Well VZW has the new color Blackberry out.

I mainly use my I700 for the phone and email. Some other apps are nice like an RPN calc, but I rearely us them.

Since the 2003 upgrade has not come out and VZW does not have a 2003 PPC Phone, I am thinking moving the the Blackberry.

Big this is the balcberry always on for the email. My question to the group is will the 2003 PPC version have this. Meaning, will it work like blackberry? If so, maybe I will wait a little longer. If not, I will make the switch now.

thanks,

Mike

If you have Exchange 2003 then the Windows Mobile 2003 will support email updates via SMS message.

So Yes. in a way, as long as you have the right setup.

I do and i'm anxiously waiting for our upgrade so I can get that hooked up.

I have been a big i700 supporter for almost a year now. I got my first one in July/August of last year. I tried the i600 for a few months, hated it and went back to the i700. I thought it was the greatest thing ever, and for a lot of people here it is.

However, email is very important to me. I own my own business and I travel quite a bit. I dont always have time to fire up the laptop and check, especially when on the go, in the car, etc... The i700 does have email capability that is supposed to get better when the upgrade comes out. However, it does not compare to the BB.

Two weeks ago I got frustrated and purchased a used BB 6750 and I have been loving it. On Monday I ordered the 7750 and I received it yesterday. This thing is unbeleivable.

Is it PPC - no don't expect it to be. Clearly it is not nearly as robust an operating system. But the phone is awesome. The phone interface is much better on the BB in my opinion. Not only the option to use actual buttons, but also you can click on a client and it will ask you which number you want to dial (mobile, home, work, etc...) It is also easier and more comfortable to hold when you are on the phone. No awkwardly holding it like the i7 to avoid pressing buttons.

Obviously there is no camera - I never used it anyway. The PDA while not as good as PPC is pretty close. THe Day, Agenda, and Month views are the same. In my opinion, the week view on the BB is FAR superior. YOu just roll the cursor all over the screen and when you get to an appointment it lists it out on the bottom. No clicking with the Stylus. You can do everything one-handed on the Blackberry which makes it very convenient.

Internet browsing is decent. I haven't come across any problems. I have a hosted BES so I use BB Browser. I'm going to try out reqwireless which is like the BB equivalent Thunderhawk.

THe biggest two advantages are the keyboard and the always on e-mail/data connection. If you need e-mail this is the device. Even with the CDMA Dormant mode of the PPC 2003, I can't see how it can possibly compete. Plus, replying or any input with the Keyboard is incredibly fast. I can fire off emails WAAAAY faster than any of the input methods available on the PPC. These are the two biggest features.

I was very skeptecal. I know processor wise, the Blackberry is a lightweight compared to the actual Windows processing power of the i700, but as far as practical application - for my uses the Blackberry is far more efficient and functional. It makes the i700 feel like a toy. I know that is harsh, but the BB is built like a brick $h!thouse. YOu can drop the thing all over and nothing happens. The battery lasts a solid two days of phone and e-mail use.

SO, I guess it all depends on what you use it for. I rely heavily on e-mail and the phone. Secondarily I need my calendar and tasks. THe rest of the i700 I did not use that much. COme to think of it, I did not really have any 3rd party software installed.

So I am sorry to say that as soon as I can get it up on e-bay, I will no longer be an i700 owner. It has served me well, but for me it is time to move on to somethign more efficient.

Might I be back when they launch the 5050.....who knows?

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Is that your convergence device in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

That sounds like a fair assessment. I use the i700 for the phone, internet, occassional email checking, but what I really need is a PPC with me. I use 3rd party programs for medical use that are very valuable to have with me at work, the hospital, and at home. I also need the pocket outlook for calendar and contacts. Plus, I need to be able to carry excel and word files. So the i700 has been a perfect blend for my needs. I do wish the phone had a better fit against the face, but it works fine. WME2003 will take care of some of the irritants of the OS. I have never liked "thumbboards", but maybe I am old fashioned. So it sounds like the BB is a good fit for you; the i700 is a good fit for me. I guess that's why there are all the different products available. Thanks for the excellent and detailed review. Good luck with the BB.

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Jeremiah 29:11

Yes definately if you need 3rd party apps, you will need a PPC and the i700 is the best out there. From what I can tell, the BB is strictly a workhorse when it comes to e-mail and phone. The PDA part works just perfectly too. it's a good convergence device with a focus on e-mail. Some people do not like the thumbwheel and keyboard, but give it a few days and it is hard to go back to the stylus. I know I was going through the i700 the other day for a few things and I was getting frustrated.

You are absolutley right, this is why they make different devices for different people.

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Is that your convergence device in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

thanks for the input.

I ordered the BB as an upagrade to a second number I have. Figured I will give it a test and if it is good for me, I iwll switch it over to my primary number.

I too do not use any 3rd party apps on the PPC so I will not be missing much.

thanks again.

Mike

Let us know how you feel about it when you get the BB. I'm thinking of making the switch away from i700 too. While I like the PPC software flexibility, I'm tired of resets etc. Also, I want always up-to-date email. Yes, I run an Exchange 2003 server, and I know about that. Two problems though. 1) Paying Verizon for each SMS message. 2) We have no evidence that we'll ever that WM2K3.

So the BB is looking better all the time. Anyone have anything to share about stability or battery life? What's it like without BES?

