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Since the Strive is a “quick messaging device” it should be pretty good at messaging, right?

The Strive handles threaded SMS/MMS with aplomb. Conversations are separated based on contact, and I like that both text and picture messages are delivered to the same stream. It lets users easily follow a conversation from beginning to end. Users can choose to delete a single message from the conversation or the entire conversation at whim. The Strive scores well here.

As for the rest, well, there's not that much that sets it apart from other AT&T feature phones. The email client is the same boring application that AT&T has offered forever. The email app handles POP3/IMAP4 email services, and all it takes is a username and password to access your email. The application is lightweight, but can be configured to pull emails down at regular intervals, and suffices for keeping on top of your inbox.

The IM client is also the same as found on other AT&T devices. It supports Yahoo, AIM and Windows Live Messenger. Sign-in and account management are easy enough. I found the client to be a little bit clunky at replying to messages, but conversations can be followed easily. The threaded SMS app is a bit easier to use, in my opinion.

For social networking, the Strive offers AT&T's SocialNet application. The app is a central portal through which all sorts of social networks can be reached, including MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as RSS feeds. The user interface is simple, but lets people do the basics: update their own status and read the status updates of their friends. The Twitter client, in particular, is limited. I couldn't get it to send Direct Messages, only @replies, for example. SocialNet uses a lot of data, and is constantly pinging AT&T's network. Be sure to have an unlimited data plan if you're going to use it. A solid bucket of text messages would be a good idea, too, as it uses SMS to send alerts. It does offer a wide range of settings, which can be used to control how it behaves and how often it accesses the network.

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