Computer mouse and its cousin trackball have been a venerable part of everyday computing but when RIM incorporated the trackball starting with the Blackberry Pearl, it’s a different story. I used to have the Blackberry 7100t with its curvy, relatively sexy looks, but then I lost it and got another one, the BlackBerry Pearl 8100. No touchscreen, no fancy slider, no clam shell. Just basic call and text features. No moving part except the much-maligned trackball.

It used to work for a couple of months. Now, the trackball is moving sideways but not up and down, making navigation practically useless. It’s infuriating.

The game is over with the Blackberry Pearl or any Blackberry model with trackball. Unless RIM get rid of that trackball and replace it with a trackpad, it’s time to go for alternatives. Maybe HTC. Those Android phones are enticing.