I use a RIM 7230..will i LOSE anything as far as ease of use

[elazarus]

on e-mail by switching to the 7100?

I heard it is a better telephone which i want and need but I do not want to lose the ease of the e-mail format.

Anyone try it?

Thank you

Elliot

[Skive]

The keyboard isn't as good as a full blackberry keyboard, but is still good so you'll have to decide whether a better phone experience is worth the slight reduction in email ease of use.

[Gothalyptic]

Moved to hardware, I felt this was a more appropriate place.

also my advice, just as Skive mentioned. Weigh the options, the keyboard again doesn't appear to be as well made as the original design, as it looks as if RIM went more a conventional phone look (probably to appeal to consumers and some esthetic consious prosumers).

[Mark Rejhon]

What you want to do is try out the phone -- and see if you like the keyboard.

For some people, this method of typing is so similiar to a regular BlackBerry that they don't mind. But for others, it's annoyingly too similiar to T9, and prefer a full size keyboard.

The advantage is that you retain the same QWERTY memory, you know where the general location of each letter is, and you can type almost as fast on a 7100t/7100v as on a 72XX/77XX series after some practice. (At least until you run into obscure punctuation needs :D) The predictive text on the 7100t/7100v is almost 100% accurate (almost...) which is pretty good compared to T9 especially because of only-2-letters-per-key and on-the-fly adaptive learning.

However, other people have complained about the lower quality of the keys, and cannot type remotely nearly as fast. It is a matter of personal preference and you must try out the keyboard. It works well for some people, well enough to allow switching from other BlackBerries. But not for everyone.

For me, the experience appears closer to normal thumbtyping than T9. I was never able to learn T9. But I am waiting for the 7290.

[Skive]

However, other people have complained about the lower quality of the keys, and cannot type remotely nearly as fast.

I found this to be more of an issue with the 7100t with its rubbery keys than on a 7100v.


For me, the experience appears closer to normal thumbtyping than T9. I was never able to learn T9. But I am waiting for the 7290.

Have you managed to play around with a 7100 yet, as i seem to remember your initial impressions were based on air typing weren't they rather than actual useage?

[Mark Rejhon]

For myself, I have only airtype tested (monitor tap tested on a scaled-to-size image of a 7100) but I cannot airtype well on a T9 keyboard.

Two people who have used 7100's, especially people who changed their minds about 7100 after they actually tried it, saying it was a lot less like T9 than they thought it would feel. They reported their experiences to me and were amazed how accurate the predictive text was, that they didn't need to concentrate too much on the quirks of predictive text and could just concentrate on actually tapping things out more intuitively.

I stand by my statement that you have to try out the keyboard in person....and for some that it's more akin to T9, for others it's more akin to existing thumbtyping.

Other people, such as NJBlackberry are quick converts to the 7100 series, being impressed at them being able to type nearly as fast after some practice.

[elazarus]

better will the phone be on the 7100.

I love the e-mail on my 7230 but the phone is a bit of a nightmare.....I use 5000 minutes a month and cannot use the phone without a headset as you cannot hear as well as a regular phone.

I get about 250 e-mails a day and it works flawlessly....

I get the feeling this is going to be a hard choice.

Thank you

Elliot

[KG]

better will the phone be on the 7100.

I love the e-mail on my 7230 but the phone is a bit of a nightmare.....I use 5000 minutes a month and cannot use the phone without a headset as you cannot hear as well as a regular phone.

I get about 250 e-mails a day and it works flawlessly....

I get the feeling this is going to be a hard choice.

Thank you

Elliot

Hi Elliot,

Just to clear up some things. Is the problem with the phone just the voulume level when not using a headset. Or our their connection issues as well. The reason I ask is because I am coming from the nitemare that is the Sidekick, in which I would drop calls more frequently then making calls.

[elazarus]

when the phone is in the holster and I am in a busy place, I cannot hear the ring.

When I had a "regular" cell phone the ring was VERY loud and the Hearing portion was Extremely loud and I do not get that with the Blackberry...so I must use an earpiece.

E