[kmccarthy]

I am about to trade in my MDA for a blackberry. Wondering which one I should get. (I tried posting in general BB discussion and not enough people, and i didnt do a poll)

[appleberry]

Hi

Don't know whether this helps but I am a UK user and if you read this link, (it wont let me post the full URL for some reason) but if you add the usual start to a URL and then add the following

my-blackberryfromo2.com/compare_devices.asp

it gives a comparison, it is a uk page though but tells you the main differences (apart from the obvious)

I have an 8700g and have been very pleased with it. I do have other phones which are LG Chocolate and the Sony Ericcson W810i which have the camera, mp3 player, video etc (not sure whether it is the same in the US but everytime you go to a different company you usually get a free phone with the tariff).

Strangely enough I went into a 02 shop today just to have a look at the Pearl 8100 mobile since it is a multi media mobile which is what all my other phones have been.
To be honest multi media wise it is way behind what else is on offer, Sony are doing a 3 megapixel K800i all singing all dancing phone. The 8100 feels clumsy, the thing that really drew me to the Blackberry the qwerty keyboard is replaced by a fiddly keyboard. In my opinion my 8700g is the only phone which I constantly use all the features.
My other multi media mobiles are sitting in the cupboard - the novelty has worn off as I have a perfectly good IPOD for playing MP3's and a much superior 10 megapixel small camera for photos.
Therefore IMO the 8700g enables me to email quickly without messing around with a fiddly keyboard and hitting the camera by mistake.
If I had had the Pearl it would be sitting in the cupboard with my previous "must haves"
I hope this helps

[kmccarthy]

Originally Posted by appleberry

Hi

Don't know whether this helps but I am a UK user and if you read this link, (it wont let me post the full URL for some reason) but if you add the usual start to a URL and then add the following

my-blackberryfromo2.com/compare_devices.asp

it gives a comparison, it is a uk page though but tells you the main differences (apart from the obvious)

I have an 8700g and have been very pleased with it. I do have other phones which are LG Chocolate and the Sony Ericcson W810i which have the camera, mp3 player, video etc (not sure whether it is the same in the US but everytime you go to a different company you usually get a free phone with the tariff).

thank you this helps alot
Strangely enough I went into a 02 shop today just to have a look at the Pearl 8100 mobile since it is a multi media mobile which is what all my other phones have been.
To be honest multi media wise it is way behind what else is on offer, Sony are doing a 3 megapixel K800i all singing all dancing phone. The 8100 feels clumsy, the thing that really drew me to the Blackberry the qwerty keyboard is replaced by a fiddly keyboard. In my opinion my 8700g is the only phone which I constantly use all the features.
My other multi media mobiles are sitting in the cupboard - the novelty has worn off as I have a perfectly good IPOD for playing MP3's and a much superior 10 megapixel small camera for photos.
Therefore IMO the 8700g enables me to email quickly without messing around with a fiddly keyboard and hitting the camera by mistake.
If I had had the Pearl it would be sitting in the cupboard with my previous "must haves"
I hope this helps

yes it does help

[ladyhollman]

Hello,

IMO: It all depends on what you want to use it to do. It also depends on whether you like the full keyboard or the compact one. If you can make do with a medium screen or a wider screen.

I own both the 7100 series and the 8700 series BBs. There are certain aspects that I liked about each respectively. The 8100 is compact (like the 7100s)but has the camera a lot of people were interested in along with the multimedia capabilities that we are all interested in. I'd love to be able to see a news clip from the BBC or a local site play on my BB. The 8700, of course has the wide screen, full keyboard, and is used by pros because we tend to send a lot of documents as opposed to photos.

If you are looking to read documents, a wider screen is the way to go. The 8800s will be here soon enough for the multimedia.

If you are looking to snap photos of places and friends and email/PIN them while out and about, then the 8100 is definitely the way to go.

My .02

[secrecyguy]

Lots of people go to the General Discussion. I think it's more suited there since some people don't go to the 8700 if they don't own it.

[kasperapd]

As of right now your posting in the General board has 131 views. That's a pretty good amount of people who have looked at it since you posted it (just over 6 hours ago). Only 10 have replied to try and give you some advice, some of which I have read has been very good.

Personally, I use both devices and switch off every couple of days. If I had to choose only one, I'd pick the 8100 simply because I have a 2 year old that I enjoy taking pictures of and sending to the Grandparents.

[kmccarthy]

i think i am going to trade in the MDA for an 8700. thanks for all of your help.

[JmH Reborn]

8700g all the way, I work for T-Mobile in the Tech Support, and this batch of Pearls are having some issues, and also lots of returns for Pearls not being peiced together completley (I too was a victim when I bought mine and had to return)

[noeffectx]

8700

[plchan]

I got a 8700 rather htan 8100. I need to have the full keyboard that I can type SMS / email / IMs. I have a SE W800i and it has a 2MP phone camera. It works well so I do not need / want to downgrade it from 2MP to 1.3MP (8100) plus my SE W800i would work with 4G memory stick. Anyway, it is an off-topic (SE W800i).

I love the 8700 and it works very well with tmo and connect my laptop to surf on the net (slow but it works).

[Crazyapple]

I work with our company blackberries - have had a 7230, 7290, 7100, 8700 and now a pearl.

It took a bit to make the jump from 8700 to 8100 but at the end of the day the 8100 was better for me. I'm almost certain to go to the 8800 when it's out, though.

I really did not like the 7100 at all - had it for about two weeks and junked it -- and the 8100 isn't much like it. The 8100's form factor is really smaller and the suretype seems very much improved. Voice dialing is a big thing for me as well, and the 8100 does a decent job of it. I don't use the camera much. Really prefer the trackball for everything except one game.

In terms of support, we do have not seen any unit more or less reliable than any other, but we only have 3 or 4 pearls so far.

About 20 8700's and maybe 40 7290s. Not sure on the others.

[sunnyyan1]

The was exactly what I went through when deciding which BB model I should get:

I got a 8100 pearl first, used for less than 24 hrs and went back to TMO and exchanged to 8700g.

I couldn't stand the small screen and small keypad, 8700 allow you to have a much better browsing experience and fast typing. 8100 pearl actully hurt my eye.

If you don't type much on keyboard and don't browse too much, then go with 8100, otherwise go with 8700.

[kmccarthy]

now i want the pearl. i think i am going to test it out and if i dont like it return it for the 8700. sounds like a plan, eh?

[Dirky]

Originally Posted by kmccarthy

now i want the pearl. i think i am going to test it out and if i dont like it return it for the 8700. sounds like a plan, eh?

8700g here. Large screen and full size keyboard make a big difference, I do miss a small camera though. Looking forward to same factor as 8700 with camera.
Is that the 8800?

Mike

[Greg8700G]

I went from the MDA to the 8700G and I love it. Couldn't of made a better decision! I am a BB user for life now. The MDA had everything I wanted but at times it was just slow and it would sometimes freeze/take forever to get back to the home screen and so on! STICK WITH BB!

[dropscience]

8700 all the way. Suretype blows and if you're an intensive email user, which I'm assuming since you picked Blackberry, then you'll want a full QWERTY keyboard.

All the bells & whistles are coming soon in the form of the Blackberry 8800 w/FULL QWERTY keyboard next spring.

[moosehead]

Love my 8700c! Full keyboard....