Being a hard core technical Product Manager/Business Development type and devoted Blackberry user I submit that the best of all worlds would be to combine the proven features on the 7290 with the enhanced quality and size of the 8700. If you combine the best of both we'd have a winner. The 7290 is a great product but obvious improvements on the 8700 are desired.

Examples:

-8700 keyboard should be as bright as the 7290. This really frustrates me!!

-The activate/enable button located under the track wheel on the 7290 is easier on the thumb than the 8700.

-Combine the 7290 keyboard with screen quality of the 8700.

-Why did RIM not include 7290 themes and ringtones on the 8700?

Obviously, there is more but these are my initial .02.

Really no reason to double post....

duly noted....thanks

I have to agree and wish they would have keep the case and keyboard of the 75XX series and stuffed the guts of the 8700 into it. I was not impressed with the 87XX or 71XX series, the product just does not have the build quality. RIM must be saving some money on these new designs.

Of course different people have different opinions. I think the 8700 is the best BlackBerry ever made. Much nicer design than the 72xx series, lighter and not at all "cheaper".

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By what standard or testing system have you determined that the 87xx and 71xx series phones don't have the usual RIM build quality?

Thanks for your Help.
Rcbjr

I did not mean to offend but I have owned many phones and 5 different Blackberry devices. The 8700 is lacking what it takes to for it to have the durability of one of the older BB units. These older Blackberrys can go several years with out showing any wear, my 8700 suffered cosmetic problems on only a few weeks.

Maybe I am gifted, but holding the 8700 in my hand and using it for a few weeks told me much of what I needed to know. It is not rocket science.

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Well, I too have owned many different cellular phones over the years, all the way back to Bag Phones. I have only owned two BBs, and I have noticed no difference in the durability or the build quality in those two units, my 7290 had more dings and scratches after the same usage than my 8700. You're experiences and mine differ, so we have a sample of two to compare, not large enough to make any determiation.

I too do not want to offend, but for your information, while it is not "Rocket Science" it is part of the field of rocket development and is an engineering field. Some people consider it a mathematical science, but I am not a mathematician.

Rcbjr

I am greatly impressed with the 8700. I wish it had a camera and video/audio streaming, but otherwise it is great. Streets ahead of the 7290 and 7100/7105/7130. It seems durable to me provided you use a screen protector and a case.

8700 has the best features as far as keyboard, speaker, extra buttons are there but it would have been nicer if RIM would have kept the sturdyness and workmanship of 7290 because that device is so solid. I agree that 8700 looks cheapy and cheesy.. I am much more careful on this device than any of my past BBs. Screen is easy to make scratchy.
Speakerphone-I use it all the times and it has really good quality.
Keyboard -Finally I am getting used to this but still I can type 0 for Alt key.
Escape key - was much better on 72xx series.
Best of all - EDGE is superb... I used to browse to about 6MBs but now I am reaching up to 49MB -

On the 7290, I hated the fact that I kept disconnecting calls because I hit the ESC key by accident. In fact, if I gave the phone to someone else to use, they always seemed to disconnect calls by accident in that way. I got rid of my 7290 just because of that problem. I'm much happier with the red disconnect button. No inadvertent disconnects at all.

I agree. I can't figure out the "cheaper" part. Particularly considering how many times I drop it. I do think that the 8700 is the best BlackBerry yet...

Maybe you are gifted, but you're right, it's not rocket science. IMHO, the 8700 is clearly the best blackberry yet. I've owned several as well. Nice solid build. Beautiful screen. High phone/speaker phone quality. Fast. I wouldn't trade mine for anything.

Come on!

How long did you own and use your 7290? How long have you owned your 8700?

Love IS blind.

I am still using a 7290 but question, have you guys adjusted to the smaller keys on the 8700? I worry that my big paws my keep striking multiple keys. I do it now with the 7290 so I would think it would only be worse with a smaller keyboard.

My problem was mostly hitting wrong keys, because I was used to longer destances between buttons. After a week or so of use, this was no longer an issue.

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I used my 7290 for 7 months prior to receiving 8700, but after a month and a half of use I had deeper scratches from the holster than I have now on the 8700 and the one drop it had had did more damage than the three the 8700s received.

You apparently mis-took functional and form factor dis-likes for build quality. And yes Love is blind, when will you learn to see?

Rcbjr

I also have had several Blackberries. I think the 8700 is the best one yet, but I have to agree with the others. No way is it as sturdy as the older models, no way at all. I dropped my BB a few times and I already here something rattling around inside. Hopefully it isn't something critical. My older BB was far more rugged.

There's a lot of anecdotal evidence being pushed around as fact here. I'm not saying that the 8700c is as rugged as the 7200 series and older devices. However, I'd say that in my experience (deploying and supporting Blackberries as well as personal usage) the 7290 doesn't seem as rugged as the 6230. That doesn't mean that I'd trade in my 8700c for a 6230 though...

There is no perfect blackberry, nor will there ever be. In design, perfection is always a goal, but never acheived (with the possible exception of the genome belonging to Lujan Fernandez). I do think RIM made great strides with the 8700. I can use this bb as a true PDA along with all the other things already mentioned. It's not perfect, but it's getting there.

I will talk to you again after 7 months of use on the 8700. 1.5 months is nothing. I only had dust behind the scrren and the PAINT was wearing off on the 8700. I have seen my friends who had his 8700 from the day it came out and it looks like hell.

I see ALL TOO well.