NE2 Coming Up - Looking at Smartphones and need help

[WVOz1970]

Alrighty.... I'm coming up on my NE2 upgrade and I think I've decided to go with a smartphone this time around. My company has a corporate discount program for personal lines. We currently have two separate lines on the $39.99 plan plus I pay an extra $15 for the VCast package on my LG-V, and an extra $3 on each line for 100 text messages. With our corp discount, my total bill runs about $90 before taxes. I talked to my rep and he analyzed usage and is recommending we go to a family share plan. He also said if I elect a smartphone, then I should select their 10mb plan at $24.99 a month. According to him, 10mb is plenty if all I do is log in to GMail or check an occasional flight itinerary, etc. With discounts applied, looks like our bill before taxes would be $89... ends up being about $7 a month cheaper when it's all done. (I don't currently have a data plan, just VCast/web, if the math seems a bit screwy)

My questions...

Is the family share worth it to save the $7? Everyone we call is in-network pretty much, so we currently have 900 outside minutes on the two lines... which we average about 350 - 400 between the two of us on our busiest months. It looks like the 700 minute plan would be fine for family share. (We won't talk about the total minutes on the in-network calling... it ain't pretty! )

Is my rep blowing smoke about the 10mb plan working for me? I guess I could just test it out for a month or two and see.

Also, I'm new to setting up with a smartphone. If I opt for a Blackberry, which will connect with my office, can I control the data transmitted to the phone? IOW, can I tell my system to only transfer messages and not attachments so I don't blow the 10mb limit?

Finally, the BB is not entirely necessary, as I have the ability to check email via web mail. What recommendations would you make for a phone? I've been a Palm user for years, so the new 755p has some potential for me. I want to keep my price reasonable... with discounts and such, I'm looking in the $200-$250 range. The Moto-Q looks kind of nice because of it's size. My rep is really pushing me towards the BB line. Any input from you seasoned smartphone users would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!