[TBC]

hi paulmac & cwemely,

thanks for sharing. so i walked down to TMO on my lunch break to see the working 7290 they had. i spent some time with a working 8700g last night. the thing that worries me is that the working 8700g i used last night was a demo model but the keypad was in very very bad shape. i could wiggle one keypad and i would see the entire kepad uint wiggle. that's how loose the keypads were. you could these spaces/gaps for all of the keys. sorry if that doesn't make sense but that's the best i can describe it. i know it was a demo copy but if that's what my 8700g would look like after a while that's not a good thing.

i must admit that i am very spoiled from my Treo 650 keypad but i am fed up with the unstable OS. i couldn't figure out how to browse the web on the 7290 so i will go back and do some surfing to get a better idea. i'm thinking it's around the same speed as my Treo 650 so it wouldn't be a huge disapointment to me. I'm much more an AIM SMS Email user anyways.

so for now i will keep reading and end up back and TMO a few more times this week. i think i'm still leaning towards the 7290 at this point. i know it's still a good BB because so many of you still have them as a backup. i'll prob take the same path you guys did... 7290 -> 8700g but for a newb to BB's i still think the 7290 might be the best choice.

thanks again for sharing with me, i really appreciate your help! will keep you posted on my decision.

[m3elmo]

i have both a working 7290 and my 8700g (tmo) in front of me. The 7290 is robust and seems durable. the keyboard does not wiggle like the 8700 either. having switched, the 7290 is easier to type on, but the adjustment isn't that hard to the 8700. The 8700 costs more, but the screen, edge, speakerphone and more is worth it to me.

[TBC]

hi m3elmo. thanks for your feedback.

i think i'm gonna go for the 7290 as an entry level BB as i can get it for only $100.

then just jump right into it and the interface and the biggest challenge the jog wheel. from all the great posts here i think i will end up with the 8700 down the line unless the bring out something before that time comes. i am really drawn to the solid build and keypad of the 7290 and as i stated it's only $100.

will post again after i visit TMO again.

thanks again!

[TBC]

so it looks like i'm going to get the 8700g from TMO. i'm still not too comfortable with the thought of having to use that keyboard after being a heavey Treo 650 (sprint) user and having a bad first impression by the demo model i tried.

the selling point was getting a very nice deal from a friend. $75 off and a $50 mail in rebate.

i ill post an update on saturday after i make the switch. i look forward to being a part of this forum. i'm sure i will have plenty of questions. (don't worry, i will use the search function first.)

oh yean, i hope the EDGE is all that i expect it to be. and then some.

thanks again for sharing all your experiences.

[kirson]

You will be very happy with your choice.

1. The OS is ROCK solid - it essentially NEVER crashes (my T650 would crash 5-10 times a day).

2. The Blackberry interface is essentially a one finger interface (thumb to trackwheel and esc key) - if you think you enjoyed "one handed functionality" on the Treo, you will LOVE the Blackberry. 100% intuitive.

3. The battery lasts a LONG time. The extended battery lasts a VERY LONG time (I can go with crazy heavy use for an entire weekend and still have juice left Monday morning). I actually like the added bulk of the extended batthery - it makes the phone easier to hold to your ear - the form factor is more like a traditional phone.

4. The keyboard is 1000 times better than the T650. Don't get me wrong, the build quality/feel issue is real - it's kind of plasticy and loose - but the size, spacing, and tactile response are actually FAR better than the T650 (although sadly not as great as the 72xx models)

5. The build quality and feel issue, while real (as stated above) is actually something you get used to very quickly. It somehow makes the device seem lighter, and in a funny way, more durable. Kind of like if you drop an empty egg shell it's so light it might not break, while if you drop an egg, well, better get the mop. It really gives that sense that it's already as "crappy" as it's going to get - a fall will not make it any worse. Trust me, while this sound horrible, it's actually not a bad feeling at all.

6. I have used every model family of the Blackberry ever made, and I have used lots of Palm devices and most recently the T650 - the 8700 is hands down the absolutely BEST integrated phone/email/PDA made to date.

Just my $0.02.

Ian

[TBC]

Originally Posted by kirson

You will be very happy with your choice.

1. The OS is ROCK solid - it essentially NEVER crashes (my T650 would crash 5-10 times a day).

2. The Blackberry interface is essentially a one finger interface (thumb to trackwheel and esc key) - if you think you enjoyed "one handed functionality" on the Treo, you will LOVE the Blackberry. 100% intuitive.

3. The battery lasts a LONG time. The extended battery lasts a VERY LONG time (I can go with crazy heavy use for an entire weekend and still have juice left Monday morning). I actually like the added bulk of the extended batthery - it makes the phone easier to hold to your ear - the form factor is more like a traditional phone.

4. The keyboard is 1000 times better than the T650. Don't get me wrong, the build quality/feel issue is real - it's kind of plasticy and loose - but the size, spacing, and tactile response are actually FAR better than the T650 (although sadly not as great as the 72xx models)

5. The build quality and feel issue, while real (as stated above) is actually something you get used to very quickly. It somehow makes the device seem lighter, and in a funny way, more durable. Kind of like if you drop an empty egg shell it's so light it might not break, while if you drop an egg, well, better get the mop. It really gives that sense that it's already as "crappy" as it's going to get - a fall will not make it any worse. Trust me, while this sound horrible, it's actually not a bad feeling at all.

6. I have used every model family of the Blackberry ever made, and I have used lots of Palm devices and most recently the T650 - the 8700 is hands down the absolutely BEST integrated phone/email/PDA made to date.

Just my $0.02.

Ian

Hi Ian,

Thank you kindly for your excellent breakdown. It's great to hear from a former T650 user that was on the same boat. I'm very curious now to see the tactile reponse you speak of.

My Treo 650's crash 2 days ago was the final blow for me. Reset everything and lost all my registration info for all the apps i purchased. On top of that it crashed 5 times through out the rest of the day.

I'm looking forward to my 8700g so much in fact, I'm going to go pick it up tonight instead of Saturday.

It's time to take the plunge!

Thanks again Ian for your $0.02. It's worth a whole lot more.

[Evil One]

Yeah the 8700 is the shizit. Definately worth the cash in my eyes. Have fun with it.

[TBC]

Originally Posted by Evil One

Yeah the 8700 is the shizit. Definately worth the cash in my eyes. Have fun with it.

Hi Evil One,
Thanks for your input.
I just got home from TMO. I have my BB right here but unfortunately it's not activated yet. Since I had my Treo 650 with Sprint, it's going to take a day or so for the service to service to switch over.
I can't wait! Well i'm going to get to reading the manual and this forum.
Will keep you posted on my thoughts.
Thanks to all for the insights and experiences.