Given how long we waited for the Windows Mobile 6 download for the BlackJack, we were tempted to mostly ignore the Byzantine instructions for installing the update. Fortunately, we didn't - and neither should you.

After just a few hours of use we can say that this definitely feels better than the leaked ROM. This new ROM is build 17944.0.3.1, up a few ticks from the leaked 17740.0.2.0 - so we're confident that the delays were genuinely caused by bugfixes and not by AT&T trying to force us to upgrade to the BlackJack II. ...Pretty confident. ...Sorta confident.

In any case, the Windows Mobile 6 update for the BlackJack brings the little guy up to date -- for my money it's the best deal out there for a Windows Mobile device these days.

Update: Bad news, folks - the updater is not compatible with Vista. Will the pain never end? Fortunately, we have an XP machine around. We're downloading the update right now - expect a hands-on soon! ...and by "soon" we mean "in 20 or 30 years, because that's how long the download is going to take given how hard the servers are being hammered right now."

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We are not kidding (we hope. According to Crave, you can head over to this site at 5pm Eastern today and get yourself the Windows Mobile 6 update for the original Samsung BlackJack. About. Time!

We've dealt with delays, very buggy leaked Windows Mobile 6 ROMs, and the shame of the BlackJack II being released before the update. We were even starting to doubt it would ever arrive.

It's been months of waiting, now we're down to just hours. At 5pm EST, go get it.