[mortys11]

ok,

I just went to my local Rogers store and check out the pearl. I was all ready to"upgrade" and quite excited to get a new toy. I demoed a working Pearl unit and was very disapointed in the 8100! My upgrade price was $225 CDN with a 3yr deal. I still passed on it.

The track ball is the worst move Rim has made! It was just too small...I thought the ball would be bigger! I made the sensitivity 90 then 80 and it seemed to be the right setting but the biggest problem was when you push the ball it doesnt really click. I really cant see a 8700 user switching over. I think if it had the wheel it would be better. The way i have my 8700 configured i could navigate 200 times faster than any Pearl user.

The keyboard was not too bad but the send , end, back and menu buttons are cramped.

The finish on it is not great either, the metal looking ends look cheap and poorly plated.

Rogers has a 30 min or 30 day return policy so its usless to try it unless i dont make calls on it.

I guess if this is your first BB and you had a small candy bar phone then you will love it. If you have a 8700 work horse then you'll probably stay away from the Pearl.

I dont think i will even get the 8800...that ball is very disapointing.

OVER ENGINEERED !

my 2 cents

[jrdul6748]

Being a normal cell phone user-turned-BlackBerry, the Pearl was the ultimate upgrade in my opinion. Also being a lefty, not that I'm not coordinated, the thumbwheel just seemed like such a hassle. The trackball is amazing, in my opinion, and the only thing I'd really probably upgrade on this thing are:

1) External microSD Slot & higher capacity
2) 2.0+ MP camera
3) Better speaker
4) Better media player (playlists and actual full-screen display for videos)

You can say that BlackBerries aren't made for these functions, but really, after their Pearl innovation, I'm pretty sure there's no turning back. Great first attempt though, in my opinion. I'm just surprised I only had to spend $200 for this thing, considering what I've paid for older phones and what I get out of this.

[acnst]

mortys11, I can't really agree with your opinion about the device. I am former 8700 user and SureType-hater and switched last week to the 8100. I took me around two days to get completely used to the 8100, but I see no reason to switch back. I am not as fast in typing emails as on the 8700, but thats okay for now. If you have any chance to try the device more than a few minutes, than do it. You will love it and I am sure wont regret it. Just my 0.02xxx8364;

[mortys11]

ok

i just think the ball loses to the wheel.

do you prefer the ball? really?

i could see many days of frustration.

i agree..this is only my first impression and i might be wrong!

[MorningZ]

I also agree with the others in that your opinions of the phone do not reflect mine...

the trackball is a marked improvement for me over the old "click wheel" and it's sooooo much easier to go through the Applications screen to quickly pull up what program i need....


"i could see many days of frustration. this is only my first impression and i might be wrong!"

I'd suggest not spending your hard earned $225 then.... do you feel you'll change your mind from random and anonymous people on a message board that may think differently?

[MythmbHurts]

After having several BB in my life time I will stand up and say that ONCE you GET USED to the trackball you will never even think about going back to the wheel and using my 8100 for 3 weeks and then picking up my girlfriends 7100i that i used for about a year that phone felt like a brick and so slow to navigate compared to the 8100. I felt a little like you when I first got the 8100 but after my learning curve it feels right at home with me!

[richard371]

I love the trackball. It is a great imporvement over the wheel.

[ceediddy]

I agree, I think the trackball will be the future of BB devices.

[brmcguire]

I also think the trackball is a huge improvement. Its a lot easier to scroll up/down and left/right with out the need for another key to be pressed. It's so much easier one handed with the trackball. I like the trackwheel, but I just think the trackball is better.

[cdd543]

I agree. I love the trackball after getting used to it. Way faster than wheel for me.

[mortys11]

i guess iam getting old.

or maybe i should have posted in the 8700 forum.

[jrdul6748]

Originally Posted by cdd543

I agree. I love the trackball after getting used to it. Way faster than wheel for me.

A fellow Dawgs fan/student! Go Dawgs, Sic 'Em!

"F*ck you, Rocky Top,
Go to hell, Tennessee...."

[ImagineParadise]

ball is definitly better than the wheel and the 8700 is ugly as hell compaired to the 8100. I type faster on my 8100 than my sisters 8700 and I dont look like I'm talking into a brick.

Yeah it sucks for you that you have to pay for an upgrade but if you dont like it then stick with the brick. I just feel that the 8100 is easier to navigate, more streamlined, and engineered better than the 8700.

There might be a learning curve for the 8100 for previous bb users but I don't think thats fair to say its "over engineered". Technology demand increases the complexity of our electronics. The choice is yours to stick with the curve or stay in the mud along the way.

[pradaisgood]

At this point in the game, I'm enjoying the novelty of having a decent sized screen on such a small phone. Beyond that, push email and smartphone functionality are mere expectations, everything else just looks too good using it. For me that's a big plus.

Understandably subjective, yes, but luckily I have nimble fingers.
(Oh, and the camera is garbage--too many artifacts in black and dark hues, even in well lit conditions.)

[aristobrat]

Originally Posted by mortys11

i guess iam getting old.

or maybe i should have posted in the 8700 forum.

A lot of the posts here start with "after I got used to it" which makes it sound like there is a little of a learning curve (or "getting used to it" curve).

If you based your opinion after only having used the device for a little bit, I could see why you felt that way.

[Akir]

Well since this is my first BB I say I love. I used the 8700 in the store before I bought this one but I wanted a camera and media capabilities. I also didn't really like either the wheel or ball when I tried them but now I love the trackball and have a hard time using my friends phones that have buttons to scroll.

[rambo47]

I came from the Blackberry 7730 and went to Treos. I missed the scroll wheel terribly and never got used to being without it. The touch screen is good only for games if you ask me (which you didn't, but I'll chime in anyway). When the Pearl came out I was foaming at the mouth in anticipation, eager to get it to the point of being completely distracted. One thing that did worry me was the change from scroll wheel to trackball, but after using it for a few minutes I have become completely enamored with it. The default sensativity settings of 70/70 are ideal for me and I don't miss the old scroll wheel one bit.

[flash24]

I'm stickin with my 8700g and I will wait for the 8800 :D... 8800 will be my next BB.

[pradaisgood]

Originally Posted by flash24

I'm stickin with my 8700g and I will wait for the 8800 :D... 8800 will be my next BB.

Bought the 8100, but it should be easily shelved for me when the 8800 comes out. Can't wait.

[ImagineParadise]

Originally Posted by pradaisgood

Bought the 8100, but it should be easily shelved for me when the 8800 comes out. Can't wait.

i may do the same thing depending on the 8800 w/ the cameras size & dementioning