyboard as opposed to a touchscreen.

Now as for the Bold 9000's plus points: -

1) Amazing screen quality
2) Amazing sound quality
3) Obvious all-in-one ability (3G, Wi-Fi, GPS etc)
4) Overall size and feel

Now the last is subjective - i'm 6' 3" and a bit stocky and this carries onto my rather large hands (or shovels as my ever understanding friends call them) so typing on the Bold 9000 was a haven in terms of spacing, size, tactile feedback and response.

Right now i currently own a Curve 8520 and it's an amazing phone that near enough equals the Bold performance wise however no Flash, no 3G and no GPS do kind of handicap it a bit. However my main gripe is the clicky-clacky keyboard - it's a bit small and therefore difficult to type on quickyl and/or smoothly as well as that damn clicky-clacky noise drives me mad!!

Now basically what i'm looking for is like a Pro's and Con's from current Bold 9700 owners, ideally those who upgraded from a Bold 9000 to give a better comparison.

My main worries are the keyboard as well as the Speaker sound quality and Screen size + quality... when i had my Bold i used it as a mini Media Player on the go (16gb SD Card full of music and videos) and ideally i would like to do the same again ewith my upgrade of choice. The Bold 9700 is a desirable phone however the downsize is the main off put for me at the moment

Any comparison would be grand - i know there are some on Crackberry and BGR however i'd rather hear from those who own one right now from a carrier... This should help me sway which phone i'm going to get