T-Mobile's got Sept 30th listed as our release date in the retail channel, but until then I've got to try and figure a few things out. Is the 7100t going to be running the 4.0 OS? If not, it's obviously different at least visually, and apparently as far as the UI is concerned. Does anyone know if the old apps will work on the 7100t, or will they require an updating of some sort? Are there going to be some new applications available specifically because of the 7100t and OS 4.0? I'll be sure an post all my impressions of the 7100t as soon as our demo model comes in.

The user guide says it is running version 3.8.

any idea about the third party software? I guess the way everything's built I would assume the interface elements are built-in to the RIM API, all the application does is simply call to the OS to see what a "Menu" should look like, then populates it with its programmed elements... Although to me that seems reasonable, reason quite often is out to lunch.

A number of apps will not run properly on the 7100t, if they have been written with the expectation of a particular resolution then they will fail on the 7100t since its a different res from the older blackberries and others will simply fail due to the inevitable changes that rim will have made to software that in reality is bound to be at least as close to 4.0 as it is to 3.7.1.

I have found that as I upgrade the 7230 OS from one version to the next, I do not lose the ability to run any of the 3rd party applications installed on the device. I went from 3.7.0 to 3.7.1 to 3.7.3 to 4.0.0 -- no issues with 3rd party software that I noticed. My guess is that some of the apps might LOOK a bit strange due to changed screen resolution, but I suspect that as the screen resolution INCREASES you will not lose any functionality. Of course, I could be dead wrong

Ian

You have been quite lucky then, I have noticed a number of programs including a few magmic games and some other stuff that stopped working once I went beyond 3.7.1.

As far as the resolution, increase or decrease won't make any difference if its hardcoded for just the one resolution or expecting to use resources at a particular resolution e.g. brickbreaker references a resource file that includes the screen res in the filename, thats one that wouldn't work if it was simply tried on another screen.

I guess I have been lucky, then. Due to memory constraints, I only have a limited number of applications on the handheld -- I tend to upload apps, use them for a bit, then get rid of the ones that are not "top of class" (I have 1500 contacts, over 1000 appointments, and many of them with many notes -- so memory is at a premium). I have kept Goro, Cribbage, Hotviewer, Webviewer, 411, DeleteModule and NFL Schedule -- they all seem to work OK under 4.0.0.100.

If Brickbreaker references a resource file for the particular screen resolution, doesn't that mean that it will be a very simple fix to get it to work with the new device?

I think the 3.8 software has got some bigger changes than just one minor revsion number change might indicate. The Charm looks like a very different platform that I would guess is geared more towards the "Pro-sumer" market

My boss was just told by one of the T-Mobile store managers (who had the device now, BTW) that he could get her one right now, but he could only get one for San Francisco.

This is unverified, just what I was told - she is going back to try it (she does not live there, and is just visiting now).

Please let us know how it goes -- I would LOVE to get my hands on one ASAP

I think they have probably split it up, to make updates for multiple devices easier, they'll have the game logic etc in the one file thats the same on all devices and then the art resources sperated off, it would reduce testing of an update or bugfix since it wouldn't need to be tested on every handheld type.

UPDATE: Official word from RIM is that the 7100t, OS 3.8, has backwards compatibility with applications writing for both the 3.6 and 3.7 versions of their operating systems.

That will be in the same sense that windows xp is compatible with most older programs, some won't work though and you'll need an upgraded version, things like games that push the hardware more than average seem like the things that will suffer the most.

My t-mobile rep just told me that he could get me one now. I just called him back but he was on the other line. Anxiously waiting for that call back...

Were you able to get it?

He told me that he is going to order one and it should be in on monday or tuesday at the latest. Can't wait!

We are all dying to know.. Did it come today, or do you know you'll have it tomorrow?