Seems Boy Genius (The Great!) has posted his thoughts on engadgetmobile, and they aren't as stellar as I expected. I may have only played with the phone for about an hour total, but I love it!

I think a group of people BG missed that will buy this phone is the group like me that never gave the BB a chance because of its size. Once I saw that the 8100 was coming, and saw how small it looked in a hand, I ran out and purchased a 7105t to try the suretype and OS. I can honestly say - this phone is everything a smartphone junkie(sp?) like me has been looking for.

He's probably just bored with it , but, I think that people want the features with stability

it was not meant to be negative, those were my opinions after using the device for a long time, the market they are trying to reach is very hard seeing as how they are not doing consumer based marketing. How can you convert a 16 yr old girl who uses a sidekick to buying a blackberry with no direct marketing towards that age group? She saw snoop dogg and paris hilton in a commercial and then was like hmm, its cool, its cute I want it. What is she going to say about the 8100? It doesn't have AIM (good AIM) and a BlackBerry is for business people...the actual device is fine, but back to my main point people that have an 8700 on T-Mobile just got it few months back, there is a limited # of them that will go out and now buy a brand new device. The people that can afford to buy one at full retail might not because of SureType, people that have a SureType device already will be the main people buying the device, and the rest of the world is still thinking. Am I wrong?

I'm glad you replied. I never meant to imply that your review was negative...actually, I agree with it. I just think you may have missed who this phone might be targeted after. Now, I'm positive you know more about this release than I do, so maybe you DO know that this is meant for the teen generation, but like you said, they would have HAD to do a media blitz. Even the Q made an attempt. I think there is a large number of 30 somethings that will love this phone, and be waiting at tmob's door on the 12th. Just my opinion that RIM is going after us instead of the sidekick generation.

I agree I am one of those 30 something year olds that will be waiting at the door. I almost got a SK3 but my wife convinced me to go back to a BB because she was using a 8700g at work. Not too convinced I decided to get the 7290 (not that I wasn't happy w/BB) but I wanted the camera and the other features too (email, etc) I'm glad I stayed w/BB and that the 8100 will be out soon!

BG, I think you're dead-on. For those who *are* familiar with the device, and are willing to consider it, SureType is going to make or break the deal. I've got an 8700 now, and have heard good and bad about SureType, so I'd *like* to grab an 8100, but I'm not sure yet whether or not I will. I think most folks in the 25 and under age group would be best off with the LG F9100

http://www.mobiledia.com/phones/lg/f9100.html

but then they probably haven't done the best job of distributing/marketing their device either.

I have owned 9 different BlackBerry devices (7290, 7105t, 7730, 6230, 8700c, 8700g, 7130e, 7250, 7230)in the last year. Both QWERTY and SureType. I'm pretty good on both. I like both. I usually have one of each type at a given time just in case I have a desire to use one or the other. That said, I will be purchasing an 8100 on the 12th.

Being new to BB, I have to say I love the suretype. I came from so many other qwerty phones, and none of them had exactly what I was looking for. The closest was the Nokia E61, but I hate the size. Yes, it's thin (ish), but it's a damn pop tart. I love the size of the 8100, and haven't had enough experience with the trackwheel to really miss it (although it's one of my fav things about the 7105t).

For the guy that considered the SK3, you made the right choice. I'm 30, and everytime I pulled out my SK2, I felt like an idiot.

exactly! that's what I wanted to avoid. I'm new to BB also but my first was a 7100i and the suretype didn't bother me one bit.

BG!

At least someone thought of "Target Marketing". Lets hope this small time limited exclusive deal with Tmobile will do this.

Me .... I'm still getting an SE w810i but I will also have an 8100.

Damn you RIM ... you've put off my plans for a Mac yet again!

I'm 37, currently use a 7130e, have used. Cingular, Nextel, and Verizon BB of other models over the years. I am cursing the fact that the 8100 won't be with Verizon until 2008, if I am lucky. I find it hard to discuss what markets RIM is and isn't marketing to with the 8100 when they haven't released the thing yet. I am willing to bet AIM shows up for the 8100 fairly quickly, I also bet that RIM needs to get units made and shipped to meet the demand before this can happen.

