Today seems like an appropriate day to write the inaugural PaperIQ blog post - the global launch of the BlackBerry Bold and the start of WES 2008. RIM has setup a dedicated room at the show for attendees to touch, feel and try out the latest and greatest BlackBerry smartphone.

The rumour and anticipation around the 9000 has been intense and expectations set high for the first BlackBerry smartphone that would combine a higher resolution screen, faster Intel processor, WiFi, GPS and 3G (HSDPA) in a single device. Throw in 1 GB of built-in flash memory in addition to the externally accessible micro-SD slot and you have a mobile powerhouse in your hand.

So, what do I think? Well as close partners of RIM, we've been developing our latest software features with this device in mind, so I've had the pleasure of getting very familiar with the performance and features of the new Bold over the past few weeks before launch. Whilst the Bold initially looks taller than its 8800 predecessor, as soon as you pick it up it feels much more comfortable in the hand. It's hard to beat the Curve in terms of form factor, but once you start using the new features and get used to the amazing screen, form factor suddenly takes a back seat. It's also worth mentioning the new themes provided with the Bold which lift the new OS 4.6 into a category only previously occupied by Apple.

Our new Ink Search feature (new in version 3) gives the Bold ample opportunity to show off. Enter a search phrase and your colour-coded results are returned from your server archive in seconds via the WiFi/3G connection. You then drill into a notebook page and the Bold crunches the ink data and displays your notebook page on the screen allowing you to pan, zoom and page through your notebook with ease.

2008 is an exciting year for the two fruit companies that design, manufacture and power their own devices - the Bold is a mouth-watering taster of the exciting innovations to come.