Ignoring the obvious: Pushing me over the "EDGE"

[dranger]

I've been a T-Mobile 7100t user since the device released. I've been a T-Mobile user since the service released. However...
...I want EDGE and I want the 8700.

Ignoring the obvious differences between the 7100 and the 8700 (screen, keyboard, etc.), what are the arguements FOR and AGAINST making the switch? It seems like an easy choice to me, but I also haven't had an 8700. There's got to be something wrong with it...right?

Thanks in advance...

[Inphektion]

well if you ignore the obvious differences, then there is really no difference. The only thing left is the web browsing will be much faster on the 8700 than the 7100t. Not really all due to edge but I think more memory helps with that too.

[NJBlackBerry]

More memory. Much faster processor - it is MUCH faster than the 7100 or 7290, IMHO, and EDGE.

[dranger]

well if you ignore the obvious differences, then there is really no difference. The only thing left is the web browsing will be much faster on the 8700 than the 7100t. Not really all due to edge but I think more memory helps with that too.


How about durability, reliability, etc? For example, I tried a Treo 650 from Cingular and it crashed all the time. Or my old 6230 w/ T-Mobile, the scrollwheel broke after a couple of months.

A two-year contract is a long time to make a hasty decision...

[NJBlackBerry]

Using the words Treo and durable in the same sentence should not be allowed.

If you keep a BB in a holster or case, it will last. I've never broken a trackwheel or a screen. Which, sadly, is not the case of the Treos that I've had.

[Stinsonddog]

Wirelessly posted (8700c: BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

See my 8700 tips doc. Shortcuts are much better, Google local works too.

[Mark Rejhon]

How about durability, reliability, etc? For example, I tried a Treo 650 from Cingular and it crashed all the time. Or my old 6230 w/ T-Mobile, the scrollwheel broke after a couple of months.The 8700 is much more durable than the Treo -- it is less likely to break in a drop. While the plastic case of the 8700 may feel somewhat cheap at times compared to the Treo, it does survive drops very easily (Although slightly less well than, say, the model 72XX series, those of which have survived up to 9 feet drops to concrete, and tumbles down one full storey of concrete staircase)

Reliability is second to none - it's already pretty good for an newly introduced BlackBerry model and can only get better. While there were problems, there appear to be overall less launch problems than Treo had when it got launched.

[sfo]

The only negative with the 8700 is the tight keyboard and by now I've gotten used to it. Aside from that, this is the perfect device: reliable, fast andcomfortable.

I used the Treo 650 for a while, but what pulled me away was the constant crashes and its flimsiness. I also just hated the protruding antenna. And I sure don't miss using a stylus.

[mas90guru]

Moving from a 7100i to the 8700C- I don't notice a night and day difference on speed. Is it a little snappier? I guess so. It's the v4.1 O/S, Screen and slightly faster web browsing that are the draws for me.

[NJBlackBerry]

Remember that the 7100i also has 64MB of memory (I believe). The older BBs, with 32/16 MB are slower. IMHO, of course.

[dranger]

Thanks everyone.

[takeshi]

How about durability, reliability, etc? For example, I tried a Treo 650 from Cingular and it crashed all the time. Or my old 6230 w/ T-Mobile, the scrollwheel broke after a couple of months.

A two-year contract is a long time to make a hasty decision...

There's a lot of personal experience with durability quoted as fact here so it's really hard to say. In my experience supporting Blackberries for a mid-sized company the 6230's have been the most durable model we've ever had. That's not to say that we never had any broken 6230's but your experience seems anomalous to me. The 7290's tend to end up broken more often and the 8700c's are too new at this point to be meaningful.

I haven't found the 8700c to be any less stable than the 7290 in my own experience.

YMMV, of course.