When it comes to technology, I definitely do not fall into the "gotta have it first" camp.

I'm never the last guy on the block to own the latest laptop, mp3 player, cell phone, DVR or other gizmo but I don't have any strong compulsion to be first. I like to wait for bugs to be eliminated, improvements to be made and -- most important -- the price to drop.

Of course, when there is no risk and someone else is footing the bill...

Before I embarked on a recent trip to spring training in Arizona, my friend Colin from Core Creative in Milwaukee asked if I wanted to "test drive" a Verizon LG Voyager VX100000.

I was about to say, "Yes," when he mentioned that the phone would be loaded with V Cast Mobile TV and ESPN's mobile package. The answer quickly shifted to "absolutely."

When it went on sale late last year, the Voyager was billed as Verizon's answer to the iPhone. That's largely because of the touch screen. The Voyager, which sells for about $299, offers a few features that the iPhone doesn't.

The sleek clamshell design offers a brilliant touch screen on the front. Though it's not quite as smooth as the iPhone, it is easily navigated and the screen vibrates when you touch an icon. The touch screen is fun to navigate and allows access to contacts, a message menu, call logs, the camera, and the TV and music players. The Voyager offers other options for those who aren't comfortable with that application.

When you open the phone, you see a smaller display screen and a QWERTY keyboard, which is tremendous for sending text messages and e-mail.

Although I'm a little beyond the prime texting demographic, I liked the screen. I liked the phone a lot, too.

What I really liked, though, was the V Cast Mobile TV feature, which apparently is not yet available in Milwaukee. I was able to surf through live broadcasts on CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN, Fox, MTV, NBC 2 GO, MSNBC and Nickelodeon. (Where available, the V Cast service costs about $15 per month).

Having the phone during the NCAA tournament allowed me to watch games in the press box, in the car (when I wasn't driving), at restaurants and in the Brewers' clubhouse, where several players were stunned at the picture quality and the idea that I was watching live TV on a phone with a crystal clear 2.8-inch screen.

For a few days, I understood why people who live on technology's "cutting edge" feel cool when they can show off the latest gadget.

The ESPN Mobile package, which is included with the V Cast package, is like having a condensed version of espn.com at you fingertips. You can check news and scores, read columns, watch highlights, track fantasy statistics, chat on message boards, follow favorite teams and perform a variety of other tasks.

Once I learned my way around the phone, I had a great time playing with the features and became addicted to having the Mobile TV, which had "buffering" type issues at times but was generally steady.

The Voyager also features a 2-mega pixel camera and a video camera. The phone reception and audio clarity more than adequate and talk time was a solid 4 ½ hours, which is impressive when you consider the two screens and other gadgets.

After a 10-day trial, I'm pretty certain that I could get used to the Voyager and all of its features. I liked the fact that it made major league players and my 17-year-old sister jealous, but I'm also concerned that they'll come out with an upgraded, cheaper version before I can take my new one out of the box.

Technology is always a crapshoot, but the Voyager seems to be worth the risk.