I want to go backwards with my phone technology

I am an accidental smart-phone user.

I got hooked on using a BlackBerry when I joined Topspin in 2003. My boss required me to use one and made it an MBO (one of my objectives was to carry it, not carrying meant no bonus $).

When I joined at AMD I was already hooked. It took a considerable amount of paperwork and the CIO's signature to add me to the BlackBerry server. AMD considered it an "senior executive-only" function. I started a trend and soon my boss and his boss and our team was ordering BlackBerry's and it became the norm.

Having a fully integrated collaboration experience was awesome (Exchange+Windows). Once you were setup, it just worked. You logged into your machine and were automatically logged into the exchange server (same credentials). That integration also extended to your device (assuming you were using a BlackBerry).

I once walked out of the office with a replacement (brand new) BlackBerry, hopped a commuter flight to LAX and from the LAX gate waiting area called AMD IT to get my BlackBerry setup and provisioned prior to my international flight and 3 week trip. It took 5 minutes on the phone and magically (via Enterprise Activation) my BlackBerry was syncing with the server at AMD and my mail/contacts/calendar all just worked. This trip was in early 2005.

Fast-forward to 2008 when I joined Sun. We of course don't use MS Exchange and instead relied on an "interesting" hybrid system that includes "standards-based" servers offering us access to our accounts via IMAP. The Calendar system was seperate and you could connect to it via Lightning (if you wanted) or just run your own calendar locally (iCal) and connect back.

I settled on using an iPhone to handle my email/calendar/contacts with synchronization to my Mac. This was a clumsy setup and gave me the ability to blame anything on the crazy list of software I used. If I spoke to someone within Sun they would understand and usually cut me slack.

Now while the iPhone does the job, it also required me to start consolidating on to one device. My work and personal life ended up sharing a device and anything that messed up my iPhone (sluggishness, AT&T screwups etc..) ended up screwing me up both at home and at work.

I have been carefully screening potential employers with one of my criteria being that they have to use some form of properly integrated collaboration system. I really want to be able to use my iPhone for the lightweight personal life I have and have a reliable and integrated tool for my mail/calendar & contacts.

I don't need an App Store, a Compass, Maps, YouTube, Photos, Stocks, Weather, etc.. on my device.

I do need EMAIL + CONTACTS + CALENDAR in a way that works without bloat or suckiness. The toys are fine for my personal life but it seems odd that the most reliable and best cloud client I ever owned was 4 years ago.

If anyone out there has a BlackBerry Pearl (brand new) -- send it my way ;-)