I, for one, am happy RIM isn't advertising for the teen audience. I will use this as a business device, as an upgrade from the 7100t which is two years old and it is past time to move on. I have conisdered the E61 and the Motorola Q because I wanted more from my device. Voice dialing and GPS are functions the business user wants and will use and are enough reason to buy the 8100. I am thrilled I do not have to leave the stability of Blackberry to gain these functions. And music doesn't know an age (I am well past 30 something) so MP3 is a welcome feature. I personally could do without the camera, but I am sure occasionally I will enjoy this feature too. Wifi is high on my list, but I don't want to wait on the 8800. I will probably consider the 8800 anyway when it is released, but I have some functioning problems after the last software upgrade that are really difficult to live with, so I need something now.

My point is some of the new features are very business like and given my "ancient" age status, I can atest that many of my friends, as well as myself, want the features of the 8100 in a phone. The market for this is not necessarily JUST the young.

I do agree the general public has a valid mindset of a BB device and to change that perception, now that there device unlike any other BB, will require a really good marketing campaign. The general public does not read these forums and knows nothing of the changes on the horizon. Only by education will RIM significantly increase sales. I just hope that campaign is not aimed SPECIFICALLY at the teenage market.

I feel your pain, but look at the bright side, Apple's is rumored to update the specs of current machines.

As for the Pearl, I played with it a while back on the 22nd of August, I was blown away at the form factor, I thought that the 7130 was as good as it was going to get. I definetly agree with BG that this device will attract a smaller than expected market, unless RIM can do something about changing the Blackberry name to mean ultra-cool-sexy-slim device,it's worth a shot if they want to target youngsters and women.

I'm on vacation on the 12th so you know where I'll be. I wonder what the sunrise looks like from the parking lot of the local T-Mobile store? I guess I'll find out!

LOVE IT!!!!

You sure make me feel better about myself. lol

I have to disagree a bit with the resident BG, because much like the sidekick was hot and carried by all the celebs, it's now the Blackberry that's now the celebrity favorite, so the marketing takes care of itself. The 8100 is smaller than the Sidekick, isn't it? That helps too.

The only wild card is Suretype...and...

RIM must get a native version of AIM out like has been done with Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger. It has been discussed before, but RIM has got to address this. I hope they are reading this very post.

I bet aim is on it at launch if not its on the download page.

On my retail device when i got to the blackberry bookmark page it says downloads. ANd it says this phone is currently not supported. reason being is that the phone is not fully set up with tmobile just yet. on sept 12th i bet that page has some interesting apps to download, like 1 being the AIM app ;)

I've never understood the negatives with Suretype, I think people either are too dumb to use it, don't take the time to understand how it works, or are too used to full QWERTY.

At first I too was like wtf this is stupid how do you type on this thing? But after figuring out exactly how it works I'm just as fast if not faster than on the full QWERTY.

AIM is on the retail devices, except its OZ which is SMS based and is the most pathetic atempt at "instant" messaging. Like a lot of us have discussed before if it had the RIM AIM client it would make a huge difference. Then I could see more people transitioning from a sidekick

Since when is AIM a business app? I can't see telling my clients to "Hit me up at my AIM!" I love that BBs are business devices, and hope they keep it that way.

I'd much rather have a niche business phone, than walking over and trying to figure out if the BB on the counter is mine or my 11 yr old neice's.

is the AIM on the 8100 simular to the 7100?

How will this 8100 sync with my G4? I too have been reading every thing, (bad), aoubt PM. I'm with Spint, (good coverage not some much great phone choices,) and also have a SK2, (toy).

I plan on getting the 8100 and am hoping that I can sync it with my mac.

How would I do it? How would I sync it with my mac?


I looked at the 7130c, (sprint,) and although the network, evdo was fast, I want and use a phone camera all the time.

off topic, but anybody think a slingbox app will ever make it to BB? Iused it on my WM5 phones over edge and it worked fine. I think that's the only app I'll miss, unless the video player will stream from orb, but I doubt it.

Hey hotpants, Sprint sells the 7130e, not the 7130c. Also, you cannot sync the 8100 with a Mac without PocketMac.

