Pictures of the upcoming BlackBerry Pearl 9105 with the T9 keyboard have been making their way around the web and it really got me to wondering if putting a regular keyboard mobile phone keyboard is a good idea.  To be completely honest, I don’t know how to call this one…

On one hand, the biggest segment of new potential BlackBerry users currently use phones with T9 keyboards.  On the other, I doubt that any of them have said that they aren’t interested in the BlackBerry because RIM makes it too easy to type out texts and emails and they would rather keep it challenging.

I know that there a lot of T9 users out their that can text unbelievably fast as they have memorized the layout and sequence of the alpha numeric keypad, however, these folks kids aren’t the ones that would be interested in candy bar form factor BlackBerry if interested in a BlackBerry at all.

Personally, my BlackBerry 8130, was my favorite BlackBerry of all time.  I love SureType and still use it in portrait mode on my BlackBerry Storm.  I can’t imagine, however, trying to use the Pearl with T9 keyboard, and, although there is probably someone or sometwo  who would love a BlackBerry with a T9 keyboard,  I am struggling with why this is a good idea for RIM.