I recently played with my friends 8700g from tmobile and noticed that the keypad feels a whole lot cheaper than the cingulars 8700c whats up with that..? why make 2 different keypads when nothing was wrong with the first one (cingular and rogiers)
the keypad feels all cheap like rubber and it slides all over the place is this on all the 8700g or is it just the first production models ? because my friend got his the 1st week tmobile had them out..has this issue been addressed and changed ?

I think they are two keypads released at two different times of production. In many other threads people have mentioned that their keypad is tight and some mentioned that theirs moves a sixteenth of an inch in all directions. Some like it one way and vice versa. I think the "loose" keypad came later in production like on the 8700g. Mine is "loose" but I don't have a problem with it.

I tested a 8700c from cingular for my company and the key board was loose but when I purchased one it was tight and solid. I actually like it loose because i was able to type faster but once I got used to the stiff keys I have no problems now.

yah i noticed that too. We get new BB's in all the time. Sometimes the keypad is tight, sometimes loose. I dont think its necessarily a different keypad, just manafacturing. Maybe one place puts em together better?

Well I used my friends 8700c and my roomate has the 8700g with the loose keypad as we say and I hate that loose keypad completely suckzz..

feel like one of those cheap aftermarket keypads they sell for nextel fones that light up but are garbage I like the tight feel of my 7520 and I woiuld like to keep that tight feel on the 8700 not go backwards and get a 400 bb w a loose cheap keypad .my .02

And you are, of course, entitled to your opinion.

I love the keyboard of the 8700g (yes, I had an 8700c before that, and an 7290, 7105t, 7100t, 7230, 6210, 5810, 957 and 950 before that).

It's springy and has flexibility to it. Some people like that.

So your sayoing with that, that you prefer the loose keypad of ur 8700g over the tight feeling keypad on all other previous bb devices?

I think the 8700g is the best BlackBerry - by far - that I've ever had. I like the springy keyboard (ever gotten complaints from customers that the keys are too hard to press - I have) and no one - not one - complains about the 8700g.

Yes - I prefer the 8700g; I tried to use a 7290 yesterday and couldn't believe how difficult it was.

I guess depends on who u asked from new bbusers no complaints but from old bb faithfulls there a lot of messages and threads on here on how they hate the fact that RIM went with a cheap loose keypad on there flagship bb8700.I've gotten a lot more complain.from old users.if u go to CNet.com under video reviews there Editor states the loose cheap feeling slidekeypad as the 8700g's only big fault.

Yes, as you might image I do read a lot of the threads here. Personally, no one I know has rejected an 8700 in favor of a 7200.

I don't pay much attention to reviews; the only opinion I really value is my own. And I am sharing my opinion, that's all.

If I paid attention to reviews, like the ones Walt Mossberg writes in the Wall St. Journal, all I would own is Palm.

I got an 8700g because virtually every executive in our company demanded them (and none have returned them) and SOMEONE has to support them. At least that was my excuse

Now if you ask my opinion of the 71xx keyboard, that's a little different...

I'm not sayingo throw the baby out with the bath water and not get the 8700 in favor of a 7200 but why have 2 differwent keypads one sliding around and one tight when all old users are used to the tight one.if ur gonna make them tjhat different give consumers a choice then the loose or tight keypad versions..its crazy that u order one and u can't control which u get until its at ur door.

I've read that people COMPLAINED that the 8700c keyboard was too tight!

To each his or her own. Or ur own.

I have read this about too tight. By afew people but that's nothing compared to the list of threads and questions and complaints of the loose keypad feeling cheap sliding around up down and side to side as u type.speCially from peop like myself that depend on typing a lot while in the car driving.A nice keypad click response is very important to and the loose keypad I find is not to responsive.

Tried the Cingular C a few months ago and one of the things I wasn't crazy about was that the center of its keypad (around the 'g' and 'h') had hardly any travel at all. Without positive feedback from the keyboard, it's difficult to live with such a condition. The TMO G's keyboard I have now is uniformly functional with good feedback. I also like the slight bit of upward flair the G's keybaord has on the lateral edges, which requires less reach than the C's.

Some of this could be attributed to production assembly quality, I suppose, vs pure design differences. Just a couple pennies worth.

What's your license plate number? I'd like to live a bit longer, thank you.

Actually at first I didn't like the 'sliding' keypad. But after I got used to it it actually feels good on the fingers. Even comfortable typing and driving.

One handed at that.

dont u feel like the sliding keypad is a bit less to be desired feel wise i mean u can hold it and move it around like a air hockey puck.am i the only one here that really thinks this is annoying...?

You're making it sound like you can completely shift the keyboard around. And fact being that's not possible, a little give is pretty nice (in my opinion). I've also owned a 7290, and while the 8700g took about 1 hr getting used to, I do find it more comfy to type on as well. And to go along with NJBB, this is by far the best bb produced. Just keep in mind, whereas one person may complain about the keyboard, another may complain about how you have to constantly wipe the screen down. We'll never get everything we want .

Well, I have to say:

a) If you depend on typing a lot while in the car driving, I sure hope you're not using any of the same roads I am.

b) If the new keyboard discourages you from doing that, then everyone on the road around you will probably be safer, so that's a good thing!

I like the keys moving a little bit, but I hate having to wipe down the screen every ten minutes. I'll use the speakerphone just so I don't have to clean the screen.