PDA Envy

I'm normally not one to get all excited about the latest gadget or newfangled electronic device. I don't have a Wii (not even the Wii Fit). It took me quite some time to finally buy my first iPod. And I could care less about the new iPhone, even if it is several hundred dollars cheaper this time around.

That's why I'm so surprised by my Smartphone obsession. I want a Pearl or a Curve so badly I can barely stand it. There's something about that little tiny keyboard, the sleek look and all their various features. I've convinced myself that I can't live without one. I'm certain that if I could only hold one of these darlings in my hand my whole life would come together. No more missed meetings or accidental double-bookings. I'd always know when that deadline was, and I'd have publications begging me to squeeze their articles in.

If only I had a Blackberry.

The obsession started over the Christmas holiday, when my friend the dietitian pulled out her Pearl. I swooned. I oooed and ahhhed and begged to touch it, hold it. Still, when it came time to get a new phone, I opted for the (Moto)RED™ Razr because it was cheaper and I felt good about the cause. Now, I'd like to undo that decision. The PDA envy has only gotten stronger. Everywhere I turn, there they are: at breakfast with a friend, in the hands of every manager in my company, even a co-worker just got one. Filled with lust, I stare at them and wish I had one to call my own.

There's no reason for me to get a new phone now, I remind myself. The Razr's just a few months old. It works just fine. And besides, I can't get a discount until January. Sprint will make me pay at least $400 to hold one now. So I wallow in my PDA envy and wait.