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"T-Mobile 8700g" on by jjbarber
Pros: One word "EDGE", awesome high res screen, dedicated send/end keys, great size, new keyboard layout, light sensing screen, jump buttom, net key, speakerphone
Cons: Dim lit keyboard, no charging dock, no removable memory, no media (MP3), Bluetooth lacks features, no wifi
Summary: Coming from a 7290 this is a big step up from RIM. The color of the device is very neat, reminds me of the Nextel i90c which was almost black until you hold it in direct sunlight. The screen is amazing, better than a PSP. One nice added feature is an icon for each e-mail address so you no longer have to go in a change the settings to use a different account. EDGE is smoking! Data transfer rates are hard to beleive, I load web pages in a few seconds on this device. Search engines work great and viewing maps is a sinch. The new keyboard design is tight bc it uses a smaller platform but they are very easy to use even coming from someone with large hands. My complaint about the keyboard is the back light. It seemed very dim compared to the vibrant screen. Another shocker from RIM is the lack of a Docking cradle. If your going to shell out 300 clams with new activation you would like a $5.00 piece of plastic to sit this device on. Another cost cutting item most likely to help pay out the few hundred million they owe. No wifi either but who needs it if you are mostly in your EDGE network. When traveling, GPRS worked ok but was not even close to the speeds on the EDGE network. If you must have a camera and MP3 this device is not for you. It is an e-mail work horse which has been flawless. T-MO is the best for e-mail set up. On your device all you need to do is enter the address and password and your done! I checked some Microsoft attachments and it worked great. PDF files will view as well but it can be hard due to the compression of the document. Battery life is looooonnngggggg. I would like to see RIM at least add some removable memory in the future for people who need the storage. RIM will be introducing a new device by Q4 with Camera, MP3, and possibly add on storage. My guess is a 2MEG camera due to smaller chip size and the large Blackberry design. Overall I have owned every Windows mobile device and the features were seldom used. The 8700g does what I need it to do and that is e-mail and talk. If you need the web or want to check your myspace this little guy will do it with grace. I also use pocketmac with my G4 Power Book and have no problem syncing up. The 8700g never freezes up or needs to think like all windows devices something that bothers me like nails on a chalkboard. I must say my verizon razr is the best phone I have ever owned and is my daily driver for voice but for Data you cannot go wrong with the 8700g, I have owned over 50 phones in the last 10 years and this one is my favorite by a long shot.
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"Blows the T-Mobile MDA out of the water!" on by hh4law
Pros: Ultra easy to configure web-based email, suprisingly quick Internet downloads. Crystal clear, good-sized screen.
Cons: I'd love a bit more PDA functionality (Pocket Word at a minimum), but otherwise none as yet.
Summary: I am new to the handheld world. (Due to a typographical error that may be more Freudian than anything, that sentence initially read, "I am new to the handheld worst.") I did quite a bit of web research before purchasing the T-Mobile MDA. I liked the concept of PDA functionality plus web plus email, didn't care so much about the phone. In three weeks, and despite several hours on the phone with tech support, I was never able to get the email configured properly. I could read emails but the send would get hung up in the Outbox and would never send. Web pages took a long time to load, even with picture view disabled. I purchased two separate keyboards for use with Pocket Word, one IR and one Bluetooth, and was unable to get either to function properly. Not a happy MDA user.
As I was within 30 days of purchase, I decided to return the MDA in favor of the Blackberry 8700g. I was able to configure the email immediately and easily. (The very helpful girl at T-Mobile, when told of my email issues with the MDA, said, "You won't have that problem with your BlackBerry." She was right.)
I had tested a previous incarnation of this BlackBerry and been disappointed by the Internet download speeds. I have been pleasantly (okay, shockingly) surprised at the download speeds with the 8700g. The device seems to be really well configured to optimize content to favor download speeds.
Finally, I have found the keypad remarkably simple and intuitive to use. Another reason for the MDA was the larger sliding keyboard, but the tried and true BlackBerry outperforms the MDA in that area as well. -
"RIM Please step into the 20th century" on by haze0310
Pros: Very nice screen that adjusts to different ambient light. Speaker phone is a great addition.
Cons: First of all the keyboard is awful. Blackberry needs to update their whole system. No expansion slots. Useless bluetooth.
Summary: RIM has in the past cornered the market in the push e-mail, and because of that has very loyal followers. But I must say with lots of gadgets showing up now with push technology it is just a matter of time before RIM loses this strong hold. RIM just refuses to up date things like their calendar, address book, tasks, and notes. These are so antiquated in the Blackberry system they are frustrating to use. While this machine has a great screen and the nice addition of a speaker phone. RIM went and squished the keyboard so now it is very difficult to use. The keyboard also seems quite flimsy and the machine as a whole feels very cheap. The old keyboard (7290) was perfect. Please RIM step into the 21st century with the applications on your machines and make your "useless bluetooth" a "usefull blutooth". I love my blackberry but if I can find a newer device with good push e-mail I am gone.
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"Blackberry 8700g is GREAT" on by copperdon
Pros: A great phone to go along with the Blackberry system
Cons: Cannot download video from emails
Summary: I have tried three phones within the last three and a half weeks. First was the Palm Treo 650 with service from Verizon. While the organization capabilities were great, the phone service was horrible. Next up was the MDA with T-Mobile service. The MDA is a complete waist of time. Do not bother with this product. Lastly, I went to the 8700g. The phone service is excellent (I live in Chicago) and everything on the phone is great from the screen resolution to the ability to the internet service. The only reason I would not give this product a 10 is because I can not download video clips from emails sent to me. Believe me, you will not be disappointed by purchasing this product. I am one of the most pickiest persons when it comes cellphones.
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"Wonderful Phone, Read Article." on by misterrrrmurder
Pros: Compact, Crisp Screen, Nice Display, Easy to use, WONDERFUL battery life, good speakerphone quality and sound.
Cons: It would be nice to have a camera.
Summary: I have used every top of the line phone that T-mobile offers (The MDA, Sidekick 3, and Blackberry 8700G). My god's honest opinion is that this phone blows everything out of the water.
The display is sweet, speakerphone works like a charm, and the qwerty keyboard makes it easy to e-mail and text. I can tell just after about 10 hours of use that I am going to use this phone for a long time.
Bottom Line -
Seriously, do I even have to say it, GO GET A BLACKBERRY 8700G!
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