Looks like AT&T finally got their act together and released this phone. About time. All my stores are out of stock, so I'm currently on the Blackberry Bold waiting list. To pass the time, I'm posting this pdf that has all the Blackberry Bold Tips & Tricks you could possibly need. It covers the basics and takes you through the full scope of Blackberry Bold keyboard shortcuts. Enjoy!

If you're like me and starting to wonder if the RIM BlackBerry Bold is just a mythical creature like Bigfoot. Just spotted in the wild a number of times but yet to be captured, or in the Blackberry Bold's case, released. The smartphone was announced way back in May for AT&T, but we have yet to hear about an actual availability date. Oh, and trust us, we've asked RIM numerous times for just a teeny tiny hint and have been met by the same answers: "this fall" or "very soon."

I do think the launch is close, but if you're looking for something a little more concrete, here's something to nibble on in the meantime. On Monday, the Boy Genius Report posted screen shots of what looks to be Best Buy's computer system, showing an in-stock date of October 26 for the Bold. BGR goes on to say that the smartphone will have a price of "around $600" (yikes!) and will be released a week or two ahead of AT&T.

Again, this is all speculation so take it for what it's worth. Personally, I'm tired of waiting and have already moved on and set my sights on the RIM BlackBerry Javelin. Anyone else?

One of our affiliates has gotten a hold of a new Blackberry Bold (unlocked and non-branded), and is having a contest to give it away. Be sure to enter for free and get this phone before anyone else!

RIM has two styles of keyboard for its full QWERTY BlackBerrys (discounting the hybrid 'SureType' pattern of the Pearl). The Curve sports individual keys, while the 8800 series removes the gap between each key so they're all nestled tight next to one another.

Most BlackBerry users cite this as a key advantage of the Curve. Yet while the Bold adopts the 8800-style keyboard, RIM has somehow finessed the design to make it far more usable. Each keypress is soft without being squishy, and a little quieter than when you're tapping away on the Curve.

The Curve still has the edge in speed and accuracy, but the Bold closes the gap to the point where it's almost a non-issue. Users of the 8800 series will take to the Bold like ducks to water, while Curve loyalists should need only a little time to become converts (or at least comfortable with the new layout).

The four main control buttons - Send, End, Back and to activate the BlackBerry menu - are oversized and incorporated into the fascia between the panel and keyboard, rather than being discrete buttons. This we liked. However, we found the now mandatory 'pearl' trackball a little less easy to use than on the Curve. The Bold's pointing pea actually sits higher than that of the Curve, but the Curve's is more recessed and surrounded by a concave well, which seemed to give us a little more traction on the Curve's navball compared to that of the Bold.

The photos should already tell the story - this is the slickest-looking BlackBerry ever. The Bold represents an all-new ID (industrial design) that's also earmarked for the 'Javelin' (the next-gen Curve, due later this year).

The Blackberry Bold draws its DNA from the existing Curve and 8800 series. From the former you get, well, curves - something to soften the brick-like shape of the 8800, which dictates more the actual dimensions of the chassis as well as the style of keyboard (something we'll go into later). The cambers of the Bold are however more elegant than those of the Curve, something you don't notice until you put these two smartphones side by side.

The Curve has exaggerated roundings at the top and bottom, while the corners are more angled than curved. The Bold has a slightly gentler slope on the top and bottom but far more fluid curves at each corner. And while the Curve's cross-section is in fact that of a slab (the shape is de-emphasised by the Curve's soft black side insets) the Bold's rear panel arcs tapers in.

The net effect of these organic flourishes is that while the Bold is larger than the Curve in almost every dimension (and a fraction heavier, at 133 grams against 110 grams), you quickly stop noticing the size differential one the Bold is parked in your paw. It sits in your hand almost like it belongs there.

(The iPhone exhibits almost the exact same traits to achieve that exact same degree of natural 'holdability'. While I'd prefer to suggest this is a case of convergent evolution, one would be a fool to imagine that RIM's designers didn't study the iPhone and take away some learnings from it. Any smartphone designer who didn't would be guilty of equal parts negligence and arrogance).

The rear panel covering the battery is rendered in a soft textured 'leatherette' material which enhances the Bold's hand-friendliness. A silver-coloured plastic strip runs around the circumference of the Bold, separating the fascia from the back panel. This is a common designer's trick to make a device with a dark or black face look smaller, and it's also something you can see on the iPhone.