[mikehoffer]

I'm a 7250 user that wants to upgrade to the 7130e. I use the phone and look up all the time. Is the different style keyboard easy to use? i could get an 8703 instead. Thanks for the help.

[penguin3107]

Your question is impossible to answer... we're not you.
What's easy for one might not be easy for another. Why not just go to a Verizon store and play with the 7130e that they have on display?

[John Clark]

As the previous poster suggested, go to the store and try it out. If the sales person doesn't know how to use the small keyboard (SureType) you and he will think it's hard to use. If he knows how to use it he'll say it's easy. Most people who take a few minutes to read how it's supposed to work and try it out, generally like it (unless they came from a full keyboard model-then they think it's hard to get used to.) I love SureType. The small keyboards are what I've used and, therefore, easy (for me.) IMHO, it's worth it for the small sized BB.

[archer6]

Originally Posted by mikehoffer

I'm a 7250 user that wants to upgrade to the 7130e. I use the phone and look up all the time. Is the different style keyboard easy to use? i could get an 8703 instead. Thanks for the help.

I have both the 7130c with SureType, and the 8700c full qwerty.

My suggestion is to take everything else into consideration and leave the keyboard choice for last, and then decide. Here's why:

I purposely purchased both as I simply could not decide. This was a very valuable learning experience that taught me that the "in-store" experience with SureType is usually a deal breaker, because you just cannot get a true feel for what it's like.

It does require the desire to learn something new.

Here is why, because SureType is completely different from a 3 keys across keypad on a regular cell phone that you text on. And obviously it's completely different from the 10 keys across qwerty on a 8700 series. There are a lot of people (myself included) that might jump to a conclusion that it's not good, or too hard to learn, or some other reason to overlook it.

SureType is a great new technology and input method that can easily be cast aside in a negative way, if not given a chance.

I found that when I was patient and approached it as something new that I wanted to learn then the results were fantastic. So much so, that now it's the method that I prefer by a wide margin.

I find that I can type faster, with less typo's than on my 8700c. I also like that the SureType has learned all the industry specific words I use, and there are quite a lot of them. After just a week or two I became really proficient and the results have really paid off.

I'm sellling my 8700c as the 7130c is so well suited to my needs and I am simply amazed at the advantages of SureType.

Cheers....

[mikehoffer]

Originally Posted by archer6

I have both the 7130c with SureType, and the 8700c full qwerty.

My suggestion is to take everything else into consideration and leave the keyboard choice for last, and then decide. Here's why:

I purposely purchased both as I simply could not decide. This was a very valuable learning experience that taught me that the "in-store" experience with SureType is usually a deal breaker, because you just cannot get a true feel for what it's like.

It does require the desire to learn something new.

Here is why, because SureType is completely different from a 3 keys across keypad on a regular cell phone that you text on. And obviously it's completely different from the 10 keys across qwerty on a 8700 series. There are a lot of people (myself included) that might jump to a conclusion that it's not good, or too hard to learn, or some other reason to overlook it.

SureType is a great new technology and input method that can easily be cast aside in a negative way, if not given a chance.

I found that when I was patient and approached it as something new that I wanted to learn then the results were fantastic. So much so, that now it's the method that I prefer by a wide margin.

I find that I can type faster, with less typo's than on my 8700c. I also like that the SureType has learned all the industry specific words I use, and there are quite a lot of them. After just a week or two I became really proficient and the results have really paid off.

I'm sellling my 8700c as the 7130c is so well suited to my needs and I am simply amazed at the advantages of SureType.

Cheers....

thanks for the great info! how about the screen size? was it hard to get used to the reduced size from the 8703?

Mike

[TurboGizzmo]

Going from my V710 to this BB was pretty simple to pick up. Since most phones do that suretype thing. Now going from a full keyboard BB to this might take a bit more getting use to....

[archer6]

Originally Posted by mikehoffer

thanks for the great info! how about the screen size? was it hard to get used to the reduced size from the 8703?

Great Question!

I find that I like the 7130c display better, the reason is that when reading longer emails or linked text messages, there is much less scrolling required.

For my personal tastes there are many advantages, amongst the best in the category of usefulness and efficiency, I like:

1) SureType software which not only learns your words but how you use them. It anticipates and therefore there is quite an increase in speed.

2) Keys that are larger than the 8700 and spaced nicely and with enough room that I can touch type without looking at the keyboard. The first such device I have been able to do that on.

3) The Size and Form Factor, the 7130 is only 5mm wider and 8mm taller & 3mm thicker than a Pearl. I do not like wearing a phone on my belt and the 7130 fits in my pocket quite easily.

4) One handed usage. I find my 7130 very useful one handed, even typing, which makes it nice when I do not want to have to use two hands.

Cheers.....

[mikehoffer]

Originally Posted by archer6

Great Question!

I find that I like the 7130c display better, the reason is that when reading longer emails or linked text messages, there is much less scrolling required.

For my personal tastes there are many advantages, amongst the best in the category of usefulness and efficiency, I like:

1) SureType software which not only learns your words but how you use them. It anticipates and therefore there is quite an increase in speed.

2) Keys that are larger than the 8700 and spaced nicely and with enough room that I can touch type without looking at the keyboard. The first such device I have been able to do that on.

3) The Size and Form Factor, the 7130 is only 5mm wider and 8mm taller & 3mm thicker than a Pearl. I do not like wearing a phone on my belt and the 7130 fits in my pocket quite easily.

4) One handed usage. I find my 7130 very useful one handed, even typing, which makes it nice when I do not want to have to use two hands.

Cheers.....

Thanks again. I think i'll try the 7130. i like the key spacing you mentioned and the one handed usage.

[li2327]

Wirelessly posted (7130e: BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

You get used to keyboard on the 7130e really quick. I do like the small size of the 7130e. But still haven't decided if I'm going to upgrade to 8703e

[Talldog]

There are two kinds of people in the world, those who like word completion technology (regardless of device type or application), and those who don't. If you're the first kind, you'll learn SureType, even if it takes awhile, and your like/dislike of the device will be based on other things. If you're the second kind (like me), you will probably never completely adapt to SureType.

When the 7100 first came out, I got a couple from our carriers for evaluation, with no time limit on how long I could keep them. I really tried (because they were very cool devices), but I just can't stand word completion. It interrupts my concentration.

Make sure you're the first kind before you switch, or you'll probably regret it.

[archer6]

Originally Posted by TurboGizzmo

Since most phones do that suretype thing.

Just for clarification, most phones DO NOT do that SureType thing. It's only available on certain BlackBerry models.

It's a patented technology that RIM created. It is in no way related to T-9 or Multi-Tap, or any of the other text message based sofware applications, including auto-complete. SureType is a brilliant software innovation that learns the words you use and how you use them. It also searches your email and other documents such as when you Sync with Outlook and adds those special words to it's SureType database.

SureType software in combination with RIM's special 5 key across keyboard is what makes up the SureType input method.

My experience began and stayed with a qwerty keyboard for years on Treos & a Moto Q. It was not until I purhased my first BlackBerry, a 7130c that I was introduced to SureType. At first I hated it, as I was so used to qwerty and I did not give it a chance until I changed my attitude and decided that I was going to learn it. I honestly never expected it to be better than qwerty.

Now I really like it, I can touch type without looking at the keyboard and write must faster with less typo's than I ever could on any qwerty keyboard. This is especially remarkable as I process at least 40-50 eamils per day on my 7130c, as well as many text messages.

As a result, I have the joy of a smaller device that is shaped like a regular cell phone, is light, and has full BlackBerry functionality. The best of all worlds.

Cheers.....