so true.....personally, the choice is so based on each individual, there's really no true comparison other than basic features.

I have a 7290 I use mainly for work and work only. I looked at the 8700 but when compared to the 8800 the size issue is what made me really fall in love. Even the new 8300 is a little thicker than the 8800 and that's where I can't deal with it. I want something so slim and light that I can pocket it in my shirt at work or shorts in the summer. The 8800 is that light wieght and thin that it's pefect.

The keyboard layout is different, but honestly, it's easy to use and while some don't like it, I found no difficulty typing on it. I do love the 7290 and think the form there is perfect for pounding out long emails, but thin is the way to go. I don't believe in long emails and bb. emails should be kept to 1-2 lines IMO.

I even measured the distance between the edges of the keys and there's barely a 1/16th of an inch distance between the key distance on the 8800 vs the 7290. The size of each key is near exactly the same too. It's just the shape that's different. IMO, the color and shape is what makes it deceiving. I'll post macro pics and overlays shortly.

In the end, the 8800 is very stylish, has a GPS and is a great, great phone. Has everything I want. Cameras are cool, but on a phone....no thanks, all but a rare few suck and being a photog I always have a nice camera with me anyway.