[KamileonX]

I had the 7290 for a while. Then got my Curve.

The wheel was awesome because it had a tactile "click" to it for every option, where the trackball doesn't. However, the ability to have horizontal and diagonal movement versus just up and down is a great feature.

I voted for the trackball because I truly like it better. But i miss that tactile "click".

[bdizzlefizzle]

I'd actually like to have both of them, or have pushing in the ball act like pushing in the wheel did.

I'm pretty used to the ball now, and really like it, but the wheel was a good thing, too.

[rambo47]

As for the touchscreen, my buddy at work is trying to run Blackberry Connect on a Treo 750. He's having ALL KINDS of issues with freezing and crashes, on a level never before whitnessed even by other Treo owners. I keep telling him to drop that piece of garbage Treo like a bad habbit, but he persists. Having been a Treo owner myself I'm still mystified by their almost fanatical devotion to the Treo. I found myself wishing for no touchscreen and a Blackberry thumbwheel to replace it. Then it dawned on me: Duh! I just want a Blackberry. :D

[greggebhardt]

I miss the "tactile feedback" of the wheel. The wheel is somewhat unpredictable and you got to stare at the screen to control the cursor. The trackwheel was 100% predictable. I remember I could use it while driving and hardley have to look at my screen.

I have got used to the trackball, it just took a while.

[vinmontRD]

Originally Posted by rambo47

As for the touchscreen, my buddy at work is trying to run Blackberry Connect on a Treo 750. He's having ALL KINDS of issues with freezing and crashes, on a level never before whitnessed even by other Treo owners. I keep telling him to drop that piece of garbage Treo like a bad habbit, but he persists. Having been a Treo owner myself I'm still mystified by their almost fanatical devotion to the Treo. I found myself wishing for no touchscreen and a Blackberry thumbwheel to replace it. Then it dawned on me: Duh! I just want a Blackberry. :D

Oddly enough, I find that my old Treo (think it's a 600? was on T-Mobile) with Palm OS is actually a very friendly and responsive UI, and I'm still finding the Windows Mobile version disappointing and buggy. Although they probably had to offer a WM version of the Treo, I think it was a better device with Palm. I had actually used my MDA with WM5 on it (and all sorts of UI enhancers / replacements) before coming to the BB (which I now love). I was frustrated and disappointed in WM. But when I fired up my old Treo again, I was amazed at how easy it was to navigate, and how well the touchscreen worked. Although I wouldn't give up my Curve now, I'm really beginning to think that it's not the Treo itself that's the problem: I think that WM actually compromised the platform...

[xkon]

Originally Posted by C. Gomez

Heck yes. The thumb-wheel on the right was simply the best way to interact with a phone I've ever used. It was so simple and fast, I really don't care for the trackball. The X/Y movement is a nice thing, but I really just don't like it.

I miss my 8700c.

agreed - the trackballs are nice, but not nearly as durable. since the pearl, after a month the trackball turns black, and after a few months it stops responding... the wheel would run forever no matter what you put it through... grease, lol! on the trackball? wont even consider using it with dirty hands, it just wont come clean like a trackwheel would.

[tankee531]

took a while to get used to the trackball. Once used to, it was ok.

[tankee531]

Originally Posted by vinmontRD

Oddly enough, I find that my old Treo (think it's a 600? was on T-Mobile) with Palm OS is actually a very friendly and responsive UI, and I'm still finding the Windows Mobile version disappointing and buggy. Although they probably had to offer a WM version of the Treo, I think it was a better device with Palm. I had actually used my MDA with WM5 on it (and all sorts of UI enhancers / replacements) before coming to the BB (which I now love). I was frustrated and disappointed in WM. But when I fired up my old Treo again, I was amazed at how easy it was to navigate, and how well the touchscreen worked. Although I wouldn't give up my Curve now, I'm really beginning to think that it's not the Treo itself that's the problem: I think that WM actually compromised the platform...

likewise, when I played with BB Coonect on Treo for about 2 weeks, it did not crash on me

[Malkier]

Only down fall with the trackball is that my brickbreaker score has dropped a lot on the pearl, just keep over shooting past the ball

[adp21]

Same story here - missed the wheel for first few weeks when I upgraded from my 8700 to the Curve - but am used to the ball now

Wheel or ball - not a deal breaker for me - what is a deal breaker is the stability of the OS and owning a convergence device (Curve is pretty darn close - needs ability to tweak docs, wi-fi plus the ability to access non-media data from the SD card and I would be 100% satisfied)

Maybe the next series (9xxx) will address these.....