[Damager]

I'm a current user of a BB 8700, which I really like. However, I'm VERY tempted by the Pearl (size, camera, SD slot, etc, etc).

My only concern is the screen size - I'm a bit of an old fart, and am concerned that the smaller screen on the Pearl will be difficult to deal with. Has anyone else made this jump, and what is your impression of the different between the two screens in terms of screen size?

Thanks in advance.

[LunkHead]

Originally Posted by Damager

I'm a current user of a BB 8700, which I really like. However, I'm VERY tempted by the Pearl (size, camera, SD slot, etc, etc).

My only concern is the screen size - I'm a bit of an old fart, and am concerned that the smaller screen on the Pearl will be difficult to deal with. Has anyone else made this jump, and what is your impression of the different between the two screens in terms of screen size?

Thanks in advance.

Well... I have used the 7100, the 7105, the 7290 and NOW use the 8700...

I was tempted by the 8100 as well and ordered it via an online upgrade... I had it for a week and sent it back. The 8100 is a sweet device BUT it is very small. I had a very hard time with the keys and an even harder time seeing the screen...

If you like the qwerty keyboard you will have a ruff time getting adjusted to the suretype of the 8100.... If you need reading glasses, like me, you will have a very tuff time seeing text on the 8100...

For me at least, I sent it back after a week and will await the 8800...

Hope this helps

[mckinneycm]

If you can get use to the keyboard, the text isn't a problem. You can adjust the font size to whatever you want.

[LunkHead]

Originally Posted by mckinneycm

If you can get use to the keyboard, the text isn't a problem. You can adjust the font size to whatever you want.

Except the larger you set the text, the odder it looks on the screen... I did that, and for me to be able to see it, I was getting like 2 words per line... LOL...

I might just be blind in one eye and cant see out the other tho....

[TheBigNewt]

I can text on email just fine (I use bifocals). Text on webpages can get pretty small, but I can read everything on CBS sportsline pages, which is about all I've used so far.

[Spamdumpster]

Originally Posted by LunkHead

If you like the qwerty keyboard you will have a ruff time getting adjusted to the suretype of the 8100....

I disagree. I loved the qwerty keyboard of my 7230, 7290, and 8700. But it only took me about a week to get used to the suretype of my 7130c, and, from what I've heard, the suretype on the 8100 is even better.

To answer Damager's question about the screen size -- you have to decide what's more important to you, the larger screen size or the smaller device size. I'm not sure there's a right or wrong answer here. I can say that I've never once looked at my 7130 and thought that I would trade the size of the device for a bigger screen, but my eyesight is pretty good.

[krad]

Originally Posted by Damager

I'm a current user of a BB 8700, which I really like. However, I'm VERY tempted by the Pearl (size, camera, SD slot, etc, etc).

My only concern is the screen size - I'm a bit of an old fart, and am concerned that the smaller screen on the Pearl will be difficult to deal with. Has anyone else made this jump, and what is your impression of the different between the two screens in terms of screen size?

Thanks in advance.

My boss has an issue with screensize as well. The 7100 was to small for him, even with the font at like 27.... he ended up going with an mda....

I would say to go to a store and try it out... play with the screen and keyboard settings a bit...

[LunkHead]

Originally Posted by krad

My boss has an issue with screensize as well. The 7100 was to small for him, even with the font at like 27.... he ended up going with an mda....

27??? LOL.... I feel better now

If he thought the 7100 was small, the 8100 is even smaller

[bikedogrun]

Well ... the 8700 was my 1st BB and I never really warmed up to it. Used it only for email and only when traveling. I continued to use my Sony Ericsson W810i for my everyday phone/camera/MP3s (the Walkman s/w is awesome) and web browsing.

I've had the Pearl for all of 8 days now and LOVE IT! While the Pearl's camera is OK (not quite as sharp as the W810) and the MP3 player is pretty good (and I'm learning new tricks daily) the W810 is a tad richer/easier for music, but the Pearl is also quite good once you learn the "tricks" for shuffle all on your SD card, rewind/fast forward and I do like the CD Album Art recognition the Pearl provides.

One area where the Pearl clearly beats the W810i is as a phone! Really - the interface is cleaner, the earpiece is louder/sharper and if you use the speakerphone very much (and I do) the Pearl just blows away the W810i.

It is a REAL PHONE, unlike the bulky, awkward 8700. My W810i has now been relegated (until I sell it) to being the "back-up MP3 Player", the 8700 was given to one of my colleagues and the Pearl does everything for me.

Perfect? ...no, but pretty darn close (for me).

Screen size/sharpness vis-a-vis the 8700. Well - given the width of the 8700, you could definitely have more lines of email on screen. The default font size on the 8700 was BB Millibank - 8. On the Pearl, that was a tad small for my not-as-young-anymore eyes. I changed it to 9/Bold and all is well. This seems to provide a good combination of visual clarity and enough on screen date to be productive.

Best of luck with this ...

/BD

[John Clark]

Originally Posted by bikedogrun

Well ... the 8700 was my 1st BB and I never really warmed up to it. Used it only for email and only when traveling. I continued to use my Sony Ericsson W810i for my everyday phone/camera/MP3s (the Walkman s/w is awesome) and web browing.

I've had the Pearl for all of 8 days now and LOVE IT! While the Pearl's camera is OK (not quite as sharp as the W810) and the MP3 player is pretty good (and I'm learning new tricks daily) the W810 is a tad richer/easier for music, but the Pearl is also quite good once you learn the "tricks" for shuffle all on your SD card, rewind/fast forward and I do like the CD Album Art recognition the Pearl provides.

One area where the Pearl clearly beats the W810i is as a phone! Really - the interface is cleaner, the earpiece is louder/sharper and if you use the speakerphone very much (and I do) the Pearl just blows away the W810i.

It is a REAL PHONE, unlike the bulky, awkward 8700. My W810i has now been relegated (until I sell it) to being the "back-up MP3 Player, the 8700 was given to one of my colleagues and the Pearl does everything for me.

Perfect? ...no, but pretty darn close (for me).

Screen size/sharpness vis-a-vis the 8700. Well - given the width of the 8700, you could definitely have more lines of email on screen. The default font size on the 8700 was BB Millibank - 8. On the Pearl, that was a tad small for my not-as-young-anymore eyes. I changed it to 9/Bold and all is well. This seems to provide a good combination of visual clarity and enough on screen date to be productive.

Best luck with this ...

/BD

I totally agree....
Couldn't have said it better myself! My wife has the W300i and a few coworkers have the 8700-- comparing my pearl to that I came to the same conclusion. I love my Pearl...

Originally Posted by TheBigNewt

I can text on email just fine (I use bifocals). Text on webpages can get pretty small, but I can read everything on CBS sportsline pages, which is about all I've used so far.

You may have already done this but you can change the browser fonts as well in the browser options...They don't change with the screen/keyboard font size.

[Damager]

Awesome feedback and answers from all - thanks!

[walds11]

Hey all, How much smaller is the Pearl screen vs. the 7130c screen? I have a 7130c and waiting on the Cingular Pearl.

[Spamdumpster]

Originally Posted by walds11

Hey all, How much smaller is the Pearl screen vs. the 7130c screen? I have a 7130c and waiting on the Cingular Pearl.

They're the same size.