speaking of RIM…

…it looks like they have a new toy. The 7100-series looks a lot more like a phone than the old style Blackberry unit. They’ve changed the keyboard significantly, and from the demo it appears that they’ve taken the best of T9 and blended it somewhat with the QWERTY layout. It even has real phone features that are fun (like polyphonic ringtones), and have a form factor and battery life that is pleasing. I wonder if this is the phone McK’s been playing with across the pond.

I hadn’t even heard of this little unit, but it was announced back in September. Sadly, it seems that RIM still refuses to add a touch screen. With a device that touts itself as a browsing device, I really have to wonder what they’re thinking when they design this stuff. I wish I knew someone that worked there, so I could throw heavy objects at them while shouting “add a touchscreen and stylus already!”. That’s my major beef with my 7750 – it’s great for email and scheduling, and pretty much sucks for everything else, mainly because of the input system and ridiculously slow software.

I’ve been playing with the new Treo, and am very tempted. Of course, I still think PocketPC is the way to go, but have yet to see a decent implementation of the phone/PPC combo. Ok, enough babbling. Cool looking toy, I wonder if my provider will pick it up, or if Rogers – a company I will never buy services from willingly again – has an exclusive.

5 thoughts on “speaking of RIM…

  1. Sorry Kev – I really wanted to show you the toy but was under pretty tight wraps, being the device that it is. It’s actually what I was playing with at your bbq at the end of the summer. It has a fantastic screen and feels great to use as a phone! In fact, my phone usage increased and email decreased.

    Alas, I decided to bring another device across the pond with me. Although the predictive text is surprisingly good, it’s not as good as full qwerty if you type a lot of messages. Just ask Kris what kind of messages she’d get from me… Sometimes good for a laugh 🙂

    So no more whisky until Christmas??

    And *definitely* no whisky if you threaten to throw objects at me!

  2. It was in my house at the start of July?!? And me, with my love of toys, didn’t even get a sneak peek? I’m so choked. Well, I’m not actually choked, ’cause I understand the importance of NDA’s and keeping new stuff under wraps… but I love the toys. *sniff* Oh well, I’ll definitely go PocketPC now (j/k). But really – the touch screen – please thump the ID folks.

    No whiskey ’til Christmas, unless I find myself in as situation where not having a Whiskey would be incredibly stupid. I can think of a few. The whiskey worries me not, as it’s a savouring kinda drink. Beer and vodka are a different matter, as they go down far too easily sometimes. It’s a bad habit I can’t seem to kick, so once or twice a year I put on the brakes for a bit and just stop cold. It’s a good excuse to pick up the pace on training and drop down to 185 by Christmas, too.

  3. Hm. I need a new toy myself (all-in-one). Treo 650 or RIM 7100. Are there any other contenders at the moment?

  4. There are one or two other contenders, but I don’t think they’re on anyone’s network here.

    The HP 6135 is supposed to be a nice unit, with built-in WiFi and the keyboard’s detachable (although I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing). It’s a GSM phone, which means the only folks who would offer it here would be Rogers or (ack!) Fido. Most likely not available.

    Telus has the Samsung PocketPC phone, but it’s umm… pricey and includes Mible 2002 and no WiFi. They also have the Kyocera Palm phones, but I’ve never liked them – they tend to break fairly easily.

    treo is available at both Rogers and Bell, I think, and the 7100r is only at Rogers (hence the r following the 7100, I’m betting).

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