I’m actually getting a headache debating which to buy as my first Blackberry i.e. 8700c vs. 8100”c” down the road. Not having one yet, I can go either way with regards to SureType vs. QWERTY although I believe the screen size is a fairly big consideration. Reading email and conducting on-line banking would seem much easier on the eyes than on the pithy little 8100. On the plus side, the 8100 will be 30-40% less than the current crop of Blackberry models, which may likely attract more young people. As a new member, maybe I’m simply too naive to fully understand the virtues of this new offering.
Regards,

My wife got the tmo MDA the first day it came out. I got the 8700 the first day it came out. Needless to say we will both be getting the pearl the first day it comes out. Suretype is cool to me. I can have a great device in a small package. Why not? I hardly use AIM anyway. I use BB msgr. My friends have blackberries.

Also in the past 3 months 8 of my friends have bought 8700s so I have plenty of bb msgr contacts.

I think you missed the boat on this one.

HINT: The 8100 isn't just aimed at businesses.

Exactly, this is a CONSUMER device, it CAN be used for business and will but for the most part they are targeting a new market with this one

Actually, it's targeted at me. Yeah, yeah, sure, they say it's for all consumers and targeted at non-corporate types, but we all know the real truth. It's all about me.

How right you are. I guess I confused this debate a little. Seeing how the 8100 hasn't been marketed, we can't say for sure who the phone is intended for. I'm just not on the bandwagon yet that this is meant to be a consumer phone. It just seems like a nice upgrade to the 7100 with a few new things added to keep up with everybody else.

A mathematical screen comparison:

Qwerty resolution (320x240) = 76,800 pixels
Suretype resolution (240x260) = 62,400 pixels

So, even with the 8100 you get 81.25% of the resolution/pixels. Not a bad trade-off for size.

Anyone know the weight of the 8100?

Oh I would say every single person who has a SureType BlackBerry to get the Pearl asap if you can get a device with a camera. Lets see how it plays out, and the marketing, but I still think the market isn't that big for something like this, full QWERTY one is a bigger market.

Hotpants? I sure hope you're female. Scary!!!

Yeah, jump on my typo! 7130e. PocketMac, not listed to work with 8100, (yet,).

Still probably gonna get one, (8100). My sprint contract is done. Just have to wait them out. Or get 7130e... and then hope they get an EVDO 87XX Or 81XX Ughughghghghghghg!

now I've done it. I've gone cross-eyed

My 18 yr old (girl) thinks the 8100 is finally the right size and weight, but for her the premium cost of a plan with BB service isn't worth it for the benefit of getting email pushed. So she'll keep with a phone that does SMS.

There's a more fundamental thing to address with the young - esp in Europe where SMS is so popular. You first have to get your (young) audience to want to have email the same way they have SMS (instant and push). They already have thay by defualt with SMS. A BB plan would be extra on top...

Sure Rim hasn't announced who they are targeting with this yet, but it's pretty obvious that they are going after a market that they don't have. The consumer market. The corporate segment is the only segment that would shut down this unit for having a camera. A consumer that didn't need a camera would not choose to not purchase this phone because it has a camera. They simply wouldn't use the camera. It would make no difference to them as long as the phone had the primary features that they needed. On the other hand there are a bunch of people that want blackberries but have held back because they don't have the multimedia features that are important to them. RIM has the corporate segment already. Why would they need to add a camera and other multimedia functions? Easy, The Consumer Market.

Hell, you couldn't sync any RIM device with Pocket Mac. I can't believe something that bad was ever released.

I'm using PocketMac for Blackberry to sync with Entourage, strictly as a backup, and have no complaints. Works smoothly, gets it done quickly, no worries.

What really grabs my attention is Boy Genius' report on the Blackberry Desktop 4.2 software over at Engadget. I might put it on my ThinkPad X31 or possibly use BootCamp to slap WindowsXP on my MacBook. Either way it looks like the ultimate solution.

if your needs are:

primary phone user who needs great access to email as well = suretype device

primary email user who needs great access to mobile phone as well = qwerty device.

plain and simple.

OR....

Big fat fingers = suretype device

regular to small fingers = qwerty device.