The original Curve 8300, which we reviewed here, is a GSM device. It took almost six months for a CDMA version to become readily available. Telus and Bell in Canada introduced the Curve 8330 earlier this year and Verizon launched it in May. Sprint and Alltel now have it as well.

Verizon sells the 8330 for $200 with a two-year contract, $300 with a one-year contract. Bell and Telus in Canada sell it with one-, two- or three-year contracts, or no contract, for $200, $400, $500 or $550 (Bell), $200, $450, $500 or $550 (Telus). Voice, e-mail and data packages are, needless to say, extra.

The Curve 8330 is not significantly different from the original 8300 model. It's not a quad-band world phone, of course, but it is a dual-band 800/1900 MHz device. Best of all, it works on super-fast CDMA-based EVDO networks.

Like most Curve models, the 8330 includes an on-board GPS receiver, and the carriers are offering turn-by-turn navigation services. Verizon has VZ Navigator, which is based on the AtlasBook platform from Networks in Motion (NIM). Telus is also using NIM. Bell uses technology from TeleNav Inc.

Unlike the Curve 8320, a GSM model available from T-Mobile and Wirefly in the U.S. and directly from RIM in Canada, the 8330 does not include Wi-Fi, which is a great pity.

Though it's not a lot different from the original Curve, we wanted to try out the 8330's GPS navigation features and test network connectivity over EVDO - and generally take a second look at a product that has had a lot of hype, and some criticism.

We originally reviewed the Curve as a better - if not as sleek - version of the BlackBerry Pearl, RIM's first foray into the consumer/business market.

The Pearl had a crummy 1.3-megapixel camera, you couldn't plug in standard stereo headphones to take full advantage of its music playing ability and its 20-key SureType keyboard, while impressive technology, was slower to type on than a QWERTY keyboard. With the Curve, RIM appeared to be trying to correct these problems.

The video-capable camera is 2 megapixels, which is an improvement, but it's a long way from the best in phone cameras. The Curve also lets you use standard headphones, although listening on the 8330 confirms our belief that all-in-one devices are not the way to go if you care at all about music. The 8330 sounds tinny and digital. That said, it's fine for spoken-word recordings.

The QWERTY keyboard is good, a definite improvement over the Pearl's Sure-Type keyboard, although the keyboard on the Motorola Q 9h is marginally better if only because bigger.

The Q 9h, a Windows Mobile device often compared to the Curve, is bigger all over, although slightly thinner. The Curve, in fact, is nothing if not a marvel of miniaturization: 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches (107x15.5mm) and about 3.9 ounces (111g).

We still like the screen, a backlit TFT LCD (240 x 320 pixels, 65,000 colors). And we like the fact that the Curve includes a microSD card slot (in the battery compartment). But my goodness! Could they not have included at least a 1GB card? Two-gigabyte microSDs sell for as little as $15 online, so how much would RIM (or Verizon) have to pay for bulk purchase 1GB cards?

For more about the generally excellent Curve interface and RIM-provided bundled software - about which there is little new to add - see our original review.

We had heard complaints recently about voice quality on BlackBerries in general, so wanted to pay closer attention when making calls on the 8330. The trouble is, there are a few variables involved. At the simplest level, is it the network or is it the device?

We tested the 8330 on the Telus network in Canada. Yes, it did sound a bit tinny and digital - hmmm, didn't we just say that about music playback? - but all the calls were perfectly clear and audible. The Curve, as noted in the original review, also has a pretty decent, relatively distortion-free speaker phone. And it works well with Bluetooth hands-free headsets.

One of the things we particularly wanted to test on the 8330 was its performance as a tethered modem on the EVDO network, providing - or so RIM and operators claim - broadband wireless connectivity for laptops. After all, who needs a PC card modem, or even a Boingo Wi-Fi subscription, if they have a phone that can do the job?

The procedure for setting up the Curve to use it as a modem with a Windows laptop varies from one cellular provider to another. Ask your operator for detailed instructions. If that fails, surf the Web for instructions. Telus was able to provide us with easy-to-follow directions that worked perfectly.

As a starting point, you have to ensure that the BlackBerry modem drivers and the latest version of BlackBerry Desktop Manager (both included in the software bundle and installed by default) are active on your computer. You'll also have to create a new dial-up network connection in Windows, likely with some non-default configuration options, and then key in a telephone number, which will be different for each carrier.

We were pleasantly surprised by throughput on the Telus EVDO network, which is now available in large and most mid-size Canadian cities - ditto for EVDO from U.S. carriers. With three of five connection bars showing on the Curve's screen, we measured throughput using online Internet connection speedometers. Download speeds ranged from 700 kilobits per second (Kbps) to 1.2 megabits per second (Mbps). Upload speeds were a little disappointing - in the 150 Kbps range.

This was adequate for viewing the smallest size of video available at sites we tried. We also tested it with Skype, the Internet phone service. The calls we made were not among the best Skype connections we've ever experienced, but perfectly tenable.

The catch, of course, is that you may pay through the nose for data - especially when roaming. Verizon partly solves the problem with unlimited voice calling and data packages, starting at $130 a month.

Yes, that's still expensive. But if you're a road warrior who only needs an Internet connection for e-mail, light surfing and to tap into a corporate database, the Curve and one of Verizon's Nationwide Email Calling Plans may be the only phone and Internet service you'll ever need, rolled into one.

The Telus Navigator application - similar if not identical to the Verizon VZ Navigator - worked well. The GPS receiver connected as quickly as any we've tested recently, faster than some. Downloading maps and directions was quick. But then we were using the fast EVDO network. Download speed might well prove a problem when you're only in a 2G or 2.5G coverage area.

The Networks in Motion maps and interface are good, but this package does not offer three-dimensional maps, which were available on earlier BlackBerry GPS applications we tried. It's not a deal killer, but unfortunate.

GPS on cell phones seems like a great idea, but the economics of getting it from a cellular carrier again throws into question whether all-in-one devices are really the way to go.

The cellular carriers claim their solutions are cheaper than others. It's true that you get the hardware - GPS receiver, screen, computer processor - included in the price of the phone. The least expensive dedicated portable navigator today costs about $150.

But with a dedicated navigator you get the software and maps included and if you never upgrade the maps, you don't pay anything more. With VZ Navigator and other cellular GPS solutions, you pay by the day or month. Verizon charges $2.99 per day or $9.99 for unlimited monthly use.

If you do want an all-in-one device, though, the Curve 8330 is a pretty good one. It offers BlackBerry's unbeatable e-mail experience, a great interface and a Swiss army knife's worth of functions - music and video playing, still and video photography, phone, broadband modem, GPS navigator. Who needs anything else?