I'm a long time Blackberry users .. going all the way back to the 957 I think it was. My last BB was an 8700, and I'm sticking with the Pearl.
I got used to SureType in about a day. I had to put some "trust" in it .. in other words, I have to finish typing the word before I try and correct anything. It's very rare that it gets a word wrong. This was hard at first - it's tough not obsessing over every letter typed, but a bit of discipline made it second nature. I'm as fast (or even faster) typing now than on my 8700.
I don't really understand the feedback regarding key size and smudges. What kind of fingers you all have? I'm a 6'1", 200lb guy - I don't have dainty hands, and I don't have a healthy diet. I eat ribs and cheetos sometimes even take peanut butter out of the jar with my finger. My screen doesn't smudge any more than my 8700, and I can hit the keys just fine.
I *love* the trackball. I must admit, though - I really disliked it at first. If I wasn't on vacation for 3 days after getting the 8100, I likely would have dumped it. I kept hitting the side button and launching the camera every time I wanted to cancel, too. But I stuck with it (had no choice) and now it's also second nature. I love the little "quick menu's" I get in various appliction when using the trackball, too.
If I was going to go back to a full keyboard then I'd opt for the RIM 8800 GSM when it becomes available on Rogers network. It offers more features than the 8700 and is slim like the 8100 though wider because of the full qwerty keyboard. I was hoping RIM would release the 8800 with support for 3G but I guess we'll have to wait a little longer. For now I'm happy with the 8100 (Pearl).
I can honestly say that I type faster on the Pearl than on the 8700g. The keyboard is much more cramped than the 7290, and accuracy goes down the tubes.
One handed typing while driving is also much easier on the Pearl.
I had to decide between the 8700 and the 8100. Several friends own the 8700 and I've played with them in the store. The 8700 definitely has a nice keyboard but the 8100 size is what sold me. The 8700 is a lot bigger. Took a few days to get accustomed to sure-type -- it's an exercise in trust. After a few days the dictionary is full of your most commonly used words. Just look at the keyboard, type, and the word you want is there 98% of the time.
I use a best-skin on mine and it's very pocketable. I don't have any smudge complaints. Best smartphone I've ever used and I've used a lot of them!
I switched back after 1 week for a couple of reasons. I hate the 2 letters per key and SureType. Even if I did get used to that, the keys are too close together and they slant up slightly. Makes it hard for me to type.
Ok lashed out and liking it so far, only been a few days but absolutely love it, great size weight and build. theres a few FW glitches to sort out but other than that its a great step forward for RIM. Ill post again after a week or so of intense emailing but getting along ok with the suretype. The other positives outweigh the non qwerty
Well, just got my Pearl few days ago. When I got it I also tried to upgrade the firmware of my 8700g to the latest one. Geez... I'm on TIM (Italy) and believe me with the latest OS my 8700g looks totally different. I like the ZEN theme and the possibility to play MP3 and have separate icons for email and SMS/MMS. I switched to the 8700g from a Treo 650 coz I'm often out of office and I needed to receive/reply to lots email everyday, so the BIS was great for me (instead of using Versamail or Snapper on the Treo) and also the big display was a key. I then switched to the 8100 coz I'm left handed and believe me, even there are alotta left-handed users that can deal with BB devices, the trackwheel on the right side of the phone it's a hell for me... With the Pearl this problem is solved. Well.. I see now that the upcoming 8800 has the same scrolling system of the Pearl... but I also see that the qwerty keyboard is smaller. I still miss the qwerty keyboard, I'm little bit too spastic to use SureType, but I think it will be just a matter of time. I do hope that the 8800 will have the same keyboard style of the Treo 650, geez, the keys were so closed but well shaped and extremely easy to press even with big fingers... on the contrary on the 870g the keyboard is "flat" so doesn't help alot.
I do think my post starts being too long. Sorry.
