Advice on 3 Verizon Phones for BusPro/Linux Geek

Hello,

I am new to the forums, so howdy all. I am currently looking to switch from AT&T to Verizon, since I have heard the best things about it. Also, the thought of EV-DO doesn't hurt any.

So I'm a linux administrator, and first and foremest is the thought of EV-DO and an SSH client. I would say secondary concerns are email (POP3/IMAP at least.), IMs (multiple IM client with support for AIM/MSN/Gtalk/YIM/ICQ optimally), a usable QWERTY keyboard and of course call quality. Tertiary concerns are, I suppose, third party support and homebrew.

Now having said all of that, I am currently examining the following three phones, and would like to ask your opinion on which of these best fits my needs. It's a strange world, cellphones, where you are expected to buy something you have never seen in action, much less used.

I would also like to state that I am not at all opposed to suggestions for other phones available to Verizon customers.

Samsung SCH-i760
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330
Motorola Q9c

Thank you in advance, I'm hoping with your help, for once I won't regret a cellphone purchase.

I would say avoid the Q. THey suck.

Avoid the Q

If you can wait for November the blackberry bold will be out and should be much better than the 8330 (curve) (which is a great phone for a blackberry, but lacks WiFi and some other features that the bold will have).
Samsung makes a great product and the SCH-i760 is no exception, but it does have its quirks. If you are more interested in a PDA first/ Phone 2nd get the blackberry. If you whant a phone 1st samsung is a good choice.

Excellent, that did help. I'm looking hardest at the 8330 (as I can't wait), though I am somewhat curious to know if the SCH-i760 handles SSH any better than the average PDA since it has a wider screen, therefore allowing a possibly more natural feel for a linux prompt. Any other linux geeks about with one?

I realize this is a rather newbie question, but is it true that Blackberrys, such as the 8330, control with a trackball style mouse, and nothing else? In other words, no left/right/up/down control, no touch screen, no scrollwheel, etc?

Thanks again for your time. I do feel like seeking this forum was a wise move. Especially since, based solely on aesthetics, I had previously been favoring the Q.

Well you can use shortcuts and the arrow keys, but yeah, you really just use the 'trackball'. It takes a bit of getting used to, but there are much worse options. If you want the more interactive phone the Samsung is easier to get around, but is windows (shudders) while blackberries tend to be and more customizable. Read some reviews on CNET to find out what the quirks are for each phone, it should help you choose (ignore the 1-2 and 9-10 ratings when looking for ups and downs).