As a tech nerd, I’m constantly in pursuit of the next gadget.  However, as I mentioned in my post, Why I Don’t Have An iPhone, I’m currently using a BlackBerry Curve.  While from a hardware perspective the Curve is a decent phone, the software platform has left me in a world where there are few apps to choose from.

I have managed to get by – I can do everything I need to do.  Aside from the core phone and office functions (email, tasks, contacts and calendar), here are the five apps that I depend on:

1. Google Talk:  I prefer it to the BlackBerry messenger.  While staying logged onto the app is a constant struggle, having a platform that works on both my desktop, the web and my phone is critical.


2. Viigo:  I’m addicted.  Yes RSS is awesome in general, however what makes Viigo special is that it’s a native app that pulls my feeds down automatically.  When I’m stuck in the subway without a connection, I always have fresh content to read.


3. TwitterBerry:  Not a great UI, but it does the job.


4. Google Maps:  Enough said.


5. Opera Mini:  As my newest app, Opera Mini fills part of the major browser gap on the Curve:  it enables me to see fully rendered web pages.  However, it’s slow and tough to navigate leaving me to use the standard BlackBerry Browser for my basic web activity.  That’s the price I pay for battery life.