The BlackBerry's transition from business-specific corporate tool to consumer entertainment device started more than two years ago, with the release of the first BlackBerry Pearl, sporting a full-fledged music player. More recently, the BlackBerry Storm debuted as an all out multimedia machine.

RIM BlackBerry Premium Multimedia Headset

Along the long road to success in the consumer space, RIM has had to reach milestones including the inclusion of video playback support, video capture via built-in digital cameras and ever-increasing external storage capacities in its smartphones. Then there's the release of consumer-centric products like the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway, which streams music from BlackBerrys to home theatre equipment. (RIM also plans to soon release a similar product for in-vehicle use: The "BlackBerry Bluetooth Vehicle Visor Mount.")

Just last week, the company released its latest addition to the BlackBerry multimedia family, the Premium Multimedia Headset. Here's my take on who the new BlackBerry headset's best suited for; in others words, The Good, The Bad and The Rest of What You Need to Know.

First up, the good stuff...

Comfort, Customization, Carrying Case

My favorite thing about RIM's new BlackBerry Premium Multimedia Headset: Its earbuds fit ultra-comfortably and snugly, effectively blocking out the majority of surrounding sound--even while I was sitting on a noisy flight from Las Vegas to Boston. And the headset comes with three different rubber fittings for the buds--small, medium and large--so you can find the best size for you.

The new multimedia controls, which include one button to pause/play tracks and two more for skipping back and forth, as well as volume up and down keys, are built into the earbuds' cord. They all worked well enough for me alongside a few different BlackBerrys.

As for audio quality, I was impressed with the new BlackBerry multimedia headset, especially when I used it with my BlackBerry Bold. RIM's website specifies that BlackBerry handheld OS v4.6 or higher is required to take full advantage of the new headset, and maybe that's why my music sounded better via the Bold, which runs OS 4.6, than on a Pearl 8130 running OS 4.5. I can't be sure if this is the actual reason, but one thing's for sure: Audio quality was noticeably better when I used the Premium Multimedia Headset with the Bold than with the Pearl--or my iPhone. (Note: The new RIM headset features a standard 3.5 mm jack, so it fits in many different media players. But none of the multimedia controls worked with the iPhone, and I think it's safe to say the same goes for other non-RIM devices.)