First I'll apologize for the long winded message.

8830 i'm going to assume you want for Verizon. one thing between the 8830 and 8300(curve) is the keyboard and its size. It is slightly larger than the 8300 and the keys are squished to gether. On the 8300 the keys are completely spaced out and its easier to type. It has a camera built in as well as a music/video player and picture viewer. as for functionality and features the 8830 and 8300 are the same and if you've used a palm before they are practically the same with the exception of view modes. The only functionality you might be referring to on the 8830 is the google maps and its built in GPS at the base of the unit but doubt its worth it. I currently have a treo palm edition for my personal use and the curve for work. I've used the 8800 which is the cingular/tmobile version of the 8830 and i must say i prefer the curve it just feels better in your hand. Hopefully this answered some of your questions