Specifically, we're talking about the AT&T Tilt, a device penned by prolific smartphone manufacturer HTC, and whose signature feature is adjustable screen.

Like most horizontal-slider type smartphones, the Windows Mobile 6 Professional-based Tilt has a relatively small footprint, but at nearly three-quarters of an inch thick, is also quite chunky. Still, that's down more than a tenth of an inch from the Tilt's predecessor, the 8525. (The Tilt's exact dimensions are 4.4 x 2.3 x .73, and it weighs in at 6 ounces.)

Being an AT&T phone, the black-clad Tilt is quad-band GSM/EDGE device that also boasts 3G UTMS/HSDPA for data connections. If you live in an area that lacks AT&T's 3G coverage, you can avail yourself of the 802.11g/b Wi-Fi. (It also supports AT&T's optional Push To Talk service.)

If the Tilt's 128MB storage capacity proves insufficient, you can bump it up via a microSD card whose slot is, thankfully, not under the battery or even in the battery compartment, but easily accessible at the bottom of the unit. (AT&T says the Tilt can accommodate up to a 32 GB memory card, though 6GB is the biggest you can get today.)

What is in the battery compartment is a 1350 mAh battery that AT&T rates for up to four hours of talk time or 8 days on standby. Those claims seem reasonable given that we used the Tilt regularly over a period of nearly four days before it needed a recharge.

Almost all the Tilt's frontal real estate is consumed by a spacious 2.8-inch touch screen that displays 240 x 320 resolution (or the inverse when used in horizontal mode) with 64K colors.

Flanking the D-Pad beneath are dedicated Windows, Internet Explorer, and E-mail buttons, along with the obligatory call and soft keys. A jog dial on the upper left edge eases one-handed navigation when you don't want to remove the stylus from storage, and it doubles as a volume control for calls and applications. For no-handed operation there's a Voice Speed Dial feature-to use it to call contacts or launch applications you must first record voice tags for each item, but once you've done that it works well.

Sliding the display over to the left (rather than the right as with many similar phones) unveils the Tilt's full QWERTY keyboard with keys large enough for comfortable typing. (This also exposes the Tilt's SIM card slot which happens to be on the underside of the display.) An embedded keypad is offset in a light gray, in contrast to the black of the rest of the keys. An especially nice touch of the Tilt's keyboard are indicator lights that show when the Caps/Shift or Fn keys are engaged.

Once the Tilt is open, you can pull the display up toward you and adjust it to your liking at almost a 45 degree angle. If you do tilt it all the way upwards, however, access to the keyboard's top row is somewhat compromised-you can still get to the buttons, but mistypes will be more common. The display's hinge feels solid and not particularly frangible, and it's tight enough to allow a pretty precise control over the screen positioning.

The Tilt's articulating screen may seem gimmicky or like a relatively minor innovation, but it really can enhance the usability of the device a great deal. For example, it makes it feasible rest the Tilt on a tabletop instead of having to hold it, which is handy whether you're actively using the device or just passively viewing material like photos or videos.

This being a Windows Mobile device, the included software is a pretty standard compliment. But since the Tilt uses Windows Mobile 6 Professional, it comes with a version of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, plus Outlook) that can edit and create new documents, as well as view existing ones.

People don't buy phones like the Tilt to use them just for voice calls, so electronic communication options abound on the device.

The Tilt comes with AT&T's Xpress Mail software, which allows you to access multiple personal or work POP or IMAP e-mail accounts with minimal configuration hassle. It took about three minutes to set up Xpress Mail with a Comcast account.

For centralized corporate e-mail like Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes, the Tilt includes Microsoft Direct Push and BlackBerry Connect services. Preinstalled IM clients include those for AOL, Yahoo, and of course Microsoft's own Live Messenger.

It's said that all work and no play make Jack a dull boy, so the Tilt comes equipped to handle such productivity-draining tasks as photos, music and video.

The Tilt boasts a 3 megapixel camera, which you can activate via a dedicated button on the phone's right side. The camera lacks a flash or self-portrait mirror, and there seemed to be an inordinate amount of lag time when snapping pictures and waiting for the camera to be ready for the next shot.

Picture quality was adequate provided there was enough light. (If you don't want the camera or if they're verboten by your organization, AT&T makes a Tilt sans-camera called the 8900.) In the space adjacent to the lens where a camera flash might normally reside you'll instead find the Tilt's sole speaker. Phones aren't known for their high-fidelity audio, but the Tilt's speaker sounded a bit more hollow and buzzy than typical.

Unfortunately, AT&T doesn't supply headphones with the Tilt (included accessories are pretty spare, consisting only of an AC adapter, sync cable and extra stylus). On the plus side, the Tilt's Bluetooth does include support for the A2DP profile which allows for stereo audio. If you want wired headphones, they'll need to connect via the same mini USB jack used for charging and synching.

There are lots of ways, albeit at extra cost, to get music onto the Tilt. You can download music through either Napster or eMusic; each service costs $7.95 monthly plus additional charges for more than five songs. Another option is streaming XM Radio for $8.99 per month. Of course, you can always copy MP3, WMA, and AAC (unprotected) files over from your PC for free. AT&T's Cellular Video lets you stream various news , sports, and entertainment-related clips (some at additional cost).

Last but not least the Tilt sports an integrated GPS, which you can use in conjunction with TeleNav GPS Navigator software at $5.99 monthly for 10 routes or $9.99 for an unlimited amount. The back of the Tilt has a connector for an external GPS antenna.

If you want a Tilt, it will set you back $399.99 when you give AT&T your John Hancock for a two-year service contract. There's also a $100 mail-in rebate available on the Tilt.

The AT&T Tilt's unique adjustable screen does improve comfort and visibility while using the phone. Beyond that, the device is chockablock full of features that will be handy to any road warrior, and the post rebate price of $299.99 makes it particularly attractive even though AT&T got a little stingy with the accessories (at least a case and wired headset would have been nice).

If you're looking for a smartphone that provides good balance between what you need for business and what you want for pleasure, the Tilt should be on your list.