Hi all

I am going to purchase a new blackberry next week and was wondering which is better the 8700 or 8707 i had a trial on the 8700 and thought it was a lot better than the 7290 that i have it's a bit tired now it's 2 years old so i'm not sure which one to get any help would be appreciated

Thanks

8707

I think the 8707 is marginally bigger, and has a *slower* processor. But with 3G browsing and apps that need lots of data (Like Goggle Local?) it should be a lot quicker. It depends on if what you're doing is limited by the comms or the processor speed. Your call...

I would go the 8700g. The intel CPU makes a HUGE difference. So much so, that I reckon you wouldnt notice the 8707 being much faster because the processor would struggle to keep up. The 8700g would be better if you have EDGE with your carrier.

To give you another example, I have tested a 8700g on GPRS vs a 7250 on EVDO and the 8700g was faster to bring up webpages even though it was running about 300kbps slower.

The keys on the 8707 are a little better though. Not as cramped.

Thanks guys for the help

All i'm going to use it for is contacts, e mail, sms, instant messaging and as a phone, not going to use it for any big programmes

If you're in the USA the 8707 isn't going to give you faster communication via 3g because the USA isn't using the same frequencies as the EU for 3g. It will work as a quad band phone so you'll still be able to use it here. Since the 8700 has the faster processer, that would be my choice.

Regards-Michael G.

Make sure that you know that 8707 will get a TCP/IP stack at some point in the future. Without one, the 8707 is pretty limited, no matter how fast it is.

Pete

I will be using it in the UK pretty much on the vodafone network as i'm based there for the next 8 to 10 months what do you mean TCP/IP stack

For me, the big advantage of the 8707 is that it works in Japan (the 8700 does not).

You'll be OK with Voda, as they use MDS on BES for Browser access. If you had to use on any other network (e.g. T-Mobile) then the lack of a TCPIP stack means that you cannot browse on the Internet, nor can you use any Instant messaging solutions .

Pete

Just for the record, you can browse the web on a 8700g connected to t-mobile in the UK. The best value is to connect to their Web 'n Walk tariff which costs £7.50 a month on top of your voice plan. Taking WnW out also reduces your InstantEmail charge to £5 a month (down from £10)

I have one and the speed of connection is OK -- It's not by any stretch of the imagination broadband speed. But it is adequate for casula browsing.

As for Instant Messaging in this config, I can't say as I've not tried it yet.

Thanks JabexClegg,

Apols if it feel like I am hijacking this thread, but....
Does TMo use MDS for browsing? I am on TMo using an 8707. MDS is the only option for an 8707 currently.

Pete

Being new to the world of BB, I freely admit I don't know what MDS is. I presume it's a technology used in conjunction with BES.

I'm connected via t-mobile's BIS service. I suggest you giveTMO UK a call. I've been pleasantly surprised by their customer services people (on the phone! - don't bother with the email route)

J

As far as I know, MDS is the secure data connection you make to your BES server when you are a BES user.
I've recently setup the BES Express here for testing and I now have another browser called Blackberry Browser as well as the original T-Zone browser.

It's my understanding that the BB Browser uses the MDS connection to my BES server and then goes out over my internet connection.
The T-zone browser uses t-mobile GPRS services.

So to answer your question you would need a BES setup to use the MDS capability.

Hope that helps.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the confirmation.
Incidentally, what does a Blackberry taste like?

Pete

A Treo 650 you mean?!

Kind of nice at first, until you have tasted a blackberry of course

Mike

I currently have both a 8700 and a 8707, both on Vodafone in the UK. I would go for, at this time, the 8700. The 8707 has too many limitations in my opinion at the moment. Thie biggest one already being mentioned, the lack of an IP stack to work with without BES. And even with BES, the data speed is not that great on the 8707 for me atleast.

The battery life of the 8707 is also quite poor, as is the over all speed of the device. I am sure they will get it all worked out over the next several months, and its a start down the 3G road finally, but it has a ways to go. As a result, I use my 8700 still and the 8707 is there for my trips to Japan.

