I like Qwerty but hate the cramped keyboard & narrow odd shaped keys of my 8700c. The 7290 has the best keys & keyboard. So be sure to check. & see if you can put up with the keyboard of the 8700c.
I would not have purchased the 8700 if I would have looked at the keyboard more carefully.
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My All Time Favorite: _RED-8310_ Backups: 7130c, 8100, O2 8300, at&t 8300, 8700c, 8800, 8820
because of the heavy use of both IM'ing and Emailing I do, I prefer the Qwerty over the SureType. I appreciate the absolute (well, sort of absolute) freedom. I can definitely see where people would like the SureType more though, I just don't think it's quite right for my style.
I've now had a 950, 7520, 7100i, then 8703. First I didn't mind the SureType on the 7100i, but I learned to hate it over time. The bottom line is:
If you type little and/or mostly normal words, SureType is OK or may even be great for you. In any case, it will need a lot more attention I found .
But: if you type a lot, especially using technical or otherwise not-so-normal words, use a lot of abbreviations or acronyms, or type in in multiple languages especially ones that the BB doesn't have, it becomes a pain, even with the built-in learning capabilities. I eventually turned learning off because it also learns everything you mis-type (and there will be a lot!), and then you have to go in and ditch all the misspelled stuff frequently.
In the end, for me a business-ready Blackberry still must have a QWERTY keyboard. If typing is low on the list, SureType is OK. It's certainly better than the pick-a-letter crap on normal phones!
I also find that the keyboard quality for QWERTY BBs is much better, I had to replace the keypad on the 7100i after a few months already. Maybe RIM feels the same about who should be using QWERTY and who ST?
Ya know personally I'm half and half on this... I've have a 7130e and now a 8703e and I love both. I'm more fond of the full keyboard just for a multitude of reasons 1 being that each key seconds as a another character. i like sure type for it's 1 handed ability to type on the go (IE not that I should be typing while at a stop light but sometimes I do!)... SO it really depends, honestly with as this and small as the next 8'S versions are getting I'll stick with full Qwerty
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"I am always amazed at how these men walk into fires, when the rest of us run from them" - Rudolph Giuliani on Firemen
I have a Samsung, and I can't wait for the 8800. I'm not quite sure what type I have. I use "ABC" mode. Which sucks especially if you miss pqrs, or wxyz.
I just know that full QWERTY will be much better than what I'm doing now.
