[jkjones1]

tcb565

Quick question. Can you use the sk65 to receive both your Enterprise mail off the BES AND your personal pop email? Just curious if it has the same functionality as the 7100t i am currently using on tmobile.

thanks for the info on the phone - i am expecting mine from the UK today or tomorrow hopefully.

[vkeong]

Yes it is entirely possible, and I am doing that now...

[tcb565]

Originally Posted by jkjones1

tcb565

Quick question. Can you use the sk65 to receive both your Enterprise mail off the BES AND your personal pop email? Just curious if it has the same functionality as the 7100t i am currently using on tmobile.

thanks for the info on the phone - i am expecting mine from the UK today or tomorrow hopefully.

I do not believe the SK65 can sync contacts and calender OTA as I beleive the 7100 can. It is not a major issue as my old Handspring PDA couldn't do so, but I can see the value iof the feature. Perhaps someone with more experience with the SK65 has been able to do so.

[jkjones1]

I assumed that it could sync the calendar up over the air, as that is something that blackberry built-in typically allows. I also assumed that it could NOT sync contacts, as that is not something I believe, I can do with the 7100t - but I am not an expert. Anyone with any thoughts?

[tcb565]

According to the Siemens Website, you should be able to sync your calendar OTA when using the BES. I've made sure all the right boxes are checked, but it is not working. Has anyone had any luck with it in the US? Thanks

[jkjones1]

Help - i got everything working ok - I got the WAP browser working. But I can't get the BB browser working - it tells me that I don't have the Browser configuration service book. Can anyone please help me with this? thanks

[tcb565]

Originally Posted by tcb565

According to the Siemens Website, you should be able to sync your calendar OTA when using the BES. I've made sure all the right boxes are checked, but it is not working. Has anyone had any luck with it in the US? Thanks

Update to my earlier post. I was able to get a calendar on my BB menu. Alas, it has no entries so I guess I should take next week off. :D I am working on getting it to reconcile with outlook. I assume it wil do so.

[headtailgrep]

Ok, SOMEONE post screenshots of this thing in action! I want to see how the Blackberry connect works!

[shadow]

Hi

I have used the SK65 for a couple of days. It has a very messy interface and it has a very poor screen size . Compared to a 7100 series,the only advantage the SK65 has is the complete keyboard layout. And that's a poor excuse to buy one.

These type of devices should have an interface a nine year old could understand. (To be sure your boss can use it )

I hope some other hardware designer comes with something usable to put some variation in the BB device market

[shadow]

Some screenshots

Check this for a review with picture on BB use
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000317030550

A fine example how small the display is

[tcb565]

I disagree. All smartphones are compromises. Each one has certain tradeoffs. Whether it be trading compactness for a smaller screen size or trading a usable keyboard for a different kind of interface. I have used the SK65 with BES for three weeks and have been very satisfied. Granted, the Siemens interface and logic take a little getting used to, but the phone has performed very well. The screen is smaller than the 7100, but it is more than adequate and the phone is smaller than the 7100 so it is less clunky and more usable as a personal cellphone. As to the keyboard, I totally disagree. I have tried the 7100, and other BB models as well as the Treo 650, this keyboard is head and shoulders about the rest. I would not use it over my laptop, but I have used to send rather extensive messages and have been very pleased. You cite one review in your message, butI have read many others and they have all been very postive. Anyone interested in the SK65 or any other smart phone should do their homework before making a purchase as each one has its unique benefits and quirks.

[shadow]

No you don't, we are both possitive on the keyboard, the only difference is that you can live with the poor screen size.

It seems we have different priorities. I'm receiving approx 75 personal mails a day (All mails I'm not in the to field are not forwarded), so its important to have some space on the display to prevent constant scrolling. Since this is tool (not a gadget) to me, let us define it as a business requirement.

You wrote "the Siemens interface and logic take a little getting used to". So you confirm what I indicated. The user interface is not user friendely nor intuitive.

In the meantime I have evaluated all types of smartphones form treo's to WinCe based stuff including other flavors of OS's (Nokia, Siemens, etc... )
Other BB devices as well (7730, 7290,...)

To list my companies top priorities

- Very user friendly
So both display and keyboard are important, and on the 7100 serie the
keyboard is very poor (and suretype hell for non supported languages)
- Online mobile mail/agenda (browser)
- Secure (Both the encryption and user policy management)

My target user population are managers (roaming worldwide)
with no technical background.

From my point of view the ideal would be a 7100 like device with a SK65 keyboard to have best from both world. but ...

... you don't have to agree

If I realy have to choose I would take the 7730
- very nice display
- full keyboard

but,
- rather large
- no bluetooth (headset and carkit)

[tcb565]

I receive about 50 emails a day and would still take this phone above the others you mentioned. I am happy to trade a slightly smaller screen for a very good keyboard and a smaller phone. Let's just agree to disagree.

[ba06j]

I have just been briefly testing the SK65 for its Blackberry capability with our BES3.6 and I was very disappoited, since the battery lasts just more than a day, while the RIMs go more than a week. It may be a BB client software implementation issue that seems to run the transceiver full cycle, which seems the only logical reason why it consumes so much power with almost no operation to pass out on a daily basis.
Maybe with a better implementation/power menagement it could work like a normal phone, enabling its receiver to operate at a duty cycle of less than 10% and still respond on RF requests.
Apart from that the display is very low resolution and very small. The only good feature I could find is its keyboard, because once used to it, you can type pretty fast. Being able to use it as an MP3 player might be a major fun factor versus a classic Blackberry, but its movie capability is total nonsens.
At least I was real happy to go back to my 7730 with a real display and solid long term functionality. I will soon test the MDAIII, which might be an intersting multifunctional alternative.

[bigdongers]

I have also tested a SK65 here in Australia and overall it works fine. The battery life is an issue but if you turn Bluetooth off (if you are not using it) and turn the screen brightness down, the battery life increases dramatically.

The BB calendar is not enabled by default. There are 2 calendars on the phone, a phone calendar which syncs with outlook via software and the bb calendar which is wireless. You can only have one calendar active at the one time and out of the box, the phone calendar is. I guess this is due to most people buying this phone probably are not using the bb side yet. Anyway to get the bb calendar working is relatively simple. You need to activate it in the blackberry menu on the phone.

I still like my 7100g better though

[shadow]

[tcb565]

Originally Posted by shadow

I guess I'm the lone voice in favor of the SK65 in the RIM wilderness. Ah well, it is not the first time and won't be the last. .

[bbgirl]

actually,

The ironic thing is, both Siemens AND Research In Motion's future are up in the air. As you might know, RIM was hit last year with a patent infringement lawsuit for its blackberry software that is still undergoing the legislative process.

RIMS' future is looking better, because the Patent office has rejected 10 of NPR's 12 claims... I'm trying to find the original article.

[ace_2005]

Guess is just a huge liar and RIMM is scrambling out there tails. This device has not the capabilites to be worth 900usd. How the ^&$*( can you say it is worth that when it does not syn NOTES, TASKS, CALENDARS, CONTACTS.

Oh Did I mention that it take 90-120 seconds to pull email and at that time the device is completely useless.

OH I forgot to tell you that there is no BBweb browser.

OH there is also no OTA meaning 45minutes for each sync your PC.

OH who supports it? I called to ask a few questions with siemens and they had no answers.

This thing is just a joke. A great way to show your buddies how much you love something that you will spend big bucks for a sexy bed mate.

[maschievano]

have the "final instruction" to use this with a bes?
I mean: how to create an account in a bes 4, and how to make the mail work on the device.

Thanks!