Thanks for the excellent review. I'm finally kicking the bucket and going BB as well, due to the incredible barriers to using Lotus Notes effectively on the i700 (at least, without a server-based solution). If the Samsung/RIM deal comes through, I'll be back...

I support the 10+ Blackberry units (the 7230 color model from T-Mobile) that my company has, and they do have their own problems. Not a week goes by without a couple of the Blackberries mysteriously losing a "service book" (the result is losing incoming or outgoing e-mail connection). But of course this could be just T-Mobile service related.

Beyond the valuable function of painless instant e-mail, as far as functionality goes the Blackberry is pretty idiot-proof - which is nice for non-tech users but not nearly as satisfying as any other PDA if you're a power user. The "Blackberry Desktop" (PC interface) is designed in a very silly way IMHO, although ActiveSync too is far from flawless. And the Blackberry's color screen is just hedious when compared to the i700. Personally, I would never buy a Blackberry with my own money.

Do you have the capability of viewing certain type of documents on the Blackberry?

ciniminis:

T-Mobile could be one of your problems. I know they have better BB support than VZW at the moment, but I have heard a lot of bad things about TMO. Also, the color screen on the 7750 is extremely bright. It is also adjustable. Night and day (literally) compared to my wife's 7510 (which is I beleive the same screen as the TMo) On the other hand, as I have mentioned in many posts, the BB software is not nearly as robust as PPC, so for a developer or a tech guro, it may not be satisfying. But I'm stricly a business user. I need my e-mail, I need my phone, and I need my contacts and calendar. To have them all in one workhorse like the BB cannot be beat. I loved the i700, but it was to "gadgety" for me. I need a workhorse and I need e-mail, so for me the BB was the best choise. For others, another device will be the best choice.

waanabe: I have been able to open Word and Excel docs ont he 7750 without any additional software. The manual claims support for PDF and PowerPoint as well but I have not checked this out.

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Is that your convergence device in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Interesting thread. I had a Blackberry (actually two) and just went back to true convergence with the i700. Even with its PPC2002, it still kicks the BB's butt! Probably the only thing I miss about the BB is its ability to easily add contacts from email and link to phone numbers directly in an email, the USB charge/sync cable. Otherwise, the i700 has...

True instant messaging BOTH AOL and MSN
Pocket Streets, GPS
Virtually unlimited storage capacity
A camera
Multiple email account support
Ebooks
PocketTV
MP3
A real external keyboard
A better headset
A touchscreen
Real pdf file view
Real Excel (with formulas) and Powerpoint file view

I forgot how much I missed PPCs until the i700!

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:bye:
Steve

Wow, Steve... that i700 does give you the warm and fuzzy feeling....doesn't it?
I moved from a Palm to PPC... had palm since the FIRST ones came out, when it was just so cooolll to whip out this PDA while standing in line and act like I had this very imp. schedule to attend or check a phone number and pull out my huge Motorola startac!!!. Then moved on UP to HandSpring Visor Phone.... then Kyocera 6035.... then 7135 almost forgot Treo series and then to PPC!!!!!. I have arrived.... reached that eternal nirvana.... and all the blah.. blah... darn where's my starbucks latte!!!.

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Funny it worked.....the last time!!Now I am not sure what was working before they put a hole in my head!!!!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... latte......

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Ascii stupid question, get a stupid Ansi.

triple venti vanilla soy latte ...slurp....slurp

Oh yeah...forgot one more big reason to NOT get a BB...the GSM noise from the BB make my Bose <not so> QuietComfort2 headphones. These are known issues of the QC2 headphones, which are not affected by CDMA2000-equipped i700.

Yeah I know this sounds kinda picky, but I use those headphones a lot and they are great, except when a BB is nearby!

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:bye:
Steve

The only thing the Blackberry offers to me is obtaining my email instantly. With our corporate server, to my knowledge, there is nothing that will give me the instant connectivity on my email. Some of our management are using the Treo because of the "Good Software" functionality that it offers to give the continuous connectivity.

Stevesurf,

I notice what you are mentioning when my wife has her Nextel BB near a phone or a computer. It clicks and buzzes and does all kinds of crazy things.

TheBlackberry 7750 is CDMA so it doesn't do any of those things. I wonder why the CDMA technology does not react like iDen or GSM/GPRS

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Is that your convergence device in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

I recall that Samsung was suposed to have licensed the BB software for the email, and I thought maybe that was the delay but alas no likely. Other companies are moving to license BB push technology too so soon having a BB won't me a BB device itself.

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My PDA & SmartPhone History: Palm Vx; M505;TungstenT; NX60; iPaq 1910; I700; Treo 600; hx4700; MPx220; hw6515, Treo 700w, XV6700,, Treo 700p, Moto Q Black, Moto Q9h, BlackBerry 8310 & BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Storm 9530.

PPCMD -

I thought of that too, but look how long is has taken to not yet get the PPC2003 update. Can you imagine how long it will take to get an update with Blackberry technology. I would venture to say that it will NEVER happen.

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Is that your convergence device in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Christopher,

After reading your post on the BB, I think I'll give it a go. I have come to the conclusion that I don't need a mini laptop in my pocket and am really just needing more basic, but strong PDA functions. I think the BB 7750 might be a good fit. My biggest loss right now may be the ebooks. Anyone figured out a way to have an ebook reader for the BB?

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Ascii stupid question, get a stupid Ansi.