Mods: I posted this here because I wanted to target 8700 users with my question.

Aside from push e-mail, which in my case is only truly real-time on a few of my accounts anyway, the Sidekick 3 sure looks like it could give the 8700 a run for it's money, particularly with respect to the browser/rendering of web pages, and instant messaging features. I believe the sidekick's got a 65K display, and it does have to be flipped open for phone use, but otherwise, there seems to be a possible advantage to the landscape display, e-mail interface, and navigation process. Any opinions?

That would be true if you are 18 or younger. Perhaps 21. The Sidekick is designed for a much younger audience than the 8700. I doubt very much that you'll find many people - and certainly very few adults - who have made the change to the Sidekick.

Which means that they are with the 8700 and haven't tried the Sidekick?

I was hoping to catch a few multiple device owners . . . I guess.

I agree that marketing would certainly back that up, but forgetting about the devices intended audiences, functionally, they seem to compare pretty favorably. I left 21 behind many years ago, so I'm not looking for a toy, but in my case I don't need BES, I use the BB for personal internet mail accounts.

But you can't forget about marketing. The SK3 is marketed to a much younger audience, and certainly not the advanced consumer and professional market that the 8700 is marketed to. And don't forget the security differences between Danger's servers and RIM's servers...

If you want push, secure e-mail, get a BB. If you want to IM, get a SK.

I don't know if I should laugh or what...

I used to have a Sidekick 2 and I was planning to get the Sidekick 3 but I change my mind.

I end up getting a Blackberry 7290 because it does everything I want it to do. I can even hook up my laptop to it and use it as a modem.

My next phone will probably be a Blackberry 8100 (comming soon) or a 8700. I like to get the Edge and I heard they expanding the Edge to more areas now.

If you look at the features closely, you will realize that the Blackberry can do more than a Sidekick 3 can do.

It's true that the current Blackberries don't have MP3 player and a camera but the 8100 that is comming out soon will have it. I won't be surprise if more Sidekick 3 users end up switching to Blackberry 8100.

As for Instant Messaging, there's lots of aftermarket software out there so you can have Instant Messaging on your Blackberry.

Not long ago I was about to get a SK3, having been using a Treo 650 for over a year. Then the rumors of the 8100 broke and I did a rethink. Upon further review, I got a 7105t to get into the SureType groove in preparation for the 8100. The SK3 looked like a decent all-in-one device for a non-corporate user like me but it's clearly geared towards IM, which I don't need. I'm a phone, email, and PIM user. I've gotten accustomed to having a camera, even a crap one like the Treo's. What I really needed most of all though was the expandable storage of an SD card like the Treo uses. The Pearl is the answer to my prayers.

The only true attraction of the SK3 to an BlackBerry 8700 user is the keyboard. Sizewise, it's a limo vs. a Yugo. Aside from that, it's not even close. BlackBerry 8700 is more secure, more comfortable to carry and use and solid.
I'm with NJBlackBerry: Sidekick 3 is great...for my daughters. BlackBerry 8700 is the real deal.

Well, I decided to give the sidekick 3 a try. A co-worker of mine has the sidekick 3 and convinced me to try it out; I returned it after 3 days. It was a "cool" device and is definitely geared towards the younger crowd; when I took my device out in a meeting to put something in my calendar, never in my life had I felt more unprofessional. I guess my main reason for return was an image issue - I went back to my trust 8700g. No more weird looks from other colleagues.

I made the move from Sidekick 3 to 8700. I'm a 20 year old college student who works in banking. i had a SK3 and a i930 and wanted to consolidate my devices. 8700 was perfect and it also gave me the more "grown up" feel. If I was you I wouldn't move youll regret it sooner or later.

I've had Sidekick 2 before..I decided to purchase Sidekick 3 and 3 days later I decided to return it and exchanged for BB 8700g...didn't regret it at all!

Sidekick 3 main improvement is the keyboard that's it! Sidekick 3's design feels "cheap" and I suddenly remembered why I had to go thru nearly 10 times of device exchange with Sidekick 2 (they had so many defects!!!) I wasn't about to go thru with Sidekick 3!!!!

Go with any blackberry device! but it's your decision to make!

Good Luck!
Thomas
8700g

Thanks to all that responded. I'd forgotten about modem tethering, and that is something I have tried and may need to use my 8700 for. And, as many of you mentioned, it's certainly more professional looking. There's a good chance I'll seriously look at the 8100, but now, based on the comments here, I've ruled out the SK3 as an option.

Mark