Just spoken to Vodafone uk sales direct to be told that the blackberry 8707v isn't approved for the network yet and they don't stock it, and was told it is available from some shops but it's imported stock, thats obviously why it still has some problems and they haven't approved it yet, so had to settle for the 8700v but can't complain got it free on basic line rental & 18 month contract

Good stuff.
I had my first 8707v from Voda UK direct sales about 6 weeks ago.
I also had a replacement sent out about a week later.

Thanks for all the help Guys !! still not sure if i made the right decesion or not, but have a few days to change my mind, and get 8707 from a retailer, got a lot of mixed responses,

There are in general 3 instances (configs) of the browser on a BB you might have access to. Each config typically appears as a separate icon on your BB home screen, all controlled by the service books sent to your BB:

1. WAP browser (T-Mobile UK call this their T-Zones browser). Works through their WAP gateway, so you may have difficulty with some HTML sites

2. BB Internet Browser (T-Mobile UK call this their Web'n'Walk browser). XHTML, so works fine with most sites.

3. So called 'Blackberry Browser' (just to confuse everyone(?). XHTML. Works through your BES and uses the outgoing internet connection/firewall etc from your BES.

As far as I know all traffic goes through the RIM relay, but the service book controls which APN is used.

It's here!!!! just got my 8700v today have it up and running, great bit of kit how did i last so long without one, Nice one guys thanks for all the help !! or i would never have made up my mind

Now... What I was unaware of is that Web'n'Walk browser on BB is infact an MDS browser that talks directly to T-Mo. That means that 8707's unlocked to Voda can browse without an IP stack on T-Mo!

I now have a 3G browser on T-Mobile, very fast. The BB helpdesk on T-Mobile were excellent in the diagnosis of a suitable solution to the problem of having no IP stack.

Ah!

Pete.

The Web'n'Walk browser is equivalent to the "Blackberry Internet Browser" that RIM and other carriers call it. That's different from the "Blackberry Browser" config used to talk to the a BES/MDS, but for he user I think it has similar capabilities. I think, for example, the BES version/config has more robust encryption enabled.

Not sure what you mean about browsing without an IP stack? Anyway, so you're using a 8707v on T-Mobile's 3G service? And you get good performance? That's good.

>>Not sure what you mean about browsing without an IP stack?

The 8707 has no IP stack. It was removed prior to launch (something to do with iisues regarding multiple PDPs). Normal 8700's have IP stacks & hence you can define APN's.

The 8707 only relies upon MDS. This is where I was surprised by T-Mo, being bale to provide an MDS service.

Pete

I think it's only the ability to set a custom APN that was removed. I would thus suspect the WnW browser uses the Blackberry APN. Out of the box my T-Mobile Uk 8700g worked with its WnW browser and nothing was pre-configured in the custom APN (TCP menu) settings...

I went to the 8700g from the 7290 myself and I highly recomend it!! This thing rocks! There are so many free apps to download as well through the T-Zones portal and the EDGE Hi-Speed is so worth it!!!!

No Really!!! See: Livelink - Redirection

Pete

the 8707 is ugly!

Ok. I see. But it also says in the same article:

"The BlackBerry 8707™ does not currently support direct HTTP or TCP/IP connections to the Internet using a carrier's gateway." ..... "the application needs to be modified to use the BlackBerry Internet Service™ gateway that is hosted by Research In Motion®"

So it's a choice of 'gateways', not protocol stacks. At the end of the day you're browsing the web - so you're running TCP/IP somewhere! ..maybe the other side of RIM's gateway with some proprietary protocol between your BB and the gateway. Who knows?! I still think it's simply down to the availability of the different APNs at the end of the day.

Newbie hear.
Got the 8707V on Vodaphone UK BIS.
Having problems understanding and curing this IP Stack issue.

I want to add BBtoday but have found that i can not update weather or stocks with this program and I'm assuming this is to do with the IP stack situation.

Can anyone advise a step by step solution (if there is one)..
Please

Roy